Snowe Dampens President Obama’s Timeline on Health Care Reform

Apparently people are starting to actually read the bill. My question is will the White House press staff start to ask the hard questions that must be asked about this bill?
What d’ya say Jake?

Congress can claim next year that they rushed through the ‘stimulus bill’ without reading it, but they won’t be able to get away with it twice on this bill…
They will all pay the price next year.

Great job, Sen. Snowe. Your push-back to The Dear Leader’s rush to pass more disastrous legislation is almost enough for us to forgive you for voting for the so-called “stimulus” package (another sky-is-falling rush job that is and will be an epic failure).
Almost.

But… I suppose they are concerned that Michelle Bachman might see the “documentary” and decline into a full blown psychotic episode. (The GOP establishment would be freaked out… but I think this could only help her chances with the conservative base).

“I’m guessing the GOP needs more time to figure out how to scare the public into opposing opposing health care reform.”
Yup.

Hey… I don’t want free health care. Who in their right minds would want that?
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Who in their right mind thinks there is such a thing as free health care?

The CBO just said “And on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs”. Let’s stop pretending we are going to “save” anything and debate whether we want what the dems are really selling.

MayBee,
===Who in their right mind thinks there is such a thing as free health care?===
Those who already have free health care?

Never mind. One of them was put back up. Thanks.

MNM,
Do you think the media will give Obama another pass during the next election cycle?

Posted by: borneo | Jul 16, 2009 2:18:30 PM
The Democrats have had control since 2006. So why didn’t they pass this legislation before Bush left office? Could it be that no one in their right mind would vote for whatever liberals are pushing through as reform? I suppose even making it worse can still be called reform – kinda like change.
Middle class conservatives (yes, we are out there) really just want quality healthcare at a reasonable price and afordable healthcare for all. What the upper class and influential want is neither here nor there for us. And for me, I already have it so I just want to be left alone.
Let’s get really utopian and gather the greatest minds in the country (which would naturally rule out congress), put them on an island somewhere and have them come up with the best possible health care. Without politics or agendas.

NO REPUBLICAN in Congress should vote yes on this bill!
Let the Democrats and the President own it – all of it.

Actually, I’m fighting for future generations. I’m close to retirement and would like nothing better than to get on a bunch of government programs and get everything for free, while you turkeys and future turkeys pay for it.
But I wasn’t brought up that way and I’m not ready to die when the government says I should.

From Investors Business Daily:
“It’s NOT An Option
Posted 07/15/2009 06:46 PM ET
Congress: It didn’t take long to run into an “uh-oh” moment when reading the House’s “health care for all Americans” bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.
When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.
It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:
“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.
So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers…”
– This is scary stuff.

Newsflash for Snowe: expect less federal
handouts to Maine. In fact, downeasters
may have to pull themselves up by their
rawhide snow-shoe straps come next winter. Rahm and Barack never forget
a snub.

IN another report that the CBO released today they tell us that to pay for all the new Obama programs to date, not including health care,
EVERYONES TAXES WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASE BY 44% WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS!!
This is the dems guy reporting this. This is not the republicans trying to scare people, although admittedly it is very frightening.
Posted by: MNM | Jul 16, 2009 2:37:18 PM
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Hi MNM,
I would REALLY like a link to that one if you still have it handy?
THANKS!!

MNM,
Do you think the media will give Obama another pass during the next election cycle?
Posted by: Axey | Jul 16, 2009 2:43:20 PM
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I have every confidence that the media will skew all positives towards Obama and all negatives towards the republicans. Just look at how they cannot stop going after Sarah Palin and her kids, and the multiple frivolous ethics complaints that have cost her over half a million dollars personally, and the state over 2 mil, even though she has won all complaints to date.
The media well understands that if they reported the facts about Obama he would lose. Just as they fail, with rare exception, to report the true cost of this disasterous health care, high tax, power grab, and the true cost of cap and tax.
Why just yesterday the liberal USA today finally reported that global temperatures have been falling for the past decade and we might be “wrong” about global warming.
This really isn’t news but the global warming push was all about politics and taxes. Once the taxes are locked in, as they were in the house bill, they can start to admit maaaybeee they were wrong.
ON THE SNOWE THING:
She will cave, Max Baucus , dem, claims they will reach a deal by the end of the day.
Don’t forget that Obama threatens those who disagree with him. When the Arizona rep. senator suggested we cancel the rest of the failed stimulus and save that money the state governor received 3 letters from 3 different cabinet secretaries threatening to withhold funds to the state.
Just what do you think Obama would do to someone who stood in the way of his “bipartisan” health care proposal.
We have seen him on TV threaten those that oppose the auto industry screwing of the investors and retirement funds,
We have seen them threaten the auto dealers who speak out and who have been told they need to sign something akin to a confidentiality clause in order to receive even a small percentage of what they paid to buy their dealership.
Obama is a thuggish bully and he will get this done! It is about him not us,.
The media will protect him every step of the way,.
Look how they also failed to report on the black panthers with the billy clubs who intimidated voters at the polls. They were convicted by default and the Obama justice flak vacated the convictions. Obama approves and encourages those tactic.
He supports dictator regimes, and appears to aspire to that condition and is moving forward with all haste to get there, no comment in the media offered.

