« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

As Predicted, the Senate Republicans Are Improving the Health Care Bill so it Passes

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  December 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Friends, it is as bad as I feared. The Republicans are playing so nice with the Democrats in the Senate that they are improving the health care bill so it can pass.

Here is an email from Don Stewart in Senator Mitch McConnell’s office:

The Leaders just locked in a unanimous consent agreement for four amendment votes tomorrow.

There will be votes on the Mikulski and Murkowski amendments in the morning at 11:45. The McCain motion to commit (on the half-trillion dollars in Medicare cuts), and a Sen. Bennet amendment, will have votes at 2:45.

As Sen. McConnell noted on the floor, Republicans offered to vote on the Mikulski and Murkowski amendments this evening. But despite all the “obstruction” talk from Democrats today, there was an objection on the Democrat side to having those votes tonight.

As Sen. McConnell just said on the floor about the Murkowski/Mikulski amendments: “our side of the aisle, the Republicans side of the aisle, was prepared to vote on both of those amendments tonight, and then a problem developed on the other side.”

Let me know if you need any further information

Why was “The Republican side of the aisle prepared to vote on both of these amendments tonight?” Or tomorrow? Or ever? Why would we help the Democrats pretend to fix their unfixable bill.

The GOP and Democrats are putting up several amendments, all designed to “improve” the bill:

  • The Democrat Mikulski amendment purports to ensure mammograms are covered, but actually ensures abortions are covered.
  • The Republican Murkowski amendment response to the Mikulski amendment ensures mammograms are not cut and beefs up pro-life protections.
  • The Republican McCain vote sends the bill back to Finance Committee to restore funding to medicare.
  • The Democrat Bennett amendment responds to the McCain vote by ensuring no one ever loses their medicare.

Whoopideedoo. While I’m glad the Democrats are now fighting it out amongst themselves, the GOP is not really helping the fight for freedom here.

If Mikulski and Bennet pass tomorrow, Democrats will argue that they have fixed the Medicare and mammogram issues. Why are we in such a rush to allow Democrats to vote on their amendments to fix the bill? This is a unanimous consent request. All Senators are responsible for this disaster. Will anyone stand up and say “I object?”

Tags: ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • DONTREADONME

    this guys better have a good strategy that we do not know about or this is going to be a disaster.

  • anotherindyfilmguy

    although I’d love to see all the RINOs out it seems the R’s are saying “OK” it’s all yours Dems… and the Dems are choking on it.

    If the R’s block it the Dems can bash them as the “obstructionist party” etc and get reelected etc.

    If the Dems get their way they know they are toast in the next election cycle.

    The Dems are more the ones sitting on the horns of the dilemma, not the R’s here.

    Scary as it seems, I don’t think Lieberman will allow it to go final passage, much to the relief of everyone eventually.

  • NeoKong

    Photobucket

    What is so hard to understand….? Millions are protesting in the streets to kill this damn bill and still no one hears their cry. I guess that maybe they haven’t lost enough seats in the Senate yet.
    McCain is still showing us he still has the will to lose.

  • Michael Dugas

    I keep hammering Cornyn on this, here was my question/allegation =)
    Michael Dugas: “Senator, can you explain to us why Republican Senators, instead of offering up an amendment that would split the Democrats on Health Care or offering up something like the Stupak amendment, you guys decide to work WITH Democrats to IMROVE the Health Care Bill. This Health Care Bill has to be STOPPED, not tweaked so the Dems get 90% of what they want and the country gets 100% screwed. You guys could have done nothing and let cloture fail on its own, but no you guys have to give the Dems cover by signing on to some BS Bipartisan teamwork.”
    Here is John Cornyn’s response.
    John Cornyn:”My goal is to stop it and start over with step by step approach that will bring down costs and cover more people”

    So you are right, I think some of them want this bill and the control/power it will bring to the federal government. That or they just don’t have any gonads or spines.

  • 10ksnooker

    What did you expect.

  • IJB

    That would seriously delay the whole process which is something our side should want.

