Poetry on Senate Floor: Roland Burris, Kit Bond and the Night Before Health Reform

ABC News Z. Byron Wolf reports: The Senate has been in session every day in December and a final health reform vote is set for Christmas Eve. But with the Republicans filibuster of the health reform bill broken and both parties winding down the clock the debate on the Senate floor is getting loopy. Case in point – Sen. Roland Burris, the Illinois Democrat who was controversially appointed to Barack Obama's Senate seat, set the debate as he sees it to rhyme – specifically 'The Night Before Christmas' and read it on the Senate floor. It should be noted that Burris went back on a pledge to oppose any bill that lacked a public option to help Democrats break the Republican filibuster of their health reform bill. But that did not keep him today from rhyming 'raucous' with 'caucus.' And there’s more: “And then in a twinkle I heard under the dome, the roll call was closed and it was time to go home.”
“Despite the obstructionist tactics of some, the filibuster had broken, the people had won. And later: “Democrats exclaimed as they drove out of sight.”
“Better coverage for all. Even our friends on the right.” But who is your Santa and who is your Grinch is largely a matter of perspective. Republicans have had their own version of “The Week before Christmas” for over a week, although it was not read on the Senate floor. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Missouri, has a version he released on his YouTube channel. In the video, Bond is seated on a leather couch and reads the story to two dogs. All three are in matching red sweaters. A sampling: And ma in her travel clothes and I with my bag, hoped Harry’s bill had hit the final snag.
When out of the CBO there arose such a clatter. We knew the media would never ask what’s the matter.
Away to the sink I flew like a flash. Threw up in the basin o’er the loss of our cash.