Posted on 11/07/2009 2:42:22 AM PST by Thebaddog
GOUVERNEUR, NY - Congressman-elect Bill Owens was sworn in at noon today.
Owens indicated in a press release released shortly afterwards that he was now in favor of the the "Affordable Healthcare for America Act" bill in direct contrast to his earlier position during the election campaign.
According to Politico.com, Mr. Owens assured voters that he felt the public option had no place in the health care reform bill. Contrary to that position, Mr. Owens now indicates that he intends to vote in favor of the bill even though it now contains a public option.
UPDATED: A spokesman for Congressman Owens indicated correctly that Mr. Owens had recanted his solid position against public option later in the campaign, clarifying that he did not wish public option to be a 'litmus test' for the Health Reform bill and that on Oct. 30th, several days prior to the election, in a debate had stated that he generally supported the public option as it was now written (at that time.)
Mr. Owens also indicated during his campaign that he was firmly opposed to cutting Medicare benefits, taxing health care benefits, and increased taxes on the middle class in any way as you can see clearly in the screenshot below, taken directly from Mr. Owens' campaign website.
The House Health reform bill contains sections that cut Medicare benefits, tax existing health care benefits, and increases taxes on the middle class, yet Mr. Owens stated today that he will now vote in favor of those things contrary to what he had promised the voters of NY's 23rd Congressional District that he would vote against.
Mr. Owens indicated in his press release today that "This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction we need to go."
When The Gouverneur Times attempted to contact Mr. Owens to clarify this information, we received no direct response to our phone or email inquiries. Both FactCheck.org and the Congressional Budget Office agree that HR 3962 contains potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cuts to Medicare, yet Mr. Owens indicates that he supports this legislation and says that it does not cut Medicare benefits. Either Mr. Owens has been snowed or the public is about to be.
HR 3962 also includes a range of various taxes on middle-class families as well as language to repeal tax relief already in place. Has Congressman Owens blindly followed Ms. Pelosi's rhetoric in believing that the end to a tax cut is not the same thing as an increase in taxes or is he hedging his bet with very carefully chosen words?
HR 3962 now also contains language that allows illegal immigrants to be covered under the legislation. When The Gouverneur Times attempted to contact Mr. Owens for clarification of this language, we received no response other than the press release heretofore mentioned. Specifically, we asked if illegal immigrants would be forced to purchase healthcare insurance as citizens will be and whether or not they would be forced to do so at standard rates or if they would qualify for the public option subsidy.
The Associated Press said this morning that: "House leaders said that, in keeping with the Hispanic Caucus' demands, there was not likely to be any prohibition added to the House bill against illegal immigrants shopping in the exchange."
In a speech made to Congress a short time ago, President Obama had stated that the bill would not contain support for illegal immigrants - a statement for which he was called a "liar" by Rep. Joe Wilson. Rep. Wilson was severely chastised for his comment at the time though it would now seem to be true.
The mixed-up mess that was the 23rd Congressional District Special Election was a close race between Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Doug Hoffman. Many feel that it was unlikely Mr. Owens would have won those crucial few thousand votes if the voting public was aware of his intent with regard to the Health Care bill. The majority of residents in this district do not support the Health Reform bill as it is now written and many feel like they've become victims of a fraud perpetrated by their chosen candidate.
Breaking campaign promises is not unusual for politicians... it's a cliche. This is almost certainly a record though. Mr. Owens broke no less than 4 promises in his first 24 hours in office.
” This is almost certainly a record though. Mr. Owens broke no less than 4 promises in his first 24 hours in office. “
In a perfect world, the voters of NY23 would be descending, en masse, on Mr. Owens in Washington, to physically eject him from his new office... (Tar and feathers optional)
Unfortunately, it’s merely a sad commentary on the sorry state of modern politics that even a blatant outrage such as this is dismissed with a yawn....
Well, Owens had better get his resume in order and any post congress promises from Pelosi in writing, because I have to thing that the GOP has a big target on his back.
