‘Bipartisan’ US Health Bill Fails To Unify; Diluted Measure Angers Liberal Democrats

[Purveyor]

Source: Financial Times

Centrist Democratic senators introduced their long-awaited “bipartisan” healthcare plan on Wednesday without the public option favoured by President Barack Obama or the support of a single Republican.

The $856bn 10-year bill, which was unveiled by Max Baucus, Democratic chairman of the Senate finance committee, went a long way towards meeting Republican objections after a summer of emotional conservative allegations against healthcare reform.

But Mr Baucus, who had spent months with three leading Republicans trying to hammer out a compromise, was greeted with a unanimous thumbs down. Even Olympia Snowe, the moderate Republican from Maine who seemed most likely to come out in favour, declined to offer a full endorsement.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, said: “This partisan proposal cuts Medicare by nearly a half-trillion dollars, and puts massive new tax burdens on families and small businesses, to create yet another thousand-page, trillion-dollar government programme.”

Mr Baucus was also attacked by liberals on Wednesday for diluting key elements of the bill, both by lowering the cost of the reform from the initial plan of more than $1,000bn and by ditching the controversial “public option”. Mr Baucus’s plan would extend health coverage to 30m Americans.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6cfd501c-a2d3-11de-ba74-00144...

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"Diluted Measure Angers Liberal Democrats"...

Damn straight it does!!!

[bluestateguy]

1. Baucus achieved bipartisanship

All Republicans and most Democrats hate his bill.

[Cleita]

2. He got his. He isn't worried.

Why was he allowed to do this by the rest of the Dems? They effing knew the outcome. Inquiring minds want to know.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

23. Bipartisan...LOL

I was listening to Bill Press this morning and he was pretty upset. I can't say I wholly accept his premise (maybe another thread) but he had a caller that he agreed with that basically said: now that Baucus has had his say can we just smile, pat him on the head and get down to real business which--oh by the way--doesn't include misbegotten efforts to appease the unappeasable.

[sam sarrha]

3. on the news they said it would raise the cost, lower services, F'n ReThuglicans, F'n EVIL SHITS

the guy that presented it didn't even read it.. did the insurance companies write this one too..!!

[Frank Booth]

4. Why, yes, of course they did.

http://healthcare.zdnet.com/?p=2716

[Keepin It Real]

5. WHAT is Baucus up to??

This can not possibly be true!!!! What is this dude doing? Come on Democrats, you are squandering your control! This really has me po'd I don't think we are going to get any thing done.

[FVZA_Colonel]

6. It's hard to imagine even he is dumb enough to push forward with this

after every Republican has rejected it. I mean, even Snow hasn't said she'll support it.

I just don't think this is going to work out, too many Democrats are pissed off now.

[Mithreal]

7. What they are up to. TYT interview Jane Hamsher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CQDppuqbo8

[fasttense]

11. According to TYT and Jane Hamsher it's a fight for lobbyist's money.

So, Rahm, with Obama's approval, cuts a deal with the health care insurance corporations to suck up their lobbyist's money and in exchange, we DON'T get any real health care reform.

Because that will make all the money flow to Republicons and the WH thinks they will lose the Democratic majority in congress, like what happened under Clinton, if the lobbyist's money goes to Republicons. This is the same reason Obama gave away our tax dollars to bank/Wall Street/Insurance firms as a bailout.

Here is what the REAL problems is: The American people are too easily manipulated by propaganda and advertising.

The money from lobbyists goes to campaign coffers that buy up ad time and space. If Americans did NOT let themselves believe every little crappy lie on TV, radio and newspapers, all the lobbyist's money in the world would NOT matter. If the American people actually reasoned out the real arguments, then all the ads would be useless.

[sam sarrha]

13. MAX WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Baucus

[Mithreal]

8. If we had any say, Max would be stripped of leadership. nt

[grahamhgreen]

9. No PAY OR PUNISH CRAPSURANCE! Scuttle these crap blls and go back to single payer,

[mbperrin]

14. Yes! Single payer universal is the only delivery system for maximum care

at minimum cost, especially once the initial backlog of untreated symptoms is dealt with, and preventive care becomes the norm.

Never mind the actual benefits of a healthy population unworried and unburdened by life-ending medical debts....

[Iowa]

10. Good! This "bipartisan" piece of crap was a waste of everyone's time.

Bipartisanship is a wimpy strategy that needs to be tossed like yesterday's trash. Politics is an adversarial business. It's not a game for sissies, even though our side is comprised of far too many of them.

[Jim Lane]

12. And that's the bright side

This "Gang of Six" process may have wasted a certain amount of time of Grassley, Enzi, and Snowe, who otherwise might have been doing something actively harmful, instead of merely pointless.

[sam sarrha]

15. here is info on that piece of shit Max-Baucus ,, cant stand his face..EITHER ONE OF THEM>>LINK>>

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Max-Baucus-Should-Not -...

Here’s why Baucus is not doing the peoples business:

According to OpenSecrets.org over his career he has taken donations from:

The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313

Health Professionals $1,016,276

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry $734,605

Hospitals/Nursing Homes $541,891

Health Services/HMOs $439,700

IF THAT ISN'T CONFLICT OF INTEREST.. I DONT KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scentopine]

16. "centrist" is today's word...

The sentence -

Cowardly and unprincipled corporate boot-licking whores hoping to bag a corner office and lifetime salary at a Fortune 500 insurance company introduced their long-awaited “bipartisan” healthcare plan on Wednesday without the public option...

could be perceived as being politically incorrect. In this case it is perfectly acceptable to use the phrase "centrist Democratic senators". This brings economy to the message without changing its meaning. Here is an example:

Centrist Democratic senators introduced their long-awaited “bipartisan” healthcare plan on Wednesday without the public option...

[Alcibiades]

17. He negotiated meaningful health care reform away

and yet has gotten not one single vote for it. Baucus claims that Republicans will vote for it once it becomes "inevitable." Really? They didn't vote for the Paulson-Bernanke bailout, and they had even promised to do so. If they say they are not going to vote for it, they will not be jumping on the bandwagon.

Meanwhile, everything he gave them as a gift will be in the bill that goes to reconciliation. This bill would be worse than no bill, especially since its solution to the problem of the uninsured is to fine the uninsured!

[The Stranger]

18. Fuck the Republicans. Pass health care along party lines.

Shove it up their asses and down their throats.

Show them what happens when they play difficult.

[on point]

19. Mandatory Insurance without Public Option won't work

Start the meme!

A plan that requires mandatory insurance, whiteout providing a public option for that insurance is not workable and is no choice at all. It will simply mean the health companies can drive up insurance costs and you will be forced to pay it.

[alarimer]

20. Clearly it is the Democrats who sell us out more than any Republicans.

We know the Republicans are useless but it is the Democrats who betray their voters (liberals, progressives like us) EVERY SINGLE TIME. Time to send messages to Congress and the President that if they expect to be reelected, they had better start doing WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT. Otherwise real progressives will run in the primaries against all of them.

[scentopine]

24. You are correct. We are chumps. Why do we do it...? - nt

[Kolesar]

21. Senator Baucus when he was young

[fascisthunter]

22. I will Not be Supporting any moderate Dem

as far as I'm concerned the word moderate means right leaning according to the way these so-called "moderate's" actions. They are not working in the best interests of the common man and woman. They are corporate shills...