The Ineptitude of Bill Frist

If I was a Republican, the ineptitude of Bill Frist would anger me to no end. I can't think of one thing he has done this year that could be seen as something OTHER than cow-towing to his own special interest groups (meaning those groups whose votes he hopes to garner).

It started out with his staggering video diagnosis of Terri Schiavo who, according to Frist, appearing to respond to visual stimuli. It was later found out that she was blind. This, my friends, from a doctor. The only thing that trumps this was when George Stephanopolous asked him if AIDS could be spread through sweat and tears, a statement he refused to deny.

Then we have his failure to bring about the 'nuclear option'. I can't criticize him for this as I feel the compromise struck was a good one and that the nuclear option would have been very bad for our government. But, it was seen as his failure to keep his Republicans in line.

Now, oh Bill, now you've gone too far.

The Senate's Republican leader on Tuesday derailed a bipartisan effort to set rules for the treatment of enemy prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention camps by abruptly stopping debate on a $491 billion defense bill.
The unusual move came after senators, including several leading Republicans, beat back an effort by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to block amendments setting standards for military-prisoner interrogations and delaying base closings scheduled for approval later this year. The White House had threatened to veto the defense-spending legislation if it contained either of those provisions.
Rather than risk debate and votes on those amendments, Frist, R-Tenn., simply pulled the bill from consideration. The bill would have set defense spending levels for fiscal year 2006, which begins Oct. 1, and it includes authority to spend $50 billion on military operations in Iraq.

Why would he do this you ask? Because the White Hourse doesn't want these amendments. They don't want to hamper Bush's ability to conduct the war on terror. HUH? Setting up humane interrogation techniques would hamper his ability to conduct the war on terror? Regardless, Bill Frist was tasked with not letting these amendments through, and when that failed, because AGAIN, he could not keep his Republicans in line, he simply pulled the bill. For what? The NRA and those pesky millions of voters he needs to court and keep. To start debate on a gun bill.

Keep in mind that the defense bill that was pulled was for fiscal year 2006, which begins in October. I'm pretty sure that witholding the $50 million in that appropriation would hamper Bush's ability to conduct the war on terror.

Bill Frist is a complete and utter mockery. He can't even put up a good front on his attempts to cow-tow to special interests.

These amendments are necessary to the war on terror. I don't care if you like McCain or not, you think he's too far right, too far left or a grandstanding fool. If there is ONE ISSUE that his words should have more value than others, it is the humane treatment and interrogation of prisoners. This bill had bi-partisan support and in efforts to again keep the President above the law, Frist continues his impossible streak of idiocy.