===I have every confidence that the media will skew all positives towards Obama and all negatives towards the republicans.===
I was hoping maybe someone was seeing the media turn on him. You know, he is their creation, and they can take him down as easily as they built him. I just wondered if maybe their power would need to be re-exerted before Obama defanged them for good.

I am guessing that most of you are unaware that the plan, if passed, kicks in in 4 years.
GEE isn’t that just enough time for Obama to fight for reelection without having to be accountable for the health care debacle he is creating, and the lies to be fully fleshed out and exposed, as many already have been today?…….
Posted by: MNM | Jul 16, 2009 2:41:55 PM
————
It doesn’t kick in for FOUR YEARS?? FOUR YEARS??!!!!
Your guess was right, I would be one of those who hadn’t heard that.
FOUR YEARS???!!!!!!!
I can see NO rational justification for that what-so-ever, other than the very very sleezy slimy one of allowing the government to pick the nations pockets for four years without having to provide ANY coverage what-so-ever.
That’s a neat trick (NOT) isn’t it? I mean, how do you keep the costs down and make it look way cheaper because you collected revenues for 10 years but only had to provide 6 years of coverage.
Unless the taxes don’t kick in for 4 years either? Even then, what’s all the rush and need to pass this in Aug. THIS YEAR, Obama’s “we can’t keep kicking this down the road” and have to do it NOW!!!??
Doesn’t start for 4 years. What an utter crock. And boy they’re sure being up front and transparent, accountable to the people about it, aren’t they?

“Investor’s Business Daily did not continue to read the bill to page 19. “Individual health insurance coverage that is not grandfathered health insurance coverage under subsection (a) may only be offered on or after the first day of Y1 as an Exchange-participating health benefits plan. ” It does not outlaw individual private coverage – you can still buy the plan on the Exchange where they will compete with the public option, not be replaced by it. The advantage of the Exchange, is that the coverage no longer has one of the problems of individual coverage – skyrocketing premiums should you become ill.”
Posted by: Ryan C | Jul 16, 2009 3:54:06 PM
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Gee Ryan, why do you suppose that when IBD called congressional spokes people to double check this they agreed.
No new health insurance policies will be available, period. You may keep your old one until the company is forced to fold, or as you claim trade it for some other company on an exchange? That isn’t spelled out is it? Too vague to really contradict IBD assertions and confirmation from the source who wrote the bill.
Also that does not negate that plainly on page 16 NO NEW POLICIES may be sold.

Unless the taxes don’t kick in for 4 years either? Even then, what’s all the rush and need to pass this in Aug. THIS YEAR, Obama’s “we can’t keep kicking this down the road” and have to do it NOW!!!??
Doesn’t start for 4 years. What an utter crock. And boy they’re sure being up front and transparent, accountable to the people about it, aren’t they?
Posted by: And Atlas Shrugs Yet Again | Jul 16, 2009 4:00:06 PM
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I don’t know if they intend to initiate the taxes immediately or later.
IN any event the rush is to ram it through before the people understand what is being perpetrated.
Just like with the rush to a stimulus bill that to date has done less than nothing and spent only 7% of the total, much of it going to payback those who supported Obama.
Have you seen the red-blue stimulus map.
The money isn’t going where the jobs are most needed, it is going to those who supported Obama. Even the tiny bit that has been spent has not been directed where it is needed most,.
The health care bill also needs to be passed before the word of mouth (since the media won’t tell the public) gets around and reports that it will be more costly, not less, that it will be rationed and reduce choice not increase, That it will kill jobs, and most of all almost half of the supposed uninsured will remain uninsured,
But hey, those dems sure will get control of a lot of tax dollars so the payoffs and kickbacks can be used to buy support from the medical establishement.
Just look how they failed to address frivolous lawsuits, and carved out an exception so unions don’t have to pay the same 7-8% tax increase that all businesses small and large will be forced to pay if they do not provide health insurance.
If you are Obama’s buddy and kick some bucks back to him you will get it back over and over again.
This is about power, not health care.
GE, who owns MSNBC, is in line to get the first major contract, via the stimulus bill, to put all medical records online. Is there any doubt as to where GE/MSNBC stand on supporting Obama??????

