Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle (60-39 vote to advance bill)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/21/09 | David Espo - ap

[NormsRevenge]

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 were full for the unusual Saturday night showdown, and applause broke out briefly when the vote was announced. In a measure of the significance of the moment, senators sat quietly in their seats, standing only when they were called upon to vote.

In the final minutes of a daylong session, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of trying to stifle a historic debate the nation needed.

[True Republican Patriot]

That makes Voinivich a pathetic blob of sour smelling protoplasm!! What a Gutless Jerk! Thank you very much for your answer which highlighs he was the dastardly Nobody who was too cowardly to enter his Vote!

[Darkwolf377]

over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat

Interesting choice of words.

An objective reporter would have mentioned something about, oh, exploding debt and deficits, taking over 20% of the economy, punishing new taxes, free choice of healthcare options...

Handing Obama a defeat, after his year of self-inflicted ones, is low on the list of priorities, but don't let that stop you.

[stevie_d_64]

I hope you call them back the first chance you get and tell them that...

[FreeReign]

Senator Voinovich, Republican from Ohio, didn’t vote. I called his office yesterday and they said he was AGAINST the healthcare bill! To me, AGAINST means you vote against the bill. Lying piece of crap. I've known for some time that whining George is a NWO piece of crap.

Voinovich's vote didn't matter. Do you call your other senator's office?...the one who voted "yes".

[BelleAl]

Don’t hold back....tell us what you really think! (hee, hee!)

[thecraw]

TREASONOUS 'RAT BA$TARDS!

[CodeToad]

This bill is communism and has no constitutional authority. We had best be prepared to fight.

[Tzimisce]

Historic.

Yeah, you don’t see a legislature killing their own nation very often.

[Windflier]

" Most of us aren't going to just lay down and give up our heritage and the greatest country the world has ever known."

Isn't that what the Romans said as they watched the Visigoths swarm over the hill?

I'm presenting you with a workable solution, and all you can give back is abject pessimism?

Seriously, if you truly believe in your heart that all is lost, then all I can recommend is that you curl up with your family and hope that better men stand up and fight for your freedom.

[ncalburt]

I agree.

[Natural Born 54]

Yep. He’s still a Rat. His state is full of insurance companies. Hope all the insurance people who donated to and voted for this turkey see his little game for what it is. First he votes for cloture when his vote matters and then later he’ll vote against the bill when his vote doesn’t matter. Whining duplicitous little weasel.

[ncalburt]

agree.

[Vigilanteman]

Patton is right. These sonzabitches might outvote us, but they are not going to vote us into slavery unless we roll over and acquiesce to be slaves.

[pctech]

If you ask me, this is nothing short of a declaration of war against the American people by the Socialist Party of America, former known as the Democratic Party.

And as every war has two sides, it's time to take of arms (figuratively) against this aggression against our very way of life and stand up to this socialist, even to physically remove them from office if necessary.

It's war people, it's war.

[Windflier]

Patton is right. These sonzabitches might outvote us, but they are not going to vote us into slavery unless we roll over and acquiesce to be slaves.

Damn straight. Thanks for your input.

[G8 Diplomat]

Who’s up for a four-year vacation to Australia?

[ncalburt]

The fact that George did not bother to be in town to vote tells me they all knew that Reid had the votes and this whole Media HYPE was cooked up by Reid and his Obama state media pals to get a Huge PR victory blah blah blah.
It was a PR stunt fot their left wing donors folks .

[Art in Idaho]

Anyone know what the deal is with Lieberman? I thought he said he was againgst it, was going to Filibuster, etc. . Unless he voted for it to Fight it after Thanksgiving?. . or he just sold out? ?'

and. . I still don't understand why the 40,000 ACORN votes weren't fought for tooth and nail in MN and why it didn't go to their Supreme Court? Franken. . what a Joke!

[MikefromOhio]

Too many idiots watch college ball games between University of Rapist Players Tech and Old U. Turn it off.

Then I'm PROUD to be an "idiot" AND a Buckeye today.

[tina07]

Got an email from Snarlin’ Arlen, little treasonous b@stard:~

Dear Friends,

The Congress is continuing its work to try to get healthcare reform legislation, and I believe the prospects are reasonably good that we will produce a bill. I hope that the bill will have the public option - and a robust public option. We will have a cloture vote tonight and I believe that we should be able to get 60 Senators at least to agree to start the debate.

Click below to hear my take on healthcare reform

It would be my hope that my colleagues would not draw lines in the sand or stay in inflexible positions. We need to move ahead, and doing nothing is not an option. The problems of so many millions of Americans uninsured and the problems of the rising healthcare costs makes it imperative that action be taken.

I think that the bill which has been proposed is a very, very good start. It is obviously subject to amendments and some modification. But the total cost has come in at about $850 billion over 10 years and is projected to save about $130 billion to reduce the deficit. In the second decade it is projected to save even more, up to as much as $650 billion. President Obama has committed not to sign a healthcare bill which adds to the deficit, and I’m committed not to vote for a healthcare bill that adds to the deficit.

It is my hope that the bill will emerge with very strong provisions on preventative care. That includes annual examinations without additional costs and encouraging people to have the annual exams to catch many problems at their early stages, like heart disease or ailments, before they develop into debilitating and expensive chronic diseases. I disagree with the recent recommendations to cut back on mammogram screenings or pap smears. I think that early detection is vital and well worth the cost. I can tell you from my personal experience: an MRI detected a brain tumor the size of a golf ball between my skull and my brain back in 1993. It could have been a very, very serious matter had that early detection not occurred.

Healthcare reform is vital and we’re determined to get a good bill.

Sincerely,

Arlen Specter

***********

Notice in the first paragraph he wants a public option and even has to emphasis that he wants a ROBUST public option.

I say GO TO HELL ARLEN

OUT IN 2012!