    So while one can rightly object to Murkowski’s amendment (I have no idea why McConnell is allowing that one as it’s horrible from a tactical standpoint), the McCain amendment actually furthers our goals (and I assume Bennett’s amendment would be moot, if McCain’s passes – someone can correct me if I’m wrong).

    So I don’t see this as all bad – at least not McCain’s.

  • proudgop

    I thought the goal of Republicans is to put as many amendments forward as possible?

    I’d like to see how many Senators believe cutting Medicare in half is good. Nice campaign ad for Republicans to run on

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    These men are not Leaders nor are they leaders. They are jokes. They have given away our country and don’t care. That any of them were surprised at their losses in 2006 tells me this is systemic, every one of them has to go. People were dying to vote for a republican for president but the Beltway guys either scorned or ignored them. Something is quite wrong.

  • lynndee

    Quote: “The Republicans are playing so nice with the Democrats in the Senate that they are improving the health care bill so it can pass.”

    You must be on drugs.

  • IJB
  • Third Street

    Nothing is more important right now than dragging this process out as long as possible. The Dems would love to dump this little “Christmas present” on us during the Christmas season itself, when everyone’s attention tends to be diverted toward other things. Getting the bill sent back to the Finance Committee would provide an excellent opportunity to bog things down big-time. If the Republicans can keep things going into 2010, the Democrats become much more likely to fracture.

    McCain’s amendment also constitutes an important PR tactic against the Democrats (whether he intended it that way or not): it sets up the Republicans as the party attempting to preserve Medicare and the Democrats as the party attempting to gut it (this will be huge in the midterms); while at the same time adding onto the total cost of the bill, which, of course, is fiscally unsustainable anyway. The higher the total price tag of ObamaCare, the better; because it’s important that it be shown to be as big a budget-buster as possible. The American people at large seem to have woken up to the fact that we cannot afford this, and this understanding is driving the lion’s share of public opposition.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Thanks in advance, and now say you’re sorry for being rude.

  • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway

    I for one have had about enough of comments like this from you.

  • hickorystick

    That puts the bill at 1.5 trillion dollars (nominally). That is going to seriously rock the Public. It also has the added benefit of appearing to take care of Senior Citizens (which it does). I am sure agreeing to this amendment is not going to make this bill any more passable. I smell Stupak, not Stupid, politics here.

  • Illinicon

    Since Nelson has said he wont support a bill without Stupak language in it, it seems to me we would have 42 senators willing to filibuster it then. Anyways, I doubt McConnell wants this proces speeded up, I think he is just pointing out how divided the Dems are right now.

  • Third Street
  • DONTREADONME
  • countessolenska

    I don’t understand why Senate Republicans are now such ardent defenders of Medicare? Haven’t they been advocating reform of Medicare for some time, and didn’t many of them vote for the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which would have made substantial cuts in Medicare?

    How are health care costs supposed to come down if we keep beefing up Medicare?

  • Third Street

    If these guys have half a brain (a generous assumption, I know), they’re purposefully using Medicare as a weapon against the Democrats in general and the bill in particular. So far, so good.

  • ocleverone

    The WP speech was a disaster and voila, they are here.

    I’m trying to decide if they are shills or so afraid of what they have elected, they need to tear down Republicans to make themselves feel better.

  • Menlo

    As far as I can tell, not a one of these amendments “improves” the bill to any extent that would increase the chances for passage. McCain is trying to stop it, and I don’t believe Murkowski would propose anything of substance.

    Republicans can ONLY improve its chances for passages by supporting the removal or weakening of the “public option.” Nothing else they do or do not do will matter.

  • Husker

    How many times do we have to fire one over the bow before these clowns get the message?

    They aren’t going to be happy until they bankrupt the whole country. Then again, what do they care? Most of them will have passed on when the bill comes due.

  • clowngirl

    I can’t see a single thing wrong with it.

    If they vote for it then the bill goes back to committee. Baucus has to think of some other way to make the bill look deficit neutral. That won’t be easy and besides that isn’t there maybe some chance Snowe won’t be on board this time? While all this is being dealt with, resisting is mounting with new vigor and Obamacare is becoming toxic like never before. It could conceivably be in the finance committee when the Senate breaks for the holidays. Hard to overstate what that would do for building morale and momentum on our side and destroying theirs.

