Posted: 1/17/2010 2:32:43 PM EDT
|
BOSTON — A panicky White House and Democratic allies scrambled Sunday for a plan to salvage their hard-fought health care package in case a Republican wins Tuesday's Senate race in Massachusetts, which would enable the GOP to block further Senate action.
The likeliest scenario would require persuading House Democrats to accept a bill the Senate passed last month, despite their objections to several parts. Aides worked frantically Sunday amid fears that Republican Scott Brown will defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in the special election to fill the late Edward M. Kennedy's seat. A Brown win would give the GOP 41 Senate votes, enough to filibuster and block final passage of the House-Senate compromise on health care now being crafted. House Democrats, especially liberals, viewed those compromises as vital because they view the Senate-passed version as doing too little to help working families. Under the Senate bill, 94 percent of Americans would be covered, compared to 96 precent in the House version. The House plan would increase taxes on millionaires while the Senate plan would tax so-called Cadillac, high-cost health insurance plans enjoyed by many corporate executives as well as some union members. The House passed its own version last year, and members assumed it would be reconciled with the Senate bill and then sent back to both chambers for final approval by the narrowest of margins. A GOP win in Massachusetts on Tuesday would likely kill that plan, because Republicans could block Senate action on the reconciled bill. The newly discussed fallback would require House Democrats to swallow hard and approve the Senate-passed bill without changes. President Barack Obama could sign it into law without another Senate vote needed. House leaders presumably would urge the Senate to make some changes later under a complex plan requiring only a simple majority, but it's unclear whether that could happen. Story continues below The plan is highly problematic. House liberals already are bristling over changes the Senate forced upon them earlier, and some may conclude that no bill is better than the Senate bill. Meanwhile, some moderate Democrats may abandon the health bill altogether after seeing a Republican win Kennedy's seat in strongly Democratic Massachusetts. Republican activists openly scoffed at the notion of Democrats passing the highly contentious health package after a GOP takeover of Kennedy's Senate seat. But some Democrats said failure to pass a health bill will cripple their ability to tell voters this November that they accomplished anything with their control of the House, Senate and White House. "The simplest way is the House route," a White House aide said Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because Democrats have not conceded the race to Brown. If Coakley wins, final passage of a House-Senate compromise is not guaranteed but seems likely. But even as Obama campaigned for Coakley in Boston Sunday, top aides furiously weighed options if she loses. They include: _Acting before Brown is sworn in. Congressional and White House negoatiators could try to reconcile the House and Senate bills quickly and pass them before Brown takes office. A firestorm of criticism would follow, but some Democrats say it would be better than having no bill. _Seeking a Republican to cast the crucial 60th Senate vote. Some Democrats hope Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, might do this, but others seriously doubt it. _Start over and pass a new, scaled back health bill using a complicated process that requires a simple majority of 51 Senate votes. Several Senate aides said this was unlikely. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly ruled out a House vote on the Senate's version, and privately, officials have raised concerns about asking the rank and file to vote on legislation containing provisions that might prove problematic in the midterm elections. As an example, the Senate-passed measure exempts self-insured insurance plans from many of the steps Democrats say are essential to curb insurance industry abuses. By one estimate, as many as 100 million individuals are covered under such plans. It was unclear how the negotiators at the White House in recent days have resolved that issue. Additionally, House Democrats in last week's talks pushed for additional subsidies for lower-income individuals and families who would be required to buy insurance under the measure that cleared the Senate. Several Democrats familiar with the talks said Obama had agreed with this point of view, and changes had been made accordingly. ___ Associated Press writers David Espo and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report. |
|
If I were a moderate Democrat I would consider that the people of a state that has had experience with mandated healthcare are on the verge of flipping a Senate seat that has been Democrat since at least 1952. I would examine the opinions of the people of MA regarding state sponsored healthcare (largely negative), the fact that the cost has risen more than 2 billion over initial projections (surprise) and that premiums have increased a reported 20%.