James -”first, the 2.5t figure is pretty much made up; CBO estimates are all down around 1t/10 years; there’s just no good reason for m. tapper to pass outlandish claims like that w/o comment or context.”
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If I remember correctly (could be wrong, but I don’t think so), the $1,000,000,000 would “only” cover 16 million of the “uninsured.”
This would leave approx. 25-30 million without insurance for which additional costs would be incurred (40%+ illegal aliens).
So, the $2,500,000,000 bill over ten years would seem to be about right.
Posted by: tjp612 | Jul 16, 2009 3:39:58 PM
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You’re correct tjp612. Not to mention there are FAR better ways both in terms of cost and quality… ok, add less upheaval too, to cover folks. Check out this Investors Business Daily article. MANY other good facts and points in it than the one I’ve copied out below related to the number covered:
Let Customers Control The Money And Market Will Cure Health Care
By MICHAEL F. CANNON | Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 4:20 PM PT
…Americans deserve the freedom to purchase coverage across state lines. One study estimated that that move alone could cover 17 million uninsured Americans without costing taxpayers a dime. Compare that with Sen. Ted Kennedy’s reform bill, which spends $1 trillion and covers just 16 million uninsured….
Another good one: Level The Playing Field For All Americans
By CHRIS CHOCOLA
[back to Atlas:] Plus, those numbers of “uninsured” are grossly misleading. Now I’m going from memory and may be off slightly in the figures, but Something like 12 Million of them are illegal aliens, another 9 million or so are people making over $75K a year who CHOOSE not to get coverage, then another 10 Million or so are young between 18 and 24, who don’t think they need coverage – and I think it was a couple of Million who qualify for medicare or medicaid already but haven’t applied for whatever reason.

Actually, I’m fighting for future generations. I’m close to retirement and would like nothing better than to get on a bunch of government programs and get everything for free, while you turkeys and future turkeys pay for it.
But I wasn’t brought up that way and I’m not ready to die when the government says I should.
Posted by: Traffic Cop Timmy | Jul 16, 2009 3:06:50 PM
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Keep fighting the good fight Timmy!!

I was hoping maybe someone was seeing the media turn on him. You know, he is their creation, and they can take him down as easily as they built him. I just wondered if maybe their power would need to be re-exerted before Obama defanged them for good.
Posted by: Axey | Jul 16, 2009 3:55:58 PM
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They do seem to have swapped for slightly less rose to the rose colored glasses here in the last few days, I’ll give you that.
But even if they do turn on Obama, ultimately it’ll somehow be the Republican’s and Conservatives fault – if if only because ‘they didn’t do enough’ or ‘they didn’t have alternatives’ (what a gross LIE!) or ‘they didn’t have a strong leader’ or something.
The mainstream media (MSM) is skewed very left, by virtually any accounting. Fox, according to non-partisan and other sources, falls in the center, so they’re the outlier.
The degree to which the MSM has just thrown out all journalistic integrity and literally worked to get Obama elected is unprecedented, and frankly scary in terms of what it implies for our future liberty and continuance as a very unusual and exceptionally successful experiment in government in this world.

Simple solution regading the matter of cost reductions .. stop all medical research.
You don’t need a R&D budget for medical research when you’re not going to use it.
Any new innovation will extend the life of users of the health care system, which in turn will raise not just the continued cost of the surviving patient, but additional costs of other like patients.
As a simple matter of economics, there would be no need for a R&D budget that would lead to the extension human life because it would raise costs on two fronts.

meaning NO CHOICE.
IBD CALLED CONGRESSIONAL REPS TO CONFIRM THIS.
Posted by: MNM | Jul 16, 2009 5:09:39 PM
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You’re right, MNM, and I stand corrected. I hadn’t recalled that IBD had called the source for confirmation, and hadn’t read up thru the posts to the point where you had already noted that when I posted. Good catch!