And we should be surprised by this why?
ROTFLMAO
Ought to be a record recall....
I think it’s a little soon to conclude the voters in NY-23 are going to do nothing. You’re probably right, but I think more time should be given before that can be said about them unequivocally.
What a slacker. Don’t RAT Congress Critters needs a full dozen lies just while coming through the doorway or risk having to attend a weekend-long SanFranNan
“ethics, what ethics” seminar.
I’m troubled by reading that Owens is a vet. I think that people equate service with integrity and this dope has none apparently.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember from my High School Civics classes (remember when they used to teach that stuff?) that there is no Constitutional provision for ‘recall’ of Congresscritters - or Presidents...
Once ya vote ‘em in, you’re stuck with ‘em.....
Oops....
Rope is cheap, and there are lots of trees...
Exactly...
;)
There is very little integrity in the Democratic Party. Owens demonstrated this again, rather quickly. Would you expect more from a Marxist? How do these people get elected? How self centered and stupid are the voters? Did Owens promise to bring big bucks to his district, like Murtha? And that is all the selfish people care about?
Not surprising, but disappointing with business as usual by evil people who support the culture of death.
The next winner of the Profiles in Courage Award, folks!
Question 2: So he’s read the bill then?
1 year and done. He better not sign a lease longer than a year.
He didn’t read the bill. It does appear certain that he made promises to Pelosi to gain support for his run. Now we know what she meant when she said she won on Tuesday night. Owens was a purchase though, not a win.
Here too. Freeper after Freeper posted the same BS over and over again.
"The Democrat candidate in NY-23 is not as liberal as the Republican candidate".
*Puke*
Scuzzyflava had already said that she’d vote for it. So, yes, she was more liberal.
Well, let the stupid is as stupid does electorate eat cake when mass starvation is upon them.
[In a perfect world, the voters of NY23 would be descending, en masse,...]
Blinded by their own arrogance and pride and professing themselves to be wise, they became fools....
Stupid is as stupid does and the electorate their are stupid indeed.
Let them eat higher taxes and no liberty, the high price of stupid is as stupid does.
WHAT?!? a politician lied?? This can’t be... say it isn’t so...
“Wasn’t anybody besides Rahm Emmanuel paying attention up there?”
“Mr. Owens broke no less than 4 promises in his first 24 hours in office.”
It sounds as if Rahm actually was writing Owens’ playbook!
It’s pretty obvious from this account that notwithstanding the claims of WH spinners, a vote for Owens was very far from an endorsement of Obamacare. Had Owens had the cojones to reveal his true positions on these health plan details, he likely would have been defeated.
This simply further illustrates that those driving the Obamacare freight train will stop at nothing to get what they want (public opinion be damned) and that precisely because the public opposes the direction they’ve headed the train, they repeatedly have to resort to deception, truth-twisting or flagrant lying to achieve their objective. Fortunately, their tactics have been so egregious that it appears that every Republican in Congress will sit on the sidelines so that Dems can take full responsibility for what happens. The only thing standing in the way of this debacle are Blue Dog Democrats who hopefully will feel sufficient heat from their aroused constituents to hold firm against this flagrant misuse of majority power.
Unbelievable.
Both candidates said they wouldn't vote for it when they were running. Owens now says that he will vote for it.
Even after the fact, you repeat the same rubbish.
At the very least, both were Marxists.
” 1 year and done. He better not sign a lease longer than a year.”
I hope you are right but I am beginning to wonder why people can’t learn? Why do they keep making the same mistake?
A good number of Freepers too.
He didn’t read the bill. It does appear certain that he made promises to Pelosi to gain support for his run. Now we know what she meant when she said she won on Tuesday night. Owens was a purchase though, not a win.
Well, she might have won his vote, produced some voter fraud to do this, but let’s hope she doen’t have enough votes. This guy is slick and devious—and he was painted as a more conservative DEM!
bookmark
they’re busy, pay scant attention, & make a decision based on “hope”.