If I still decided to support Obamacare I would dust off my resume and start lining up another way to put soup in the pot. |
|
Quoted:
On the plus side...if passed...it doesn't take actual effect until 2013. So there would still be a glimmer of hope....however small that might be. Even if it does, i've read dozens of reports stating that people are lined up to sue the fedgov over it. They may be able to make it law, but not for long. |
|
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: What keeps the dem's from contesting the election, like they did the al franklin election, and just keep the sitting senator in place? Because the sitting senator is dead. I thought they had appointed a temp senator? I guess they did, I didn't know that. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What keeps the dem's from contesting the election, like they did the al franklin election, and just keep the sitting senator in place? Because the sitting senator is dead. I thought they had appointed a temp senator? http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/17/can-paul-kirk-cast-the-60th-vote-for-obamacare/ But based on Massachusetts law, Senate precedent, and the U.S. Constitution, Republican attorneys said Kirk will no longer be a senator after election day, period. Brown meets the age, citizenship, and residency requirements in the Constitution to qualify for the Senate. “Qualification” does not require state “certification,” the lawyers said. /end After Tuesday, regardless of who the winner is, Kirk can no longer vote. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Fuck the fascist fucks. America does not want this mongolian cluster fuck. Calling this steaming pile of yeast infected queef of a bill mongolian is an insult to Mongols. yeah, the Mongolians are big on self reliance. I would like to appologize to any Mongolians that I offended by compairing them to the low life facist fucks in the obunghole administration. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What keeps the dem's from contesting the election, like they did the al franklin election, and just keep the sitting senator in place? Because the sitting senator is dead. Someone hasn't been paying attention, have they. 
I guess I have been paying attention. http://kirk.senate.gov/ |
|
I called this option of avoiding a Senate vote by having the House simply adopt the Senate version, a few days ago. The prob will be counting the Dem votes in the house. As the article said, moderates are scared of their constituency right now. Even someone as rock solid as Sen Ben Nelson from Neb, got booed out a pizza joint a week ago and now Ted Kennedy's seat is falling over, a Democrat pawn doesn't stand a chance of being reelected. The moderate Dems are just now realizing that they've been fed a line of BS by the folks they surround themselves with. They are just now realizing the real people are pissed. The problem is. If they think its already too late, they might vote for the healthcare bill in exchange for a parachute deal, i.e. a federal busy-work job. All in all though, it is a joyous turn of events. The once impregnable-looking Socialist Obama machine has proven that they are vulnerable. The more cheesy the political trickery to pass HC, the worse price they pay. Scott Brown - the Scott heard round the world.  |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What keeps the dem's from contesting the election, like they did the al franklin election, and just keep the sitting senator in place? Because the sitting senator is dead. I thought they had appointed a temp senator? http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/17/can-paul-kirk-cast-the-60th-vote-for-obamacare/ But based on Massachusetts law, Senate precedent, and the U.S. Constitution, Republican attorneys said Kirk will no longer be a senator after election day, period. Brown meets the age, citizenship, and residency requirements in the Constitution to qualify for the Senate. “Qualification” does not require state “certification,” the lawyers said. /end After Tuesday, regardless of who the winner is, Kirk can no longer vote. RarestRX Thanks! That's the answer to my question.I'm sure the dem's will try to do a end run around it but it looks good for our side. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Incumbant Democrats take heed. This could be worse than 1994 for them.  Oh, please please please please please!!!  Gee and I thought the Republican Party was DOA. The republican party really isn't doing shit, individual candidates are and the Dems are picking up the slack in their own. |
|
Quoted:
Regardless of who wins in MA, this has already sent a direct and clear message to the Democratic Party that they are on notice. Expect alot of caution on future legislation, including Cap and Trade, banking regulation and so forth. yeah, like they obviously care what the peons think. 
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
The republican party really isn't doing shit, individual candidates are and the Dems are picking up the slack in their own. QFT. This is grass roots, people are fed the fuck up. It's not a question of political parties anymore. That's the way Washington wanted it.  
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
The republican party really isn't doing shit, individual candidates are and the Dems are picking up the slack in their own. QFT. This is grass roots, people are fed the fuck up. It's not a question of political parties anymore. I agree 100%. And the republicans aren't doing shit so that they can use this while campaigning. They will be running on platforms saying how the 'rats shoved this down our throats (and they did) but I seriously doubt that any of the 'cans pulled any of the 'rats aside and asked them if they really put any thought into what the people of this great nation want. It is all about them and not about us. The 'rats don't care if they get re-elected or not. They are all wealthy beyond our comprehension, have pensions and great healthcare for life. The ones that don't get re-elected will either end up sucking off the government tit somewhere else or end up in some cush d.c. job. Wait and see where harry reid ends up when/if he loses. |
|
i find this extremely ironic and somewhat a good source of proof they are all corrupt. the people of the area are already speaking out with the current polls that brown has an awesome chance. and WHEN he wins, it will be ironic b/c they will not CARE what the people want, but they will care for what THEY want , not to loose the power, and come up with all sorts of shit (like they are trying to do now with all the rallying) LET the people speak, sit down and shut the fuck up. a president and his party members rallying around a senate seat election is highly un-American in my eyes. they are trying to influence a vote instead of just taking what the people want . |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What keeps the dem's from contesting the election, like they did the al franklin election, and just keep the sitting senator in place? Because the sitting senator is dead. And may he rot in hell.... He hasn't had a drink in several months now........ |
|
Here's a transcript of Scott Brown's remarks, as prepared for delivery, at today's rally in Worcester:
Thank you very much. What a privilege it is to share the stage with John Ratzenberger, Lenny Clarke, Doug Flutie, Curt Schilling, Fred Smerlas, Steve DeOssie, and many, many others - and my favorite singer, Ayla Brown. As you know, Curt Schilling made the news just a couple of days ago when my opponent didn’t recognize his name. Of all the many false accusations she’s made in this campaign, one of the strangest was to call Curt Schilling a Yankee fan. Let me properly identify the guy she’s been smearing on the radio: His name is Curt Schilling, formerly of the World Champion Red Sox - you know, a baseball team that plays at Fenway Park. Doug Flutie, what can I say, great guy, great career, and I am proud you are here. John Ratzenberger, a wonderful actor, you brought a lot of laughs to us during your many years with Cheers. Fred and Steve, you are legends and good friends. Ayla, thank you for again sharing your beautiful voice. Millions have seen her on national TV, and going through this campaign I’ve got an idea of what Ayla went through on “American Idol.” She had to deal with Simon Cowell, and I had to deal with David Gergen. Our campaign is going strong, and the finish line is in sight. The day of decision is almost here. The whole nation is watching, but the choice on Election Day belongs to you and no one else. Friends and fellow citizens, I’m Scott Brown, I’m from Wrentham, I drive a truck and I’m asking for your vote. When we started this campaign just a few months ago, the political machine wrote us off. A Senate seat in Massachusetts, we were told, was already spoken for – and this special election was just a minor detail that wouldn’t get in the way. The political machine already had a short-term placeholder in the Senate. Now all they needed was a long-term placeholder, and everything had been arranged. Well, there was just one little problem with that plan – the independent-thinking people of Massachusetts wanted a real choice, and they – and you –– have made this a real contest. The voters are doing their own thinking, and the machine politicians don’t quite know how to react. So they put in a distress call to Washington, and the next thing you know, Air Force One is landing at Logan. My first response is very simple: Democrat or Republican, the president of the United States is always welcome in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Now, it wasn’t exactly a scheduled visit. Sort of a last-minute thing. The political machine controlled that Senate, he was told, and it was going to stay that way. Well, the party bosses gave the president some bad information. This Senate seat belongs to no one person and no one political party – it belongs to the people of