“Democrat Trace Gallagher on fox news did the report when I heard it and referred it to the webpage.”
FoxNews discloses its reporters political affiliations?
I am guessing you just made that up.

“Another good one: Level The Playing Field For All Americans
By CHRIS CHOCOLA”
ROFLMAO!
The insurance companies are DESPERATE!

Simple facts:
Real reform that would serve every individual asking for public care with totally free care and medications, funded by a national sales tax, distributed through government owned and operated hospitals and clinics, and would relieve businesses of all health care obligations, financial, record keeping, everything eliminated, would be healthy for everyone and the greatest national economic stimulus ever.
A new dual choice system, you choose, either public, or private if you like what you have keep it, would save the government hundreds of billions annually distributing all government funded services through public facilities, and government savings would be even larger compared to spending called for in the new proposed reform boondoggles.
All government mandated programs could be distributed through government hospitals at a fraction of the costs spent now by taxpayers to private systems.
This is real reform that will liberate all individuals and businesses for whom heath care has become a nightmare, and for those who like what they have they can keep it and the government will save billions annually.
Simple facts.

I would really appreciate if news anchors would ask some tough questions about Health Care Reform.
1) Will congress and the President for that matter accept as their health coverage this newly proposed program
2) Rather than create new system why not simply fix the problems we have with Medicare and Medicaid?
3) There are several examples of state driven “free” health care programs that have failed. Look at Tennessee! 55% of the enrollees where people that had employer sponsored programs and because the programs was cheaper the moved to the state plan. Which by the way failed miserably.
4) Congress can not manage the current bail out program what makes us believe that they can manage a health care system?
5) How many new government jobs will this create?
6) How many private sector jobs will be lost?
7) What will the government do when they get sued? Will this be allowed and who will pick up this tab?
8) When the money for this dries up where will Congress go next? More taxes or cut backs in services?
9) How is this plan bi-partisan? One or two Senators make this bi-partisan, I think not.
10) Has anyone looked at the estimates when Medicare was launched it ended up costing 7 times more than expected and that is with very little technology
11) Surveys would suggest that the public wants reform and I am sure they do. But not what Congress is proposing. The truth is being withheld.
12) I read somewhere today that there is a provision in the bill that mandates goverment coverage if I decide to leave my current employment and become self-emplpoyed. So as a free citizen of the U.S. the government is going to dictate that I have to use their health plan. What happened to our freedom to choose? If we were having an abortion debate it would all be about freedom and choice. I guess is different….
There is not one state run health care program that is breaking even, they all lose money why does the President think that he can manage cost better than experts in the field today? What are his credentials or Congress’ for that matter?
I look forward to seeing someone at ABC ask these tough questions then and only then can we have a balanced dialogue about the facts and the truth.
Thank you

I agree with the person who said “how come the republicans are so up in arms about the money for health care and was not for the war?” This was a war we did not need to fight….we were lured into it by Cheney/Bush and it cost many lives and much too much money. We need a health care program and it is about time the republicans start worrying about the people instead of mouthing off at everything Obama wants to do. Most people are willing to pay for this health care and yes, it will cost but the results are far better than the money. My family has had too many problems with insurance companies who are a monopoly on health care. I think the senators/congress should give up their health care and go with these insurance companies. I bet you will see different comments then.

Thanks goodness this thing is slowing down and people are being to “think it over”. If it’s really needed it will happen. I’m tired of our government going ” Off, half- cocked”.

One thing that the CBO didn’t factor in enough was the savings because of prevention healthcare. There are a lot of people who don’t go in for checkups just to save money which just ends up costing the healthcare system more when they go in for more invasive measures at later stages of health issues. And, the greater affordability of prevention healthcare also eliminates the risk of rationing that the poodles of the health insurance industry like to repeat FUD over and over by helping people take care of themselves sooner before health issues get much worse and require invasive procedures.

Snowe is a reasonable Republican. She’s probably the only one there is.

Congratulations, Senator Snowe. For a RINO, you done good!