Happy Old Year: As sales pitch begins, 2010 agenda looking like 2009’s
Email ABC News' Rick Klein reports: Where does President Obama go to get his base back? What’s done is done, but what’s not done is what’s fun to ponder this Christmas. Try this on for your mid-term handicapping: The 2010 legislative schedule looks a whole lot like the 2009 one. We can start with health care and the economy, just like we did this year. Then we have the real fun: goodies like cap-and-trade and card-check and immigration reform. (Lots of chances to make the base happy with you — but not if they’re handled like just about everyone expects.) Before we even get there, it’s not even the public option or whom to tax and how that’s looking likely to hold up health care. It’s abortion — that issue that Democrats manage to effectively bury for decades-long stretches, only to see it back again in the middle of a big debate. (And do Republicans really want to go through all the procedural motions that take us to Christmas Eve — even though the writing is now recorded in the Senate vote ledgers? The answer is yes — until it’s no.) In the meantime, with another hurdle getting cleared Tuesday morning in the Senate, it’s on to the broader case for 2010: “Democrats looking to next year's midterm elections plan to market the bill as a way to help voters who are focused more on unemployment and the economy,” Peter Nicholas writes in the Los Angeles Times. “Democrats intend to stress that jobs and healthcare, which accounts for one-sixth of the economy, are inseparable. … In addition, party leaders hope to minimize concerns that many of the bill's provisions would not take effect until 2014.” Something to sell — from the memo going out to Senate Democrats Tuesday, authored by pollster Mark Mellman, as provided to The Note: “The news media has recently highlighted polls showing double-digit margins in opposition to the current healthcare plan. But these cursory stories often neglect to mention two salient facts.” “First, these poll questions fail to give any content, any specific meaning to the reform proposal. Voters are simply asked whether they favor or oppose ‘healthcare proposals being discussed in Congress.’ Focus group research makes clear that voters know little about the substance of the plan — all they know is that some on both the left and the right don’t like it and that it is the subject of intense controversy. … Second, public poll analyses often ignore the fact that a chunk of opposition to the current plan comes from those who support reform, but would like to see Congress go further.” And: “Our polling shows that voters, even in the deep red state of Louisiana, overwhelmingly oppose using the filibuster to prevent a final vote.” Speaking of polling — new Tuesday: “As the Senate prepares to vote on health care reform, American voters ‘mostly disapprove’ of the plan 53 – 36 percent and disapprove 56 – 38 percent of President Barack Obama’s handling of the health care issue, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.” One early victory: The White House and its allies appear to have contained the damage on the left, despite Howard Dean’s defection, and the efforts of MoveOn.org and the Netroots. Eugene Robinson, in his Washington Post column: “When you have the opportunity to change this, you take it — even if it means winning ugly.” The New York Times editorial page: “The bill, which is moving toward a climactic vote this week, has some imperfections but is worthy of support from lawmakers who care about health care reform.” “Could the deal be better still? Of course it could,” writes The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn. “But we should also recognize the Senate bill for what it is: A measure that will make people's lives significantly better. Surely that's worth a little enthusiasm.” Not sold — Arianna Huffington: “If the miserable Senate health care bill becomes the law of the land, it's only going to encourage the preservation of a hideously broken system,” she writes at Huffington Post. “President Bush brought us preemptive war. President Obama's specialty seems to be preemptive compromise.” Being defined: “A battle to shape perceptions of the legislation is heating up, and Republicans are wasting no time attacking it as sullied by backroom deals,” The Wall Street Journal’s Naftali Bendavid, Janet Adamy and Avery Johnson report. “Cash for Cloture,” writes The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank. There’s the “Louisiana Purchase,” the “Cornhusker Kickback,” “U Con,” “Gator Aid,” “Handout Montana,” “Iowa Pork,” and “Omaha Prime.” Enter some other wordsmiths… RNC Chairman Michael Steele: “I'm tired of the Congress thumbing their nose and flipping a bird to the American people.” “That’s what legislation is all about,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., per ABC’s Z. Byron Wolf. “If [other senators] don’t have something in important to them, it doesn’t speak very well for them.” Before we get quite there: “Democrats were grappling Monday with deep internal divisions over abortion, the issue that most complicates their drive to merge the Senate and House bills and send final legislation to President Obama,” Robert Pear and David M. Herszenhorn write in The New York Times. “Representative Bart Stupak, Democrat of Michigan and the author of the anti-abortion provisions in the House bill, said Monday, ‘It would be extremely difficult for me to vote for a bill’ taking the Senate approach on abortion.” “The abortion language that was added to the Senate's health-care bill to win the vote of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has achieved a rare feat: It is drawing contempt from both sides,” The Washington Post’s Alec MacGillis writes. “Serious questions are already being raised about how the new language would work in practice and whether it would even be feasible to implement.” And paging Sen. Russ Feingold… President Obama, on the public option, to American Urban Radio Networks’ April Ryan: “As a practical matter, this is not the most important aspect to this bill — the House bill or the Senate bill.” Past tense: “But it was only going to apply to a few million people who were buying into the exchange,” the president said. Will Republicans hold out through Christmas Eve? “The flight that I have is Christmas morning, and I don’t plan on changing that reservation, that’s all I can say,” Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., tells The Boston Globe’s Lisa Wangsness. Really? This is what they’re planning? “Democratic leaders are planning swift negotiations in January to reconcile the House and Senate health-overhaul bills and settle differences on abortion, taxes and a government-run health plan,” The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Hitt reports. On the House’s new taxes on high-income Americans: “The House version is dead on arrival here in the Senate,” ABC’s Jonathan Karl reported on “Good Morning America” Tuesday. “The House simply has to give in on this.” Department of promises: “As he nears the end of his first year in office, Mr. Obama repeatedly has fallen short on his pledge to have all bills Congress sends to him posted and open for comments for at least five days before he decides to sign them,” Kara Rowland writes in the Washington Times. “A Washington Times analysis of data from the Library of Congress found that on 32 of the 117 bills he signed through Tuesday, Mr. Obama didn't wait the full five days after the bill reached his desk to pick up his pen.” About that C-SPAN thing: “Nothing opened up in the back room,” Lynn Sweet writes for Politics Daily. “In breaking the pledge, the Obama team decided that the final product — providing millions more people in this nation with health insurance — was vastly more important than the process or the promise.” Rudy’s staying put — once again endorsing Rick Lazio (this time for governor), and once again delivering a setback to GOP recruiting hopes in New York. End of an era? “Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce Tuesday he is not running for U.S. Senate or anything else in 2010, effectively ending his storied — and often stormy — electoral career,” David Saltonstall reports in the New York Daily News. “Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has decided not to run for the Senate seat held by Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Republicans briefed on his decision said Monday evening,” David M. Halbfinger writes in The New York Times. “Mr. Giuliani, whose decision to forgo a race for governor was reported a month ago, plans to endorse Rick Lazio for governor of New York on Tuesday afternoon at a news conference in Manhattan, the Republicans said.” Speaking of lucrative speaking careers… “Michael S. Steele, Republican National Committee chairman, is using his title to market himself for paid appearances nationwide, personally profiting from speeches with fees of up to $20,000 at colleges, trade associations and other groups – an unusual practice criticized by a string of past party chairmen,” Ralph Z. Hallow writes in the Washington Times. Former RNC Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr.: “Holy mackerel, I never heard of a chairman of either party ever taking money for speeches.” Coming Tuesday: a cybersecurity chief (finally), who won’t be reporting to Larry Summers. “Nearly seven months after highlighting the vulnerability of banking, energy and communications systems to Internet attacks, the White House on Tuesday is expected to name a technology industry veteran to coordinate competing efforts to improve the nation’s cybersecurity in both military and civilian life,” The New York Times’ John Markoff reports. “The decision to appoint Howard A. Schmidt, an industry executive with government experience who served as a cybersecurity adviser in the Bush administration and who also has a military and law enforcement background, is seen as a compromise between factions.” 2010 rumblings, with 2012 implications: William Kristol wants to draft Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., for a Senate race, and who knows what’s next. “Mount a serious challenge to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, who’s up in 2010. And here’s an obvious challenger: Mike Pence,” Kristol writes in The Weekly Standard. “Sure, it’s a long shot (Bayh got 62% of the vote in 2004). But if voters are as upset as they may well be, Pence could make the race competitive. If he won, he’d be a leading possibility for national office as soon as 2012.”
