Oct 2, 2009 4:53pm
Frist Would Vote for Baucus Bill
EmailOlympia Snowe is the only sitting Republican senator still in play, but former Republican Leader Bill Frist says he would vote for the Baucus bill if he were still a senator.
"That's what leadership's all about," he told Karen Tumulty at TIME.
No sign yet that Frist's arguments will sway any of his former colleagues. But pretty surprising stuff, and a pretty good talking point for the White House on an otherwise dismal day.
Stay tuned for Snowe (and Wyden?)
- George Stephanopoulos
Can Mitt Romney Win Conservatives Back? 
Possible Contraception Compromise in D.C.
SO WHY WOULD FRIST SUPPORT IT? I ASSUME AS A FORMER MD HE HAS A GOOD REASON OR TWO?
Posted by: Kris in AL | October 2, 2009, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
So Frist would vote for the Baucus bill. Bear in mind that the Frist family was associated with a for-profit hospital chain which defrauded Medicare out of neary $ 2 billion dollars, and that the only reason Frist entered politics at all was to advance the business interests of his family.
And to think that senior citizens believe Obama is going to destroy Medicare!!! The real enemies of Medicare is the GOP.
Posted by: William Joseph Miller | October 2, 2009, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
And to think that senior citizens believe Obama is going to destroy Medicare!!! The real enemies of Medicare is the GOP.
I disagree the real enemies of Medicare are greedy ###s!!
It makes no difference the color OR the political affiliation!
Posted by: Jeff | October 3, 2009, 1:46 am 1:46 am
So William Miller the repubs are as corrupt as everyone has been saying. THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THIS. Now you repub fanatics stop being so partisan and think about the tens of thousands of Americans, hard working Americans, that lose their health insurance everyday and support real health reform.
Posted by: truthbetold | October 3, 2009, 2:58 am 2:58 am
Frist has no future in politics. That’s certain.
Posted by: drjohn | October 3, 2009, 9:06 am 9:06 am
YOU SEE I WATCH ABC NEWS WITH CHARLES GIBSON THIS WEEK HIS REPORT. I SAW HOW CONGRESS IS BEING TAKING CARE FOR MEDICAL CARE……I DIDN’T LIKE WHAT I SAW
$ 599.00 A YEAR YOU SENATORS SPEND FOR MEDICAL CARE AT THE CAPITAL BUILDING YOU HAVE YOUR ON MEDICAL TEAM RIGHT THERE. WE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THAT!
DO YOU CALL THAT FAIR PLAY AND WE ARE FIGHTING FOR A PUBLIC OPTION TOOTH AND NAIL.
HOW DARE YOU BUNCH IN HOUSE AND CONGRESS NOT PASS A
PUBLIC OPTION IN OUR HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL.
TO THE Democratic Party and the Republican Party PASS OUR HEALTH CARE BILL NOW !!!!!!
YOU BUNCH CAN SPEND OUR MONEY ON PORK-BARREL WITH SWIPE OF A PEN REAL EASY .
BUT YOUR SITTING ON CAPITAL HILL FIGHTING OVER OUR HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL.
PASS THE HEALTH CARE BILL WITH A PUBLIC OPTION NOW !
YOU BUNCH ON CATIPAL HILL MAKE ME SICK!
YOU BUNCH CAN SPEND OUR MONEY ON PORK-BARREL WITH SWIPE OF A PEN REAL EASY ! PASSING THOSE TYPE OF BILLS, BUT NOT ON OUR HEALTH CARE! ITS SICKEN!
Posted by: Brendett NC | October 3, 2009, 9:13 am 9:13 am
It’s ok for a former member of the gop party to come forward and be truthful but NOT for current gop members. They do not dare be individuals and speak the truth while serving or they will be severely chastised. They are just like a bunch of nazi’s in that they do not dare vote or speak their piece for fear of retribution.
Posted by: con me not | October 3, 2009, 10:47 am 10:47 am
Of course Frist, who did nothing to insure the millions in dire need while he was in the Senate, wants the pro-insurance industry plan.
And Max Baucus is obviously determined to set up a sweetheart deal for his insurance industry contributors. If the free-market is always best for everything, what fear do they have of competing with a supposedly inefficient federal insurance option? What happened to the “market-based” system that were supposed to solve this mess 15 years ago?
