GOP leaders: Don't use current health bills for summit starting point

The Hill ^

[Sub-Driver]

GOP leaders: Don't use current health bills for summit starting point By Molly K. Hooper - 02/08/10 07:03 PM ET

House Republican leaders said Monday the healthcare summit should not use House and Senate bills as a starting point.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Republicans are right to be reluctant in embracing a summit if the president is unwilling to start the talks from scratch.

“If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate,” the pair explained in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

They also said President Barack Obama should remove reconciliation from the table. Using budget reconciliation rules to move healthcare reform in the Senate would mean Democrats would only need 51 votes on procedural measures instead of 60.

The two sent a letter to Emanuel late Monday demanding answers to unresolved questions regarding the summit, which is scheduled for Feb. 25th.

On Sunday afternoon however, Obama refused to say he would start from scratch.

[Sub-Driver]

Poker......

[Don Corleone]

WTG!

[montag813]

GOP Leaders: Just don’t show up for this phony “summit” publicity stunt. JUST DON’T GO. Americans won’t blame you, and you can ONLY lose if you participate.

[GailA]

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)

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

Obama's War on Seniors

Socialized Med Thread

[sbark]

Compromise......done it for 7 decades, do they got the gravitias to stand on principle?

Democrats essentially back in campaign mode....looking to shame the GOP in not wanting to cover everyone and yet Death Care still has tens of millions uninsured after 10 yrs...but it saying you want to do it....compassion

same old b.s: GOP take a gun to a gun fight, leave the butterknife at home.

[freekitty]

Just don’t go. We don’t want healthcare.

[Siena Dreaming]

The GOP has come up with an effective answer to this new strategy of the commies.

The WH wants Zero's mug on TV with the Repubs in front of him to provide another "scolding opportunity" to boost the far-left polling numbers which rise when he seems to "get the better of" the GOP.

That's all this is about.

[J40000]

We need to reinstate Nancy Reagan’s campaign of “Just Say NO” to these poor, spineless members of the GOP.

[RummyChick]

I will give the maximum donation possible to any Congress Critter who attends this event and asks Obama if he received any aid as a foreign student when he attended schools here in the US.

[lovesdogs]

That “party of no” stuff is getting old. If someone is mugging me, I have no intention of negotiating with them. Since the dems seem to want to mug American, Pubbies need to say “NO F’ing way” if they want our votes and they need to own it. I will never ever understand why Republicans allow dems to define the debate in so many cases.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

GOP, now we will see what you are made of. Meet with Obama on one condition. These talks start from scatch, period. The original bill needs to thrown into a burning garbage dump. Publically, announce the GOP positions before the summit, and do not go to the summit unless these positons are accepted by Obama and the Democrat Party. Actually, you are better off stating your positions on the media and skipping the trap the dummy Obama has set for you!!! Have you looked at Obama’s poll numbers lately. The America hater. socialist, Barack Hussein Obama is in crash and burn mode!!! Do not give the weakling an inch. And...now that Murtha has passed, get your butts in gear and win that seat for the GOP. Get your butts into real, effective action. We the people want Obama to resign or be impeached by his own Democrat Party.

[dools007]

Dumb poker. There are some things that need fixing in our health care. Most of us know what they are:

1. Tort limits.
2. Health care should be transferrable across state lines.
3. Health care insurer “delay and deny” protocols must be made illegal.
4. Medical professionals must not be allowed to have an interest in hospitals, labs, nursing homes and other medical services.
5. Hospitals, labs nursing homes and other medical services (including pharmaceutical) must be “not for profit” enterprises. Same for medical insurers.

This is not the time for Pubbies to be playing games. By stating up front what they will support puts the demrats on defense. Its called framing the argument.

[blueyon]

My take on this is have the GOP go..do not just say no, to not let Obama control what is aloud in the health care bill..he wants you get clips of the GOP saying NO. Go in strong with ideas and with ever thing Obie puts out...show how it is wrong/stupid/not good for Americans. Be educated and win

[GailA]

Need to end the generic game too. Sometimes like with thyroid med the generic doesn't get absorbed as well and the fillers cause mouth ulcers and your hair to fall out. And instead of being tested twice a year you have to be tested 3-4 times a year to make sure it is working. There by raising the cost of your health care.

Reputable Endocrinologist won't prescribe the generic form for these reasons.

Yet ins. companies don't want to pay the few extra cents for the name brand Syntrhoid from Abbot Labs. This is not an expensive drug..a tad over $20 per 30 days supply.

Thyroid is the furnace of the entire Endoctrine system.

And NO ILLEGALS allowed FREE health care!

[Mariner]

"GOP Leaders: Just don’t show up for this phony “summit” publicity stunt. JUST DON’T GO. Americans won’t blame you, and you can ONLY lose if you participate".

You are absolutely correct.