The Salahis, pre-party crashing: “Tareq Salahi began pursuing Michaele Holt so single-mindedly that she would eventually marry him, setting off a high-drama marital narrative that would lead to a walk into a White House state dinner, a congressional summons, a string of angry creditors and — less publicly — the destruction of the Salahi family business,” Liza Mundy, Amy Argetsinger and Ian Shapira report in The Washington Post. “The dynamics of a marriage are often a mystery to outsiders. But it appears that rather than curbing each other's excesses, Tareq and Michaele Salahi indulge and enlarge them…. ‘I certainly would be interested in my daughter-in-law's biography,’ says Corinne Salahi. ‘I have no idea who she is, or where she came from. . . . But now, I wish I knew it.’ ”
George Stephanopoulos is back in Washington Tuesday to interview Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Watch for a first taste on “World News with Diane Sawyer” Tuesday night. The Kicker: “I'll let ya win.” — Washington second-grader Niko Letterlough, challenging President Obama to a game of foosball with an enticement to bring him back to his school in Northeast Washington. “It's no different than other pieces of legislation.” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, on the health care bill’s special provisions for individual states.
For up-to-the-minute political updates check out The Note’s blog . . . all day every day:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
Gee starting the new year where we did this past year?
Yet this past year beginning everything looked bleak, there was no hope for recovery in one year or even 4 years. Republicans said Obama could not handle the job.
However everything looks brighter, the sun is shining, a new day is dawning.
And looking back at this past year, recovery already began, showing more improvement each month than expected. Obama did better in his first year than any Republican president ever did during their entire terms in office.
And why is that?
Simple, everyone knows that a Blackman has to work ten times harder and do ten times better than a white man to even be considered doing well. So work and complicated struggles are no stranger to our Most Intelligent Brightest Smartest Hardest Working President Obama.
Obama 2012 – Second term.
Posted by: Angie | December 22, 2009, 8:54 am 8:54 am
I don’t care how you look at it, what you know about it or don’t know about it if this were about healthcare there would be IMMEDIATE coverage for those who need it, not a 4 year waiting period and the rest who have it, are happy with it and who pay for it out of their own pockets would be left alone.
As for not being on Cspan as the president promised Mr. Robinson can p down someones elses leg and tell them it is raining but taking this stuff behind closed doors, bribing, paying and locking out the opposition is absurd. You may win a battle or two this way but you will undoubtedly weaken your position from here on out.
Posted by: david | December 22, 2009, 9:03 am 9:03 am
Angie —– By far, your love affair with this president is one of serious mental warp. And you bring race into it (why not he does all the time). Do you get paid to post? “”"”showing more improvement each month than expected”"” Figures released today showed a much lower growth than expected, but that would fit into your agenda now would it? Obama could take a dump on the WH lawn and you would say great, he’s fertilizing it!
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 9:12 am 9:12 am
It is a good day. The 1st piece of the puzzle towards CHANGE in our country is moving towards the right direction. The Senate health care bill, while not having all we hoped for, contains a lot of structural changes to the current system. These we can build upon. Some of the President’s supporters are pushing for the use of Senate reconciliation process that requires just 51 votes to pass a bill.
