Posted on 03/04/2011 7:02:27 PM PST by ColdOne
Senate Democrats have given up on confirming Don Berwick as CMS administrator in the wake of a letter from 42 Republican senators opposing the nomination, sources tell POLITICO.
Citing the GOP letter, a person familiar with the situation said Senate Democrats and the White House "can do the arithmetic" and now see that there's no way for Berwick to get the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate.
At a meeting with health care lobbyists Friday, Democratic Senate Finance Committee staffers indicated that the nomination is dead, that there will be no confirmation hearing, and that they'll soon be discussing "next steps" for CMS, sources said.
In a letter Thursday, 42 GOP senators asked President Barack Obama to withdraw the nomination of Berwick, who received a recess appointment in July and was renominated in January.
If he is not confirmed by the Senate, Berwick will have to leave by the end of 2011.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Are the Repubs growing a backbone? Hope so.
Dr. DeathPanels gets nixed? How about that.
Screw you, Berwick. Begone.
as CMS administrator in the wake of a letter from 42 Republican senators opposing the nominationThanks ColdOne.
The GOP really showed backbone this time.
Well, that’s a start!
Next steps....do a recess appointment of some other lunatic.
He was recess appointed, but with this lawlwss bunch the could just say, he’s a czar and bypass the senate.
He’ll just be recess appointed again....and again. .....and again.....
I am actually surprised......I thought he was a shoo in.
Hey Zer0, No Problem!
Make this loser a czar, and totally bypass congress as you have done with 31(?) of your other personal advisors.
why at the end of of 2011? come now he needs to leave on April 1, 2011. Why - April Fools day. The SOB is a fool. This way whomever Odumbo trys to replace can be scrutinized. But Odumbo will try a recess appointment. Okay recess appointment, tie up the Senate so the other SOB’s cannot leave, no recess appointment and Odumbo will have to find some meathead he can get in.
What meathead is Odumbo going to get, tie his hands till April 2012? he gets a another crackpot and lo and behold this guy gets tied up till November 2012.
What’s outrageous is he has all year to do plenty of damage, like the outfit in England he’s “in love” with, the National Health Service, which blatantly practices ageism, or denial of care to those over 65.
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