Jack Conway Lauds Useless "Message" Amendment

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jack Conway issued a press release to demonstrate his heart-felt support for an amendment to the the health care bill. (H/t: Page One.) The amendment was pushed by Colorado Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet, who was appointed to his seat and faces a tough election to keep it.

Bennet's amendment was intended to address the public furor over the Democrats' proposal to pay for their health care take over by cutting Medicare. Jack Conway wants us to know that he agrees with Bennet:

It is of the utmost importance to me to protect Kentucky’s seniors. Senator Michael Bennett’s (D-CO) measure will preserve guaranteed benefits for the 720,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Commonwealth. (Emphasis added.)

The only problem is that Bennet's amendment was all atmospherics, so substance. A leaked email from Bennet's office made this clear, according to the AP:

"This is a message amendment," his office informed fellow Democrats in an e-mail unintended for publication, indicating its purpose was political. "The Senate bill already does these things and this amendment makes these facts absolutely clear and succinct." It passed 100-0.

Unfortunately for Conway, he was not on the email list from Bennet's office. Consequently, Conway was duped into thinking that the Senate's non-binding posturing would "preserve guaranteed benefits."

It does not. The vote was pure symbolism; that's why it passed 100-0.

But Conway's release revealed more than just his naivete about Senate procedure. He misspelled the name of the Democrat he applauded.

The U.S. Senator from Colorado who pushed the "message amendment" is not, as Conway twice referred to him "Senator Michael Bennett’s (D-CO)." It's Bennet with one "T": Michael Bennet.