SOCIALIZED MEDICINE DAILY DIGEST FOR 2/23/10

Outlook no brighter for Obama's new health plan

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and ERICA WERNER ^ | Feb. 22, 2010

Posted on Monday, February 22, 2010 11:56:17 PM by Free ThinkerNY

WASHINGTON – Starting over on health care, President Barack Obama knows his chances aren't looking much more promising.

A year after he called for a far-reaching overhaul, Obama unveiled his most detailed plan yet on Monday. Realistically, he's just hoping to win a big enough slice to silence the talk of a failing presidency.

Obama Stays On Offense With Health-Care Proposal [Obama "To Go Big One Last Time"]

Washington Post ^ | February 22, 2010 | Anne E. Kornblut and Michael D. Shear

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:03:17 AM by Steelfish

There had been rampant speculation that the White House would narrow its ambitions for health-care legislation after the loss of the Democrats' filibuster-proof Senate majority last month. Instead, the president's proposal is striking for the extent to which it hews to the basic scale and framework of the bills on which Congress has toiled for months.

Newly-Unveiled Obama Health Bill Proposal Even More Pro-Abortion: NRLC

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022204.html ^ | 2/23/10 | schmootman

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:30:49 AM by schmootman

WASHINGTON, DC, February 22, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new health care bill proposed by President Obama Monday threatens to expand abortion even more drastically than the health care bills stymied in Congress over the past several months, says the National Right to Life Committee.

President Obama’s Government-Run Health Plan Still Requires a Monthly Abortion Fee

Boehner Bulletin Press Release ^ | Feb 22, 2010 | Cong John Boehner, Republican Minority Leader

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 11:22:43 AM by PhiKapMom

President Obama’s “new” health care proposal would still levy a new “abortion premium” fee and use government funds to subsidize elective abortion. Just like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) 2,074-page health care “manager’s amendment,” that passed the Senate in December, and just like the original 2,032-page, government-run health care plan from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA), the President’s “new” proposal levies an abortion premium and does not fix the problem of government funds being used to subsidize elective abortions.

Bart Stupak: Abortion Language in Obama's Health Plan 'Unacceptable'

Politics Daily ^

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 11:51:57 AM by AlanD

Rep. Bart Stupak, the pro-life Democrat from Michigan, has weighed in on the president's new proposal for health care reform. Stupak played a pivotal role last year in the passage of the House health care reform bill when he authored an amendment to add tight restrictions on abortion funding, a move that enraged pro-choice advocates in the Democratic base but also garnered the support of 40 fellow conservative House Democrats.

Stupak Not On Board With ObamaCare 2.0

IBD's Capital Hill ^ | 2/23/2010 | David Hogberg

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:33:43 PM by Slyscribe

Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., says he’s not satisfied with President Obama’s latest health care initiative, because it largely follows the Senate’s softer language on abortion funding.

Obama unveils health plan that costs $950 billion over 10 years

NY Post ^ | February 22, 2010 | LAURA MECKLER

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:22:45 AM by Scanian

Trying to revive languishing health-care legislation, the White House proposed Monday that a tax on high-end health plans be delayed for all workers, not just those in unions, and suggested new taxes to help make up for the lost revenue.

President Barack Obama will carry the proposal, an attempt to bridge differences between bills passed by the House and Senate last year, into a bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders on Thursday, as Democrats try to regain momentum and push their legislation through final passage in Congress.

Two sides sick over O's health plan

NY Post ^ | February 23, 2010 | GEOFF EARLE

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:28:41 AM by Scanian

WASHINGTON -- More than a year after taking office, President Obama yesterday released his own health-care plan -- with a trillion-dollar cost, no public option and higher taxes on the wealthy.

Obama's advisers called the plan a "starting point" for negotiations with Republicans at a health summit the president is hosting Thursday, although the GOP slammed him for pushing old ideas, liberals said it doesn't do enough, and conservative Democrats felt they were left hanging.

Cuba’s Free and Fabulous Healthcare

Townhall.com ^ | February 23, 2010 | Humberto Fontova

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:49:08 AM by Kaslin

Back in August 2009 BB (Before Scott Brown) CNN was frantically producing infomercials for Obama’s healthcare plan. Lucky for them Michael Moore had a handy supply of valuable footage from his infomercials for Castro’s healthcare plan.