Posted by: Reg373 | October 3, 2009, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
My wife has been a nurse foe 28 years. We hope the medical facilities don’t start resembling the old “Three Stooges”short. I think it was titled “Men in Black.”Calling Dr. Fine,Dr.Howard,Dr.Fine heard over the intercom would be as timeless as the film.
Posted by: Anthony Ferreira | October 3, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
What is it with Tennessee and RINOS?We STILL have two BIG GOVeRnmeNT Senators from this state,and now this former Tn RINO is STILL trying to create DEPENDENCY and a diminished level of freedom…GET these RINOS out of the GOP and lets get ODUMBO out of the White House!
Posted by: robert m. simon | October 3, 2009, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm
wow. robert m. simon, i find your comment offensive on so many levels. while i may not know what you would call a RINO, i think that’s all we’ve had since ’96. under gop leadership we’ve had phenomenal growth of gov – mostly in police state sectors. ongoing attempts to privatize social security so that it can be looted like the stock markets and the u.s. treasury. you must approve of unfunded wars of choice benefiting only war profiteers and private mercenary corps – the gop’s pretorian guard. cave-dwellers still living in the 18th century must cause you to quake in you boots. the looting of america has benefitted your beloved gop and the top 1% of this once proud nation. dependency? the thieves are in charge! we are but a laughing stock of a rogue country now and our enemies have been emboldened by the gop’s gaffs and outright criminal activities in the name of ‘security’ and ‘foreign policy’. while at home you cry “they hate us for our freedoms” as your beloved gop legislates our freedoms away and shred’s our Constitution. by the way, none of this ensued on “odumbo’s” watch … by the way, what on earth would you call that last genius who occupied the oval office?
Posted by: Lonnie William Hirsch | October 3, 2009, 9:59 pm 9:59 pm
I agree with Mr. Miller’s post here. Frist portrays himself simply as a physician, but dig deeper and you will find out about a company now known as HCA. HCA is the Frist’s family businees and is a for-profit hospital network with a history of Medicare fraud and famous for excessive overbilling and harassing collection techniques. It paid the largest fraud settlement in American history for its Medicare fraud. Is this coincidence:
- Dec 19, 2002: HCA, U.S. Agree to Fraud Settlement
- Dec 23, 2002 … Frist named Senate Majority leader
Frist comes across as a nice man, but its hard to ignore the corruption that HCA has imposed on American tax payers. In my opinion, he was one of the major reasons the Republicans were so inept as a majority and took their eyes off the ball when it came time to reduce the size of government. The Contract With America became just another ploy to get elected.
We need a new conservative party … the Republican party talks conservative but walks to a big-government/big-spending beat when in power. It’s time for a big change. Stop the corruption.
Posted by: Paul | October 4, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
Well, I am not currently sitting in Congress either, but I certainly would not support the Baucus bill.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | October 5, 2009, 10:39 am 10:39 am
I fear there’s a bigger game going on than GOP opposition to a public option. A lot of Dems who want it torpedoed don’t want to say so in public, but they want to continue getting campaign funds from insurance groups. Dem. Rep. Mike Ross has spent $7M on 5 election – half of that money coming from insurance and health related companies, PACs, and execs. Any wonder he’s against the public option?
Even “Japan Incorporated”, a nation celebrated for its capitalism that has a higher percentage of private hospitals, etc. than the USA and 240 private health insurers, knows that it’s absolutely ridiculous to allow for-profit health insurance. Since for-profit companies must grow to survive – meaning they must promote greater illness or else greater costs – it’s insane to rely on for-profit insurance to control health care through their health networks. Note that if you set up a medical office, you can’t even decide what ANY of your charges are, or else you won’t have many patients because you’ll be excluded from those networks.
Posted by: The_Mick | October 5, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
I think it is very amusing that the Dems are soooo desperate for the public option that they are willing to fall in bed with Frist – who is still under investigation for shady stock dealings… Wow.
But – here is some food for fodder with Frist… 1) he drove more Republicans out of the Republican party than any other Senator I know because of his actions over keeping Terry Schaivo “alive” and 2) he has a ton of health interests that will profit from Baucus INITIAL bill.
Also – the statement that he would support Baucus bill is made with the bill NOT having the public option – you idiots… not WITH it. geeezzzz
Posted by: clr | October 5, 2009, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm