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This Congress is beneath contempt. What they are poised to pass today -- yes I know this is just a procedural vote, but everything turns on it -- is an abomination. Since Lincoln and Landrieu have been bought off it is now sure to pass. Landrieu's vote will cost the taxpayers $100 million. I wonder what we paid Lincoln to betray us? This bill will not merely ruin our healthcare system; it will impose economy-crushing taxes, pushing our already tottering economy ever closer to the abyss. No surprise there. Candidate Obama said that since we are only 4 percent of...

“Oh, I can’t think about this now! I’ll go crazy if I do! I’ll think about it tomorrow. But I must think about it. I must think about it. What is there to do? What is there that matters?” —Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With the Wind Like the calculating Southern belle in Margaret Mitchell’s classic novel, who endeavored to ignore the realities and consequences of war, Sen. Blanche Lincoln is bent on making the rest of us believe she is the most reluctant participant in the most epic of legislative wars. Lincoln, the last holdout, didn’t want to be on the...

The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the vote was anything but procedural — casting it as a referendum on the bill itself, which he said would raise taxes, cut Medicare and create a “massive and unsustainable debt.” McConnell: It’s a ‘Monstrosity of a Bill’

Sadly, he is right. Senator Reid, the other 57 Democrats, and both Independents voted to move the Senate Health Care Bill forward for debate, and ultimately, a vote. Not one Republican voted for the bill. I expected that Joe Lieberman (I-CT) would have had a bit more sense than to be willing to debate a bill with the same people who had not the slightest bit of intellectual honesty during the Bush Administration. Incredibly, he bought the line that Reid was selling. If you could see the smug look on Reid's face, then you would be able to tell that...

sweeping healthcare overhaul narrowly cleared its first hurdle in the Senate on Saturday, with Democrats casting 60 party-line votes to open debate on the biggest healthcare changes in decades. In the first Senate test for President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, Democrats unanimously backed a procedural motion to open debate over the opposition of 39 Republicans. Republican George Voinovich did not vote. Democrats needed 60 votes to approve the motion in the 100-member Senate and had no margin for error -- they control exactly 60 votes...

Much like the Jewish Sanhedrin did 20 centuries ago when they convened in the dark of night to decide the fate of Jesus Christ, the United States Senate is planning to convene this Saturday night to decide the fate of this once great Christian nation. Will they crucify our economy with their final decision? If the current 2,000 page health bill ever passes, it will be the death of our nation.

Citizens for a Public Option Dear Friend, Moments ago, the Senate voted to begin its full debate on historic health care reform legislation instead of obstructing it with a filibuster. Tonight's vote marks the biggest victory to date for our grassroots effort to pass health care reform with a public option. We cannot give enough thanks to the over 100,000 signers of our petition at CitizensForAPublicOption.com for helping to fundamentally shift the momentum towards meaningful reform. Not long ago, a few loud opponents of reform armed and organized by the insurance industry dominated this debate. Now the American people, the...

WASHINGTON – Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare. The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally. The spectator galleries...

The U.S. Senate tonight voted 60-39 to invoke Cloture on the Senate Health Care Bill, meaning it now will move to the floor of the Senate for Debate. It does NOT mean the bill has passed the Senate. It will now move to an amendment phase, and before moving to a vote on final passage, the bill would have to pass another 60 vote threshold cloture vote to close debate / amendments and move to a final vote. At least three senators who voted for cloture tonight, have said they may not vote for the second cloture vote unless the...

It is up to you Arkansas. You make your voices heard now! Blanch Lincoln has got to go in the next election! Ni nice anymore. Same goes for you in Louisianna!

Why was it so hard for Dems even to start health care debate? By: Byron York Chief Political Correspondent 11/21/09 6:43 PM EST The extraordinary thing about the dramatic events surrounding the health care bill in the Senate is that there is any drama in it at all. Lawmakers are simply voting to begin debate on their version of health care reform. Just begin debate -- not end it, and not move on to a final vote. If Democrats, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, were not able to begin debate on the top Democratic policy priority in a...

