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Charlie Bass: Pants on Fire

by: susanthe

Wed Nov 30, 2011 at 00:04:00 AM EST
Charlie Bass recently had a health care forum for seniors in Hudson, where he intentionally set his pants afire. From the Telegraph:

Bradley asked Bass about his vote in favor of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's budget, which proposed cuts to Medicare, but Bradley thought Bass dodged the question.
Without going into specifics, Bass defended his voting record and said it is always his intention to preserve the status of Medicare and Medicaid.

So, when Charlie voted to gut Medicare and Medicaid, in the form of the Ryan budget his "intention was to preserve the status of Medicare." It would be interesting to hear why his vote and his stated "intention" were at such opposite ends of the spectrum.

This really sums up the whole event:

Bass said it was helpful to hear people's concerns. He couldn't answer many questions himself, but he directed residents to the many resources on hand for individual help.

He couldn't answer many questions himself  because he was trying to keep that pants fire from spreading.  
susanthe :: Charlie Bass: Pants on Fire
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Charlie Bass: Pants on Fire | 9 comments
Typical Republican Double-speak (0.00 / 0)
Charlie talks out of both sides of his mouth, my like the rest of the republican field, Mitt Romney being one of the best.
This is Charlies 7th term as Congressman! (4.00 / 1)
And he doesn't know the answers to these questions.

What has been doing all these years, except running for cover?

He has been (4.00 / 2)
using his office to enrich himself and his family.  Isn't that what getting elected to Congress is all about?
[ Parent ]
Charlie - Medicare (0.00 / 0)
I think Charlie's record speaks for itself on "preserving the status of Medicare". . . .

On October 19, 1995, Charlie Bass voted to slash hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare.  As President Clinton said when he vetoed the bill, the Gingrich/Bass legislation would have "dismantled Medicare as we know it." (H.R. 2425, CQ#729-731, October 19, 1995)

While Bass later claimed that his plan would "protect, preserve, and strengthen Medicare for our senior citizens," he said at the time:  "We're going to have to cut close to $1 trillion.  It's going to require amendments to cut entitlement programs, Medicare and Medicaid." (Congressional Record, One Minute Speech by Charles Bass, September 6, 1995; The Boston Globe, "House Rookies Return from the Fray," by Bob Hohler, April 9, 1995)

According to the Congressional Budget Office, monthly Medicare Part B premiums under the Bass plan would have nearly doubled between 1996 and 2002. (Manchester Union Leader, "House OK's Medicare Overhaul," October 20, 1995)


That said. . . . (0.00 / 0)
In context, the reference to "many resources at hand" seems to be more focused on addressing specific constituent issues re: health care access.

I don't feel that was out of line -- as a former congressional staffer, I know that you don't want to spent group meetings focused on individual concerns, and that case workers often have a greater depth of understanding on targeted challenges.

[ Parent ]
based on my experiences (0.00 / 0)
of seeing Bass in action at various meetings and forums, he's not equipped to answer questions of any sort. He (and his former colleague Jeb Bradley) are proof that you don't have to be smart to get elected to Congress.

Charlie's still insistent that there were WMDs in Iraq.  

[ Parent ]
In Charlie's case it helps to pretend you're a moderate (0.00 / 0)
It also helps to have the right last name, even if the rest of the family is more liberal than Charlie is.
[ Parent ]
We had to destroy Medicare to save it. It makes sense. n/t (0.00 / 0)


In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 $30 trillion to save the banking system.
[ Parent ]
Of course, Guinta does the same (0.00 / 0)
[slightly off-topic]  
A few months ago he had a "job fair" for vets where there wasn't a single employer taking applications.

Last week's mailing was a glossy card-stock celebration of the latest Social Security COLA.  At least he didn't try to take credit for it, as he has done for things no less ludicrous in the past.

Charlie Bass: Pants on Fire | 9 comments

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