I think this is why the tea parties (democrats, republicans, independents) are getting so big. Politicians lie through their teeth to win an election, and then turn on their constituents as though were the enemy. People are sick of the blatant LIES.
This guy owes favors big time to the Dem money pit. You bet he is is going to fall in line with Pelosi.
Agreed. This area has always been a right wing stronghold. If you look at the voter percentages, the outed Republican got 6% of the vote, because she dropped out so late. The absentees were already mailed, and her name was still on the ballot. Had she done it sooner, the independent would have picked up those right wing votes and won by 1%. The democrat would have lost.
The democrat got lucky. The election was a fluke. The republicans screwed up by supporting a bad "temporary" candidate. Her "temporary" campaign split the needed vote.
BTW, was just watching Kudlow from Friday. Congressman Paul Ryan said there's yet another little suprise in this bill. Inflation indexing of the tax brackets IS REMOVED therein. Middle class taxpayers will therefore fall prey to "bracket creep" (remember the 70's?) and end up being taxed like "the rich" when the coming inflation hits.
When you deduct sleep and travel time, it was a lot less than 24 hours.
That’s perverse that some 30 year old DC weasel can write a clause into a law to re-institute tax bracket creep. Who do they think pays the bills around here?
How could it be.. people here claim Owens was more conservative than the Republican.
Thanks to Hoffman, Beck, Palin...etc for getting Owens in to Congress.
PELOSI:
Welcome to Washington, Mr. Owens. Now, you will do EXACTLY as I tell you, or won’t get one thin dime to help i your reelection campaign!
Yeah, he’s really scared of the GOP.
Worthless bunch, they are.
because I have to thing that the GOP has a big target on his back.
+++++++++++++++++++
Apparently not the idiots that put Scozzafava up against him. Mebbe they’ll get it right in the next month or two leading up to 2010.
Thanks to Hoffman, Beck, Palin...etc for getting Owens in to Congress.
++++++++++++++++
Do you seriously think Scozzafava would have been good for the GOP? How do you expect the GOP to ever listen to conservatives again if we’re *always* caving?
I suppose you blame Palin for McCain’s weak showing too?
NEVER....EVER TRUST A DEMOCRAT!!
They did the right thing. The RINO republicans chose a RINO woman who was more liberal than the democrat. Beck, Palin, etc., should have done it much sooner, though. Because the RINO waited so long to resign and get the hell out of the way, the democrat won. Add the wasted right wing votes she got to the conservative, and he'd have won by 1%.
Luckily for the NY23 voters, the democrat only gets one year. NY has a chance to correct this fluke.
No, thanks to an out of touch NY GOP and RINOs like Newt for endorsing this Trojan Horse of a candidate. Scuzzyflava had no business even being on the GOP ticket in the first place. Folks like Scuzzy should be called TJRINO's (Trojan Horse RINOs).
Epic Fail.
Her record showed she'd vote with the democrats every time, giving them "bipartisan" cover. Snow is bad enough. This RINO would have been just as bad if not worse.
The Republicans seem to have a political death wish. They just want a free ride themselves from the democrats legislation. It brings them just as much power and privilege - Good cop/bad cop.
One thing for sure ... Dede would not have supported the public option and she would have most definetly won against Owens in the election. Palin, Beck etc was wrong to interfere in local NY politics and endorse a outsider Hoffman in the election.
One thing for sure ... Dede would not have supported the public option and she would have most definetly won against Owens in the election. Palin, Beck etc was wrong to interfere in local NY politics and endorse a outsider Hoffman in the election.
++++++++++++++++
If the NY GOP had run someone half way decent (not Scozzafava), I may have agreed with you.
What say ye about the RINO problem? How would you suggest we deal with it?
“Dede would not have supported the public option”
Are you sure?
“she would have most definetly won against Owens in the election”
Are you sure?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2009/house/ny/new_york_23rd_district_special_election-1119.html
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