Thursday February 16, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

All sides playing hardball on U.S. health care bill

World Mar. 17, 2010 - 05:04AM JST ( 17 )

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17 Comments

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TheQuestionMar. 17, 2010 - 08:53AM JST

In one corner you have labor unions and Nancy Pelosi in the other you have business interest and an enraged voter base. Who will win? It's anyones game.

And unions are threatening some of those lawmakers to come through for Obama — or pay the price in the fall elections.

Oh the union reps, they're almost adorable now that they don't use lead pipes to do business anymore (at least not most of the time). Considering only about 12% of the workforce is unionized their threats just don't carry the oomph they used to.
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BadseyMar. 17, 2010 - 09:58AM JST

It has been awhile since Obama's SEIU thugs have roughed someone up.
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skipthesongMar. 17, 2010 - 10:25AM JST

Is it normal to pass a bill before its actually read? I'm hearing those dems that are on the fence saying they'll cast their vote "after they've seen it".... I don't get it.

And, why is the student loan take over in this?
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WolfpackMar. 17, 2010 - 10:25AM JST

In actuality, the sides battling it out are the slightly moderate "blue dog" Democrats and the arch-Liberal Pelosi wing of the Democrat party. The Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House. Pelosi is going to do whatever it takes to beat the blue dogs up until she gets the 50% plus one that she needs to foist this budget buster on the American people. Like most Americans, the Republicans - even Liberals like Snow and Collins - are all against this health care scheme because they know it will destroy any hopes of the nation from getting it's fiscal affairs in order.

There has never been this level of partisanship and pure thugerly on such a hugely imporant domestic policy that will literally touch the lives of every citizen. The only thing that can be considered bipartisan about ObamaCare is the bipartisan opposition to it.

I just hope there are enough blue dogs with the courage to stand up to Peloi and Obama's bullying and vote their conscience. The only way that is policy can pass is by subterfuge - and Obama and Pelosi would never let something like the Constitution stand in the way of their ideological extremism.
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chottoMar. 17, 2010 - 10:26AM JST

vote their conscience

and deny people healthcare.

Woohoo.
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Taka313Mar. 17, 2010 - 10:40AM JST

vote their conscience

and deny people healthcare.

Woohoo.

Well when you put it like that...

There's some irony in hoping politicians will vote with their "conscience" to deny healthcare. It's a head scratcher, that's for sure.

Taka
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sailwindMar. 17, 2010 - 11:28AM JST

Democratic leaders are considering using a legislative procedure that would allow them to pass fixes to the Senate bill without taking a direct vote on the underlying legislation. The maneuver is a kind of legislative fig leaf to spare House Democrats from directly voting to approve a Senate bill many of them had bitterly criticized.

Good Gawd....We've gone from Democrats passing bills without actually reading them to passing bills without actually 'voting' on them now.
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RomeoRamenIIMar. 17, 2010 - 01:57PM JST

Democrats had both majorities in the House and Senate. They cannot even get all their democrat members to vote for this bill. That speaks volumes. It says this is a bad bill.
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adaydreamMar. 17, 2010 - 03:01PM JST

Hey RomeoRamenII, you talking about deeming? Isn't it horrible that Nancy Pelosi is considering using deeming to get the bill out of the House and into the Senate.

Something that both parties have used about 20 tomes in 30 years.

Push this bill through. < :-)
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OdogmaMar. 17, 2010 - 03:19PM JST

If the bill is so good and so necessary why are Democrats running from it?

Why does Obama and the party leadership need to bribe the undecided and reluctant?

Why do the Democrats continue to renege on promises that the 2,300 - page monstrosity will be made available online to the public?

Why does White House spokesperson Gibbs evade direct questions about a bill that is supposed to be for the common good and squirm when pressed by ABC or CNN reporters about the 'DemonPass'?

And why, if the bill is so worthwhile, does Speaker Pelosi say of the underhanded reconciliation tactic that she " like[s] it because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill " ?????

Who are these Democrats?

Who do they serve?
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NessieMar. 17, 2010 - 03:22PM JST

If the bill is so good and so necessary why are Democrats running from it?

Because they're in the pocket of big pharma.
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OdogmaMar. 17, 2010 - 03:51PM JST
Because they're in the pocket of big pharma.

'Big pharma' has shareholders to answer to and competitors after the same market share, which makes them of course the scapegoat of choice for the Left.

But if you want to compare pocket depth there is no better source than http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=K01
- - Since 1990 'Big Pharma' has donated 67 million dollars to Democrats, and 112 million to Repubs.
- - Lawyers and legal firms, in the same period, have donated a whopping 786 million dollars to Democrats, and 280 million to Republican candidates...
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skipthesongMar. 17, 2010 - 05:11PM JST

Something that both parties have used about 20 tomes in 30 years." Oh, so you agree with that type of governance?

odogma: guess who's the single largest recipient of those health care lobby funds?

If the bill is so good and so necessary why are Democrats running from it?" Better yet, why aren't they reading it... oh, its still not shown in a cut and dry manner. But aday says he's got a handle on it.
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RomeoRamenIIMar. 17, 2010 - 06:07PM JST

Did democrats read the bill? Apparently not, since Pelosi said: "pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."

The arrogance of the democrats is unbelievable.
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RomeoRamenIIMar. 17, 2010 - 10:51PM JST

Democratic leaders are considering using a legislative procedure that would allow them to pass fixes to the Senate bill without taking a direct vote on the underlying legislation

Isn't Obama suppose to be a expert in Constitutional Law? If so, he would know the Constitution states a bill that includes appropriations must be voted on by both the House and Senate. If the democrats try to do this, it will be overturned as unconstitutional by SCOTUS.
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adaydreamMar. 17, 2010 - 11:54PM JST

Odogma

And why, if the bill is so worthwhile, does Speaker Pelosi say of the underhanded reconciliation tactic that she " like[s] it because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill " ?????

Probably the same reason Newt Ginrich (sp) used it numerous times.

skipthesong

Something that both parties have used about 20 tomes in 30 years." Oh, so you agree with that type of governance?

I guess I do. I bet you would have for those bills that mean that much for you. Guess you'll have to wait till there is a bill that fits this criteria for you. < :-)
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NessieMar. 18, 2010 - 12:18PM JST

Lawyers and legal firms, in the same period, have donated a whopping 786 million dollars to Democrats, and 280 million to Republican candidates...

Odogma, of course they have. Some of these lawyers and legal firms represent big pharma. Lawyers and legal firms are a conduit for money for whatever lobby they happen to work for.

You'll also notice that I never said big pharma didn't donate to Republicans.