So on the August 6 edition of CNN’s “Newsroom,” while Morgan Neil “reported” on location from a Potemkin Havana hospital, gushing about Cuban healthcare's "impressive statistics!" the broadcast included clips from Michael Moore's Sicko, adding much oomph to the propaganda montage. CNN's "Cuba's infant mortality rates," reported Neil, "are the lowest in the hemisphere, in line with those of Canada!"

Obama's Healthcare Plan Attacks the Symptoms, Not the Problems

Examiner.com ^ | 02/23/10 | Rob Binsrick

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 7:54:26 AM by Desperado67

Yesterday Barack Obama introduced his own version of a healthcare reform plan. While it is good that he finally decided to become more personally involved in the debate rather than leaving it up to his Democrat Party comrades, Obama’s plan really is very much a new plan that is much like the old plan.

As with the congressional plans, there is really nothing in Obama’s plan which actually deals with the issue of increased healthcare costs. Instead, the major new component of his plan is to limit the increases in healthcare insurance revenues. Clearly that measure was added as a response to score political points in light of the 39% average increase in healthcare premiums announced by Anthem Insurance in the state of California.

SEIU Statement on President Obama's Healthcare Reform Proposal

SEIU.org ^ | February 22, 2010 | Andy Stern

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:19:32 AM by Oldeconomybuyer

Washington, DC - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andy Stern released the following statement after the release of President Obama's proposal for health reform:

Obama Rejects Advice to Shrink Health Proposal

Wall Street Journal ^ | 2-23-10 | LAURA MECKLER And JONATHAN WEISMAN

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:23:31 AM by truthandlife

President Barack Obama's health-care proposal is a victory for those in the White House who want to press ahead with ambitious legislation over those who counseled scaling it back.

The proposal, unveiled Monday, reaffirmed Mr. Obama's support for the policy's sweeping objectives: expanding health-care coverage to some 30 million Americans, new efforts to control health spending and new rules for health insurers.

Obamacare Faces Tough Road in the House

American Spectator ^ | February 23, 2010 | Philip Klein

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:59:21 AM by reaganaut1

[R]egardless of what happens at this week's superfluous summit, it’s difficult to see how Democrats cobble together enough votes to pass a final health care bill in the House.

Back in November, in a much better political environment for Democrats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to muster only a narrow 220 to 215 majority in the House to pass its version of health care legislation. Since then, Rep. Joseph Cao, the one Republican who voted for the bill initially, has indicated he wouldn’t do so again because of objections to the abortion language. In addition, Florida’s Robert Wexler unexpectedly resigned, Rep. Neil Abercrombie announced plans to retire at the end of this month to run for governor of Hawaii and Rep. John Murtha passed away. Taken together, that brings Pelosi down to 216 votes -- which would be insufficient to pass a health care bill.

Obamacare 2.0 Is a Job Killer

Real Clear Markets ^ | February 23, 2010 | Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:19:00 AM by Diana in Wisconsin

Edited on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:32:33 AM by Admin Moderator. [history]

WASHINGTON - Fifteen million Americans are unemployed and actively looking for work, and millions more have given up looking. Countless others are underemployed. Many working Americans worry whether they will have a job next month, and Americans who have health insurance fear they may lose it.

'It's my health, it's my choice,' Danny Williams says

Globe & Mail ^ | 23 Feb 2010 | Sarah Boesveld

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:30:16 AM by docbnj

"This is my heart, it's my health, it's my choice."

With these words, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams defended his decision to hop the border and go under the knife for heart surgery in Florida.

The minimally invasive mitral valve surgery he needed is not available in Newfoundland, he told his province's NTV News channel in the first part of an interview aired last night.

"Did some checking, of course, and what was ultimately done to me, the surgery I eventually got ... was not offered to me in Canada," he said.

But it is available in his home country, a point that cardiologists fervently made last night.