Massachusetts. Maybe they also told President Obama that I had no chance at all. After all, who ever heard of guy from Wrentham getting elected to the U.S. Senate? But as the president might remember, upsets like that have been known to happen. The president may recall as well how much he used to talk about a new kind of politics – about campaigns based on conviction, instead of just false and small-minded negative ads. Well, as long as he’s paying a visit, he might want to talk to Martha about that. Not only are her ads negative, they are malicious. How quickly the politics of hope have become replaced by the politics of desperation. Shame on Martha. Before the president rushed to the scene, we saw my opponent standing with a former president, the governor, the senior senator, the appointed senator – the whole party establishment, right on down the line. At the beginning, it felt like me against the machine. But guess what? I was wrong. It’s us against the machine. I don’t need an establishment to prop me up. I stand before you as the proud candidate of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents across Massachusetts, north and south, east and west. The party machine is in high gear for my opponent. The establishment is afraid of losing their Senate seat. You can all remind them that this is not their seat, it is yours. Should I have the honor of representing our state in Washington, D.C., I will serve no faction but Massachusetts. I will pursue no agenda but what is right. I will be nobody’s senator but yours. One of the great advantages of being independent is that you meet voters of every kind. And you learn what people are really thinking about the big issues facing our state and our country. The political experts are still wondering how this little campaign of ours grew so fast and gathered so much strength and momentum. The reason is simple. We do not want a senator whose only question on health care is to ask Harry Reid, “How do you want me to vote?” Massachusetts wants real reform, and not this trillion-dollar Obama health care bill being forced on the American people. This bill would raise taxes. It would cut Medicare by half a trillion dollars. It would be unfair to our veterans. It would destroy jobs, and run our nation deeper into debt. It is not in the interest of our state or country – and as your senator, I will insist we start over. I will work in the Senate to reform health care in the right way, the honest way. No more closed-door meetings behind the scenes. No more arrogant party leadership. We can do better, and as the 41st senator I’ll make sure of it. In health care, we need to start fresh, work together, and do the job right. On the question of taxes, my opponent this week endorsed yet another tax increase. She summed up her whole approach by saying, quote, “We need to get taxes up.” She has it exactly wrong: We need to get job creation up, and taxes down. I will work in the Senate to put government back on the side of people who create jobs – and as John F. Kennedy taught us, that starts with a tax cut for the American people. As a lieutenant colonel and 30-year member of the Army National Guard, I will keep faith with all who serve, and with our veterans, too. I will work in the Senate to defend our nation’s interests and to keep our military second to none. In our debate, my opponent insisted that there are no longer any terrorists in Afghanistan. Maybe the president can pull her aside today and explain the basics: There are still many terrorists in Afghanistan, Martha! They are at war with the United States, and for the safety of this nation we must defeat them As an attorney, I believe that our Constitution and laws exist to protect this nation – they do not grant rights and privileges to enemies in wartime. In dealing with terrorists, our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop them, not lawyers to defend them. Raising taxes, taking over our health care, and giving new rights to terrorists is the agenda of a new establishment in Washington. And they think you’re on board with all of it. They think they own your vote. They’re sure they can’t lose. But on Election Day, the Bay State will set them straight. We are witnesses, you and I, to something historic. We have run a race never to be forgotten. We are in a cause that deserves all that we can give it. In these final forty-eight hours, let us see it through to victory. All along, I have counted on the goodwill and support of independent-minded people like you, and never more than right now. I ask for any help you can give, and above all for the honor of your vote. In return, I make this pledge to you and to every citizen of Massachusetts: If I am entrusted with the people’s seat, I will give everything that is in me to be a good and faithful senator, and to make you proud. Thank you all very much. |
| I've found that I have far more respect for those who have served in the military for lengthy periods of time who then go on to run for a government position. Even if they just held a desk job, that's fine. It shows a sort of commitment to the country in one way or another. |