[Syncro]

There is next to nothing honest about the entire health care debate anymore.

The current legislative text was released just hours ago.

The first votes are expected within hours. [ed. note: the first vote has been recorded and is history]

The health care sector accounts for 1/7th of our economy. And the “World’s Greatest Deliberative Body” will have just hours to consider its radical transformation. However much they say the legislation will cost, don’t believe it. Rarely has a bill been so manipulated to hide its true cost.

Consider this from the most recent CBO estimate of the cost of the legislation:

These longer-term calculations assume that the provisions are enacted and remain unchanged throughout the next two decades, which is often not the case for major legislation. For example, the sustainable growth rate (SGR) mechanism governing Medicare’s payments to physicians has frequently been modified (either through legislation or administrative action) to avoid reductions in those payments, and legislation to do so again is currently under consideration in the Congress.

And this,

The legislation would maintain and put into effect a number of procedures that might be difficult to sustain over a long period of time. Under current law and under the proposal, payment rates for physicians’ services in Medicare would be reduced by about 21 percent in 2010 and then decline further in subsequent years.

(Hey, American Medical Association, how’s that endorsement of this bill working for you?)

And, this gem:

It is unclear whether such a reduction in the growth rate could be achieved, and if so, whether it would be accomplished through greater efficiencies in the delivery of health care or would reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care.

Soon, 60 Senators will vote for this.

[Roccus]

Right now I’m PO’d at my two Senators, Rockefeller and Byrd. Think what WV could have gotten if these two “elder statesmen” had held out. Not only have these two parasitic leeches screwed America, they also gave the shaft to their own state.

(I’ll let readers decide what is sarcasm and what isn’t.)

[Red Steel]

From your link:

Politico: "Pro-life group blasts Nelson compromise

The pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List slammed the compromise Majority Leader Harry Reid struck with moderate Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson on restricting federal funds for abortion saying "this is not compromise ... it is a betrayal."

President Marjorie Dannenfelser's statement:

Today Ben Nelson let down Nebraska and he let down Americans who oppose government-funded elective abortion. It’s a tragedy that Senator Nelson has paved the way for legislation that departs from the status quo. If this bill passes, for the first time, federally funded and managed health care plans will cover elective abortions. Pro-life Americans in Nebraska and other states that choose to ‘opt-out’ of abortion coverage will still be forced to foot the bill for abortions in California and New York.

This is not ‘compromise’ or ‘middle ground’ – it is a betrayal of conscience for millions of Americans. And it is a betrayal of Senator Nelson’s own principles. ..."

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/Prolife_group_blasts_Nelson_compromise_.html?showall

-end snip-

It looks like Nelson traded his 'right to life' principles for some coin.

[stevie_d_64]

You know...Come to think of it...

Next summer should be a hoot across the fruited plains...

Those townhall meetings, if they have the guts to have them, should be fun to just go to and watch...

They thought this last summer was bad for them???

hehehe, just wait...

I bet a bunch of them show their true colors...

[djf]

Flat out bribe!!

NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT!!!

This thing is gonna get turned on it’s ears by the Supremes, there’s no way they can just let it slide and maintain even the slightest hint of being based on the Constitution!!

If they DON’T overturn it, they simply prove that they are a complete and utter fraud, and it sounds like they fit right in with the other beltway boys!!

[OldMissileer]

NEVER address any of these two-bit politicians as “Senator” or “Representative.”

They have violated their oaths of office and have turned traitor to our Country.

This entire bill IS NOT, nor will it ever be Constitutional!

It is an illegal bill and thus should not have to be repealed since it violates every precept of our Country and Constitution.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

Ben Nelson was bought all right, to the tune of $2M in contributions to his last three champagnes - a boatload of money in a low campaign cost state like Nebraska - from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

They like this bill - with mandatory purchase of insurance, weak cost control and a three-quarter trillion dollar transfer of taxpayer money to the industry - just fine.

And don’t kid yourself that this is “Socialism” - this “State-Capitalism” on a grand scale, and Nelson one of the best investments they ever made.

[machogirl]

Can this possibly be Constitutional? Penalizing the citizens of 49 states for the exemption of one?

[aruanan]

Below is the text for Nelson’s bribe. Under this language the federal government will forever cover the costs of Medicaid expansion in Nebraska. Taxpayers in every other state will forever be responsible for the expanded Medicaid program in Nebraska

But if it was his vote that was preventing this bill from proceeding then simply voting no would protect his state from Medicaid expansion under the bill since, without his vote, the bill wouldn't have proceeded.

[Will88]

If we still live under our constitution, you'd think these special deals to cover part of Medicaid costs for specific states would be unconstitutional. Who knows? I know it's common for pols to push through tax breaks for specific companies, and all sorts of pork projects that benefit only on state. But these deals to defray Medicaid expenses, that seems especially wrong since every state's budget has been overburdened with Medicaid expenses, and it is an annual, recurring expense as long as the program exists.

There is no way it's right, or should be constitutional for a few states to have Medicaid expenses reduced by any federal legislation while other states receive no such financial help. But our constitution now only means what specific political hacks in black robes say it means. Who knows what would happen if this were challenged, if it can even be challenged in light of whatever precedent might exist.

[mewzilla]

>The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

Alexis de Tocqueville

[Ditter]

I FEEL SICK! Too bad I am 69 years old and am beyond help.

One of my great aunts lived to be almost 116. I wonder if I can do that with out health care like she did? Probably not.

[mo]

“Nelson got 100% for medicaid forever for Nebraska according to reporter on CSPAN....”

these guys are eloquent...could teach John Gotti a thing or two...binding our wrists and ankles with our own cash....

[depressed in 06]

New York will be bussing their homeless and indigent to Nebraska within the hour. Nebraska with be the poorest socialist state within a decade.

[Stingray]

[savedbygrace]

Is it possible that is a violation of the equal protection clause?

[jersey117]

And to think that we thought he had integrity. He’s no Christian.

[cookcounty]

I think we all have standing to take this to the Supreme Court. Is that correct, lawyers?

[Political Junkie Too]

Gregg Jarrett just told Jim Angle on FNC that this deal for Nebraska is in perpetuity?

Isn't that unconstitutional? I didn't think that Congress can bind future Congresses with laws that they cannot change during their own Congresses.

What's happening?

-PJ

[NoLibZone]

Nebraska is the New NYC.

[GeronL]

ah, there’s the rub.