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Owens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in First Hour In Congress
The Gouverneur Times ^ | 11/07/2009 | Nathan Barker

Posted on 11/07/2009 1:46:56 AM PST by SatinDoll

(The following is an extrapolation from the article.)

A spokesman for Congressman Owens stated the following:

Mr. Owens has recanted his solid positions on the following; he now supports the public option in the Health Reform bill; he will support cutting Medicare benefits; he supports taxing health care benefits; and will support increased taxes on the middle class.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: congress; newyork; owens
Way to go NY District 23! You now have a confirmed liar as your Congressman.
1 posted on 11/07/2009 1:46:56 AM PST by SatinDoll
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To: SatinDoll

I guess the guy only wants the job for the next 12 months?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Scozzafava had done the same thing if she had won, though. She was just as liberal as Owens.


2 posted on 11/07/2009 1:53:11 AM PST by DemforBush (Now officially 100% ex-Democrat.)
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To: SatinDoll

P.T. Barnum was wrong...


3 posted on 11/07/2009 1:53:59 AM PST by NoPrisoners ("When in the course of human events...")
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To: DemforBush

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, but I can’t help but wonder why Owens didn’t wait until the votes we called for on the floor of the House. This was done so quickly it was indecent!

It would be interesting to know how his constituents feel about this switch.


4 posted on 11/07/2009 1:56:10 AM PST by SatinDoll (NO Foreign Nationals as our President!!)
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To: NoPrisoners

LOL!


5 posted on 11/07/2009 1:56:40 AM PST by SatinDoll (NO Foreign Nationals as our President!!)
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To: SatinDoll

Unfortunately, I’m a constituent.

It is sheer outrage here. I have two, two family homes. All 4 units are rented to same people (retirees, two diff families) and all are democrats (but good tenants all for over 10 years.

I talked to them last night. Rage doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it. Incidentally, the same applies to their feelings about Obama. Basically all of the blue collar types in the country that identify themselves as democrats now know that Obama was a scam.


6 posted on 11/07/2009 2:19:01 AM PST by SubmarineNuke (To the Sea I shall return)
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To: SatinDoll

He didn’t break any promises. . . . . . He’s a RAT, they can say anything, do anything and blame it on just about anything, or just not say anything.


7 posted on 11/07/2009 2:20:39 AM PST by DeaconRed (Drinking Doubles Causing Lots of Trouble. F.U.B.O.)
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To: SatinDoll

The sad thing is, it’s probably not even a record.


8 posted on 11/07/2009 2:23:16 AM PST by FredZarguna (It looks just like a Telefunken U-47. In leather.)
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To: SatinDoll

When they continue to elect people and I use that word lightly such as Owens they will get this and much worse.


9 posted on 11/07/2009 2:26:26 AM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: SatinDoll

I see this is back up on the website after being down all day.

“”’Owens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in first hour in Congress’ by Nathan Barker
Friday, 06 November 2009 12:04
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.

(image)

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.””


10 posted on 11/07/2009 2:38:44 AM PST by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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To: SatinDoll

He’s just a pawn soldier in short term plaln by the
Democrats to push the economic Armageddon
button that will irretrievably plunge America into
a chaos of government chaos. They don’t care about
a year from now; their work will have been done.


11 posted on 11/07/2009 3:00:50 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: SatinDoll

Well there is the icing on the cake. We are now just like all the other Commie 3rd world countries.


12 posted on 11/07/2009 4:03:32 AM PST by oahujack
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To: SatinDoll
Anyone surprised?
13 posted on 11/07/2009 5:09:15 AM PST by Raider Sam (They're on our left, right, front, and back. They aint gettin away this time!)
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To: SatinDoll

Over half the people in NY 23 are idiots. Enjoy your new congressman, fools.


14 posted on 11/07/2009 5:18:19 AM PST by jpsb
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To: SatinDoll

The voters in NY23 must be proud.


15 posted on 11/07/2009 6:14:50 AM PST by submarinerswife ("If I win I can't 't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead." - George S. Patton)
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To: SatinDoll

As I read the article above, I was certain this was satire!


16 posted on 11/07/2009 6:17:13 AM PST by new cruelty (Shoot your TV. Torch your newspaper.)
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To: Raider Sam

Owens got what he wanted and the NJ got what they deserve. He has health care for life and fully paid retirement for life. All he had to do is serve 1 day... NJ got what the wanted more of the same stupid is what stupid does. Besides they had ACORN helping with the vote...

When this country does what it needs to which clean house, fire them all throw the liars and thieves in jail and confiscate their assets to repay the theft of trillions of dollars. Make the point that they work for us. Repeal laws that give them special deals - health care and retirement etc. Only then will they get the point it’s not nice to go back on your word. Power to the people not the politicians we pay the bills...

RWGN...


17 posted on 11/07/2009 12:10:15 PM PST by RWGN
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To: RWGN

You got it!! Unless and Until they are ALL removed, absolutely nothing will change. These men and women are so wicked, and so arrogant that no size or type of protest is ever going to work. They are deceitful to the core and will perpetrate any kind of evil they have to upon the country to maintain POWER and MONEY. Dictators are NEVER removed at the voting booth. CO


18 posted on 11/07/2009 12:40:36 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (Conservatism is to a country what medicine is to a wound - HEALING!!)
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To: SatinDoll

Wow!


19 posted on 11/07/2009 4:03:32 PM PST by BenLurkin
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