The reconciliation process is not for passing some types of bills. The current Senate bill contains things that the reconciliation process cannot be used for.
I predict that a public option or medicare buy-in specific bill will go through that process after our President signs the current bill.
We are in a war with long-entrenched corporate interests. Losing a battle does not mean we have lost the war. It means that we should brace for more action. President Obama stated this during last year’s campaign: CHANGE would not be easy as entrenched interests would fight to maintain the status quo. Nothing good ever comes easy.
Another good thing from the recent Senate votes is that by now all Legislators have ‘shown their hands’.
The President and the American people now know who is who when we need to pass important bills.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 9:19 am 9:19 am
I don’t know what planet Angie lives on but nothing much has improved around here and with the house and senate both polishing on the healthcare dog poop and telling us its gold it looks like the same old crap just a different day. So much for holding this administration to a higher standard and hoping the change comes in 2010 and 2012 with this inept administration kicked out the door.
Posted by: tinkersdam | December 22, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
“”"The President and the American people now know who is who when we need to pass important bills.”"”"
Posted by: New Wave
Exactly, they know who they have to pay off with pet projects and special treatment. Exactly what Obama said wouldn’t happen, business as usual and pork spending to twist votes. Nice…..
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 9:38 am 9:38 am
tinkersdam: you call this an inept administration? Without policies put in place by the Obama Administration so far, we’ll be in a depression by now. Economists of all stripes have spoken to this fact.
You can go back to your cave and continue to pray to move us back. Your rant is another example of an Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS) rant.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 9:41 am 9:41 am
New Wave | Dec 22, 2009 9:41:36 AM Where again are those live CSpan debates?
Posted by: tinkersdam | December 22, 2009, 9:47 am 9:47 am
“”"”weekly tracking update shows that 41% of voters nationwide favor the bill and 55% are opposed. Those figures are essentially unchanged from a week ago. This the fifth straight week with support for the legislation between 38% and 41%. “”"”"
And Reid is just simply disregarding we the people!
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am
I’m getting tired of this guy fast!
Posted by: LongT | December 22, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am
Republican tears taste so gooood.
Now repeat after me: President Obama is our ELECTED PRESIDENT of the United States.
Oh that’s good. Merry Xmas !
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 9:57 am 9:57 am
Another promise bites the dust, An another one, an another one, another one bites the dust,………….
Posted by: LongT | December 22, 2009, 9:58 am 9:58 am
New Wave | Dec 22, 2009 9:57:39 AM Yeah thats what I thought. Inept it is then…
Posted by: tinkersdam | December 22, 2009, 9:59 am 9:59 am
GOP Senators knowing that a vote will pass still delay that vote for as long as they can. And one of then is even praying openly that a Dem Senator does not make a vote.
What a bunch of cry babies !
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:01 am 10:01 am
Per Sen Whitehouse on GOP Senate delays:
“All to break the momentum of our new young president. They are desparate to break the president. The birthers, the militias, the lifers— it is unbearable to them for the presidency of Barack Obama to exist.
“The business model to abandon those who become ill, to deny you the care your doctor has ordered. Good riddance to that business model and it’s cold and greedy heart. But some of our colleagues here are fighting to help it survive.
The difference is that we Democrats are fighting for health care, and when we achieve this health care reform, when we do, the lying time is over.
The American public will see the difference between what they are told and what IS. It is much tougher to propagandize people when they can see the discrepancy.
There will be a reckoning.
“When the new health plan offers better care, new community health centers, better records, (and so on), Americans will know— beyond any capacity to spin—that they were lied to.
There will come a day of judgement.
That, Mr. President, is why they are terrified.”
