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Frist, healthcare are on rise Expertise is better fit with Bush, GOP
The Commercial Appeal/LATimes ^ | 12/22/02 | Ronald Brownstein

Posted on 12/22/2002 5:30:04 AM PST by GailA

Frist, healthcare are on rise Expertise is better fit with Bush, GOP

By Ronald Brownstein Los Angeles Times December 22, 2002

WASHINGTON - The emergence of Tennessee Republican Bill Frist as the incoming Senate majority leader marks another milestone in President Bush's efforts to reshape the face of the Republican Party.

Although the White House insisted it did not engineer Frist's rise, or the fall of Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott after making racially insensitive comments, one of Frist's principal assets in his sudden ascent was the widespread sense among Republicans that Bush preferred him for the job over Lott.

Frist, whose selection is expected to be finalized Monday, will align the image of Senate Republicans more closely with the White House because he is a better political fit with Bush than Lott.

Like Bush, Frist is conservative on most issues. But while Lott rarely ventured beyond a conventional conservative skepticism toward government, Frist is more in tune with Bush's idea of a reforming conservatism that looks to increase reliance on the private market to achieve social goals, but generally doesn't demonize government.

The change might be most vivid in health care, likely to be a major focus in the coming Congress and the 2004 presidential race. Over the past few years, Frist has been a leader in developing a conservative health care agenda, which has included proposals to use tax credits to cover the uninsured and a plan to fundamentally restructure Medicare.

With the White House embracing those ideas, Frist's rise is likely to give that agenda a new push. As a result, some Republicans think Frist could help the party close the historic Democratic advantage on health care issues much the way Bush's education initiatives - such as the education reform law of 2001 - have narrowed the gap between the parties on that front.

For Democrats, Frist presents a challenge much like House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), the mild-mannered insider who succeeded former speaker Newt Gingrich, and Bush himself: All present largely conservative policies in a moderate tone much more acceptable to swing voters than the harder-edged voices who dominated the GOP in the immediate aftermath of their 1994 congressional takeover.

COMMIE APPEASER

(Excerpt) Read more at gomemphis.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: billfrist; lott; tennessee
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To: DarthKosh
...he supports fetal stem cell research.

Your statement is unobjective in it's incompletness -- please try again.

I'll be back after breakfast to see how you made out.

Thanks

21 posted on 12/22/2002 8:40:25 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign
My charges???? Goodness, those were Federal charges that have been ongoing for five long years, Federal Charges, not mine. They pleaded guilty, guilty, guilty to 69 counts of fraud of a billion dollars. My God man, those are Federal crimes and our tax dollars.

Bad enough when Enron swindles billions from investors, but swindling a billion in tax dollars is a bit much. All of this was ongoing for five long years and all of a sudden last Wednesday it is settled. See any coincidence there????

22 posted on 12/22/2002 8:49:43 AM PST by cynicom
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To: rightwing2
Rightwing2. There you go again! Apparently, you can't explain Frist's high NTU rating so your response is to ignore it.
23 posted on 12/22/2002 8:52:08 AM PST by Austin Willard Wright
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To: FreeReign
It seems that he can't provide evidence. Frist is no anti-big government messiah but his rating from the authoritative National Taxpayers Union (which is calculates every anti-spending vote) is 84, better than both Lott or Santorum. Now....Frist may become a raving socialist in the next few months but his past record is pretty good when compared to many conservatives such as Santorum.
24 posted on 12/22/2002 8:56:01 AM PST by Austin Willard Wright
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To: DarthKosh
"Unless he wants to kill babies to cure diseases"

Would that be before or after he offers prayers to Satan at a black mass, with the President holding the blood-goblet?

Seek help.

25 posted on 12/22/2002 8:59:01 AM PST by Long Cut
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To: cynicom
republican apologists here remind me of Clinton lackeys of yesteryear.

Now you're talking!

26 posted on 12/22/2002 9:01:38 AM PST by RJCogburn
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To: DarthKosh
he supports fetal stem cell research.

Good.

27 posted on 12/22/2002 9:02:58 AM PST by RJCogburn
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To: DarthKosh
"he supports fetal stem cell research. "

This is a far cry indeed from "killing babies".

In fact, it is imbecilic rhetoric, as the fetal cells in question would never develop into humans anyway. You zealots really should quit operating from emotion so much. Makes you look like Democrats.

28 posted on 12/22/2002 9:03:01 AM PST by Long Cut
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To: RJCogburn
"he supports fetal stem cell research."

Good.

Incomplete -- not objective -- bad!

29 posted on 12/22/2002 9:06:15 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: Austin Willard Wright
It seems that he can't provide evidence. Frist is no anti-big government messiah but his rating from the authoritative National Taxpayers Union (which is calculates every anti-spending vote) is 84, better than both Lott or Santorum.

Yes, our anti-big government messiahs crashed and burned back in 95. A politician would be crazy to be such, today.

30 posted on 12/22/2002 9:08:45 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: Austin Willard Wright
It seems that he can't provide evidence. Frist is no anti-big government messiah but his rating from the authoritative National Taxpayers Union (which is calculates every anti-spending vote) is 84, better than both Lott or Santorum.

Yes, our anti-big government messiahs crashed and burned back in 95. A politician would be crazy to be such, today.

31 posted on 12/22/2002 9:09:12 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: DarthKosh; Jimer; Miss Marple; All
"I regreted voting for bush when he delt with teddy kennedy and got ride of vouchers."

This is classic. Leaving aside the spelling and grammatical errors here, which pretty much establish the writer as unworthy of any credibility, let's examine the so-called "substance", shall we?

The President did not "get ride" of vouchers. They simply were not included as an option in the bill he signed. They were NOT made illegal or banned, as you imply. In fact, they were removed by the Swimmer himself, as there was NO WAY his drunken ass would ever support them.

Why don't you obtain an education, beginning with spelling and grammar, before attempting to form an opinion? It'll be more persuasive that way.

Or, failing that (as I would expect), you could just go back to DU.

32 posted on 12/22/2002 9:10:13 AM PST by Long Cut
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To: FreeReign
What the hell are you talking about? The GOP caved in 1995 and paid for this with loses in 1996 and 1998. Had it stuck to its guns, that budget battle could have been easily won. The case of 1995 is a perfect example of what happens when you cave. What you are recommending? That the GOP continue to embrace socialism in baby steps rather than giant leaps. Thanks but no thanks. Such a strategy only leads to the same statist goal. Life is too important to take part in such scams.
33 posted on 12/22/2002 9:13:07 AM PST by Austin Willard Wright
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To: rightwing2; Howlin; justshe; Amelia
"Look out for centrist Sen. Frist to pass a socialist health care bill of rights which will cause another major hike in the insurance premiums of all Americans forcing millions more Americans to drop their coverage. "

Do all paranoid demagogues use run-on sentences and poor language skills?

Do they all also believe that their fears and innuendos constitute fact, absent any evidence?

Give it a rest, Dave.

34 posted on 12/22/2002 9:14:27 AM PST by Long Cut
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To: RJCogburn
Rooster....

I am an unabashed Conservative American...These party ideologues, whether republican or democrat, by becoming party and personal apologists, are all brothers under the skin. At this juncture of American history, they do this nation a disservice.

In another year the pubs will be around here whining for conservative votes to hold off the barbarian democrats. The sky will fall if we do not vote republican, and on and on. Same litany every election cycle. Until then, we are attacked on a personal basis over and over by the same people.

35 posted on 12/22/2002 9:14:47 AM PST by cynicom
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To: cynicom
Swipe a billion tax dollars. Now I said TAX dollars, family biggest stockholders, sit on the board with total innocence,

Partial innocense -- what? Why don't you just come out and say Frist is guilty or innocent of your charges?

My charges???? Goodness, those were Federal charges that have been ongoing for five long years, Federal Charges, not mine. They pleaded guilty, guilty, guilty to 69 counts of fraud of a billion dollars. My God man, those are Federal crimes and our tax dollars.

Frist -- sits on the board -- not totaly innocent. Those are your charges as you posted above.

Frist has been federally charged and plead guilty to 69 counts -- to one count? What are you talking about??

36 posted on 12/22/2002 9:15:53 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign
Free...Dont read things into what I post. Get up to speed on HCA.
37 posted on 12/22/2002 9:17:16 AM PST by cynicom
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To: cynicom
President Bush has the unflagging support of 95% of Republicans, which stuns the liberal media. Get over yourselves.
38 posted on 12/22/2002 9:17:20 AM PST by Wait4Truth
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To: Austin Willard Wright
What the hell are you talking about? The GOP caved in 1995 and paid for this with loses in 1996 and 1998. Had it stuck to its guns, that budget battle could have been easily won. The case of 1995 is a perfect example of what happens when you cave. What you are recommending? That the GOP continue to embrace socialism in baby steps rather than giant leaps. Thanks but no thanks. Such a strategy only leads to the same statist goal. Life is too important to take part in such scams.

The GOP caved in in 95 because of the withering attack directed at them from the Clinton slime machine and their friends in the media. They were deamonized non-Freeping stop and the polls showed it. As 95 progressed, the majority of the people in this country did not support the R's and their limited government plans and instead began to believe the slime machine.

Now you tell me why the *HELL* should any freeping politician care about Freeping limited government, when the majority of the voting population doesn't give a rats arse???

I'll wait here for your answer......

39 posted on 12/22/2002 9:24:38 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: wirestripper
Thought this article might interest you.
40 posted on 12/22/2002 9:27:08 AM PST by sweetliberty
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