The majority Republicans at the Gold Dome seem to have a gift for spectacle. So much so that the Democrats should offer a bill to extend the legislative session beyond the mandated 40 days. Give the GOP another two weeks in session, and they’re liable to find a member of their caucus who will challenge a Democrat – or a fellow Republican – to a duel.
The hullabaloo is over state Rep. Jason Spencer’s comic-opera rhetoric and gestures in defense of his bill to have the state of Georgia run interference on Obamacare.
The Camden County Republican has called a press conference, then cancelled it, then held it after all. He has claimed that Governor Nathan Deal is with him in trying to resurrect Spencer’s bill after a Senate committee tabled it. In making his declamation on the matter, he threatened to ‘expose’ dastardly Republican senators who killed his legislation. And he did it so with high-falutin historical references ranging from British kings to Greek mythology.
What if anything will come from this remains to be seen. Right now two things seem clear. One is that if Deal were inclined to do business with Spencer and his bill a day or two ago, he’s got to be reconsidering by now. Spencer’s presumptuous claims about Deal have been at least unnecessary, and probably counterproductive. A bull in a china shop, to quote the phrase.
If Deal is going to lean on senators to resurrect this legislation, why not just do so, instead of bragging about it beforehand? Or is Spencer so bold as to try to pressure Deal with fighting words spoken to the press? (Spencer has been quoted as saying that he heard of the governor’s interest through a back channel. Should that not have been a clue to keep all this quiet until springing the bill as a rider?)
Second, the whole thing makes for a curious case. Georgia already is not cooperating with Obamacare. This bill smacks of an effort to put a pretty bow on Georgia’s uncooperativeness.
And that sounds like electioneering. This estimation is supported by the fact that a co-sponsor of the bill is Rep. Ed Lindsey of Atlanta, who is running for Congress.
But one could make the case that this is unnecessary, perhaps unwise. If Republicans make a big to-do over throwing roadblocks in front of Obamacare, couldn’t the Democrats then claim that much of the troubled rollout of Obamacare could have been prevented if only the GOP had let it alone? It’s like reeling back in all that rope that you paid out so that the Democrats could hang themselves.
Sine Die should be fun.