If the dims offer even the slightest of compromise, the GOP will be expected to surrender all principal and give the dims EVERYTHING THEY WANT.

It's far better to win than to compromise.

[Mariner]

Your item #5 is a total non-starter and contrary to the best interest of the American people.

It the profit motive that has created 90% of all new therapies and drugs in the world over the last 100 years.

[Enchante]

Hey if anyone feels like a little fun we could use some FR reinforcement in the comments thread for this article:

Nasty onslaught of the left in comments thread

There's this guy in particular, along with several others, who likes to abuse anyone who deviates from the party line. It could be nice to get some sane comments onto this thread, even if people like this guy can't be reached:

[NOTE: comments below are quoted from a rabid leftist on the thread below this article at TheHill.com]

"Well what a little minded RETHUGLICAN you are THIS IS A SET UP to castigate someone for having the passion of their convictions as well as a more factually correct presentation of the facts, for more than 14 years the RETHUGLICAN majority used the reconcilliation process to ride rough shod over the minority and to grind the objections of the opposition into the dirt, in fact they in their first year (1995) used it more times that it had ever been used in the history of the country and then they just kept on doing it, and THAT IS A FACT. As to the filibuster they have also made use of it more times in the past three years than it was ever used in any continuos ten year period prior to 2007. It is in the factual record that in this past year they have forced cloture motions on more votes than can possibly be justified and have engaged in tactics of a nature that can only be compared those used by the NAZIS to abuse the process of government to overthrow the government, AND THAT IS A FACT THAT FITS YOU RETHUGLICANS LIKE AN A.K.A., and it is a fact that the RETHUGLICANS do believe in majority rules when they have the majority but when they do not it seems they only wish to use the definition of a pure republic and impose the will of the minority upon the majority against the clearly expressed will of the people who did in fact choose to strip (and rightfully so) the RETHUGLICANS of their political power and their MAJORITY, but you of course dont see it that way you BAGGER and THIEF, because you are trying to gloss over the fact that when the RETHUGLICANS had the majority they declared time and again that MAJORITY RULES was the way they were going to do it. I will note that any discussion of US political institutions with you would be a waste of time as you in fact have the intellectual honesty of well A RETHUGLICAN and your scurrilous arguments lack the one thing that any discussion must have, clear concise honest and factually supported underpinnings that allow for the fact that your a lying scumbag and have no place in a decent society as you do not value something you dont have, that being the basic requirement of supporting an honest open and free debate of the issues. I READ YOUR POSTS AND THEY ARE FILLED WITH HATE AND DISPLAY YOUR VERY APPARENT LACK OF MORALS AND A COMPLEAT RELIANCE ON THE THUGGERY THAT YOU JUST CANT SEE IS THE PROBLEM THAT YOU AND YOUR ILK HAVE. My apologies to non-RETHUGLICAN ilk, you are not the intended bug I am squashing here." BY Thomas G Williams on 02/09/2010 at 02:40

[Caipirabob]

5. Hospitals, labs nursing homes and other medical services (including pharmaceutical) must be “not for profit” enterprises. Same for medical insurers.

I'd argue on this thought. I don't have the time right now but I see no need to rob Americans of the freedom to decide what business they engage in provided they promote a quality product/service.

The variety of business models strengthens the market and benefits everyone. If their business model stinks, the market will take care of them.

[Varsity Flight]

To: dools007
++++ 5. Hospitals, labs nursing homes and other medical services (including pharmaceutical) must be not for profit enterprises. Same for medical insurers.++++

I would agree if these entities are are invested in at risk “instruments” such as banks, MBSs, and taxed supported.
And this would include subsidised by us, the taxpayer!

[dools007]

Yo Caipirabob—I’m not sure this is a good idea either. But I think it’s an issue that should be discussed and debated. In principle I believe in the marketplace’s ability to provide goods and services at a price people feel is fair. However, that is only true in the absense of skewing factors—like greed and dishonesty.

If a Wall Street, retail or manufactuing CEO proves to be greedy and dishonest the health and and welfare of it emoloyees may be impacted, but not that of the community at large. However, if the same behavior occurs in a hospial or nursing home it will directly affect health care quality. IMHO this is precisely the problem with nursing homes and medical insurers—of which I have first hand experience. I suspect it is also a factor in hospital operation.

Of course, we also know hospitals are being impacted by having to treat everyone that comes along regardless of citizenship or ability to pay. And, in its infinite wisdom, federal and state governments provide hospitals no compensation for this service. And this at the same time Medicare/Medicaid limits what hospitals may charge for services. Let us not forget the exorbitant malpractice insurance hospitals must also pay as well. That is why I list tort reform as my number one priority.

The marketplace has a way to deal with bad companies, they eventually go bust. IMHO health care does not inherently have the same correcting mechanism. People’s health and well being are directly impacted by bad health care providers.