    If they vote against it then McCain and all Republicans can rail nonstop about how the Democrats are going to destroy medicare and leave our seniors high and dry. Most of the elderly already hate Obamacare and this would make it so much worse. They’ve had concerns about Medicare cuts, they’ve heard right wingers talk about Medicare cuts but this would remove all doubt. Tie it in with other issues like rationing care to the elderly and we’ve got a very chilling message: Obamacare means the elderly will not get the healthcare they need because they’ll be sacrificed to cut costs.

    If they claim that they won’t cut Medicare but say it doesn’t need to go back to finance – then Republicans can hammer them on having no idea how they’re going to pay for their bill. Democrats would lose any shred of credibility they have left.

    As Third Street points out this amendment puts the Democrats in the position of being the ones who threaten Medicare while Republicans defend it.

    What a bizarro world we’ve come to live in!

    I’m familiar with the other 3 amendments but I don’t see any drawback to the McCain amendment at all.

  • Tbone

    It is the Republicans in Congress who lost Congress.

  • hickorystick

    with Bill Frist becoming Leader of the Senate. Unfortunately this was The Presidents own doing.

  • arc_ut

    I am in Senator Bob Bennett’s state, Utah.

    Is that Senator Bob Bennett or the other Senator Bennett with the amendment?
    –
    By the way, A recent Poll in Utah says almost nothing, but one thing, the average adult in Utah doesn’t want Bob Bennett back and are still looking to which candidate they want.

    (Many delegates are lining up behind Cherilyn Eagar)

    The Poll didn’t ask the
    likely gop delegates, which would have made the most sense.
    or
    liklely gop closed primary voters, which might make some sense
    or even
    likely general election voters, which would have been helpful.

    But it did ask if we want him going back to Washington and we said No. Too bad that part was just a poll. March 23, and May 8th are the critical dates to Boot the Bennett out.

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705348498/Utahns-growing-tired-of-Bennett.html

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13914572

  • bk

    then isn’t that a sign that Reid doesn’t have the votes to pass it? It seems to me that McConnell called Reid’s bluff on it.

    Are we getting back to the point in the House debate where the argument was over whether the GOP should vote against Stupak to try to poison the bill for the alleged pro-life Dems? Do you think the GOP should vote for the Mikulski amendment and roll the dice that it ensures Nelson will vote to filibuster?

    Or are you just saying that the GOP should stall at every possible opportunity regardless of any other considerations?

  • exidore

    the same way. Every single one needs to go. That begs the big question- how exactly do we do that?

    I know that this might get me bounced from here, but maybe it is time for a new direction to the tune of conservatives turning their backs on the GOP. I think some of the honest politicians might follow if this started happening en masse.
    It’s not like they don’t know how the country feels about this, but it is being ignored by them all.

    I’d love some discussion of this……

  • mikerazar

    I am still without a clue as to whether these amendments are a good tactical move or not. Amending a bad 2000 page bill seems like a dangerous game. I am more afraid of the parts of the bill I don’t know about than the ones I do.

    The unanimous consent issue is very depressing. Apparently, the unified voice of RedState.com, and all the other conservative sites and all the conservative talk show hosts is not enough to change the vote of a SINGLE GOP SENATOR. I can only hope that there is a rational explanation for this failure. Is it possible that we are kidding ourselves to think we have any influence at all?

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    that is why we have to be more active than ever in getting real conservatives elected. Because we know that most of the current bunch of Republicans in office have been too long unconnected to the electorate.

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    if they democrats brand them as obstructionist!?!?!?! NOBODY likes this damn bill anyway!

  • bk

    Any time the GOP in the past talked about reducing the growth in Medicare, we had the Dems immediately saying the GOP was trying to kill old people with draconian cuts to needed health care for them, Ed Asner making automated calls to senior citizens in Florida, etc.

    In this case the Democrats have no intention of cutting any Medicare costs – they are just using this is a fake number to lower the alleged cost of the bill. If there is a half trillion of waste, fraud, and abuse that can be cut, wouldn’t Obama be doing it already? Is he saying he won’t save us this $500,000,000,000 that’s being stolen if he doesn’t get his health care bill? Do you think AARP would support a half trillion in cuts to its members if they weren’t told off the record that it was just for show and would never really happen?

