You know the Obama administration is living in the ozone when they claim the Baucus bill is “bipartisan” because of one….ONE….Republican vote:
“Today we reached a critical milestone in our efforts to reform our health care system, the president said this afternoon,” speaking from the White House Rose Garden.
Although the bill drew an “aye” vote from one Republican senator, President Obama touted the bill as a proposal having both “Democratic and Republican support.”
“After the consideration of hundreds of amendments, it includes ideas from both Democrats and Republicans, which is why it enjoys the support of people from both parties,” he said.
The president thanked in particular the senator who cast the lone Republican vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe from Maine.
Democrat….er, “Republican” Senator Snowe caving to the Democrats is not surprising. Just look at her scorecard at Club For Growth:
Year Score Rank
2008 12% 63
2007 12% 66
2006 9% 62
2005 18% 56
No…not surprising in the least and I suppose the ignorant claim that her defection is proof that the bill is bipartisan should not surprise us either coming from this administration.
Worried?
You should be and this is not a time to let up on the pressure.
But there are still some optimists out there like CATO’s Michael Cannon:
But universal coverage is so expensive that Congress can’t get there without taxing Democrats.
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is the biggest opponent of Sen. Max Baucus’ (D-MT) tax on expensive health plans because that tax would hit West Virginia coal miners.
- Unions vigorously oppose that tax because it would hit their members.
- Moderate Democrats in the House oppose Rep. Charlie Rangel’s (D-NY) supposed “millionaires surtax” because they know it would hit small businesses in their districts.
And on and on…
But if congressional leaders pare back those taxes, they lose the support of the health care industry, which wants its subsidies.
- That’s why the health insurance lobby funded this PriceWaterhouseCoopers study saying that premiums would rise under the Baucus bill: the $500 billion bailout they would receive isn’t enough. They also want – they demand – steep taxes on Americans who don’t buy their products.
- The drug companies, the hospitals, and the physician groups are likewise demanding big subsidies, and will run ads to kill the whole effort if those subsidies aren’t big enough.
~~~Can President Obama and the congressional leadership satisfy both groups? My guess is, probably not, and this misguided effort at “reform” will therefore die. Again.
Since this bill is now out of committee it now has to be merged with the Senate HELP Committee’s even more socialist version then it needs to pass the Senate. Then the House needs to merge the three bills they have and that version needs to pass the House. If they both pass then they need to be merged into one gigantic bill and then must pass both chambers to get signed by the President.
Ya think it’s bipartisan enough with that one vote?
Myself, I don’t want to rely on hope.
Keep the pressure on folks.
See author page
As a side note to constitutionally unauthorized Obamacare, please consider the following. The main reason that liberal congressmen have made the bill unnecessarily long and unreadable is this, IMO. Corrupt congressmen are arguably abdicating their legislative powers to corrupt liberal judges and justices to make it easier for them to legislate public healthcare policy from the bench.
If habitual criminals and liars were executed the entire democrat party would be on the gallows tomorrow. Make them a deal, if the medical ripoff of the American people works they are home free. If it doesn’t work they all volunteer to hang themselves, or wait for the American people to hang them and every member of their families. It will come to that, hide and watch. This can well be the straw that broke the camels back.
President O’Dumbo’s supporters want his face carved on a mountain. I want to see his ass sticking out the side of a mountain and the rest of AF 1 sticking out the other side.
Desperate… for ABC to give credence to a WH claim one GOP vote makes this partisan is almost as laughable as Obama claiming mandate power with 69.449 mil O’faithful voters (52.87%) vs the 61.959 mil of various parties (47.13%) that did *not* vote for him.
BTW, here’s where you can read the full text of S 1679, aka the HELP bill, introduced by Harkin. Assuming it also hasn’t been mutilated beyond recognition in committee.
Thus it’s rather a laugh to debate the CBO estimate of the Baucus bill when it will be combined with the costs of the Harkin late summer bill.
