SC Senate RINOs Cave On Health Care Vote

SC Senate RINOs Cave On Health Care Vote

By FITSNews || That didn’t take long …

Less than a week into the 2010 legislative session, South Carolina’s “Republican” leaders in the State Senate are already caving to the “minority” party on major legislation, delivering an early victory to filibustering Democrats and crippling the Palmetto State’s ability to fight the implementation of Barack Obama’s unconstitutional socialized medicine proposal.

Thanks to Senate President Glenn McConnell, Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman and grandstanding GOP Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, the S.C. Senate adjourned on Thursday without voting on a bill that would have asserted South Carolina’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment as it relates to the socialized medicine plan currently being negotiated behind closed doors by Democratic leaders in Washington.

Drafted by State Senators Mick Mulvaney and Mike Rose, the amendment would have effectively blocked the implementation of “Obamacare” in South Carolina and set up a Constitutional challenge to its legality.

The failure of the measure to even obtain a vote means that a Democratic filibuster has succeeded – a day after Peeler gave a rousing Winston Churchill-style speech on the merits of standing firm in support of individual liberties and taxpayer rights.

“We will stand strong against an overreaching government because we do have a choice and with this resolution, we ask the Attorney General of South Carolina to fight any attempt to force a socialized health care plan on our state and its taxpayers,” Peeler said in a sternly-worded statement released Wednesday afternoon. “We will stand today, not just against the Democrats, but against a government that intrudes on our rights and our freedoms. We demand action today because by remaining silent, we signal our surrender.”

Less than twenty-four hours later, though, Peeler and his RINO colleagues were apparently tired of standing. And so they did more than just signal surrender, they actually surrendered.

Republicans lacked the votes to end the Democratic filibuster thanks to defections by Leatherman and three other “Republicans,” Sen. Jakie Knotts, Billy O’Dell and Luke Rankin. Ironically, Knotts, O’Dell and Rankin were all co-sponsors of the original legislation, but they refused to vote for cloture – thus allowing the Democratic filibuster against the bill to continue.

Knotts is one of the Senate’s legendary RINOs, while Leatherman, O’Dell and Rankin are all Democratic Senators who switched their party label when it became electorally advantageous.

Knotts, O’Dell and Leatherman all voted in favor of adjournment, too, while Rankin did not vote.

From Thursday’s Senate Journal, here’s a list of the RINOs who voted in favor of adjournment …

Thomas Alexander
Paul Campbell
John Courson
Ronnie Cromer
Wes Hayes
Jakie Knotts
Hugh Leatherman
Glenn McConnell
Billy O’Dell
Greg Ryberg

And here’s a list of Republicans who wanted to keep fighting in support of the amendment …

Lee Bright
Kevin Bryant
Chip Campsen
Ray Cleary
Tom Davis
Mike Fair
Larry Grooms
Shane Martin
Shane Massey
Mick Mulvaney
Harvey Peeler
Mike Rose
Phil Shoopman
David Thomas
Danny Verdin

Obviously, Peeler’s name is included with the good guys on this one, but sources tell FITS he was instrumental in engineering the “RINO cave” and that his vote was purely “C.Y.A.”

We’d also like to point out that Sen. David Thomas typically votes with the RINOs, but is currently running for U.S. Congress and as a result has to appear to be as “conservative” as possible. Also, Sen. Shane Martin frequently votes with the conservatives, but is reportedly always available to the “RINO King” Sen. Hugh Leatherman if his vote is needed on a particular measure – which in this case it obviously wasn’t.