# Frist sneaks pharmaceutical provision into DEFENSE Appropriations Bill **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 9, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750 "2006-02-09T22:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/21 "2006-02-10T11:08:52Z")
Ugh… just to clarify… _Weirddave_ , I still think putting words into someone’s mouth is low, so **World Eater**'s pronouncement of what you would say before the fact was uncalled for, even though my point about your response to him still stands. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/22 "2006-02-10T13:07:04Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Why wouldn’t I? My pitting in the Maryland case was about the action, not the party, something that partisan idiots have a hard time understanding. Some of us actually look at the issues and fucking think about them instead of going along like good little sheeple because that’s what the party says to do. I am puzzled why you think (as you seemed to imply in your OP) that I wouldn’t condemn Senator Frist in this instance. I condemn the entire fucking U.S. Congress, because this garbage is their favorite sport, Democrat or Republican. If you really want to address this issue, why not start with Senator Byrd, hmm? He wears pigskin loafers that actually oink with each step he takes, or is this shit just eeeeeeeeevil when it’s a Republican doing it? Things like this make me really wish that Clinton had gotten the line item veto…well, he got it but the Supremes struck it down in a moment of stupidity. Yup, that’s our **Weirddave**. If the Dems do something bad, his anger at the Dems knows no bounds. But if the GOP does something bad, he finds a way to condemn both sides. IOW, the standard GOP spin strategy. Then **Weirddave** ridicules _others_ as ‘sheeple’. Damn irony meter’s busted again. I really shouldn’t bring it to threads like this. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/23 "2006-02-10T13:25:43Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Are the honorable felchers of dead muskrats in Washington, DC impeded by any such common sense directive, or is that something like parsley on a dinnerplate-it’s there, but largely ignored? The object of the game, as played by today’s GOP, is to shovel favors at rich people and assorted industries as fast as it can, with minimum publicity. They don’t need no steekin’ rules. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/24 "2006-02-10T14:05:19Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Whether the Democrats have what it takes to give up such back-door legislation (at either level) given that they hope to return to power _some_ day, would be a totally different issue. They don’t. Unfortunately. It’s such a no brainer platform that they’ll never think of it. I hate the Democratic leadership - bunch of fucktards. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/25 "2006-02-10T14:28:55Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Yup, that’s our **Weirddave**. If the Dems do something bad, his anger at the Dems knows no bounds. But if the GOP does something bad, he finds a way to condemn both sides. > > IOW, the standard GOP spin strategy. > > Then **Weirddave** ridicules _others_ as ‘sheeple’. > > Damn irony meter’s busted again. I really shouldn’t bring it to threads like this. Go fuck yourself RT. It’s not a partisan issue. It’s wrong for both sides to do it. I know it makes your tiny partisan dick hard to put everything in terms of “Democrats” versus “Republicans”, but all that does is contribute to the problem. I’d rather attack the problem universally rather than only when the other side does it. Nancarrow, I understand what you are saying, but World Eater, along with RT the idiot above, is trying to suck me into a game that I refuse to play. All they care about is partisan political scores. If Jesus Christ returned to earth and ran for president on the Republican ticket, these are the folks that would oppose him. For me the problem is larger, and that’s the Congress as a whole short circuiting reasoned debate in order to ram through pork barrel spending for favored special interest groups. The OP was ranting at Bill Frist. I merely provided an example of someone from the other side of the aisle who is famous for doing the same thing and then condemned _both_ of them. It’s not a right versus left, Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives issue, it’s a practice that is endemic to Congress as a whole, and it needs to be addressed. Casting it in partisan political terms as these folks are wont to do simply perpetrates the problem. And the great big mess that is Congress spins merrily on it’s way. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/26 "2006-02-10T14:36:03Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > The OP was ranting at Bill Frist. I merely provided an example of someone from the other side of the aisle who is famous for doing the same thing and then condemned _both_ of them. The same way that when a Democrat does something wrong, you “provide an example of someone from the other side of the aisle who is famous for doing the same thing and then condemn _both_ of them”?. The same way you condemned both sides in the [Democratic lawmakers in Maryland: You suck!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357104) thread? That same way? ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/27 "2006-02-10T14:40:43Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > The same way that when a Democrat does something wrong, you “provide an example of someone from the other side of the aisle who is famous for doing the same thing and then condemn _both_ of them”?. Sometimes. > [@Frank](#): > > The same way you condemned both sides in the [Democratic lawmakers in Maryland: You suck!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357104) thread? That same way? That entire thread was a debate about the merits of what the Derms did versus what the Repubs did. Your 20 word synopsis above is neither accurate nor fair, anyone interested in the, you know, issue instead of a moron’s attempt to summarize it for his own ends should read the thread itself. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/28 "2006-02-10T14:47:56Z")