  • bk

    They send out the masses to try to create a distraction.

  • RedBeard

    If so, please feel free to post it here. You know, this being a DISCUSSION board and all.

  • RedBeard

    But given the sad and proven GOP pathology, I would place my bet on Erick’s side.

    And again, it bears repeating that this bill should not be debated, modified, amended, sent to committee, voted upon, or waved in the air by excited members of Congress. It should never have been considered at all, because it is unconstitutional.

    Continuing to play with this toxic bill is ridiculous, rather like the oft-mentioned scenario of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

  • scubadiver49er

    “Continuing to play with this toxic bill is ridiculous, rather like the oft-mentioned scenario of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”.

    This is the smartest thing I’ve heard so far on this subject! This “Bill” is d#%m dangerous. The future of the USA and the free enterprise system that created it as we know it will be sunk if this thing ever passes.

  • Dave_in_Fla

    The GOP strategy is to make the Dems walk over glass as many times as possible to go on the record with as many poisonous votes as possible. They are VERY happy to vote on the Milkulski amendment, because if it passes, the bill will be so pro-abort that it will be dead.

    Same thing with the McCain admendment, the bill goes back to committee if it passes. It won’t pass, putting the Dems on the record as being in favor of Medicare cuts.

    I’m sure there are many other fun amednments lined up, including gun ownership exclusions, etc…

    Sorry, I’m not on the “GOP is being stupidheads AGAIN” train. They aren’t trying to improve the bill, they are trying to poison it.

  • erod

    yet. Believe me this is only but the first step towards defeating this. Putting the Dems to vote on something like cutting Medicare is priceless and even if they vote for it, the bill gets sent back to committee. The goal right now is to delay and rally public anger against the bill. Believe me the death panels, rationed care and all the other bells and whistles will still be on display for the public to see. WE CAN STILL WIN THIS, IT”S A LONG WAY FROM BEING OVER.

  • johngaltline

    http://bit.ly/87HYLl

    Republicans need to vote for their own amendments, but vote “present” on all Democrat alternatives.

  • RedBeard

    Here’s hoping, but I’m still a “glass half empty” kind of guy when it comes to Congress.

  • penguin2

    and I am the “glass half full” person. So I devour Dan Perrin’s posts when I need to think optimistically, and then commiserate on Erick’s to keep realistic. That saying “hope for the best, expect the worse” is how we are going to get through this.

    Think 2010.

  • lightfootletters

    President Obama’s adminstration is just a continuation of the President Bush adminstration. The media just pretends it is a new policy. Another proof that the leadership of the Democrats are not liberals and Republicans are not conservative.

  • blooch

    http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/40_percent_of_democrats_wont_vote_in_2010.php

    No animus, just curious.

  • AceInTX

    what a bunch of losers…of course I’ll be attacked for stating what I just said because I can’t seem to do anything but attack Republicans…

    CAN ANYONE TELL ME ANYTHING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS DONE OR IS DOING IN THE LAST YEAR THAT THEY DESERVE PRAISE FOR?????

  • larryp

    At least we know that the GOP is the “Permanent Loser Party”, The Gop won’t govern at all. They want to keep their jobsand perks comfortble in the view that no one will ever run against them. After all, who would want to run for a Loser party with no hope of governing?
    And if in 2010 the GOP would get in as a Majority, it would be I fear, “say look how much power we have. This is great. Lets offer some crumbs to the peasants. We can fix cap and trade a bit and change Obama care a bit.Then we will throw up our skirts and say what can we do?”

  • miroco

    The idiots lost the house, the senate and the WH but they still haven’t learned a damn thing. We used to hold our GOP meeting in a phone booth here in Texas and built it up. I hate third parties but for the sake of the grandchildren let’s hope I can live another fifty years to build a REAL conservative party (if anything is left). A deal with the devil might be kept—A deal with a dim will always be a cheat.

  • Scope

    If the R’s kill the bill, the R’s will be elected in 2010. If the D’s call them obstructionist’s, to legislation that the majority of the country doesn’t want, it will only add more votes for Republicans.

