Specter, Snowe, Collins Anger GOP Base

Collins said she broke ranks with her party because of the progress congressional negotiators had made on the bill.

"Well, I know that some of my Republican colleagues are unhappy with the position that I've taken," Collins told reporters Saturday. "I hope they will look at the fact that we were able to cut $110 billion of unnecessary spending from this bill. I think that's a good accomplishment. I also think that it's important that we do pass a stimulus bill to help turn the economy around."

"Senators Snowe and Collins have worked with President Obama and other senators to reach agreement on a plan that has support from a broad range of groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and organized labor," says the version of the ad in Maine.

"Call Senators Snowe and Collins today at 202-224-3121. Thank them for their leadership and tell them to keep fighting for a plan to get our economy moving again."

But Collins, at least, has left herself some wiggle room on the final bill that emerges after House-Senate negotiations.

"Well, I know that some of my Republican colleagues are unhappy with the position that I've taken," Collins told FOX News. "I hope they will look at the fact that we were able to cut $110 billion of unnecessary spending from this bill. I think that's a good accomplishment.”

Yet she conceded that if a bill comes back from the conference committee with the House "once again bloated with wasteful spending and it's too expensive, then I'll vote against it."

TURBAN DURBIN SAYS PORKULUS MUST BE BIGGER!!!

Durbin: Stimulus must be big to boost economy
Monday, February 09, 2009 | 1:12 PM
AP

February 9, 2009 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) — Democrat Dick Durbin is urging his fellow U.S. senators to approve a stimulus package that’s big enough to get the job done the first time.

Durbin says he’s afraid lawmakers will have to pass another stimulus package if they cut corners with this one. Durbin added that “tossing a tea cup full of water on this fire may not put it out.”

At a news conference Monday, the Illinois senator said history won’t care who voted for the bill. It will care that they turned the economy around.

Durbin also says the country should crack down on food safety after a massive peanut recall last week. Durbin pushed for a single food safety agency for years, but the Bush administration never addressed the issue.

Cedric,
You are misinterpreting my intent here. I am indeed very happy with the GOP response to this bill. I have sent an e mail to the chairman outlining my response and why. I was very dissatisfied with the shamnesty bill, and the massive spending that occured under the watch of President Bush. My goal is to purge the party of the RINO’s and set it’s course straight..we are currently in the minority, and there will never be a better time to take care of our liberal, vote with the dems problem....my reply is intended not to punish, but to see what the future of this party is going to be....and as for my 5.00...there are 50 million more just like me.......I am not fueled by spite, but out of genuine concern for the future of this country and my grandchildrens future here....and giving the socialists cover under the guise of bi-partisanship is unforgivable....period

Don’t forget that it was the republicans that spent money like drunken sailors during most of the GW Bush years. Specter, Snowe, and Collins are just continuing that legacy. The only reason that the republicans are now converted to fiscal conservativism is because they are now the minority party.

Yes, and you already have the same bunch of republican party first sycophants here on FR screeching back at you that those acts are ancient history, since the republicans in congress have now shown their spine and "ganged" together to vote against the democrat giveaway porkulus bill since the dems refused to compromise to their own 30% leaner version of pork and giveaway money to Wall Street and industry in exchange for their capitalist souls. Yeah, they're real conservative visionaries and warriors, those tough pubbies up on capitol hill. LOL! The GOP is a sad little joke.

The Democrats torched President Bush over and over regarding wire tapping and their privacy concerns when he was using it to protect us from the terrorists. But I haven’t heard a peep from any Democrat about their privacy rights regarding the Health Care System restructuring that will be paid for by Obama’s Stimulus Package.

According to sources that have read the Stimulus Package all of our health records will be put into a computer database and then turned over to a new Government agency that will dictate the type of health care a Doctor will be allowed to administer to his patients. For example a 68 year old retired man may have a blood cancer that is not curable but manageable for 5-15 years with Chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The Government will determine by his age, health history and projected cost the type of care the Doctor can administer. In this case I’m thinking they’d determine the patient is too much of a drain on the system therefore not qualify him for treatment and the decision would cause certian death in a short period of time.

It will be interesting where the government draws the line on life and death. If you’re 65, 70, 75 or 80 and need open heart surgery. Maybe how much you pay in taxes will be part of the equation? Whatever it is it won’t be pleasant. The elderly are already facing daily crisis’s.

A common example is say you’re 75 and are lucky to be in great overall health. You live in an apartment and take care of your wife of 50 years who has Macular Degeneration and is going slowly blind. You notice your energy is down and your Doctor tells you need a heart valve replacement which is a serious but fairly routine operation. But because of the expensive at $75,000-$100,000 and determined risk for all 75 year old men you’re denied the surgery by the Government. You live in an apartment and you and your wife live off of Social Security with a modest savings. What would happen? Your Doctor is going to allow patients to die right and left of him within 6 months?

This is going to be a real dilemia for the medical profession. We have all of this wonderful technology and these surgical techniques. But unless you’re rich you die really before your time because of what are now routine medical advancements that cost $100,000. I guess we always new this day would come with the cost of medical treatment. I just thought it would be at a higher level of treatment. And I don’t claim to know what the Government decisions will be. But it seems if they really want to save money like Obama says this is maybe some of the pain he keeps talking about. I hope not!! How ironic is it that the Democrats are for killing off the poor old people. At least the Republicans don’t want you to die. Lol!!

By the way the 68 year old man I described is my Father and I’m thankful to say he’s now 73, and we’ve enjoyed having him around very much the last five years. And I think about the 14,000 people a year that come down with this same blood cancer every year and what will happen to them in the future. It’s called Multiple Myeloma and strikes more men than women and more blacks than whites and people mostly in their mid to late 60’s although they’re discovering it earlier and earlier.

Where’s the outrage by anyone on the other side? Has every one of them drunk the Obama Kool-Aid? Do people really want the Government to have access to their medical records? That seems much worse than the possibility someone overhearing a phone call. Where’s the ALCU when you need them? Lol!! Where was the AARP? Where were the poor on the Whitehouse lawn?

Socialized medicine has arrived for many and most of us don’t even know it. A new government agency has been created and most people don’t know it. That’s change all right!! Our Government no longer consults the people. It makes Bush look like a Boy Scout. :) The only good thing is the Government moves slow and it will time to do what Obama wants.

Everyone should get the word out about this topic. It will affect us all. Please.

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