When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was informed that the House had taken less than an hour to approve an unemployment bill that languished for a month in the Senate, his aides said he did not know whether to laugh or cry. It has been that kind of year in the polarized Senate, where even popular bills and generally acceptable executive branch nominees have to traverse a time-consuming procedural thicket even if they end up, like the unemployment extension, passing with no dissenting votes. Now the tab for that snail’s pace is about to come due. While the Senate hopes...

Dems’ health plan would limit immigrant aidLatinos shaken by Senate gambit to win conservative and moderate votes By LYNSI BURTON HOUSTON CHRONICLE Nov. 21, 2009, 9:16AM WASHINGTON — The latest loser in the political pandemonium over health care reform may be immigrants living in America, an estimated 24 million people likely to be bartered in order to win support in Congress from fence-sitting Democratic moderates and conservatives. Just as House Democratic leaders sacrificed the wishes of abortion-rights activists in a successful gambit to win the votes of anti-abortion Democrats last week, the Senate leadership has included provisions in its health...

Once considered a shoo-in for reconfirmation, Ben Bernanke may not want to get too comfortable in his seat as Federal Reserve chairman. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, yesterday told a small group of reporters that Bernanke's Senate confirmation for a second term isn't guaranteed. "Not necessarily, not necessarily," he said in response to a question about whether Bernanke getting a second term was a foregone conclusion. "We'll see how members react." He went on to say, "I'm inclined to be supportive. I think he's done a far better job over the last couple of years...

www.catholicnewsagency.com USCCB: Senate health care bill 'morally unacceptable' Washington D.C., Nov 20, 2009 / 08:02 pm (CNA).- As the Senate prepares for the discussion of its health care reform bill this weekend, several bishops have sent the Senators a letter on behalf of the USCCB, calling the current version of the health care bill both “a huge disappointment” and “morally unacceptable.”The letter, signed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Chairman of the Committee on Pro-life Activities; Bishop William F. Murphy Diocese of Rockville Centre, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and  Bishop John Wester, Chairman of the...

Senate Health Care Bill Raises Taxes on Special Needs Children Washington, DC -- The statistics are scary when it comes to the percentage of unborn children born with special needs who become victims of abortion. One fiscal conservative group says the task for parents raising such children is made more difficult by extra taxes found in Harry Reid's new Senate health care bill. http://www.LifeNews.com/nat5694.html

. . . phone calls are not going through at all now. Try calling my phone or any phone. It is not even the switchboard anymore. The entire Senate phone system has collapsed. Keep melting the phones!

Senate Democratic leaders, having negotiated critical last-minute commitments, Friday stood on the verge of achieving the 60 votes they need to begin consideration of the most expansive healthcare legislation to go before the Senate in nearly half a century. Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, who was among three Democratic holdouts, announced that he would back an all-important procedural vote set for Saturday that will allow the chamber to take up the wide-ranging bill unveiled this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). And Democratic leaders expect Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana to support a cloture...

Why all the silence from the MSM on the US Senate healthcare bill? Other then for the alternate news media, who has been holding the torch in discussion of this major issue it has been nothing BUT SILENCE, PERIOD. This summer, I’ve spent my fair share of time reading complicated legislation that frequently does not make sense. There are thousands of pages with details about tax, regulation and service changes that will impact health care service, quality and cost. I challenge the media to tell us what’s in the bills.

A healthcare policy expert says there are details in the Senate healthcare bill that will frighten everyone. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has unveiled his more than 2,000-page healthcare bill with an estimated price tag of $849 billion. However, as Grace Marie Turner of the Galen Institute points out, one of the reasons the bill was scored under President Obama's $900 billion cost goal is because no one gets any benefit from the program until 2014. "So they start collecting taxes and fees now, and...the first ten years of full implementation of this bill is $2.5 trillion, and that's...