But Curt… you don’t honestly think Obama and the Dems are gonna let the House plans compete, do you? You haven’t forgotten about their stated plan to just slide this whole Senate piece’o’manure into a semi-blank House of Representatives letterhead, aka Rangel’s HR 1586 (the 90% tax hit on TARP recipient employee bonuses for those making $125K or more a year).
Since that is an already passed House bill, slipping the Senate O’care onto that requires no reconciliation of House bills. If the House Dems choose to make no changes or amendments, they call it for a vote, and off to the Big Zero it goes.
I wish I had Michael Cannon’s optimism, but I see this getting to the Zero’s desk with but minor speed bumps in it’s path. And on it’s heels is cap and trade… with John Kerry and Boxer introducing S1733. No text or summaries available, tho it was introduced on Sept 30th, “read twice” (by someone, go no…) and sent on to committe (EPW) for mark up this week.
They just may be railroading that one thru in unusual ways, and taking advantage of Congressional rules, as well. We’ll just wake up one morning, and all the progressive dream legislation will be law. Turncoats like Snowe, who deliberately vote for this crap, are responsible. And so are the other elected idiots who go along because they are clueless or Pelosi/Reid whipped.
Congress didn’t listen to the public INRE TARP, the Omnibus, stimulus/ARRA or health care. The last, despite the tea parties, which they paint as crazy disgruntled Republican racists. The method remains the same… discredit the opposition, and pass it anyway.
Quite simply, Congress is out of control.
Haven’t forgotten but trying to keep some optimism lest I slit my wrists.
Admirable reasoning, Curt. I’m quite fond of having you around, ya know.
But then one can say that when the progressive left digs their political grave, they will be digging it very deep.
Apparently Euro-socialism-lite-American-style seems appealing to the upcoming, indoctrinated youth, anxious to wear brown shirts and uniforms. This will be a financial lesson that will become obvious in the prime time of their lives. One they are not likely to forget. So the remedy may take painfully long for those of us up in years, but it’s sure gonna create a new crop of young patriots… if we’re lucky. All this Congressional spending is gonna leave a mark, as Aye likes to say.
There was no doubt in my mind on how Olympia Snowe would vote. I’m waiting for her to join the other RINO, Arlen Rectum, in the Democratic party. I’m certain that she has a “crush” on Earmonkeybama.
Scrapiron,
*I will buy the rope, 8 strand hemp and well oiled
*I will buy the timber and planks for the gallows
*They will not Volunteer
*Why waste an perfectly fine aircraft?
*Include the Kenyan, his Passport violating Auntie Zennia, his Spouse, the Parliament of Whores And My Treasonous Senator Mad Max of Montana gets the first drop!
*The rest can be rounded up and shot
*I will buy the ammunition, 7.62x51mm NATO because it works and I may have 5,000 rounds or so of that around the house laying idle…
Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention. Benjamin Franklin was asked by a woman, “What kind of government have you given us?” Franklin responded with one of the most famous quotations in history, “A Republic if you can keep it.”
Old Ben had some sense of it that all has escaped the mindset of American Voters.
He never owned any Slaves. He was well educated for those times.
We are into the 10th Month of Obama’s destruction of the Republic…
“Ya think it’s bipartisan enough with that one vote?”
With the current mentality of democrats in power it’s sorta kinda their version of the “One-Drop Rule”.
There, I said it.
Oh Mags…That was goooood. 🙂
We need a pro-growth agenda that urges congress and the Obama administration to enact policies that bring tax rates in line with our global competitors. We need to keep chipping away at the deficit by taking steps to control wasteful government spending. See http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/issues/index.cfm?ID=104
@Old Trooper:
Might not be necessary for Baucus, I think he might find himself up one of those Montana creeks without a paddle.
http://www.nypostonline.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_senate_reform_fraud_PVp3TSIkA1O5pB9mY4W2aJ
Old Trooper’s going to have a Secret Service visit if he keeps this up. You guys would be wise to muzzle him.