  • WarEagle01

    Don’t want to miss out on that invite, so they’ll play along and pretend to oppose the bill but eventually it’s all about the perks. Because, d@mn those cookies were good.

  • Scope

    power is as much a goal for some Republicans as it is for Democrats.

  • Scope

    power is as much a goal for some Republicans as it is for Democrats.

  • Scope

    give me a few more days, I’m sure I will come up with something.

  • Scope

    Oh noooo, now your tire is all flat and junk. Did I do that? I’ll just get om my cellular and call for help. Oh, I can’t do that, because I’m just a pothole!

  • AceInTX

    and every one of them talked just like that stupid pot hole…ROFL

  • RedBeard

    But then, I’m so much of a pessimist that I hate Fridays because it’s only three more days until Monday.

  • joayn

    for Wednesday as per Politico. John Cornyn and Mike Crapo have the nerve! Read all the Crapo amendments. Gotta love this guy! One such sampling:

    “The list includes political amendments. On the right, Sen. John Cornyn wants to force lawmakers to be covered under Medicaid instead of their current federal benefits and Sen. Mike Crapo proposes to strike a provision that would be a $300 million Medicaid boon to Louisiana — a proposal that was widely seen as a sweetener to win moderate Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s vote.”

    http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/A_look_at_the_more_than_60_amendments_filed_so_far_.html?showall

  • AceInTX

    the line will be that the Republicans ruined it with their changes if it passes and when it inevitably doesn’t work…

    On the other hand, if the Democrats don’t pass it because they tear each other apart infighting over the details…the Republicans will still get the blame because the Dems will accuse them of cynically killing it by putting in poison pills that the Democrats simply couldn’t go along with…

    It’s been the same story for 70 years now…no matter what liberties the Republicans give up…no matter what the compromises they make…we will be beaten about the heads for what ever disaster ensues no matter what happens…for the life of me I can’t understand why in all that time no one has figured this out..if you’re going to get all the blame for all the problems anyway…if you’re going to get your teeth kicked in anyway…why not lose your teeth for doing the right thing for Pete’s sake instead of compromising and enabling the Dems to do the wrong thing and take the blame anyway!!

  • AceInTX
  • Richard Mullins

    Now, I see why they can’t get moving on HR 3590(just the tax portion of it). I hoping that all this will make Dingy Harry cry uncle.

  • AceInTX

    let’s not forget…half the problems with the heath care system began when the Federal government decided to pay less for medical services than it cost to provide them. Cost shifting then ensued. As that was all happening, medicare and medicaid made it illegal for doctors who accept money from these plans to negotiate with patients who had a hard time paying…I know a lot of doctors I’ve worked for with my real estate business who won’t accept medicare and medicaid patients because of this.

  • joayn

    over her vote for this sham of a bill. Read all at Politico’s Live Pulse …

    http://www.politico.com/livepulse/

    Couldn’t happen to a more deserving gal.

  • AceInTX

    we cede yet one more argument in the long term and cement the attitude that medicare and medicaid are legitimate and desirable programs when they’re actually the cause of most of the problems in the health care system…

    this get’s us something in the short term that is worth while…but the long term consequences of this are bad!

  • mom2oneson

    This is like high school when your too afraid not to be polite to the more aggressive boys. I still remember being dropped off my first day and my guardian saying, you can blame it your mean __, don’t give out your number (that dates me lol before email) and say your are not allowed to and you can blame your mean __!! I had no idea what the heck she was talking about coming from a more sheltered place my whole life but I soon found out! Somehow she knew how it’s hard not to be polite and how overwhelming teenage boys are in trying to acquire personal information!!
    So someone stand up and give them an “out” since they are all obviously chicken!!

  • Finrod

    I wrote a rant on here about Bill Frist back at that time; I believe I said something along the lines of ‘if there is any justice, Bill Frist will get the room in Heaven next to the noisy icemaker for all eternity’.

