Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Reid tries to resurrect public option
Politico ^ | February 19, 2010 | Chris Frates

Posted on 02/20/2010 5:36:11 AM PST by maggief

Ahead of next week's White House health reform summit, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has signed on to a plan to try to resurrect the public insurance option in the Senate and signaled a willingness to use a 51-vote majority if needed to get it through.

Reid's announcement came as the White House went ahead with plans to craft its own health reform proposal ahead of the summit, a plan that could pass with 51 votes in the Senate, bypassing the threat of a Republican filibuster, according to Democratic officials.

But the moves by Reid and President Barack Obama toward using the procedural maneuver called reconciliation threatened to set off a revolt among Senate moderates, many of whom have expressed serious reservations or outright resistance to the idea.

(snip)

House Republican leader John Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel, added that "it would be baldfaced hypocrisy to continue hammering out the latest partisan backroom deal while preparing for a 'bipartisan' summit."

But Democrats argue that leaving the door open to reconciliation does not mean they are shutting it on Republican cooperation. Obama will present his plan to Republicans and ask for their ideas. And if they can come to an agreement on a proposal, reconciliation won't be necessary.

Obama's decision to lay out a proposal also satisfies a longtime request among Democratic lawmakers that the president publicly state his priorities.

"It's a smart strategy for the White House to indicate what the hell they want," said a senior Senate Democratic aide. "We've been trying to get them to do that for the last six months."

(Excerpt) Read more at mobile.politico.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 02/20/2010 5:36:11 AM PST by maggief
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: maggief

Isn’t it interesting how one and half BILLION dollars clarifies one’s thinking.


2 posted on 02/20/2010 5:39:50 AM PST by Carley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief

“It’s a smart strategy for the White House to indicate what the hell they want,” said a senior Senate Democratic aide. “We’ve been trying to get them to do that for the last six months.”

Hey, clueless aide, I can tell you what they want in four words: A socialist, collectivist state!


3 posted on 02/20/2010 5:43:10 AM PST by Panzerlied ("We shall never surrender!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Carley

TARP ... the new election slush fund.


4 posted on 02/20/2010 5:43:44 AM PST by maggief
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Carley

?


5 posted on 02/20/2010 5:43:50 AM PST by mo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: maggief

I think it’s a pathetic bluff to try to get the GOP to own a piece of this stinking pile of manure. Sorry RATS, you and ZERO own it lock, stock, and barrel and it will hang around your necks alone into November.


6 posted on 02/20/2010 5:47:30 AM PST by MrDem (Founder: Democrats for Cheney/Palin 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief
House Republican leader John Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel...

What?

7 posted on 02/20/2010 5:57:34 AM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief
But Democrats argue that leaving the door open to reconciliation does not mean they are shutting it on Republican cooperation. Obama will present his plan to Republicans and ask for their ideas. And if they can come to an agreement on a proposal, reconciliation won't be necessary.

I love this. "We're prepared to ram this poison down your throat, but if you'll just grab a spoon and eat it, the ramming down part won't be necessary."

8 posted on 02/20/2010 6:00:21 AM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief

After Reid gets his sorry Obama kicked out of the senate - l look forward to his constituents chasing him down and ......

RIP, you sorry piece of .......


9 posted on 02/20/2010 6:04:59 AM PST by Da Coyote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steely Tom

Excellent analogy.


10 posted on 02/20/2010 6:31:31 AM PST by fwdude (It is not the liberals who will destroy this country, but the "moderates.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: maggief
This whole reconciliation thing is nothing more than the futile Banzai charge of the defeated dems. To please the Emperor they charge the line to be seen being mowed down by the enemy Republicans. Better the bill die in partisan battle, they figure, than by suicide in their caucus cave. The Public Option here is the ceremonial sword held aloft that only attracts the greater fire.
11 posted on 02/20/2010 6:39:19 AM PST by Plutarch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief

Another thing is that it will provide an opportunity for vulnerable Dems to tally a vote against it.


12 posted on 02/20/2010 6:43:42 AM PST by Plutarch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief
And if they can come to an agreement on a proposal, reconciliation won't be necessary So, if the republicans agree to it, they won't have to ram it through anyway? Communism, folks, communism
13 posted on 02/20/2010 6:47:45 AM PST by Quickgun (As a former fetus, I'm opposed to abortion. Pray for Obama,Psalms109:8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief
Finalize the Republican document.

Publish it on internet. As in all over, not just one website that no one can remember.

Send it to ALL media outlets. TV, radio, internet and newspapers.

Inform ALL media this was sent to ALL media outlets and is what will be put on the table at the “Summit.” As in FINAL VERSION.

Go to Summit. Place several stacks of copies in front of the cameras and Øbots.

Inform Hussein Øbama in front of the media and their own cameras “This is what was sent to ALL media outlets. Word for word.”

Leave cameras running…

When the Øbots began the BS, let then introduce their takeover plan, grab several copies, check for "public option"/abortion/etc, stop right there and make the following SHORT statement.

We came in good faith and tried to present real solutions. However, we are American Citizens with actual self respect and a moral obligation to the rest of the American Citizens that put us here. Therefore we will not continue to participate in this communist propaganda skit for the liberal media.

Stand up, grab their cameras and walk out chanting “communist – communist – communist…”

14 posted on 02/20/2010 7:01:43 AM PST by TLI ( ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Plutarch

(FDL)

Senate reconciliation whip count

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsAvRfTpZcIkdHNBNGFIaWJtbUdMbHVHaGRnNzNuRGc&hl=en


15 posted on 02/20/2010 7:04:36 AM PST by maggief
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: maggief
Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke.

Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)

New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.

Obama's War on Seniors

Friday, February 19, 2010

Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security

http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security

Socialized Med Thread

TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.)

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm

Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09

Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries

Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w

By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009

Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.

Snip

The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.

Snip

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.

“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.

Bambi doesn't keep his promises...so buyer beware

16 posted on 02/20/2010 7:16:54 AM PST by GailA (obamacare paid for by cuts & taxes on most vulnerable Veterans, disabled,seniors & retired Military)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson