Morning Vid: Did Sen. Coburn Pray For Sen. Byrd To Be Incapacitated?

Republicans know that the loss of one vote would doom health care reform

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Hours before voting to clear the way for health care reform in the Senate, Republican Senator Tom Coburn said on the floor, "What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can't make the vote tonight. That's what they ought to pray." Who could he be referring to? Many observers are interpreting this statement as an allusion to Democratic Senator Robert Byrd, who at age 92 has to be wheeled into the Senate chamber to vote. The loss of a single vote -- such a Byrd's -- would have doomed health care reform. Was Coburn asking Americans to pray for Byrd to fall ill, or was it a simple slip of the tongue that's being blown out of proportion? Watch and decide for yourself:

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.