Who the fuck is World Eater to demand a particular sort of condemnation from someone else? If Frist is a member of Congress, then a condemnation of Congress includes Frist. To demand that Frist alone be condemned suggests that one need not condemn others who have done the same thing. What’s the reasoning behind that, other than to focus scorn on an individual because you dislike him? What really deserves a beating is the process that would allow unrelated text to be added to a bill, after the vote, and still consider the bill approved. Hell, altering the text by even a single word after the vote should require a re-vote on the whole fucking thing. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/29 "2006-02-10T14:49:37Z")
Yes, Frist has been a big dissappointment as Senate Majority Leader. Many inTennesee were hoping he would continue to play things like he had - always being half a step to the side of the mainstream. Unfortunately, he just became like any other Washington-ized legislater. Given that I’m from Knoxville (which favors Republicans), and favor Republicans personally, that’s saying something. I hope he doesn’t run again. If he does, he has enough friends to probably get on the Republican ticket again. Which means I’ll have to vote for a Democrat I probably don’t like or Frist. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/30 "2006-02-10T15:56:53Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > It’s not a partisan issue. It’s wrong for both sides to do it. It’s certainly wrong for both sides to do it. But right now, only one side is doing it. So saying, in effect, “the Dems have been naughty too in the past, so there’s no point in condemning today’s GOP malfeasance all by itself, without wrapping it in a hefty dose of ‘a pox on both your houses,’” completely blurs the issue in exactly the same way the GOP spin doctors have been doing for the past few years. You do a very good imitation of them. Monkey see, monkey do, huh? > [@](#): > > I know it makes your tiny partisan dick hard to put everything in terms of “Democrats” versus “Republicans”, but all that does is contribute to the problem. Funny how it’s all about Democrats or liberals for you, when the shoe’s on the other foot, huh? Ain’t no invective too harsh for you to aim leftward then. But when the GOP does something bad, partisanship is all of a sudden _baaaaaaaaaad_. > [@](#): > > I’d rather attack the problem universally rather than only when the other side does it. ‘Attack’ in what sense? Propose solutions? Ain’t seen one from you yet. Or aim invective at both sides, when one side hasn’t had a chance to pull this shit off since years before this board existed, and the other side’s been doing it nonstop for the past three years? That’s what you’re doing here, and it makes even less sense than the usual idiocies that spill out of your mouth. > [@](#): > > The OP was ranting at Bill Frist. I merely provided an example of someone from the other side of the aisle who is famous for doing the same thing and then condemned _both_ of them. Can you give me ONE example where Robert Byrd abused the conference committee process in this way? Of course not. You’re applying an unusual level of elasticity to “the same thing” which allows you to equate…well, whatever you want to equate. > [@](#): > > Go fuck yourself RT. Gotta admit, it’s hard to do anything but yield to your superior logic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/31 "2006-02-10T21:19:34Z")
If the truth didn’t remain stubbornly independent of **Weirddave’s** level of invective, we’d all be in big trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/32 "2006-02-10T21:25:49Z")
Just to clarify some things, in case there’s anyone reading who doesn’t know – In order for a bill to become law it must be approved by both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. However, sometimes, the Senate and House versions of a bill are not exactly the same. At that point, the bill goes into a “conference committee.” The Senate and House choose representatives to send to the conference committee, who then come up with a uniform bil that goes back to the full Senate and full House to be voted on again. It is a rather recent phenomenon for unrelated riders to be attached in conference committee. In particular, it is quite recent for a conference committee to completely overturn the will of the full Senate and full House. It is also a rather recent phenomenon for the majority party (currently the Republicans) to completely lock out the minority party (currently the Democrats) from conference committee sessions. I believe one of the more egregious exampels was in the case of media ownership. (I’m doing this from memory, so, if you know better, please correct me.) The Federal Communications Commission made a poilcy decision to lift the limits on ownership of broadcast television and radio stations. This resulted in an uproar from grassroots organisations on both the left and the right, who were both concerned about letting all local stations be swallowed up by the large media conglomerates. Under this pressure, the Senate and the House both voted to reinstate the ownership limits. However, in the conference committee, the Republican leadership, having decided that they didn’t want any Democrats around to interfere, met on their own and removed this provision from the legislation in question. > [@Weirddave](#): > > If Jesus Christ returned to earth and ran for president on the Republican ticket, these are the folks that would oppose him. Hm. I’d vote against Jesus no matter which party he joined. Does that make me a partison fucktard? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/33 "2006-02-10T21:49:08Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Hm. I’d vote against Jesus no matter which party he joined. Does that make me a partison fucktard? I was going to say the same thing. Hard to enforce the seperation of church and state if God is the POTUS. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/34 "2006-02-10T21:52:38Z")