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:11 am 10:11 am
New Wave —-In just this legislation, promises that will be broken: Bi-partisanship, special interests and lobbyist (no public option), pork spending, business as usual in DC, transparency. It has nothing to do with our 2 parties, it has everything to do with fulfilling the promises Obama made to our country.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 10:12 am 10:12 am
New Wave — Isn’t it a coincidence that none of the benefits kick in until the end of Obama’s term? Any money collected prior to that will be spent on something else and our “reform” will be in jeapordy. Incumbents out in 2010 and 2012. Let’s shake up both parties.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 10:15 am 10:15 am
lfrichar: The fact still remains that the GOP has nothing tangible on the table. The GOP senators who were ‘negotiating’ (note the quotes) in the Senate Finance committee openly admitted that they were only delaying the process and had no intention of any meaningful result.
Also what did they GOP do on healthcare when they had control of congress and the white house for 6 years? The only thing they did was to pass a $900 BILLION Medicare bill that was unpaid for.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:22 am 10:22 am
New Wave | Dec 22, 2009 10:22:53 AM the dems in this case have been the party of no we don’t want GOP help, locked doors, secret meetings,buying votes, etc…
Posted by: tinkersdam | December 22, 2009, 10:29 am 10:29 am
tinkersdam: Ya Right….. We recall that a GOP Senator stated that the failure of the health care bill will be President Obama’s waterloo…. Who in their right mind will take such people seriously?
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:34 am 10:34 am
New Wave —- While you say the GOP was “negotiating”, the Dems were doing some negotiation, bribes and payoffs. And while you say the GOP had 6 years to do something, so did every President since the inception of medicare to make changes to our health care industry. I will ask this again: How will a “Government Subsidized Insurance Program” do anything to lower actual health care costs?
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 10:35 am 10:35 am
New Wave — You say the GOP had nothing “tangible” on the table, but you need to follow that up with “tangible as the Democrats see it”. The Dems got their 1 vote early and that was all they wanted. After that, they couldn’t care less what the GOP had to offer. Both parties have acted like children and it’s time we clean house.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 10:38 am 10:38 am
lfrichar: You stated that the Dems got their vote early and could care less about GOP.
Wow..just wow..a bill that has been discussed for almost 1 Year and getting 60 votes after 11 months is early?
Why would Senator Snowe vote against cloture on a bill that is basically the same which she voted for in the Finance Committee? This is pure politics.
All the GOP sees now is through a prism in which they have to make President Obama fail. Let us not gloss over this basic fact. In the current GOP state of mind, they’ll voted against anything that President Obama proposes or anything that appears to be a success for the administration.
The GOP went as far as attempting to filibuster the Defence bill that funds our troops in order to spite the administration…basically using our troops as pawns. So much for the party that supports the troops slogan.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:48 am 10:48 am
New Wave | Dec 22, 2009 10:22:53 AM So exactly what does that have to do with the higher stanadard, transparency and open debates on this bill we were told by BO to expect???
Posted by: tinkersdam | December 22, 2009, 10:50 am 10:50 am
When I see Obama, I grab the remote.
Posted by: LongT | December 22, 2009, 10:53 am 10:53 am
tinkersdam: keep going around in circles…or is transparency today’s wingnut talking point.
next rant please !!
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 10:56 am 10:56 am
“”"”"The GOP went as far as attempting to filibuster the Defence bill that funds our troops in order to spite the administration..”"”"”
Posted by: New Wave
Did you see the pork in it? The Dems are using our troops for their pet projects, that’s why the GOP was against it. Read up on it and you’ll see. None of this matters to me as I will be voting every incumbent out in the next elections, no matter the party.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 10:58 am 10:58 am
lfrichar: After what we went through for 8 years and considering how close we were to a depression late 2008, I’m VERY willing to give this administration more than a year to show some results.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 11:07 am 11:07 am
New Wave — Did you see the pork? Obama promised no pork. It has nothing to do with giving them more time to fix things. The Dems have had the purse strings since 10 months before the start of our recession and have their dirty paws in it just as the GOP does. I will only hold Obama accountable for what he promised and won votes for, nothing else. My idea of “hope” appears to be different than his.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 11:25 am 11:25 am
yawn….zzzzz…EOM
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 11:28 am 11:28 am
I read on abc here that a democrate is switching parties to the republican party. Here it goes people. The begining of the end of the democratic party as it was known. This bill is being voted on by senators who have no clue what it all contains. Now THATS representation. The campain has begun to rid congress and the senate of the mice who are afraid to lead and not be puppet string pulled by Polosi and Reid. They the dems are selling us out and giving each other pork money for it. More debt from people who could care less of us.
