Six hours later, stalemate remains

Politico.com ^ | 02/25/10 | CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN

[OldDeckHand]

Thursday’s health care summit wound down with President Barack Obama making clear he couldn’t sign on to the Republican plan for reform, wouldn’t abandon reconciliation and had no intention of scrapping his own plan – capping the six-plus-hour session with a dig at Republicans for pitching a bill that covers just a fraction of the uninsured.

“Those steps don’t get you to the place people need to go,” Obama said of the Republican plan.

Republicans said the same thing in their closing comments that they said at 10 a.m. – start over. Obama won’t.

So the parties walked out of Blair House almost exactly the way they walked in – completely at odds over the best way to fix the health insurance system. That means Democrats are almost certain to go ahead with plans to short-circuit Senate rules to try to pass the bill with a 51-vote majority, as early as next week.

The day-long session had flashes of gripping political theater, rival parties laying bare their philosophical differences on a critical issue with TV cameras rolling. At one point, Obama sparred with his ex-presidential rival John McCain. “We’re not campaigning anymore, John,” Obama said. “The election is over now.”

[panaxanax]

Sorry Ballplayer, but the enemies ARE watching their brother muslim imbedded inside the White House.

America better WTFU!

[DonaldC]

“Is anybody really surprised? Rush said it today . . tomorrow they’ll be touting Republicans as having nothing substantial to offer.”

Frankly I was looking for more from republicans...at least in the first half I saw, they didn’t have anything spectacular to offer, which is why they were voted out to begin with. Both parties suck.

[OldDeckHand]

"Did "John" address Obama as "Barack"?"

I caught that, too. I can't remember any other time when a sitting President addressed a sitting Congressman/Senator by their first name, in public and in such a formal setting.

I don't remember Reagan ever calling Tip O'Neill, Tip. Nor do I remember Clinton ever calling Gingrich, Newt. Perhaps it happened, but I certainly don't remember it.

[ballplayer]

I know you are right ,I am just hoping against hope

[TennTuxedo]

Obama got what he wanted out of this charade.....he forced the Democrats to unify behind him so they can “rahm” this plan through. Obama used the GOP to corner wavering Democrats to get behind the plan or else they would make the Democrat Party look weak.

[dforest]

I watched the body language and the faces of both sides as they sat through Obozo’s closing today.

He was a rambling partisan hack and everyone in the room was acting embarrassed. Pelosi was covering her face, the pubbies looked at O like the kook he is. The dems wanted him to shut up and the pubbies wanted him to shut up, but had looks on their faces like, go ahead and drone on O, people can see what a damn petty little kook you are.

That kook was not happy with the outcome. It was easy to tell.

[GailA]

Places to start MEDICARE and SS. bambi's cuts are going to hurt our elderly badly.

OBAMANOMICS--TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy

SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE! Bambi doesn't keep his promises...so buyer beware.

Sen Scott Brown's number is 202-224-4543

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 needs REPEALED)

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.

[Nick Danger]

republicans...at least in the first half I saw, they didn’t have anything spectacular to offer

Letting markets work never sounds as "spectacular" as a tax-and-spend trillion-dollar government program that smashes things and tells everybody what to do.

That's why idiots get stampeded by the media into believing that the Republicans don't offer anything. Supposedly the R's should offer a different Big Government Program. Then we could negotiate and compromise on which elements of each Big Government Program would get into the final Big Government Program.

[GailA]

Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/obama.health.care/index.html

Will healthcare reform mean cuts in Medicare for seniors?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1017/will-healthcare-reform-mean-cuts-in-medicare-for-seniors Health Reform’s Hidden Victims

Young people and seniors would pay a high price for ObamaCare.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306303720472842.html

Slashing Medicare to pay for healthcare reform an ugly shell game

Dr. Stuart M. Shapiro,
July 27, 2009

http://www.mcknights.com/slashing-medicare-to-pay-for-healthcare-reform-an-ugly-shell-game/article/140656/

If the cost is by cutting Medicaid and Medicare, then taxpayers are in for a rude awakening when millions will retire without money to pay for their healthcare. Ransoming seniors' long-term care for immediate, large-scale health reform is more politically beneficial for its supporters in the short-term than it is reasonable for everyone in the long run.

In fact, even in the short-term, one could argue that taxpayers, including the elderly, are looking at an old-fashioned shell game from Washington. No sooner was the ink dry on the federal stimulus package, which provided millions of dollars to support care for the elderly in Pennsylvania, before Congress and the administration began to propose major cuts in Medicare to finance healthcare reform. Because Medicare payments support quality care in our nation's nursing homes, the proposed cuts nationally approaching $50 billion in Medicare payments for the care of the elderly is guaranteed to undercut the quality gains of the past decade. In Pennsylvania, if the proposals currently on the table are enacted, these policies would result in an almost 10% reduction in cumulative payments over 10 years, or more than $2.1 billion.

None of the answers on healthcare, Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare is easy. But there is one thing we do know: Our population is growing older, and doing so rapidly. Cutting money from the programs that finance care for Pennsylvania seniors is seriously flawed. There is no simple or single solution. But there is a wrong way, and taking money from the care for American seniors is deeply flawed.

Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D., is the president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

[DonaldC]

“Letting markets work never sounds as “spectacular” as a tax-and-spend trillion-dollar government”

I don’t want a big government program but health care is about as far away from free market as anyone can get now. I’m just hearing status quo with small changes that will take decades to implement from the repubs, and that is in large part why they were booted from power to begin with. Maybe their ideas will have more impact than I think but I don’t see their ideas as helpful, just becoming more expensive at a slower pace than the dem ideas.

[fortheDeclaration]

I knew the Left would call it a ‘draw’.

[bert]

You are as dismissive as the President

You are as right as he is

[Americanexpat]

He had no intention of negotiating anything, I could tell by his statements, facial expressions and attitude he was not interested in anything the pubs had to say. He staged this dog n pony show to show up the pubs but they were not laying down for him some of them went after him.

[maica]

‘John’ said “Mr President.”

Obama used first names all day, in the spirit of “not being as formal as on the Senate or House floor.”

I call it another example of his willful demeaning of our political system.

I did not watch much of it, so I don’t know if he said “Nancy.” I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a little shy of going that far. She is old enough to be his mother.

[Paperdoll]

>You are as dismissive as the President. you are as ssmart as he is.<

;) Well, aren’t you a sweetheart ?

[ColdWater]

They weren't had. They played the best they could with the hand dealt to them.

[Paperdoll]

I agree with you. I just am saying that the powers that be will give short shrift to the Pub’s ideas and arguments. I just hope that many vpaters watched the summit so they wom’t be influenced by what comes out the of mouths of the Progressives in the aftermath.

[Free America52]

I watched almost the whole thing. I think the Republicans did a great job, way to go guys. Hang tough, tell the Dems to kiss your butt and keep repeating the facts.

[paulycy]

Barack 0bama will either do the reasonable, rational and most responsible thing and start over from scratch...

OR...

He will work with Pelosi and Reid to shove this down the people’s throat.

If the pubbies talk about the “reasonable, rational and responsible” option in the media for the next month they may get a *lot* of public support.

[ColdWater]

I just hope that many vpaters watched the summit so they wom’t be influenced by what comes out the of mouths of the Progressives in the aftermath.

I hope so also. But I am encouraged to see some indication that the more they open their mouths, the more people are turned off. That White House Commnications lady on FOX yesterday made a fool of the WH for not responding to the reporters questions. Democrat congresscritters are not answering questions to their constituents when asked if they support the current bill or if they will support reconciliation to get it through. They only answer, 'we support health care reform for America'.