Looks like **Weirddave** has bravely turned and fled back to the [Maryland thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357104&page=2). Same discussion - about Frist & Co.'s maneuver with the conference committee - but over there, for no apparent reason. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/35 "2006-02-10T22:01:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Looks like **Weirddave** has bravely turned and fled back to the [Maryland thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357104&page=2). Same discussion - about Frist & Co.'s maneuver with the conference committee - but over there, for no apparent reason. [nitpick]the [_Democratic_ Maryland thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357104&page=2)[/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/36 "2006-02-10T22:25:19Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > If Jesus Christ returned to earth and ran for president on the Republican ticket, these are the folks that would oppose him. Hehe, thanks for the laugh. I’ve mentioned it many times before, but once more won’t hurt I suppose. I used to like and support Bush. I would have voted for him in 2000, had I gotten off my ass. I was with him up until the Iraq invasion. His actions and decisions have exposed him to be a corrupt tool. There are guys on both sides of the aisle that I like and loathe. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/37 "2006-02-10T23:14:21Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Who the fuck is World Eater to demand a particular sort of condemnation from someone else? Who the fuck am I? The type of person that seeks a little more clarification when someone is trying to limbo their way out of hypocrisy. > [@](#): > > If Frist is a member of Congress, then a condemnation of Congress includes Frist. Utter bullshit. It’s a pathetic attempt to dodge condemning one of his own. > [@](#): > > To demand that Frist alone be condemned suggests that one need not condemn others who have done the same thing. Who suggested that? Feel free to point it out. > [@](#): > > What’s the reasoning behind that, other than to focus scorn on an individual because you dislike him? Read the fucking thread title! I think making some blanket condemnation dilutes the awareness of what Frist has done. Hold each of these assholes responsible for their individual actions. > [@](#): > > What really deserves a beating is the process that would allow unrelated text to be added to a bill, after the vote, and still consider the bill approved. Hell, altering the text by even a single word after the vote should require a re-vote on the whole fucking thing. Also the _specific_ people involved in such nefarious practices. Railing away against the “system” won’t do shit. Putting the spotlight on the individual makes fixing the problem a little more tenable. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/38 "2006-02-10T23:20:40Z")
I haven’t “fled” anywhere, RT, you’re the one who hijacked the other thread. Please quote one place in this (or any other, now that I think of it) thread where I have defended Senator Bill Frist. If you can’t find that, I suggest you stop putting words in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/39 "2006-02-10T23:29:13Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > If Jesus Christ returned to earth and ran for president on the Republican ticket, these are the folks that would oppose him. I don’t think Jesus could get nominated to the GOP in the current political climate. As well all know, [Jesus is soft on terror.](http://marsh.thengamer.com/vids/jeszus.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750/40 "2006-02-10T23:39:46Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Who suggested that? Feel free to point it out. Obviously, I think you did. By stating that including the rest of congress was not good enough, Frist needed to be condemned alone. Name Frist alone, and all the other congresscritters can’t be implicated. That’s what you seem to be demanding. > [@](#): > > Read the fucking thread title! I think making some blanket condemnation dilutes the awareness of what Frist has done. Hold each of these assholes responsible for their individual actions. That’s a fair point, but a reasonable person could also say that focusing on Frist alone dilutes awareness of the systemic problem. As if getting rid of Frist gets rid of the problem, which it doesn’t. > [@](#): > > Railing away against the “system” won’t do shit. Putting the spotlight on the individual makes fixing the problem a little more tenable. What is “the problem”? Focusing all discussion on Frist suggests to me that Frist is the problem. I would argue that a system that allows an individual to fuck with legislation without oversight is the more important problem. As is a system that allows the majority party to screw with the committee process. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frist-sneaks-pharmaceutical-provision-into-defense-appropriations-bill/343750.md?page=3)