ASSOCIATED PRESS: “The lead proponent of that provision was Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who was appointed to his seat earlier in the year and faces a difficult campaign in 2010. ‘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.” (“Health Bill Survives First Big Test On Medicare,” Associated Press, 12/03/09)