Posted on 03/19/2010 1:19:40 PM PDT by SE Mom
This could be very big. Rep. Jason Altmire (D., Penn.) has done his darndest to position himself as the deciding vote on health-care reform, and I predicted earlier this week that he would end up voting with the majority either way.
Congressman Jason Altmire will vote against the latest version of health care reform when the U.S. House of Representatives votes on the bill this weekend.
Altmire confirmed that he has decided to vote no in a telephone conversation with KDKA political editor Jon Delano.
The McCandless Democrat is expected to post a statement on his website later today.
In a live interview on KDKA-TV News at 6 on Tuesday, Altmire said his constituents would help him make the final decision.
"I'm deciding it by doing everything I possibly can to hear what they have to say," he said. "The rallies at my office, the phone calls, emails, and letters that are coming in to Washington and in the district."
Altmire voted against the House health care plan last November.
But again, who knows!
The RAT couldn't stand the heat so he gnawed through 0's belly!!!
Never mind- Neil was misinformed about his own show!!! LOL- TGO will be on his show tomorrow...
Altmire stays a "no" but Boyd flips to "yes." Boyd is big for Dems.
FINALLY got through to his DC office two minutes ago (Altmire) Surprize! The mailbox was full!
Hoping more now than I have in the past week!
Great news.....but it’s not over till it’s over.
Damn. So- no change.
We’ll see. Be sure to get to DC tomorrow by “hook or by (pardon the pun)”crook”!
This is true?
Cause this guy was playing either one of two games this past week. 1)He was playing serious footsie with the administration, awaiting an offer he couldn’t refuse. Or 2)He wanted to wait till the last minute so he could avoid the tremendous pressure an announced NO would bring.
I’ve been on a see-saw all week folks, as I’m sure you all have been too.
One minute I throw in the mental towel and turn from Fox to Frazier, heavens I even watched that stupid show about the homo fellow and his best friend the female. Why watch my country go up in smoke, I think to myself. Wake me up when it’s over.
The next minute the lies of Clyburn the Dem House Whip are revealed (recall he announced Altmyer was a YES earlier this week). Or the CBO’s score doesn’t mention that little matter of the DOC FIX that is certainly part of this awful piece of legislation. But it won’t be implemented until later in the summer as they didn’t want it in the CBO score. Somebody leaked that very confidential memo didn’t they? As I heard, this tidbit was only revealed to the very high ups so somebody somewhere’s leaking and why, I ask?
I just heard Fox announce that Reid’s calling them all to the Senate for a pep talk. Now if they have the votes, as this Clyburn, whose job is appointed liar of the week evidently, why all this? Then there is the funny story of the Dem who says he’s been dodging the President’s calls all week cause he’s sick of hearing about how failure to pass this bill will wreck the Obamer presidency.
I refuse to believe these guys are so stupid that they don’t realize that hey, Obamer had a chance to walk away from this graciously after the Mass. Brown, VA and NJ vote. The handwriting was on the wall.
In fact there was a short period of time, if y’all recall, when talk about health care was quiet, that Obamer and his minions began to talk about creating jobs and such.
Obamer could have, quietly with no fanfare, switched the topic, launched a crusade to give jobs to Americans. But oh no, he has to attempt this bizarre enactment of a law so hated, so filled with corrupt deals, a law that already 37 states are threatening lawsuits over that Florida seniors get Medicare Advantage and my state’s seniors do not. and that Slaughter thing....
That thing has morphed into one HUGE pimple and I can’t imagine that I’d be boohooing with Obamer that this will bring down his reign of power. HE MADE A BAD DECISION.
Kinda like Copenhagen....he jogged aboard Air Force 1 and boom, he knew he’d change the tides of fate.
No, I still am not convinced that this thing’s gonna pass. It might. They’ve done a helluva job this week all lying about every damn thing and admit that conservatives and independents of every sort have all been totally committed and are watching this thing. Americans are seriously paying attention to all this and this is a fact not on their side.
And I ponder that what’s gonna happen AFTER this thing passes, if it does? You think a big stock market crash? I think so...this health care thing is bad for business. How about citizens that had been law abiding, going peacefully to tea parties and town halls finally get REAL mad, maybe they don’t pay their taxes, maybe they go to their payroll offices and increase their payroll withholdings to 99, maybe they organize a nationwide stop work day, maybe they all march to their local guy’s office and clog the traffic.
Everybody has their point and the average American guy is reaching that point. The world, folks, will be watching it. The PR will be horrendous, Obamer will not benefit from it one bit.
Anyway...I’m done. Talk amonst yourselves.
Any news on twitter on Kosmas? I’ve tried ENDLESSLY to get through her office here locally AND in DC...she’s still on the fence- she was a no vote before...
RE: Keep praying for Divine Intervention
God help preserve our Republic. Amen
I’ll take every ‘no’ vote we can get!
BTTT
Good for you. I tried but when you add address and click on the state, only PA comes up so my thank you from NY will never reach him. Neil Cavuto reported what we’ve learned but he’s waiting for confirmation and will have him on his program tomorrow.
So, still no word, I guess. People are talking about her and posting phone numbers, at least.
Not really that big. He was already a no vote from last year.
Besides, will HE STAY NO?
DeFazio was supposedly a no but now is just undecided....which pretty much means he will vote yes, let’s face it.
The promised statement in opposition to ObamaCare has been posted on his website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altmire Statement on Upcoming Health Care Vote
March 19, 2010
“I ran for Congress in large part because I believe we need to find a way to bring down the cost of health care. I also ran for Congress with a simple promise: I would do my best to represent my district and to give western Pennsylvania a voice in Washington, not the other way around.
“I regret that this year-long process of debating health care reform has resulted in a final product that I cannot support. The cost of inaction on health care is great, but it would be an even bigger mistake to pass a bill that could compound the problem of skyrocketing health care costs.
“Simply moving money around within the existing system, rather than enacting real delivery system reform, might change who pays the bill, but it does not improve the quality of care or reduce costs for families, small businesses, or the federal government. It creates a system of winners and losers, rather than reforming the system in a way that lets everyone win. It is estimated that after passage of this bill, federal health care expenditures would likely increase above what they would under current law.
“It has become clear that the vast majority of my constituents want me to oppose this bill. Particularly hard hit would be western Pennsylvania’s Medicare beneficiaries, which many experts believe would experience dramatic premium increases with enactment of this bill.
“I am acutely aware that my decision to vote against the health care bill will disappoint some of my constituents and alienate supporters of the bill. The politically easy vote would have been to vote with my party. But I was not sent to Congress to take the easy way out or to vote the way they want me to vote in Washington. I was elected to represent my district and give western Pennsylvania a voice in Congress. I strongly believe that a vote in opposition to the health care bill is consistent with the views of the district I represent, and is the correct vote based on the impact of the bill on my constituents and the overall health care system.”
This is the exact reason that I don’t think they have the votes. If they did I think the vote would be done. Every hour that goes by gives a chance for someone else to change their minds. It just depends if they want to keep their job.
I always enjoy your posts- thanks for this one!
I have been obsessive watching, listening, reading as well- til I can’t stand it and go read Vince Flynn books or watch Alton on the food network or walk the dog AGAIN...
I don’t think ANYONE- including Pelosi and Clyburn know the count.
This nun on Fox news is driving me crazy. A family member (truck driver) didn’t have health insurance so he died of prostrate cancer because he wasn’t diagnosed early enough. So..lets see, he had a job, but couldn’t afford a yearly check up? Is that what she is saying? Bet he afforded cable, internet, cell, etc.....
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