  • AceInTX

    they will also be making the Democrat’s argument surrounding base line budgeting…(that any cut in the projected increase in medicare and medicaid is a real cut in benefits)

    we lose the argument if we go along with it no matter how much fun it would be to rub the Democrat’s noses in the crap they’ve dished on us for years…I can’t help but think this is part of a plan for the Democrat’s part to do just what I describe here!

  • AceInTX

    We shouldn’t be trying to look like we’re helping…we need to be on the majority of the people and more importantly VOTERS who want to see this thing dead instead of looking like we’re trying to fix it while in actuality trying to kill it…it’s too cute by half when we would be heroes for actively and openly trying to kill it!

  • AceInTX

    Is it possible that we are kidding ourselves to think we have any influence at all?

    we got the answer last year when they rammed John McCain down our throats…”what are you going to do…vote for the Democrat?”

    They don’t think we have a choice…they think they can do whatever the hell they want and we’ll have no choice but to support them!

  • Menlo

    It doesn’t look the least bit like “help” or “bipartisanship” to me. I don’t have a clue where you are coming from on this, but it seems to me to be a huge misperception. There is nothing else they could do or not do to kill it.

  • Michael Dugas

    It’s all about the convenience of the moment. If they think standing up for Medicare will serve their needs at the moment they’ll do it with out concern for the future.
    I’d rather they stay on point by comparing Obama Care with a Medicare program that is bankrupt and a failure and drive it into the people that this proves that government run health care is not the way to go.
    I wish they would point out the success tort reform has been for Texas and Mississippi at dropping insurance costs and imagine what it would do with an end of mandates and real free market competition.
    That would be more in line with what the Republican Party Leaders claim to believe in.

  • AceInTX

    There is a growing majority opposed to it…so why even try to amend it..or if you are going to try and amend it…make the amendments something that is guaranteed to make the Dems tear themselves apart fighting over the issue…

  • Richard Mullins

    So what’s going on is nothing more that Stall tactics. Personally, bi-partisanship is not around any more, so the Republican Amendments are going down in flames.

  • AceInTX

    concerning Medicare and Medicade. I understand the tactics…and I am somewhat amused by them…but I can’t help but feel we’re giving up too much by playing around with it when all we have to do is outright oppose it. We are approaching super majorities against this so why not play it straight and kill it. to me that is the stronger play since we have the people behind us.

    What I’m afraid of is what others have mentioned in this thread…and that…by playing it too cute we face the danger of having the Dems call our bluff and this bill passing

  • alpinejager

    The arm twisting and shysterism that is rampantly involved in all this forced ‘Capone style’ democracy is relentlessly going to succeed. The dimos know this is their dream-utopia payoff. There are just enough idiot RINO’s or worse that are comfortable with statism, the last 6 years of republican rule has eloquently proven it.

    No matter what is done, the left stream media ignores it and so does congress. Hate crimes passed, there’s not one dem who can stand the heat. Even with the exposure of the cult of global warming, which is still only seen on the web or Fox, cap & trade is going to come on like a steam roller.

    The next step- “Strike-Back Day!” 15APR10. No one with a productive job works, uses power, produces anything or provides anything that is of taxable benefit to the feds, to include electicity and phones. If i’m still working i’ll tell my employer to deduct the day’s wages from my check. The amount of taxes not paid will get someone’s attention. the only thing real americans do that day is mourn the death of the republic or attend tea parties, period.

    the date is far enough out to get momentum, and we’re hitting them in the only other spot that hurts, besides facts, THE WALLET!

  • leehazel

    If these Republican Morons put their hairy paw prints on this fiscal and moral travesty every Republican and Conservative in the country will be damaged perhaps beyond repair. It is hard for me to believe that these RINOs can be this self-centered and ignorant.

    When the smoke clears there will be no Republican Party. In many ways we’ve one shot remaining, Cripple this Obama freight train, change the congressional makeup!!!

    2010 is just around the corner, # (numero uno) first to go must be McCain. If he wanted to put in an amendment why not one to make sure illegals can not get on welfare roles of any kind, let alone Medicare/Medicaid or whatever it may become with this idiot’s help.

    You all know the rest of the gang. But the ring leader at this point is McNasty. Thumbs Down folks.

    PC is Thought Control
    LEE

  • Read Chesterton in New Improved Jersey

    .

