Dem senator on lame duck: 'It's all rigged'

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet is apparently unhappy with the Democratic leadership's plan for the lame duck session.

Bennet, who was first appointed to the Senate and narrowly won election to hold that seat in November, was heard on an open microphone today while presiding during a vote.

Bennet's distinctive voice was picked up on a microphone that is typically off while votes are being recorded. On the C-SPAN feed, you can see someone react and signal to Bennet that the mic was hot.

Bennet was speaking to a colleague who appeared to be and sounded like Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar when Bennet said of this lame duck session, "It's all rigged. The whole conversation is rigged. The fact that we don't get to a discussion before the break about what we're going to do in the lame duck. It's just rigged."
When contacted for a comment on the hot mic, Bennet's staff responded, "Michael was telling the same truths on the Senate floor that he tells folks back home in Colorado."

Bennet aide Adam Bozzi added, "For almost two years, he has talked about needing to fix a broken Washington. We can't move forward on major issues facing our country because of a broken system that is rigged to prevent progress. We are now in the second week of this session and haven't begun debating Defense Authorization or tax cuts that will expire at the end of the year. Colorado and the rest of our country deserve better which is why he has proposed overhauling the way Washington works, including filibuster and lobbying reforms."

Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/30/5553033-dem-senator-on-lame-duck-its-all-rigged

[Jackpine Radical]

1. First time his existence has come to my attention.

I think I'm gonna like that guy.

He has the guts to stand by his private communications.

[randr]

6. Earlier this year on a MSNBC program

I heard Willie Brown, of San Francisco, declare that Bennett could be the next Kennedy in his mind.
I sure am glad we got him past the teabaggers here in Colorado.

[joshcryer]

7. He's somewhat center-right but represents Colorado very well.

If you could cut him into pieces of Colorado demographics, he'd fit the pieces perfectly.

[saras]

9. What if...

What if everyone whose conversation was leaked by Wikileaks was willing to do this?

[karynnj]

13. Has anyone yet disputed the wikileaks report?

I don't know of anyone - the closest is that some have said that the reports contain raw information - some of which is not true. (Like a 15 month old report that the Ayatolla had a few months to live. Or comments by Saudi Arabia on Iranians - who they always have hated.)

[nilram]

12. yeah, no denial, no apology, wow. refreshing.

[xchrom]

2. I hope it didn't come as surprise to him -- or --

Sometimes wikileaks just happen.

[TheWraith]

3. Damn, that's a pretty fine comeback right there.

I would have tried to get in a dig about Senators who make up their minds based on party orders, but still, pretty nice.

[meow mix]

4. just need to reach across the aisle and "extend the current rates"

and then we can "get into the spirit of trying to work together"

this is what orangie says the deal was coming out of the meeting today..
practice saying President Palin cause were going in the tank.

[elleng]

5. Would be good if this 'disclosure' would cause enough discomfort to get change going.

[unkachuck]

8. "...we don't get to a discussion before the break about what we're going to do..."

....that's probably because they're still working out the details on how they're going to balance more corporate-crime on the backs of the working-class....

....but thanks Senator Bennet for calling to our attention what many of us have suspected, "It's all rigged."

[robcon]

10. I think it's rigged too.

n/t

[sarcasmo]

11. Finally someone speaking truth about politics, putting this guy on my radar.

[otohara]

14. Hmmmm....

Bennet's been saying this for months and even did a commercial stating the same thing. Frankly it's starting to bore me - he sounds like a whiner.

Good luck with that radar thing, Bennet is rarely seen or heard - unless you listen to the right-wing radio stations. That's where you'll find Michael Bennet - he continually ignores or refuses to go on David Sirota's show. Hell, he won't even go on the idiot in the afternoons show - if it's progressive or liberal, Bennet runs far far way.

He's a bit of a hypocrite IMO - he doesn't practice what he preaches - reaching out to the other side, only applies to his Senate colleagues, not his constituents.


Then there's this: http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_16097830

[MissMarple]

15. Bennet says what he thinks. I respect him.

[Robb]

16. Happy to have had the chance to vote for him.

And took it, if I wasn't clear. :)