Obama’s Proposal Includes Individual Health Insurance Mandate

CNS News ^ | 2/23/10 | Fred Lucas

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:31:29 AM by truthandlife

The health care plan proposed by President Barack Obama on Monday includes an individual mandate requiring every American to have health insurance despite concerns from Republican lawmakers and legal experts that the provision is not constitutional.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the longest-serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has called the constitutionality of an individual mandate into question. Meanwhile, more than 30 state legislators have either passed or are considering legislation that would not require residents of their states to buy health insurance.

The Obama Administration’s Health Care Proposal (no detail, can't score)

Congressional Budget Office ^ | February 22 | Staff

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:47:55 AM by PghBaldy

This morning the Obama Administration released a description of its health care proposal, and CBO has already received several requests to provide a cost estimate for that proposal. We had not previously received the proposal, and we have just begun the process of reviewing it—a process that will take some time, given the complexity of the issues involved.

P.R. [Territories] on losing end of federal health reform

Puerto Rico Daily Sun ^ | 2/23/2010

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 10:18:45 AM by cll

Puerto Rico has come out on the short end of the proposal unveiled Monday by President Obama in a new effort for a comprehensive reform of the nation’s health care system.

The president’s plan mostly reflects the Senate version of the two bills currently stalled in Congress. Puerto Rico and the territories were left out of the health insurance exchange in the Senate measure and the president’s plan.

Scott Brown fumes over health plan

Boston Herald ^ | 2/23/10 | Jay Fitzgerald

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 11:02:41 AM by raccoonradio

Sen. Scott Brown yesterday warned the Obama administration against using the “nuclear option” of ramming through Congress a revised $1 trillion health-care bill outlined yesterday by the White House.

41% Favor Obama’s Health Care Plan, 56% Oppose

Rasmussen Reports ^ | February 23, 2010

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 11:09:10 AM by reaganaut1

Voters still strongly oppose the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats and think Congress should focus instead on smaller bills that address problems individually rather than a comprehensive plan.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of voters favor the proposed health care plan, while 56% oppose it. Those figures include 45% who strongly oppose the plan and just 23% who strongly favor it.

When You Botch the Stimulus, No One Believes Your Health-Care Promises

nro ^ | February 23, 2010 | Jim Geraghty

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:14:45 PM by george76

This sentence, deep in the Washington Post’s coverage of the health-care summit, made me shake my head and be glad I’m not a congressional Democrat:

The White House's best hope — perhaps its only hope — is that Obama can use a masterful performance during the six-hour appearance to "stiffen the spine" of congressional Democrats, one senior official said, persuading them to pass health-care legislation using the mechanism known as reconciliation, which requires a simple majority of 51 rather than 60 votes to prevail in the Senate.

Obama health care plan: He needs to cut medical costs first

Christian Science Monitor ^ | February 22, 2010 | Monitor's Editorial Board

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:36:51 PM by ricks_place

The Obama health care plan includes a policy shift toward price controls on insurance rates. That wouldn't be necessary if Congress first contained medical inflation.

Boehner: GOP will 'crash' WH 'infomercial' on healthcare reform

The Hill ^ | February 23, 2010 | Molly Hooper

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:51:44 PM by maggief

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told his colleagues on Tuesday that Republicans plan to attend the president’s high-profile healthcare summit this week in order to "crash the party."

According to a House GOP leadership aide familiar with the top-ranking Republican’s remarks at the weekly closed-door conference meeting, Boehner appealed to skeptical Republican lawmakers, saying, “We shouldn’t let the White House have a six-hour taxpayer-funded infomercial on ObamaCare. We need to show up. We need to crash the party.”

Obama relies heavily on Finance jobs bill to pay for health reform.

The Hill ^ | 2/22/10

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:01:56 PM by roses of sharon

President Obama’s health reform proposal is fully offset and to do it borrows heavily from jobs legislation created by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Like the jobs bill crafted by Finance leaders, Obama health reform proposal rescinds the “black liquor” tax break abused by paper companies that claim undeserved alternative fuel tax credits.

Hoyer: Hopeful, not certain, on Obama health plan

AP ^ | 02/23/2010 | ERICA WERNER

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:09:51 PM by Phlap

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he hopes Congress can pass comprehensive health overhaul legislation like President Barack Obama wants—but it may not be possible.

