Majority Whip Clyburn addresses press in Columbia

Congressman Jim Clyburn watched events from home while his Senate colleagues remained inWashington for a critical vote on thier version of health care reform. The vote, successful for the Democrats, takes the reform bill to conference committee. There, Clyburn will be involved again. He says, at the least, he will be in the room for conference committee on the bill, if not at the table. 

For now, Clyburn says the work of the House, and his work on this bill for this year, is done. Back home in Columbia this week, Clyburn answered questions in a media roundtable that lasted over an hour. He answered an AP question about the benefits not arriving until about 2014:

(Clyburn on phase-in of benefits MP3  2:53)

Clyburn on phase-in

He reflected on how his party could have approached the health care reform idea even better, saying that Democrats talked only about the uninsured.

(Clyburn comments on initial party message about health care reform MP3 :17)

Clyburn on Democrat’s initial message

We asked him if he had cautioned President Obama about his “policy pace.”

(Clyburn on incremental change MP3 1:54)

 Clyburn on incremental change

He says he caught criticism for saying he knew that a “robust public option” would not end up in the bill. He still contends that it won’t.

One of the most powerful Democrats in the country, Clyburn chaffs at the suggestion that this administration has not been bipartisan in its approach.

(Clyburn on Obama cabinet MP3 1:54)

Clyburn defends Obama bipartisanship

The holiday season is a time to fellowship with family and friends, giving and receiving gifts, going to parties, and enjoying the guilty pleasure of eating traditional rich holidays foods. Unfortunately there is a price to be paid for enjoying holiday fair. Columbia’s Palmetto Health Richland Gastroenterologist Dr. Raj Vasudeva says partaking of these foods can cause the flair up of a number of digestive maladies.

“Unfortunately a lot of our traditional foods are just so high in calories, high in fat. However especially during the holidays people find it quite difficult to give up these tempting goodies.” Vasudeva says these foods can often bring on or aggravate various maladies associated with the digestive system. “They can worsen your acid reflux, if that’s your underlying problem, or irritable bowel syndrome. Also some patients without realizing it actually have underlying lactose intolerance, which is a common problem.” [Read more...]