The Big Bluff? (Health care bill)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 02/23/10 | John Fund

[coaltrain]

Both factions have passed versions of a health care plan, but neither believes the other can deliver what is necessary for a compromise to become law. ... Senators have yet to be convinced Ms. Pelosi can pull this off. Privately, Democratic members tell me she doesn't have anywhere near the votes yet.

Rep. Heath Shuler, the North Carolina Democrat and former football star who heads the 54-member Blue Dog group, isn't optimistic. ,,, In the Senate, Majority Leader Reid is close to lining up 50 Democrats who could join with Vice President Biden in ramming through a bill using parliamentary maneuvers that allow spending legislation to be passed with a simple majority. But those same maneuvers make it extremely difficult to craft a "health care" bill unless the Senate parliamentarian runs roughshod over every precedent. Republicans would also be able to drag out the process by offering hundreds of amendments. ,,, The best health-care analysts I know say Democrats have perhaps a 15% chance of threading the needle and getting a comprehensive bill signed into law.

[coaltrain]

I don't feel to good about relying on the House Dems or the Senate Parliamentarian to stop this thing.

[musicman]

[InterceptPoint]

My favorite paragraph:

"Senators have yet to be convinced Ms. Pelosi can pull this off. Privately, Democratic members tell me she doesn't have anywhere near the votes yet."

[Rummyfan]

Obama's health care takeover effort?

It's dead, Jim.

[saganite]

Rush quoted Shuler today. Apparently he wondered why they just don’t let it die. I’m sure he voices the opinion of every Democrat in the House who is looking at the November election and contemplating just how bad it’s going to be even if they quit now. Keeping this bill on life support is just compounding the damage to their chances. That’s a good thing!

[NRG1973]

My biggest concern with the health care situation is that the GOP will ultimately cave and give the Dems 98% of what they want...and then brag to us that they stopped the worst 2%.

[Plutarch]

Democrats are trying to show unions and other allies that the Democratic leadership is making a maximum effort on health care before pivoting and blaming GOP obstructionism for its failure.

Aha, Fund is catching on to what I said 3 days ago.

Reid tries to resurrect public option

Saturday, February 20, 2010 6:39:19 AM · 11 of 16
Plutarch to maggief

This whole reconciliation thing is nothing more than the futile Banzai charge of the defeated dems. To please the Emperor they charge the line to be seen being mowed down by the enemy Republicans. Better the bill die in partisan battle, they figure, than by suicide in their caucus cave.

[fortheDeclaration]

The hurdle was always the House and the anti-abortion issue.

The Senate version didn't have that language and that is why the House is not going to get the votes to pass it.

The reconciliation bill is simply a budget issue to put more money into the Bill but won't change the details of the Senate version.

So, the House is asking the Senate to walk the plank and shove a reconcilation bill through and they may not have the votes in the end to pass the Senate version anyway.

This Bill is dead, but the ideologues at the White House won't admit it.

[Rummyfan]

Yes, it’s all just kabuki theater at this point, to convince the far left base (effing retards I think Rahm Emanuel called them) that we did all we could, but those mean, nasty Republicans were too obstructionist and we couldn’t get it done.

[Sunsong]

I hope that the pubbies are as clear as can be at the so-called *summit* that a healthcare mandate is unconstitutional. There will be so many people watching that *summit* and the clips afterward. It is a vitally important opportunity to remind the public that we have a Constitution and that free people cannot be *mandated* to buy something they don’t want to buy.

[Nonstatist]

Another thing is that it will provide an opportunity for vulnerable Dems to tally a vote against it.

Thats a good point. Typically Machiavellian of them; trying to salvage their majority

Problem is, if they do take this out on the Senate floor , the amendments could be really embarrassing to them. Also, most moderates just want this to die, and Obama won't let it go. They may not stop talking about this until June or so.... Not sure how that will wash out in their favor.

[GailA]

OBAMANOMICS--TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy

SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE!

Sen. Scot Brown's number is 202-224-5443

Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121

Lots of local demwit phone numbers on this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408217/posts

Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke.

Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w/

New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.

OBAMA’s WAR ON SENIORS

Friday, February 19, 2010

Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security

http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security

Health Care Rationing for Seniors Another Problem in New Obama Plan

http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html

Socialized Med Thread

TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.)

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm

Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09

Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries

Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w

By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009

Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.

Snip

The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.

Snip

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.

“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.

Bambi doesn't keep his promises...so buyer beware.

[GUNGAGALUNGA]

If they use recon...what are they worried about the House for?

[musicman]

Thanks for the links!!!! BTTT !!

[GailA]

We have Tenncare a form of Romney care and obamadeathcare.

Do some reading

TennCare cuts threaten Nashville General hospital | tennessean.com ...

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100204/NEWS0204/2040350/TennCare-cuts-threaten-Nashville-General-hospital

TennCare Cuts Under Way Now

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=47622

Call it coincidence or bad timing, but many physicians in Tennessee began taking a 14 percent cut for seeing TennCare patients on the same day Gov. Phil Bredesen announced deep cuts in health care spending.

TennCare Cuts May Close Some Hospitals

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/020710-tenncare-cuts-may-close-some-hospitals

TennCare Cuts May Close Some Hospitals

Proposed TennCare funding cuts would close The Med, hospital officials say By Toby Sells
Published Friday, January 29, 2010
http://m.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/29/med-cuts-would-kill-us/