Just called my Senators, Lemieux and Bill Nelson Re: healthcare. Lemieux will vote no and Nelson's office says he has not decided. Keep calling.

Yesterday, The Arkansas Hands-Off Healthcare Bus Tour went through Arkansas. Guest speakers included Dick Morris, Jim Miller of 60 Plus, Dr. Kathy Chenault, and Teresa Oakle. Here is some video footage of that event. More footage will come soon. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5433-Little-Rock-Immigration-Examiner~y2009m11d20-Healthcare-video--Events http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rho6J-7Jr6w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skJGUUmVsRU Same video in case there are problems with youtube. http://keeparkansaslegal.blogspot.com/2009/11/hands-off-healthcare-video-footage.html Saturday November 21st. We will need as many Secure Arkansas Volunteers as possible for the Arkansas Razorbacks game. You can show up on your own or call 501-412-4063 to meet with other Secure Arkansas members. You will be called back within a few minutes. Sunday November 22nd The...

Read the full billRead the tax revenue score from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) Read the budget and tax score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) PDF of this DocumentIndividual Mandate Tax (Page 324/Sec. 1501/$8 bil): Starting in 2014, anyone not buying “qualifying” health insurance must pay an income surtax according to the following schedule (capped at 8 percent of income): ==============> Check out this important piece, at ATR.org...

Tell me who that is standing next to Barack Obama. It sure looks like Bill Ayers. Anyone know who it is?

Another Saturday health care vote appears to be in the works, this time in the Senate. While the Senate may be may be taking its cue from the "success" of the House in its' Saturday vote, there are a few differences between the two bills that could push any resolution of the health care debate well into next year. Still conventional wisdom has it that if Reid is able to pull together the 60 votes he needs in this important opening vote, some 2000 page piece of legislation will eventually make its'way to the President's desk. Holdouts can be bought...

Senate confirms Obama judge pick WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed U.S. District Judge David Hamilton of Indiana yesterday for the Chicago-based U.S. Appeals Court for the Seventh Circuit, approving a nominee targeted by conservatives as a liberal activist.

Proposal packed with 17 new levies. Senate Democrats' health care bill would create a new marriage penalty by imposing a tax on individuals who make $200,000 annually but hitting married couples making just $50,000 more. That's one of 17 new taxes imposed by the bill, which also creates a levy on elective plastic surgery - some call it "botax" - and places a 40 percent excise tax on those who have generous health care plans. "If you have insurance, you get taxed. If you don't have insurance, you get taxed. If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed....

President Obama Again Attacks Stupak, Backs Pro-Abortion Senate Bill Washington, DC -- During an interview with Fox News, President Barack Obama again condemned the Stupak amendment added to the House health care bill to stop abortion funding. Meanwhile, the Obama administration says the president supports the new Senate health care bill that contains massive abortion subsidies. http://www.lifenews.com/nat5691.html

Last Saturday night Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) forced through a vote on her 2,032 page health care bill only a few days after releasing it to the public. Now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is poised for another Saturday night cram down, forcing a Senate cloture vote mere days before his 2,074 page bill was given to Senators. Yet again, Congress will be forced to vote on a bill that none of them have actually read. More importantly, as we pour through the details, it becomes obvious that none of them even believe the plan will do what the...

Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)Chief of Staff Joan Ohashi joan_ohashi@akaka.senate.gov Communications Director Jon Yoshimura jon_yoshimura@akaka.senate.gov Press Secretary Jesse Broder Van Dyke jesse_brodervandyke@akaka.senate.gov Legislative Director Jennifer Tyree jennifer_tyree@akaka.senate.gov Deputy Legislative Director Matt Pippin matt_pippin@akaka.senate.gov Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana)Chief of Staff Jon Selib jon_selib@baucus.senate.gov Communications Director Tyler Ryan “Ty” Matsdorf tyler_matsdorf@baucus.senate.gov Press Secretary Carolyn Bunce carolyn_bunce@baucus.senate.gov Legislative Director Paul Stockton Wilkins paul_wilkins@baucus.senate.gov Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)Chief of Staff Charles Salem charlie_salem@bayh.senate.gov Deputy Chief of Staff Linda Moore Forbes linda_forbes@bayh.senate.gov Communications Director Eric D. Kleiman eric_kleiman@bayh.senate.gov Press Secretary Brian Weiss brian_weiss@bayh.senate.gov Counsel Jesse Gabriel jesse_gabriel@bayh.senate.gov Fax: (202) 228-1377 Legislative Director Jayme Roth jayme_roth@bayh.senate.gov Legislative...

Trouble for McCain in 2010? By Tony Romm - 11/20/09 09:21 AM ET A new poll perhaps foretells of a tough primary fight for Arizona Sen. John McCain (R). In a hypothetical match-up against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who is reportedly considering a 2010 bid, McCain holds only a two-point lead, besting his potential opponent 45 percent to his 43 percent, according to Rasmussen. That means Hayworth is already polling within the margin of error -- a tough spot for any incumbent to be in, especially one who formerly won his party's presidential nomination. Nevertheless, Rasmussen is quick to point...

Coburn Backs Off Threat to Read Health Care Bill in Senate The Oklahoma lawmaker says there's uncertainty about whether reading the bill during Thanksgiving week would be productive. WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is backing off his threat to require that the Senate read the 2,074-page health care bill because some GOP colleagues aren't supporting the effort. The Oklahoma lawmaker said there's uncertainty about whether reading the bill during Thanksgiving week would be productive. He also said that if the Republicans do decide to tie up the Senate for the dozens of hours it would take, six GOP colleagues...

We need to peel off one Democrat to kill this thing. For those of you glued to your laptops when the abortion known as PelosiCare was passed a couple of weeks ago, this Saturday's fight in the Senate will consist of 10 hours of debate, which were won by Republicans in return for their not having the entire bill read on the floor. According to Roll Call (subscription required, but the snippet is there), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) will join the other 39 Republicans in the filibuster. The first vote is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., so, if my math is correct,...

Reform: Only a Bernie Madoff could believe the Senate's health care bill will extend coverage to 31 million Americans while cutting deficits by $127 billion over 10 years. It would be the first profitable entitlement. But that's what Majority Leader Harry Reid, citing Congressional Budget Office estimates, tells us the 2,074-page bill — said to cost only $849 billion over a decade — would do. Like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he seems to be following Vice President Joe Biden's admonition at an AARP town hall meeting that "we've got to spend money to keep from going bankrupt." We suspect Reid's...

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is backing off his threat to require that the Senate read the 2,074-page health care bill because some GOP colleagues aren't supporting the effort. The Oklahoma lawmaker said there's uncertainty about whether reading the bill during Thanksgiving week would be productive. He also said that if the Republicans do decide to tie up the Senate for the dozens of hours it would take, six GOP colleagues have committed to pitching in on reading duty.

am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill. In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.) Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu. How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed cloture and scheduled a vote on his “mammoth" 2,074-page health care reform bill (H.R. 3590) at 8 PM on Saturday. The Democrats wish to rush the vote before Senators return home for Thanksgiving. If the bill passes then it would wind up in conference with the House and with only the Democrats crafting the final compromise bill suitable to just the Democrats because no Republican or Conservative democrat votes would be needed. Well now we will see if the Republicans stand strong and if old lions like Sen Joe Lieberman and other conservatives...

http://c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/11/19/HP/R/26172/congressional+investigation+into+Fort+Hood+Shooting.aspx

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) officially joined Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) as the second member of the Democratic Conference to threaten a filibuster of the Senate’s health care reform bill. http://bit.ly/2yYu8c

What does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for health care reform? Here’s a case study. On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.” The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.” I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get...