Posted by: Jim Rod | December 22, 2009, 11:29 am 11:29 am
Jim Rod: Please give us specific facts. The ‘I read it on the internet line’ is so obsolete.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 11:38 am 11:38 am
Douglas MacKinnon has a pretty good column at townhall.com where the mainstream media is tagged as the number one threat to our nation, and cites why.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | December 22, 2009, 11:40 am 11:40 am
New Wave – There have been numerous suggestions over the past months from Republicans and Independents on other ways to proceed to improve our health care system. This legislation has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with restructuring the health INSURANCE industry. This is about mandating the purchase of a service, and taking away the individuals right to decide if that is where he/she would like to spend their money. Nowhere in this monstrosity is the actual cost of health care addressed and there have been numerous suggestions on ways to address that which have been ignored and not put into the legislation. Nowhere in this travesty have they addressed reforming the cost and process for training medical professionals to meet the current need (will lower costs) or to provide for the new influx of patients that the passage of this business will create. I am sick to death of hearing how you guys are bringing about reform of health care, when you are doing nothing more than restructuring the insurance industry and forcing every citizen to become their customer. I do not believe in insurance. It is a ponzi scam by nature. Many are required to participate to cover the few that require the service. They do not have the means to cover the cost of everyone. Can you not see that?!? Why are people so blind to obvious truths, just because you have grown accustomed to the way things are now, does not mean it is the way it should be.
Posted by: War919 | December 22, 2009, 11:58 am 11:58 am
War919: People with meaningful ideas had time to suggest those instead of promoting a plan to run out a clock. One cannot negotiate with a party whose opening salvo is to vote NO on all ideas.
Take the Stimulus and I know that bill was not perfect. Some changes the GOP insisted upon were added, but they all still voted against the bill. Some of the same GOP legislators are now taking credit in their districts for the funds made available by the stimulus.
Even Gov Jindal who gave the GOP response against the stimulus is now shamelessly taking photos with checks paid from the stimulus.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
War919—New Wave left when i asked this question to him/her: “”"”"How will a “Government Subsidized Insurance Program” do anything to lower actual health care costs? Not one person on any post can answer this question, well except me. The answer…..Nothing!
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
New Wave — GOP and Dems differences on their 2 different plans is the same as their actual ideals. Dems want more government intervention as the GOP wants less. And before you say how much Bush expanded, he created the Homeland Security in direct response to 9/11, which was his largest addition to the Federal govt. Dems and GOP will never come together on anything but a raise for themselves. That is where a 3rd party to force coalitions so we get more than 50% of our govrnment working for us. Right now, can you tell me who is really working for “we the people”? My answer is neither.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
lfrichar: Public Option is the way to reduce costs in a big way and we all know where the GOP stands on the public option.
Government Subsidized Insurance program reduces costs because if we assist the uninsured (who can not afford it) to buy insurance, they have better access to primary care physicians. This will helps take care of ailments on time rather than when more expensive care is needed.
By having more people with health insurance, there will be less people using emergency room services as a first resort. We know that emergency room services are very expensive in costs and usage of resources that should be used to real emergencies.
All these lead to lower costs over time.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
lfrichar: Less government in healthcare implies that access to healthcare is a privilege and not a RIGHT.
This is the root of the issue. I believe that access to health care is a right. Is that not pro-life?