  • fayers

    to combat this problem is to vote out everyone in the Congress and the Senate!!! No matter what party they belong to. Democrummy, repellican or independent. if they are in office VOTE them out! Please, because at the end of the next election I want to be able to say CAN YOU HEAR US NOW!!!
    Fred
    Nashville N.C.

  • arc_ut

    It is a
    Bennet Amendment

    (One T) and not a Bennett amendment.

    The Utah Bennett has 2 T’s and isn’t sponsoring this amendment.

  • arc_ut

    Bennet Amendment. You should know that the amendment is coming from Bennet – one T – of Colorado, not from Bennett of Utah.

  • farstar99

    Not out of strategy, either.

    The RNC never has a strategy and neither do the RINOs leading the GOP already in Congress.

    And it will cost them their seats, too.

    If this passes, I would rather see the GOP spend another two years out of power than see these Quisling RINOs returned to office. They need to burn along with the Democrats.

    Primary them, starve them of cash and burn them out.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    The first Presidential election contested by the Republican party, 1856, was after the collapse of the Whig party. Fremont won 11 states that year.

  • farstar99

    Never.

    It’s called the Stupid Party for a reason. The stupid is all in the so-called leaders, not the members.

    These collaborators in Congress think they can play this into more power for themselves and for big government..

    They’re traitors. They think they can get away with their treason, because we’ll have no choice but to hold our noses and vote for them, rather than the Democrat candidates.

    NY-23 proves them wrong. There’s another option.

    If they vote for this, or if they collude in its creation, PRIMARY THEM.

  • farstar99

    Are they really that stupid? Maybe so.

  • farstar99

    The increased taxes start the day of enactment.

    Another reason the Republicans are committing political suicide by collaborating in the murder of America.

    Joe Six-Pack’s going to notice his money is gone well before ObamaCare starts.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • Third Street

    Right now it’s gonna take everything we’ve got to 1.) beat back this bill, and 2.) get enough Democrats out of office next fall to be sure we don’t have to deal with this again anytime soon. The Medicare argument is water waaaaay under the bridge as far as the general public is concerned; right now the best we can do is use it as a weapon against something far worse.

  • lightfootletters

    I always vote for all local and national elections with rare exception. I was a Republivan when the Republicans were the true liberals. Then, I was a Republican when the Republicans were the true conservatives. Today I am a true independent. I vote for the best Libertarian, Republican or Democrat that is put up for election.
    I disagree that Marx was a smart man. He did not have the experience or intellect to understand human nature. This flaw is evident thru out his theories.

  • AceInTX

    It’s not about luxury…why not fight against this thing based on it’s merits…or lack of them. Erick points out there is a better route for Republicans…that being introducing bills that will guarantee internecine warfare within the Democrat ranks….but as our leadership always does…they’ll jump up and down with glee as they throw another principled arguement to the wind for the short term satisfaction of playing gotcha. meanwhile, we compromise one more issue in the long slow march to socialism…

    again…my contention is…Medicare and Medicaid are the major sources of the problems with our health care system…but by playing this game…McCain solidifies the principles that you can cut them first of all…and the most insicious part is…we are now on record agreeing with the arguement we had in the 1990s against Bill Clinton that s decrease in the projected increase in spending is actually a cut.

    Once again we are handing the Democrats the hammer to smash our brains in!

  • Leopard1996

    And if so, how did supporting him square with Libertarian?

  • AceInTX

    that you can’t cut them first of all?and the most insidious part is

  • larueladue

    But I believe there was a period of time (albeit short) where the Whigs and Republicans were separate parties at the same time, until the Whigs were essentially assimilated by the Republican Party.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    No analysis of what happened to the Whig voters is complete without at least taking the American party into consideration.

  • Third Street
  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • http://www.thecampofthesaints.com robertbelvedere

    As many of us predicted, the Republicans in the Senate are not trying to defeat Obamacare at all. Rather, they seem to have convinced themselves that socialized health care is going to pass and that the best they can do is not make it as socialized as the Leftist Democrats want. The Republicans do not understand one of the basic truths of life: whether you have a lot of a thing or a little bit of the same thing, you still have the thing. Whether you have a lot of Socialism or you have a little socialism, you still have Socialism. Once you open the door to the government controlling every aspect of our lives in the name of preserving our health, you make ALL OF US wards of the state.

