Posted on 07/20/2010 6:43:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
I’m honestly shocked. Wasn’t the whole point of the recess appointment to avoid questions in a high-profile forum about Berwick’s fondness for NHS’s rationing authority and his views of health care as redistribution? Now, suddenly, Obama’s going to force Reid and company to deal with the Berwick headache three and a half months from the midterms? What possible logic could there be?
Obama’s effort to clear Berwick through the Senate on top of his recess appointment would grant his nominee the job indefinitely, as he would serve at “the pleasure of the president,” according to a White House aide.
The president originally nominated Berwick to the CMS post in April, but Republicans blocked the effort and have tied the nomination to their criticism of the health care overhaul. Obama broke the logjam earlier this month by using a recess appointment to install Berwick in the post, a tactic that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said illustrated the president’s attempt to “arrogantly circumvent the American people.”
Did GOP complaints about his use of recess appointments really weigh that heavily on him? Or have they somehow convinced themselves that re-fighting the ObamaCare battle right now is a good idea? I’m mystified by this.
Are the little Tinkerbells in the Senate going to vote for this guy?
Whether it’s a mea culpa or a a health care PR stunt, the turn around is designed to get votes. And either way, it should fail.
“Tinkerbells” ?? Lindsey Graham?
It’s part of the plan to politicize everything before the election. GOP will be smeared with the obstructionist label once again. I don’t think it will work but we’ll see. All the media is jumping on the bandwagon over the unemployment issue by putting out “out of work sob stories”. Hopefully the latest Gallup poll won’t spook the GOP.
He knows he has the votes in the Senate. He can always depend on Snowe, Collins and a few like-minded Republicans when their votes are needed.
This is interesting and I’m looking forward to the blow-back against 0bamacare. Berwick has made many stunningly idiotic and frightening statements that could result cardiac arrests among Medicare recipients (see Dan Henninger’s recent WSJ article).
Perhaps 0bama did this because he feared that if Berwick was given a recess appointment, he would be brought in front of the new 2011 congress and easily skewered. A recess appointee would have less credibility than a confirmed appointee in the eyes of the public. It would also be easier for the House to cut off funding for Berwick’s position. The third thing is that a Senate confirmed appointee could stay in office longer.
Could it be the selection of the Dem WV Senator so they have 60 and can do what they want on their own, you think, maybe?
Yup....do it now while we have the votes...sounds right
Even with the Byrd replacement, the Dims only have 59 votes.
My guess is... The Republicans have already publicly stated that they “did not, and would not” block a hearing on this guy.
The WH, Dims, and MSM have already agreed: Hold the hearings... DON’T COVER IT, at all.. and, then approve the guy so he can stay as long as Obama wants.
If the Republicans try to block it now, they show all the footage of McConnell saying they “didn’t and wouldn’t”... the Pubs could then be shown on EVERY network newscast to be obstructionist AND liars!
This crowd is EVIL, gang.
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. zero got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and now he's trying to cover it up. If he had not gotten caught, this "nomination" wouldn't be going to the Senate for confirmation.
Just more politics as usual from zero's dictatorship.
looks like the WH thinks that the Repubs will take over Congress.
a recess appontment can be defunded.
Called both my Senators and encouraged them to oppose this nomination. Obama is a fool who needs to be impeached and tried for treason.
Two, with Byrd's replacement, they have 60 votes again to keep things moving.
Shows the Dems expect to lose the Senate (better a hearing now than when the GOP takes over)
it’s a misdirection play, as it is clear he is going to have to use another recess appointment to put Elizabeth Warren in the Consumer Finance Protection Agency job in order to placate his base.
She may also go to the Senate afterward as well. There is some thought on the Libtard blogs that a high-profile series of hearings that would allow Obama some Populist posturing would help the Dems (by forcing Republicans to defend “greedy banks and insurance companies”.....yeah, I know....)
So, Lieberman won’t vote with them on this?
I agree
Actually, the GOP said they wouldn't block HEARINGS - actually, they wanted the hearings, the Dems didn't. But they never said they wouldn't block the nomination.
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