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
New Wave –”Promote the general welfare”? Is that where you get the “right” from? If it cost money, it’s not a right. Health care costs will continue to rise because we are not regulating anything to do with it. Public option would have forced insurance companies to go under as theri profit margins faded. Meanwhile, the government premiums will have 2 choices, more subsidizing (raising costs) or raise premiums (raising consumer costs). So many people villify insurance companies when they are maintaining a 4% average profit margin due to the rising cost of health care. Want to save money at the emergency room? Deport all illegals using it. I am all for covering those who cannot afford it, but to fundamentally change a system supplying 290 million people is not reform, it’s overhaul.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
aha…that GOP talking point to blame illegal immigrants for our issues. I knew it will come up here somehow along with the phony ‘tort refrom’ that has not proven to do much.
I live in TX and we here know what those talking points really mean – BS.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 12:27 pm 12:27 pm
New Wave — I am also for the elimination of “pre-existing conditions” knowing full well it will increase premiums on existing customers. I also do not trust the government estimates of those who would take the public option as I believe it would be several times more than theirestimate. I can only back that staement up with programs like “cash for clunkers (300% over budget), and unemployment estimate missing the mark, Gitmo closure, Iraq drawdown, all of these missing their mark. Not a very good track record which I would actually call it a poor trend.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
New Wave — So you don’t believe money can be saved from Tort reform and illegal immigrants? Really?
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
lfrichar: I have friends and relatives who cannot afford heallth insurance here in TX and none is an illegal immigrant. Are you suggesting they wait until all the illegal immigrants are deported?
You can propose an immigration bill, do not use immigration to shut down the health care bill that the GOP has no slimer of intention to work on.
BTW we already had tort reform in TX and our rates are still high.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
obama’s agenda will never change…pure socialism, a complete remaking of our country, redistribution of wealth, creation of a banana republic. simple and it didnt take more than a few sentences unlike the article here
Posted by: realman1963 | December 22, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
New Wave – Actually the points I mentioned were put on the table months ago. The tactic you are referencing is one that was put into effect in the last month or so as the public opinion showed this was not what most citizens wanted, but your majority refused to listen and insist on passing it regardless. When everyone stops listening and only talks for themselves; when the will of the people is ignored by the majority in power; when doors are closed and an agenda is driving the process, what other recourse is there for the minority but to try to stall and prevent the passage of such legislation, which their constituents have made plain they do not want?
Posted by: War919 | December 22, 2009, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
“”"”BTW we already had tort reform in TX and our rates are still high.”"”"
Posted by: New Wave
BTW I was suggsting illegals cause us to spend millions using our hospitals annually and no, I would not wait for health care reform until we have immigration reform. Your rates are high not from tort reform, but from actual health care costs. Anything from medical schools to MRI’s to pharmaceuticals are where the cost reform needs to come in. Why is everyone so focussed on insurance when medical costs drive insurance premium. We need to fight costs first for true reform.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
I do not buy into the whole health care is a right argument; but even if I did, that is not a justification for, or even a mandate to provide the service that right guarantees!
I have a right to keep and bear arms too. Is the government supposed to provide my weapons? I have a right to practice whatever religion I believe in; is the government going to provide me a church to attend?
Simply having a right to something does not mean that the government is supposed to provide it. Get it?
Posted by: War919 | December 22, 2009, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
New Wave — For the record, I don’t believe reform will work unless we end up with single payer nationalized health care system. I also believe we would have problems recruiting people to become nurses and doctors because their pay would be affected. I have seen many places overseas and some were good and others bad. The problem with this bill is it affects people in the wallet even if they are happy with their care.
Posted by: lfrichar | December 22, 2009, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
New Wave | Dec 22, 2009 10:34:08 AM
…You say the same thing over and over, ignoring all factual rebuttal on this blog exactly the same way Democrats treat any proposal that did fit with the Reid/Pelosi agenda.