Hoyer: Public option on healthcare likely dead

The Hill ^

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:40:39 PM by Sub-Driver

Hoyer: Public option on healthcare likely dead By Jared Allen - 02/23/10 12:47 PM ET

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday indicated the public option is likely dead, noting President Barack Obama did not include it in his healthcare proposal.

Physician: Two-Thirds of ObamaCare Passed in Stimulus Package

Conservative Examiner ^ | 2/23/2010 | Anthony G. Martin

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:58:02 PM by Welshman007

A nationally-recognized physician has written a stunning article in which she says that two-thirds of the government takeover of healthcare is already law under the provisions of the stimulus package approved by Congress last year.

Pelosi’s Last Charge (What makes her think it’ll be easier to sell Obamacare after it passes?)

National Review ^ | 02/23/2010 | Rich Lowry

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:17:57 PM by SeekAndFind

In keeping with his new spirit of compromise, Pres. Barack Obama has offered a health-care bill staking out middle ground between House and Senate Democrats.

The Big Bluff? (Health care bill)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 02/23/10 | John Fund

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:18:44 PM by coaltrain

Both factions have passed versions of a health care plan, but neither believes the other can deliver what is necessary for a compromise to become law. ... Senators have yet to be convinced Ms. Pelosi can pull this off. Privately, Democratic members tell me she doesn't have anywhere near the votes yet.

Vulnerable Democratic Congressmen Who Voted FOR Obamacare The First Time Around

dick morris ^ | Today | Morriss

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:58:15 PM by jessduntno

Vulnerable Democratic Congressmen Who Voted FOR Obamacare The First Time Around

These are the folks we need to pressure to switch their votes!

Health care: Dems just don't have the votes

Washington Examiner ^ | 02/23/10 | Byron York

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:20:08 PM by OldDeckHand

Now that the White House and Democrats are making a last push to pass their so-far-unpassable national health care bills, the only thing that matters is whether they can get 217 votes for victory in the House and 50 votes (plus the vice-president's tie-breaker) for reconciliation in the Senate. Good policy doesn't matter. Bad policy doesn't matter. All that matters is votes.

Premature Schadenfreude (Left shouldn't gloat about ObamaCare until it's passed)

The Atlantic ^ | February 22, 2010 | Megan McArdle

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:37:58 PM by 2ndDivisionVet

Jonathan Chait is enjoying what you might call "pre-schadenfreude" about health care's apparent revival. One can understand the urge, given how little opportunity liberals have had to actually revel in GOP despair over the past few weeks. But I think it's more wishful than warranted.

Rep. Eric Cantor: White House Health Care Bill Is a 'Non-Starter'

ABC News ^ | Feb. 23, 2010 | HUMA KHAN

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4:50:41 PM by Baladas

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor today expressed little hope for bipartisan agreement on a health care bill when Republicans and Democrats meet Thursday in a joint summit called by President Obama.

AZ-Sen. 2010: McCain will attend White House health summit (will Obamacare go bipartisan?)

The Washington Post ^ | 2010-01-23 | Shailagh Murray

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:47:33 PM by rabscuttle385

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the members of the Senate Republican delegation to Thursday's White House health-care summit, and the list includes Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Obama: repeal health insurers antitrust exemption

Breitbart ^ | 2/23/10 | RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:05:46 PM by Nachum

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to strip health insurers of their decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws—hardening his stand against the industry as he tries to revive his stalled health care overhaul.

...Republicans should send in Sen. Jon Kyl, Rep. Ron Paul (a doctor) and Steve King...

Lessons to learn about socialized med. Romneycare and Tenncare (Tennessee) are failures at the state level.

We have Tenncare a form of Romney care and obamadeathcare.

Do some reading, these are articles since Jan of 2010, older articles tell of waste, fraud, illegals, and earlier cuts.

TennCare cuts threaten Nashville General hospital | tennessean.com ...

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100204/NEWS0204/2040350/TennCare-cuts-threaten-Nashville-General-hospital

TennCare Cuts Under Way Now

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=47622

Call it coincidence or bad timing, but many physicians in Tennessee began taking a 14 percent cut for seeing TennCare patients on the same day Gov. Phil Bredesen announced deep cuts in health care spending.

TennCare Cuts May Close Some Hospitals

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/020710-tenncare-cuts-may-close-some-hospitals

TennCare Cuts May Close Some Hospitals

Proposed TennCare funding cuts would close The Med, hospital officials say

By Toby Sells
Published Friday, January 29, 2010
http://m.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/29/med-cuts-would-kill-us/

Obama's Point of No Return

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458223/posts

GOP Should Send Doctors to White House

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458244/posts

Obama Is Doing His Best Jimmy Carter: Are Dems Worried Yet?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458221/posts

“Nullification Laws” Passed By the States to Fight ObamaCare

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2458215/posts

Whose Body Is It?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458213/posts

Patients 'Routinely Neglected' By Trust ['Free' UK Healthcare]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458201/posts

Obama says, “No federal abortion funding in new healthcare bill” but…

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458194/posts

White House punts on containing health costs

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458668/posts

The Raw Hypocrisy Of Reconciliation

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458664/posts

Sarah Palin: More of the Same, Only More Expensive

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458640/posts

Ann Coulter: WHAT PART OF 'PARTY OF NO' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? (Rahm: "*&^%$#@")

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458621/posts

House votes to kill antitrust exemption for health insurers

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458600/posts

Retreats, Million-Dollar Salaries Paid For As Anthem Blue Cross Sought Rate Hike

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458597/posts

Study: NY, NJ To Pay 25% Of New Obama Health Tax [Democratic Lawmakers Run For The Hills.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458596/posts

Republicans: Hey, Where’s Stupak?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458557/posts

Pelosi on Repealing Antitrust Exemption: Health Insurance Companies Will Now Be Playing on the.....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458555/posts

Cantor: Pelosi Doesn’t Have Votes to Pass Health Care

Hoyer: Comprehensive health bill may be no go

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458550/posts

Vintage Reagan Bemoans 'Socialized Medicine' in YouTube Sensation

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458549/posts

Will the Republicans Post Their Health Plan… and When? (from the white house)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458539/posts

Health Care Summit: (TV) Coverage Plans

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458538/posts

Obama expects Democrats to act like lemmings and march over a cliff

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458514/posts

Obama's top aide: Need 'simple booklet' to educate tea partiers (Because we're simple)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458483/posts

Rep. Anh 'Joseph' Cao's fundraising suffers after voting for health care bill

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458474/posts

Deadly Complications of Rep. Murtha’s Surgery. (Killed By By Government Doctor's Malpractice!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458453/posts

Obama's New Investment Tax A sneaky Medicare levy on dividends and capital gains.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458432/posts

Conrad: Reform "dead" unless House passes Senate bill first (Back at ya Witch Pelosi)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458401/posts

Seven Cuban doctors sue Cuba and Venezuela over "modern slavery"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458392/posts

American Healthcare Fascialism

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458384/posts

Citizens Have Democrats Over a Barrel on Healthcare

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2458361/posts

Snowe, Lincoln: Start healthcare reform with small businesses

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458351/posts

Truth and Reconciliation: Sidestepping the Filibuster

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2458320/posts

WHAT PRESIDENTIAL HEALTHCARE MEANS TO YOU

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2458288/posts

Morning round up

Generic drug plan focuses on wrong problem

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459032/posts

Live Video Feed: Health Care Summit (Theater) Begins

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459030/posts

Ignorant, Misleading, Or Both? What The Facts Say About Obama’s New Health Care Bill

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459016/posts

‘One Problem, One Bill’: Real Health Care Reform

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459014/posts

Obama Readies a Fallback Health-Care Proposal

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2459005/posts

Republicans: Beware the Trap of 'Limited' Reforms

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459003/posts

“The President’s Plan”: All you need to know

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459000/posts

Lines drawn ahead of health care summit (Stick to your guns GOP!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458988/posts

The big bipartisan lie

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458981/posts

Obama Rejects Socialist Tag But Would Tax Health Plans If More Than People 'Need'

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2458964/posts

Afternoon round up.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459160/posts

Obama To McCain: "Let Me Make This Point John, The Election Is Over"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459137/posts

Pelosi: Health Reform Will Create 400,000 Jobs "Almost Immediately"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459135/posts

Caption the Health Care Summit

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2459119/posts

Conservatives Discuss Health Reform

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459118/posts

Health Care Reform: Republicans, Beware the Trap of ‘Limited’ Reforms

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459110/posts

Video: Obama Smacks Down Alexander at Summit: 'It's Not Factually Accurate'!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459107/posts

McConnell tells Reid: W.V. Senator does not want health care bill passed by 'Byrd rule'

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459084/posts

Exclusive: What happens next in health care (Summit is a setup to Rahm it through next week)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459083/posts

GOP Tells Obama To Start Over on Health Care, Harry Reid Fires Back

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459076/posts

Specter Says Reconciliation OK For Destorying Health Care

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459069/posts

Obama Bored Already With Health Care Summit

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2459068/posts

Morning Bell: A Sham of a Summit for a Sham of a Bill (stats from Heritage)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2459044/posts

Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/obama.health.care/index.html

Will healthcare reform mean cuts in Medicare for seniors?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1017/will-healthcare-reform-mean-cuts-in-medicare-for-seniors Health Reform’s Hidden Victims

Young people and seniors would pay a high price for

ObamaCare.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306303720472842.html

Slashing Medicare to pay for healthcare reform an ugly shell game

Dr. Stuart M. Shapiro,
July 27, 2009

http://www.mcknights.com/slashing-medicare-to-pay-for-healthcare-reform-an-ugly-shell-game/article/140656/

If the cost is by cutting Medicaid and Medicare, then taxpayers are in for a rude awakening when millions will retire without money to pay for their healthcare. Ransoming seniors' long-term care for immediate, large-scale health reform is more politically beneficial for its supporters in the short-term than it is reasonable for everyone in the long run.

In fact, even in the short-term, one could argue that taxpayers, including the elderly, are looking at an old-fashioned shell game from Washington. No sooner was the ink dry on the federal stimulus package, which provided millions of dollars to support care for the elderly in Pennsylvania, before Congress and the administration began to propose major cuts in Medicare to finance healthcare reform. Because Medicare payments support quality care in our nation's nursing homes, the proposed cuts nationally approaching $50 billion in Medicare payments for the care of the elderly is guaranteed to undercut the quality gains of the past decade. In Pennsylvania, if the proposals currently on the table are enacted, these policies would result in an almost 10% reduction in cumulative payments over 10 years, or more than $2.1 billion.

None of the answers on healthcare, Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare is easy. But there is one thing we do know: Our population is growing older, and doing so rapidly. Cutting money from the programs that finance care for Pennsylvania seniors is seriously flawed. There is no simple or single solution. But there is a wrong way, and taking money from the care for American seniors is deeply flawed.

Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D., is the president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

This is it for the evening...I'm sure I missed some.

Dem leaders vow to move forward on healthcare -- with or without GOP

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459366/posts

The Democrats' health-care ambush failed

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459365/posts

The Main Event: Ryan v. Obama (Ouch!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459352/posts

Pelosi Misleads Health Care Summit, Says Bill Has No Abortion Funding

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459350/posts

Obama: Bipartisan health deal may not be possible

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459349/posts

Six hours later, stalemate remains

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459347/posts

Rave reviews for Republicans At The Health Care Summit

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459345/posts

Pelosi bashes Republican claims at health summit

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459342/posts

Obama scolds Rep. Cantor at summit for PAPER prop

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459332/posts

Obama On Reconciliation: "A Majority Vote Makes Sense"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459328/posts

Barack Obama's Healthcare Plea Falls On Deaf Ears in TV Debate

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459319/posts

Obama Told at Health Care Summit Americans Don't Want Abortion

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459314/posts

Obama At Health Care Summit: "I Don't Count My Time Because I'm The President"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459313/posts

Obama on Reconciliation: "American People Aren't Interested in Procedures Inside Senate" (Video)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2459300/posts

DeMint will fight the reconciliation

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459297/posts

Try to stay awake: the President has a healthcare Bill to pass

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459282/posts

CNN Poll: Only 25% want Dems to pass their health bills....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2459260/posts

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