Damned if They Do or Don't

Proving either that he 1) cares only about politics and not about policy; or 2) that he will never turn down an opportunity to criticize Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, Larry Daughtrey argues that senate Republicans "caved in" by overwhelmingly approving Governor Phil Bredeson's CoverTennessee health care program.

While I also think that Republicans capitulated by passing a new entitlement program with questionable funding and few specifics, there is another way of viewing it for those whose political views are more aligned with those of Democrats. If one believes in the necessity of a new program designed to replace benefits lost with the demise of TennCare, wouldn't such a person believe that by voting with Bredeson that those Republicans in a principled manner set aside politics and passed legislation that was good for the state.

Given this criticism, will Daughtrey state categorically that he would not have accused Republican senators of playing politics if they had killed Bredeson's program? I didn't think so.