Did Obama lie in his joint address to Congress when he said "no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions?" [VIDEO AT SITE] Last summer and earlier this fall Obama repeatedly claimed that those on our side who expressed concerns about many aspects of the health bills working their way through Congress were lying about certain provisions. One of those "lies" was the GOP claim that money from the government run plans would be used to fund abortions. When Joe Wilson shouted "YOU LIE" during Obama's speech to Congress, Joe wasn't just talking about illegal immigrants getting benefits under...

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has decided not to run for governor next year - but will run for U.S. Senate instead, sources told the Daily News. A source familiar with Giuliani's thinking said the failed presidential candidate has been telling people he plans to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010 to fill out the remaining two years of Hillary Clinton's term. If elected, the source said, he could use that as a stepping stone to run for President in 2012 - rather than run for re-election to the Senate. A Giuliani spokeswoman downplayed the reports. "Rudy has a...

Health bill could get 34-hour reading in Senate Joseph Curl The 2,074-page Senate health care bill would take 34 hours to read cover to cover -- and that's just what Sen. Tom Coburn wants done on the Senate floor. The Oklahoma Republican has threatened to invoke parliamentary rules to force the Senate clerk (or more likely, a team of clerks) to read the massive bill before the full Senate begins formal debate on the legislation. The move is strictly according to Senate rules, which say any senator can demand a bill be read in its entirety before debate begins. While...

The 2,074-page Senate health care bill would take 34 hours to read cover to cover -- and that's just what Sen. Tom Coburn wants done on the Senate floor. The Oklahoma Republican has threatened to invoke parliamentary rules to force the Senate clerk (or more likely, a team of clerks) to read the massive bill before the full Senate begins formal debate on the legislation. The move is strictly according to Senate rules, which say any senator can demand a bill be read in its entirety before debate begins. While Democrats could, if they wish, repeatedly make motions to end...

Senator Lieberman would be the most liberal member of the Republican caucus, however, he would be a member we could depend on in regards to health care, national defense, and other issues. While Senator Lieberman would 85% of the time vote with Democrats on most domestic issues, he would be a strong opponent of weakening our national defense, and he causes hatred in progressive circles which Republicans can't match. I am proposing that Senator Lieberman caucus with the Republicans, as though he has numerous Democratic leanings, he also has Conservative streaks which fit into his "Independent" label, however, he is...

Reid's Senate Health Care Bill Contains Massive Abortion Funding Washington, DC -- Two leading pro-life organizations that have analyzed the new 2,000-page government-run health care bill released by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid late yesterday say the legislation contains massive abortion funding and a fake amendment that does not truly ban it. http://www.LifeNews.com/nat5682.html

The Senate’s senior Democrat and Republican renewed their rhetorical battle over healthcare early Thursday, the morning after the Democratic health reform bill was finally unveiled. In dueling floor speeches, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) each portrayed themselves “on the right side of history.” Reid trumpeted the Democrats’ $849 billion bill, which received its cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office late Wednesday and was unveiled to Democrats in an early-evening caucus meeting. Reid said Democrats believe the bill will trim the national deficit, not add to it, and will move close to insuring all...

As you read, note the front years with no expenses but plenty of revenue - they tax us immediately but don't provide anything until 2013. Note all the new taxes and fines against Americans. Finally, note that the "savings" is less than the $200 billion they are doing outside this bill in the "doc fix."

In the Battle of the Health Bills, the Senate wins out, bulk-wise – weighing in at 2,074 pages. The House health reform bill was a mere 1,990 pages when introduced. That means the Senate bill -- like the one in the House -- runs more pages than War and Peace, and has nearly five times as many words as the Torah. The table of contents alone is 14 pages.

In the Battle of the Health Bills, the Senate wins out, bulk-wise – weighing in at 2,074 pages. The House health reform bill was a mere 1,990 pages when introduced. That means the Senate bill -- like the one in the House -- runs more pages than War and Peace, and has nearly five times as many words as the Torah. The table of contents alone is 14 pages.