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Coble was out-of-touch on health care issues

Sunday, November 15, 2009
(Updated 3:00 am)

Rep. Howard Coble used to be known for having a bit of an independent streak. He did not always vote the party line on every issue.

So, I was a little disappointed he voted against health care reform recently. Still, I am not surprised. I remember attending a precinct meeting this summer where Howard was on a panel with a doctor and a nurse practitioner.

When Howard’s time to speak came, he said he did not know much about the details of reform because he was not on the committees that were writing the bills. Still, he said he was voting against the bill.

He spent the rest of his time spinning yarns about the good, old days. When question-and-answer time came, Howard suddenly remembered he was late for another appointment and left early.
It was a sad and embarrassing performance. Perhaps Howard will do himself and his constituents a favor and retire instead of running for re-election yet again.

We deserve better representation and Howard deserves a rest.

Mikel Taylor
Greensboro

 

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Yvonne

November 15, 2009 - 7:44 am EST

Just yesterday I was thinking Coble had reached the age of resignation, both literally and figuratively. He seems to have lost his edge and his independent thought. I do understand the older you are the harder it is to swim upstream. Perhaps it is time for him to sit on the porch a spell.

rmacz

November 15, 2009 - 11:52 am EST

I guess you and Taylor will find out at the polls who is out of touch. Didn't you say " Get Real"?

troubleshooter

November 15, 2009 - 6:20 pm EST

Agreed. I believe Coble has done a lot of good in the past but it is time for him to take a vacation.

danagain

November 15, 2009 - 7:49 am EST

I guess it's time for the 39 Representatives with a D behind their names who voted against this bill to retire as well. Three of them happen to represent NC.

miktay

November 15, 2009 - 10:02 am EST

Dan,

I fully expect many of them will be retired whether they want to be or not. They got elected on a platform of change and now they are voting to maintain the status quo. People like me will not vote for them again because they did not deliver. People like you will not vote for them when they have the opportunity to vote for someone more conservative. NY-23 is a recent example of the dynamic at work even though Scozzafava was a moderate Republican instead of a Blue Dog Democrat.

Blue Dogs have only one real chance of getting re-elected. That is to deliver meaningful change. If boggles my mind that so many of them are trying to straddle the fence rather than actually doing something. Voters on both sides are looking for people who will lead, not people with their finger in the wind trying to figure out where to stand in order to get re-elected.

danagain

November 15, 2009 - 7:46 pm EST

"Blue Dogs have only one real chance of getting re-elected. That is to deliver meaningful change."

I would say their chance of getting re-elected is to listen to their constituents. What a concept.

xeno10

November 15, 2009 - 12:29 pm EST

Howard Coble should not have been elected to Congress in the first place. Robin Britt, a Democrat, was much the better man! And all Howard seems to be good for now is to ride in holiday parades! Seriously.

swerdna

November 15, 2009 - 1:30 pm EST

My bet is if Coble had a "D" behind his name, you'd feel differently.

neocon

November 15, 2009 - 8:07 am EST

"Still, he said he was voting against the bill"

Perhaps he was listening to his constituents, the majority of whom do not support socialized medicine.

I'm sure you were calling for the stuttering and slobbering Grand Kleagle of the senate to retire about 30 years ago?

ghost from white oak

November 15, 2009 - 8:21 am EST

If age of resignation were a requirement, we sure would clean out DC. Wow, what a happy thought, brightens my day.

Yvonne

November 15, 2009 - 8:55 am EST

We can agree on that, ghost.

Dan,

Can you tell me the one who voted for the bill?

novel

November 15, 2009 - 9:11 am EST

"When Howard’s time to speak came, he said he did not know much about the details of reform because he was not on the committees that were writing the bills. Still, he said he was voting against the bill."

Didn't know what was in it, but had already made up his mind to vote against. Not the kind of representative I want.

JGALT

November 15, 2009 - 9:17 am EST

You don't need to know the details of a crime before the crime is committed to be against that theft.

novel

November 15, 2009 - 10:48 am EST

Oh, JGALT, Don't you know what happens when you ASSume????

JGALT

November 15, 2009 - 11:27 am EST

No assumption necessary. Coble didn't need to be in on the conspiracy to recognize the crime.

novel

November 15, 2009 - 12:10 pm EST

So you don't think any health care reform is necessary? Or that ANY KIND of compromise can be reached? Just voting NO (or deciding to vote NO without even seeing any proposal) is reasonable????

lilbean

November 15, 2009 - 12:12 pm EST

perhaps mr. taylor should run against mr.coble??

swerdna

November 15, 2009 - 1:37 pm EST

Show me a health care plan for ALL Americans which REQUIRES members of Congress and all governess officials and their families to also be covered with NO supplemental insurance permitted, and I'll be much more agreeable to also participating. What's "good for" us should be good for them also! Until then, I don't want Congress telling me what to do as to my medical decisions. The dems agenda calls for giving a woman a choice in abortion, yet they seem to want to control our choices for medical care. No thanks. I prefer to make my OWN decisions.

swerdna

November 15, 2009 - 3:49 pm EST

oops, should be GOVERNMENT officials

Doug Johnson

November 15, 2009 - 2:17 pm EST

Sure can Yvonne!
Miller, Butterfield, Etheridge, Watt, all voted for taxpayers funded abortion, and Obama care!
Yvonne what ever happen to your hate for golf, want to guess how many post you made about Bush playing golf?
Seems you lost your hate for golf since Obama stays on the golf course!
Seems the NR letters have had a change of heart also.

swerdna

November 15, 2009 - 3:56 pm EST

Seems like many things have changed since obama was elected! Suddenly, the war is ok - no protesting. Suddenly the deaths of our brave soldiers is ok - no protesting. Suddenly, it's ok for the POTUS to travel all over and criss-cross the nation at the taxpayers' expense - no criticism. Suddenly, golf is cool and is no longer front-page news. Suddenly, those things that were such an outrage when GWB was president are perfectly acceptable with obama in office. So amusing how differently the dems see things now that their god is running the show.

neocon

November 15, 2009 - 4:52 pm EST

And the media seems to have lost all interest in photographing the flag draped coffins of returning war casualties. The same coffins (then) senator 'tail gunner' Joe Biden said should be aired and published to 'remind Americans of the terrible cost of this war'.

Doug, playing golf is now therapeutically beneficial to relieve the stress of losing the Olympics and the NJ governorship.

Yvonne

November 15, 2009 - 10:12 pm EST

You used to post as if you had some sense of fairness and thought, swerdna. Now you have slipped into the mire with the rest of the political hacks.

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