    This cave-in by the Republicans is not only pathetic and disgusting, it is a betrayel of their oath to ‘preserve, protect, and defend The Constitution Of The United States against all enemies foreign and domestic’. The enemy is the Left. It wants to tear down and destroy everything America stands for. The Republicans in the Congress are either oblivious to this fact [stupid/naive] or they have resolved to stand by and observe and aid in this rape of America [accessory during the act].

    If your Congressman is a Republican, contact him or her and tell them you will not vote for them ever again if they help in any way, no mater how watered-down the final product, to get Obamacare passed.

    Do not give money to any Republican who betrays his or her oath.

    Do not give money to the NRSC or the NRCC.

    NOT ONE RED CENT!

    OBAMACARE DELANDA EST!

    Quoted from and Linked to at:
    DISPATCH FROM THE TWO FRONT WAR
    —–
    It’s Time To ROC ‘N’ ROLL:
    Restore Our Constitution & Restore Our Lost Liberties

  • lightfootletters

    No liberal, including myself, would support any socialist, authoritarian or statist candidate like Obama or Uncle Teddy. I can only assume you adhere to media political definitions from the likes of James Carville or Sean Hannity, or some partisan hack professor whose main purpose is to sell a political party, books or candidates. Which they are very good at what they do. Just for the record only about 15 to 20 percent of the US call themselves liberals. And, only about 10 percent are actually liberals. According to the media (Hannity and the Rushman) over 50 percent of the US are liberals. Go figure!!

  • Leopard1996

    I undestand the “Classical Liberal” is one that doesn’t believe in government control in any matters, much as I also believe as a Libertarian.

    Now if you are trying to insult me, I personally don’t need a Hanniity, Rush, or some professor hack trying to sell books to tell me. I was responding to the comment that you vote for the best Libertarian either Democrat or Republican. And I was curious about that because I have heard many Libertarians stating that they voted for Obama, and I know I could not square that with my own Libertarian leanings.

  • blooch

    And the quote is a troll scalp.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    “Or are you just saying that the GOP should stall at every possible opportunity regardless of any other considerations?”

    YES!!!

    At this point, the BEST PLAN OF ATTACK is to stall into next year.

    STALL EVERY VOTE. Do NOT consent to ANY votes, and do NOT allow unanimous consent. FORCE a 30 HOUR DEBATE MINIMUM ON EVERY AMENDMENT, AND DRAG IT OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

  • lightfootletters

    No insult intended. A classical liberal is a liberal. Except for those that believe if you are called a liberal (by the Rushman) or you hide behind the name liberal (like socialist of the 1920′s) that makes you a liberal. I stay in close touch with the Cato Institute and the Libertarian Party and know of no Libertarians that voted for Obama. There are some that use the name libertarian to hide their true political beliefs just as some use the name liberal. Good discussion. Look foward for more of your comments.

  • DONTREADONME

    at syscom about his speech, he’s officially a joke to most. Be in your building 13:00 12/7 2nd floor building (925) BAE. I think your company used to make soccer cleets?

  • ocleverone

    I don’t think I have any meetings that day – I will check my calendar. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee.

    No cleats but a cool swoosh. :)

  • DONTREADONME

    not meeting with Chales M, but a guy named Joe (kirk) H in the David Ray Conference Room whichever one that is? Just look for the guy with the long hair (red, light red) pulled back, jamie’s the name and if you read my diary about my grandfather’s ship you know my last name.

  • Read Chesterton in New Improved Jersey

    The first Presidential election contested by the Republican party, 1856, was after the collapse of the Whig party.”

    Here’s hoping we, as Republicans, don’t repeat that history. But current leadership seems to be doubling down on the squishy bipartisanship in the face of radical socialism. Should we be making a safety plan? Where is our meeting place in case the house catches fire?

    I don’t take the term “Third Party” literally. I take it as the escape plan for when the Two Parties merge into an indistinguishable blob.