I have money on Old Trooper over the Secret Service. I have his six if he needs me.
Heck, I heard a guy on the radio the other day who got a visit at his home by the Secret Service for his bumper stickers. Isn’t that sort of like fact checking a comedy skit?
Fit fit, After training more than a few Secret Service Agents on marksmanship and having more than a few at my house for hunting deer, upland game and holding a clearance that You can’t qualify for, paying more taxes in a year than You legally earn I have more invested in America than You have so no more from you. Horsees that bite get a muzzle. A few nips from you are nothing.
Aleric, Thanks!
I was at Your Service for years and if I was 30 years younger with what I know now…?
A shower, shave and a few bags to pack. Off to the Stans.
Because I can.
I calling BS on you Old Trooper, if all that were true, you’d know better than to threaten the life of the Commander-in-Chief. You’re either a fraud or willing traitor.
Oh Boy!
Got your goat and fed it.
Your Pretender in Chief needs your support. Put on your knee pads boy.
Fit fit …Treason, Traitor?
Make a Citizens arrest…?
Pissing on my boots here is the best day of Your life.
Got a train ride and a plane to catch.
(Classified)
Wordsmith, she is exactly the type of RINO I wanted out of the GOP. The NRC needs to stop supporting people like her because they are dems, not Reps.
Hey FITFIT..
Calling him a traitor, is calling me a traitor.
Wanna dance?
Old Trooper.
You don’t need me at your back, but I’ll be next to you anytime, anywhere.
If you support the idea of lynching our Commander-in-Chief, then I’m calling you a traitor.
Fit fit – are you in the process of having a “fit”? Sounds like it. I saw nothing that warranted your reaction. Obviously, you are not a patriot.
Old Trooper, I am an old lady, grew up in Montana, and will stand by your side any day against these treasonous bastards!
Madalyn
The US should have a system like Taiwan
Under this model, citizens have free range to choose hospitals and physicians without using a gatekeepers, Working people do not have to worry about losing their jobs or changing jobs because they will not lose their insurance.
Most preventive services are free such as annual checkups and maternal and child care. Regular office visits have co-payments as low as US $5 per visit. Co-payments are fixed and unvaried by the person’s income.
Every enrollee has a Health IC smart card. This credit-card-size card only contains a kilobyte of memory that includes provider and patient profiles to identify and reduce Insurance Fraud, overcharges, duplication of services and tests. The physician puts the card into a reader and the patient’s medical history and prescriptions come up on a computer screen. The insurer is billed the medical bill and it is automatically paid.
Patients and doctors alike are very satisfied with NHI. Satisfaction has been in the 70 percent range. However, at the beginning of 2006, satisfaction decreased to the mid-60 percent range because the program needed more money to cover its services. Since then, satisfaction has gone back to the 70 percent range.
Taiwan has the lowest administration cost in the world of 2 percent
Taiwan spends a little over 6 percent in GDP and less than US $900 per person…less than half what the US spends
One problem that Taiwan faces is rising health care costs. Taiwanese don’t bring in enough money to pay for all the services they offer. But Taiwan’s politicians are reluctant to increase premiums: they’re afraid the voters will punish them.
What they need to do is to increase their spending from 6 percent to , say, 8 percent. A modest increase and Still a far cry from the 15-16% here in the US
The US model is unsustainable. The US spends more than twice what other countries spend on health care per citizen. 15% of gdp. That is way too much to be spending on health care. And year after year the cost of healthcare far outstrips the rate of inflation.
Either we make changes now….or else and enraged consumers will force more drastic changes down the road.
For me, I say let the US system keep going down the road it is going…to the point where we are paying 3 or 4 times what the rest of the world is paying and healthcare costs are eating up 20-25% of gdp.
At that point you won’t have too many Americans left won’t be looking at the health care system other countries like Taiwan with envy.
@Norris Hall:
Creepy moniker you got there Norris Hall. Is it in honor of the students that died there or the gunman?