Posted by: deanbob | December 22, 2009, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
If this were all about healthcare then people down and out needing care would be granted care, immediately,not this wait for 4 years to get benefits. If this were about health care then members of congress and their staff wuld be subjected to the same system that they are forcing on everyone else. If this were about healtcare you would see open and honest debates-not closed door bribing and knee capping we see taking place.
This is nothing but children tired of the mess they have made with social security and medicare going on to mess something else up. This is Government playing the role of robbing Peter to pay Paul. If your name is Paul its good if your name is Peter it sucks. What is taking place is pure marxism by anyones definition of it.
Posted by: david | December 22, 2009, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
There will come a day of judgement.
That, Mr. President, is why they are terrified.”
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REALLY? That’s why we’re terrified? And all this time I was thinking it was terrorism, the economy crash, jobless numbers in double digits, more taxes on the way, a deficit that’s multiplying faster than bunny rabbits, a healthcare bill that will not take care of the problems and cause people in the long run to be subjected to longer waiting times, sub-par care, and even more “government red tape”, and a President who doesn’t take a firm stand on anything. Ask anyone where Obama stands on a particular issue, and 99% of the time you’ll get a blank stare or the “bi-partisan” crap this WH seems to thrive on even though we all know it’s NOT happening.
The funny thing is the backroom deals that have gone on since the healthcare circus started, and liberals covering it up as “politics”. We are not stupid, we know these kinds of deals have gone on for years in the government, but the liberal president promised a “new day” for DC…things are going to be different…more open, more honest, more transparent…fighting against lobbyist and “fat cats”…no more business as usual. Gotta hand it to Obama, he sure is funny.
Posted by: Shoe | December 22, 2009, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
There will come a day of judgement.
That, Mr. President, is why they are terrified.”
___________________________________________________
REALLY? That’s why we’re terrified? And all this time I was thinking it was terrorism, the economy crash, jobless numbers in double digits, more taxes on the way, a deficit that’s multiplying faster than bunny rabbits, a healthcare bill that will not take care of the problems and cause people in the long run to be subjected to longer waiting times, sub-par care, and even more “government red tape”, and a President who doesn’t take a firm stand on anything. Ask anyone where Obama stands on a particular issue, and 99% of the time you’ll get a blank stare or the “bi-partisan” crap this WH seems to thrive on even though we all know it’s NOT happening.
The funny thing is the backroom deals that have gone on since the healthcare circus started, and liberals covering it up as “politics”. We are not stupid, we know these kinds of deals have gone on for years in the government, but the liberal president promised a “new day” for DC…things are going to be different…more open, more honest, more transparent…fighting against lobbyist and “fat cats”…no more business as usual. Gotta hand it to Obama, he sure is funny.
Posted by: Shoe | December 22, 2009, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Harry Reid said people are dying every 10 minutes. So why does the bill wait for 2013 for most healthcare care changes to take effect.
Posted by: deanbob | December 22, 2009, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
Shoe | Dec 22, 2009 1:10:50 PM…..Despite all of Obama’s broken campaign promises (Yes, Bush and all other presidents have broken campaign promises), he is following through on his promise to ‘fundamentally change America’. What % of American business is directly or indirectly under governmental control? FANNIE & Freddie own/control a significant part of mortgages, govt controls stuudent loans, govt has control of GM and Chrysler. When you add 1/6 of the economy (healthcare) …. .
Posted by: deanbob | December 22, 2009, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm
Equal justice under the law. But not in the law making. Comply with the misguided majority or suffer. Or is is suffer because of the misguided majority? Just because the majority are headed over the cliff doesn’t mean it was the right direction to go.
Posted by: TX_MBell | December 22, 2009, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
Other than the Babbler In Chief running his mouth and the Democrat-Communist Party take-over of our once great nation, nothing much happened.
Posted by: Ron | December 22, 2009, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
The undisputable fact is that US demographic trends is a major threat to the GOP…. all the GOP recent actions make the trend more predictable.
Posted by: New Wave | December 22, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm