I don't know the source of Carter's optimism: Health care will not add to the deficit "because Senator Cantwell promised."
How can she promise that when Distinguished Harry Reid is making multi-$100 million pork deals?
It was reported that Senator Landrieu of Louisiana was going to vote for Obamacare last Saturday in exchange for $100 million in pork - I mean needed funds for her state. But Landrieu responded angrily that she wasn't so cheap. She got $300 million.
Dana Milbank - Sweeteners for the South:
On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation alive. The wavering lawmaker was offered a sweetener: at least $100 million in extra federal money for her home state.Why, that's less than a billion. But it's only one senator and they add up.And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial "fix" she had arranged for Louisiana. "I am not going to be defensive," she declared. "And it's not a $100 million fix. It's a $300 million fix."
Newsweek says Landrieu is not a p*********. I am sure she will thank them for using that word.
Another trick works so far
Last week Speaker Nancy Pelosi hid billions in costs, so she would be able to claim she cut that amount in her Obamacare, HR 3961. This bill would cancel a planned 21 per cent cut in reimbursement to doctors. This offsets her Obamacare that makes the same kind of cut. Obama won't get credit for the savings if it already happened.
It's confusing: they want Obama to get credit for the cost saving that is already scheduled. So they are canceling the cut, and including it in Obamacare, so Obama can do it and claim the savings.
As I recall the Senate already turned back this trick.
Posted by Ron Hebron at November 25, 2009 08:07 AM | Email This"The adjective Orwellian describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society. It connotes an attitude and a policy of control by propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and manipulation of the past, including the "unperson" -- a person whose past existence is expunged from the public record and memory, practiced by modern repressive governments. Often, this includes the circumstances depicted in his novels, particularly Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Orwell's ideas about personal freedom and state authority developed when he was a British colonial administrator in Burma. He was fascinated by the effect of colonialism on the individual person, requiring acceptance of the idea that the colonialist oppressor exists only for the good of the oppressed person and people."
Posted by: KDS on November 25, 2009 08:31 AMAnd Landrieu is indeed a P********* nothing short of a high priced prostitute willing to sell her vote, rather than her body, to the highest bidder. But still a prostitute.
Posted by: Rick D. on November 25, 2009 08:34 AMYou misogynists are pretty quick to deny the realities of the Washington game.
You are also a bunch of hypocrites, crying ‘sexism’ when palin is placed on a magazine in shorts, but then calling the senator a prostitute.
Am I surprised?
Not really. I’ve yet to meet a conservative who isn’t a lying hypocrite.
Do you know the difference between a panhandler and a prostitute?
And no, they are not mysogynists. They'd call a man the same thing in the same case.
Posted by: Eyago on November 25, 2009 09:31 AMBut Obama promised to end this, didn't he?
mike, just tell us... do you *like* the "Washington game"? Did you want Obama to stop it, or not?
pros�ti�tute (prŏs'tĭ-tōōt', -tyōōt')
n.
One who sells one's abilities, talent, or name for an unworthy purpose.
Webster's on-line
The Louisiana purchase of 1803 was done for 15 Million and in turn we received 890,000 square miles of territory. By comparison, the Louisiana purchase of 2009 netted the Governor and her state $300,000,000 and the US taxpayer received an IOU and a boot in the backside from the clowns in D.C. Where I come from, this trick is called bribery and extortion, but in D.C. it's called "politicking". Not a dimes worth of difference between the two ethically, but one is legal and the other is not.
And quit your whining about my usage of the term, mike. You're the first to throw out misogynistic comments towards Palin any chance you get- Hypocrite!
"I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We'll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies -- they'll get a seat at the table, they just won't be able to buy every chair. But what we will do is, we'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies. And so, that approach, I think is what is going to allow people to stay involved in this process."
Posted by: Gary on November 25, 2009 09:45 AMBribery: a form of pecuniary corruption, is an act implying money or gift given that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined ...as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. The bribe is the gift bestowed to influence the recipient's conduct. It may be any money, good, right in action, property, preferment, privilege, emolument, object of value, advantage, or merely a promise or undertaking to induce or influence the action, vote, or influence of a person in an official or public capacity.
It was illegal what dingy Harry, antsy Nancy and Co. committed upon the American people according Black's law Dictionary, a widely used law dictionary.
Posted by: Rick D. on November 25, 2009 10:00 AMmike, is this the kind of politics you approve of? We point out how she sold her sacred vote, and you immediately leap to defend it as usual Washington business.
"...deny the realities of the Washington game."
Quite the contrary which is pointed out in this post. It's the Washington game that we hate.
Don't you? Can you not agree with us, reach across the aisle, on even this???
Posted by: Gary on November 25, 2009 10:09 AMROFLMAO! Just because it was said in Newsweek it somehow supposedly factual... LMAO!...
Hey tard Mike, did you get your cue to whine from Katie Connolly?
"Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh make deeply offensive comments on a near-daily basis on their respective radio programs"...
Slap a a libtard up the side of his/her head with a dose of reality and all one gets is whining...
Posted by: juandos on November 25, 2009 11:10 AM"Glen Beck called her a high-class hooker, Limbaugh called her the most expensive prostitute ever, and Eliot Spitzer called and asked for her phone number."
Posted by: Michele on November 25, 2009 11:33 AMdo you take your cues from admitted alcoholics and drug addicts?
well, obviously.
I would not use -- and did not use -- that kind of rhetoric in my criticism of Landrieu. Having been called a whore, prostitute and far more degrading sexual epithets by countless times by liberals who never have to apologize, I'll say this: Women in politics deserve to be treated the same as men. Call them sellouts, corruptocrats, bribe-takers, and backroom wheeler-dealers -- but leave the streetwalker analogies at the Bunny Ranch where they belongs. - michelle malkin
it's not sexist to call palin vacuous or an idiot - unfortunately, it's the truth.
If you had an ounce of integrity, you'd answer Gary's question, but I won't hold my breath. Your ilk prefers to hide under the desk and lob bombs rather than defend your defenseless position.
Ol' mike's misogynist attitude doesn't stop at with Palin either. He's got a pattern of hatred spewed towards women in general, to include the person he just quoted @ 14, Michelle Malkin, whom the NYT refused to review even though she was, at the time, at the top of their own best seller list.
The Seattle Times Should Review Malkin's Latest Book
Sound Politics, August 24, 2009
26. why would they give face time to a moron who lies, yells and spews vile hatred out of her disgusting mouth? if malkin was actually fair, balanced or a journalist, she would have written this book under that even more corrupt nincompoop, george w.Posted by: Rick D. on November 25, 2009 12:09 PM
Posted by: mike on August 24, 2009 08:16 PM
it's not sexist to call palin vacuous or an idiot - unfortunately, it's the truth.
Actually it's not at all the truth. Being repeated often enough you believe it is the truth. The media simply didn't bother to find out anything even close to truth with Palin. They began by assuming she was vacuous and an idiot and then repeated the line every time they refer to her, a charge tat is very hard to "disprove". When we call YOU an idiot, at least we have written proof.
Posted by: eyago on November 25, 2009 12:13 PMLiberals can't tolerate strong women.
Posted by: Gary on November 25, 2009 12:15 PMSo, now we know that he isn't ending this kind of politics, and his opponents are not surprised by this. What I don't get is why his voters aren't pissed off at him for not doing what is they voted for him to do.
Instead, when the very thing they voted for him to stop, doesn't, and someone points it out, they get mad not at Obama, but at the messenger.
It's like an abused spouse who goes after the cops instead of the abuser.
Posted by: Gary on November 25, 2009 12:58 PMdo you take your cues from admitted alcoholics and drug addicts?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You mean the Kennedy's?
LOL
Posted by: Medic/vet on November 25, 2009 03:11 PMThe newport-sucking POS gets a free ride from his fellow commies in the third estate, just like good ole Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton publically utter racist comments about Indian immigrants and don't get called on it by the same bright lights of the MSM.
There is no crime or slur a liberal can commit or utter that will gain condemnation from their fellow travelers in the press.
The Louisiana Purcase of 2009 is part of the new standard of ethics instituted by his holiness, "the chosen one", "the messiah", president teleprompter. It's simply a tactic to them because Obamacare is heading south in the polls and the reds are going into overdrive to force Obamacare down the throats of Americans before the 2010 elections loom too near....
And the eagerness for women to make good money? If women work hard, leftist men don't have to."
She goes on to have some harsh words about the Left in general. Savages is not to mild a description of them.
Consider this, what does the left's propensity for sexual denigration of women - the use of "c*nt" to refer to Gov Palin, the wishes and apparent desires that she be gang raped, or her daughters turned into "comfort women" - say about their general respect for human beings? These are the actions of those who would destroy others by symbolically raping them - and apparently would be unconcerned if it were to actually happen.
The whole essay is here:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/11/the_wilding_of_sarah_palin.html
OTOH, what relevance does this have to a Senator accepting payment for their vote. Not much, save that the left does not respect women or men, who are subservient to their particular ideology.
Posted by: pyotr on November 25, 2009 09:52 PMIt's confusing: they want Obama to get credit for the cost saving that is already scheduled. So they are canceling the cut, and including it in Obamacare, so Obama can do it and claim the savings.
What the hell are you talking about? Canceling the cuts does not produce a cost savings. Your entire point makes no sense at all. The health bill didn't plan or rely on these cuts, the Sustainable Growth Rate from the GOP Congress in 1997 did. You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Nearly every single post you make disregards the truth in a flagrant and annoying way.
In terms of the $100-300 million in spending you find offensive, the Senate bill reduces the deficit by $130 billion over the next ten years according to the CBO. That's three orders of magnitude difference. Sending some Medicaid money to disaster zones is not going to cause me to lose any sleep.
Posted by: John Jensen on November 26, 2009 12:27 PMI sincerely hope that the Senate Bill falls short of 60 votes on the next vote for cloture and Lieberman will likely vote no and perhaps another few senators. The next move would then be Reid's. The integrity of him to be able to accept defeat will be tested then and if he decides to to for reconciliation, he loses. Until then, this discussion is pointless.
Posted by: KDS on November 26, 2009 06:57 PMJohn, bribery with my money is still bribery no matter what the CBO thinks about *anything* else.
So, you are another Obama supporter who doesn't have a problem with the old politics-as-usual? Can't get your bill passed with bribing senators?
You have no problem sending medicaid money to Louisiana? How about the other 49 states whose medicaid costs are going to soar that are not accounted for this this stupid bill? How does *that* get paid for?
..."The American people have an anger about the growth of the deficit because they're not getting anything for it .."
-
Well, gosh. Thanks for the admission, Nancy. By all means let us permit you to run the nation's health care system too. Nancy, did you know at the time you passed these budgets that would cause huge deficits that the American people would get nothing for it?
Who did, Nancy?
Posted by: Gary on November 27, 2009 02:27 PM#30 - Pelosi and Reid would look good in orange jump suits.
Posted by: KDS on November 27, 2009 09:02 PMThis could get ugly.
Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Government will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a 'National ID Health card' will be issued!
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.'
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans -- The Government will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Government mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Government will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Government will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees AND their families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Government will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records.
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." (Yes, it really says that!)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors: It doesn't matter what specialty you have trained yourself in -- you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that's not Socialism!)
Page 253 Line 10-18: The Government sets the value of a doctor's time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally-- the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Government mandates and controls productivity for "private" HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Government regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Government will penalize hospitals for whatever the Government deems preventable (i.e. readmissions).
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -- the Government will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Government tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Government is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The Government mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want -- rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Government plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Government will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Government creates more bureaucracy via a "Tele-Health Advisory Committee." (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Government mandates "Advance-Care Planning Consult." (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it's mandatory!)
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The Government provides an "approved" list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death.. (Also called 'assisted suicide.')
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Government mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Government has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced-care planning consultant" will be used frequently as a patient's health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?)
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The Government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order. (I wouldn't want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again -- no choice!)
Page 469: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Government will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Government will insert itself into your marriage even.).
Page 494-498: Government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.
Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you and your colleagues are debating.
Furthermore, if you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country and destroys the doctor-patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure you lose your job in the next election.
Here is an excerpt from Peggy Noonan (not always my favorite), but she is spot on here. Democrats and liberals as well as the trolls who hit us with their cooked up propaganda would be wise to heed her take on health care. This may be difficult to swallow like cod liver oil, but the stakes are too big IMHO to deny it.
"Mr Obama is in a hard place. Health care hangs over him, and if he is lucky he will lose a close vote in the Senate. The common wisdom that he can't afford to lose is exactly wrong--he can't afford to win with such a poor piece of legislation. He needs to get the issue behind him, vow to fight another day, and move on.
Afghanistan hangs over him, threatening the unity of his own Democratic congressional base. There is the growing perception of incompetence, of the inability to run the machine of government. This, with Americans, is worse than Obama's rebranding as a leader who governs from the left. Americans demands baseline competence.
If he comes to be seen as Jimmy Carter was, that the job was bigger than the man, that will be the end."
Posted by: KDS on November 29, 2009 05:31 PMDid you all hear that Huckabee granted clemency nine years ago to that the guy who killed the police officers in Tacoma?
Sleep well, Mike.
Posted by: Gary on November 29, 2009 08:02 PMOf course, there are some here who treat this as their religion, so they will not be swayed.