House leadership is looking at passing the Senate HC bill in one step instead of two. Basically since many House members simply don’t want to vote for the Senate bill the Democratic leadership is looking into a procedure called “deem and pass”. Instead of voting on the Senate HC bill and then voting on the reconciliation bill Democrats may use a parliamentary procedure where they “deem” the Senate HCR passed when “pass(ing)” the two bills together. This is done all the time in the House by Democrats and Republicans but like usual Republicans are being hypocritical and saying that the Dems aren’t voting on healthcare. Republicans would have to break 116 years of precedent to taint the procedure. It would be politically “cleaner” to use the two step procedure but the downside is that the Senate might not pass the reconciliation bill and the Senate bill with be law.

If HCR fails these are the people that will define America’s future. Most people are angry and justifiably so but some people want to channel that anger for progress and to make things better. These people are just angry and that’s a big different.

Now let’s all cover this great Beatles song with slightly revised lyrics.

Eleanor Rigby (Lennon/McCartney)

Ah, look at all the angry people
Ah, look at all the angry people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the angry people
Where do they all come from?
All the angry people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?

All the angry people
Where do they all come from?
All the angry people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the angry people
Ah, look at all the angry people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the angry people
Where do they all come from?
All the angry people
Where do they all belong?

274
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javaz
Member

This is an excellent diary from dailykos –

Here’s one of my favorite parts –

“What better way to seize control over your life than seizing control over the decision as to whether you or your loved ones receive life-saving medical treatment or not?

Do you think your political affiliation might eventually play into the decision on whether you get the life-saving medical treatment you need?

Do you think radicals like Van Jones and other far-Left activists will burrow their way into the federal health care bureaucracy, rewarding their friends, while people like you end up in the back of the line?

That’s what usually always happens when politicians are in charge of anything.

They use their power to reward their friends and punish their foes. Why should health care be any different?

Most of the problems with America’s health care system are caused by government.”

Holy crap! They’re going to withhold medical treatment from Republicans! And from white people! White Republicans will be PUNISHED for being white and Republican!!! And now the ugly truth comes out: the problems with our health care system have nothing to do with the fact that insurance is dispensed by giant, for-profit corporations who benefit from denying care to the people who need it most. It’s because of GOVERNMENT!!!

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/18/847386/-The-last-acts-of-a-desperate-partyFREAK-OUT-TIME!!!

nellie
Member

Whenever you hear a right winger accusing the Democrats of doing something — you just KNOW it’s projection. It’s either what the GOP would like to be doing, or something they’re doing already.

SanityNow
Member

…or something that the GOP makes pretensions of wanting to do but only “better” while in reality has no intention whatever of doing. Ever. Like HCR.

javaz
Member

Virginia is threatening to sue the government if HCR is passed and they are not alone –

But Virginia isn’t the only Republican state that is considering lawsuits to combat Democrats’ strategies that

SanityNow
Member

conservative grandstanding, quasi-pure and ultra-simple, not to mention a huge waste of VA taxpayer time and money.

nellie
Member

This is like the Terri Schiavo debacle. In the end, it’s just going to bite the GOP in the ass.

SanityNow
Member

I really think that words like “union” and “indivisible” still confusticate conservatives. I am surprised they haven’t made noises about redacting both of them out of the Pledge.

javaz
Member

Good morning, Nellie.

I hope you are correct but jeepers, the GOP sure have folks wound up with the help of Fox and the likes of Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly et all.

Have spent most of the morning reading mediamatters and the pundits are in a-frenzy, basically calling Obama a Marxist tyrant, and Beck even went as far as to explain that Obama was born a Marxist.

Limbaugh accused Obama yesterday of fighting with Israel to appease the Muslims because Obama is a Muslim.

How do we stop the lies in the media?

Fox and their pundits are a danger to our president and our country and yet they are stronger than ever in spouting their deceptions and hate.

http://mediamatters.org/

nellie
Member

Good morning javaz.

For my part, I think the corporate wing nuts are very loud but have little influence on what happens in our legislature. The people who plug into this kind of hate speech are people who are willing to believe this crazy stuff. They’re in the minority.

The Right Wing is spending a lot of money to saturate the media with trolls, be they highly paid ones like Rush Limbaugh or the pathetic basement dwellers who post on HP. They make a lot of noise, but they’re not changing anything. We never would have gotten single payer — even without the tea party — because too many congresspeople are bought and paid for.

I’ve come to look at Fox and Rush as cover — cover for corporate bought-off legislators so they can put up a front that they’re representing the public. But I don’t think they affect voting or lawmaking. But corporate money in campaigns and lobbying does. I think that’s the real danger.

nellie
Member

We got the CBO score. Right on schedule.

SanityNow
Member

1. CUTS THE DEFICIT Cuts the deficit by $130 billion in the first ten years (2010

nellie
Member

Thank you!

It’s so important to get these facts out.

choicelady
Member

Hi all – Happy What’s Left of St. Patrick’s Day!

I just signed up at FDL and posted – only to see nothing appear. What’s up with them?

Man – they are all whiners just like the bozo I dealt with New Year’s Eve who declared HE had all the answers and set all the standards for everything, and HE was not happy with Obama, oh, boy, no he was NOT, so Obama ought to be very, very worried because HE wrote Obama a letter saying next time HE might not vote.

I’m used now to the whiners at HuffPo, but these folks are special (picture me saying that like the SNL Church Lady).

What seems to be the common denominator here is the EGOTISM of people who know very little. I’ve worked hard for single payer in CA, but I twice have been on a panel with a single payer supporter doctor who knows NOTHING about the federal plan, just that it’s not single payer and so he hates the federal plan. When I asked him what he would say to the millions who will get coverage, he brushed them off as unimportant. He then said we HAD to get single payer and could do it in two months. He and his wife both are physicians and will settle for nothing less than what is ideologically pure. Even if it’s on the backs of uninsured, untreated people. So my question is – what happened to your oath to first do no harm? Throwing under the bus the 87 million who at one time or another during any given year do NOT have health care coverage IS ABSOLUTELY IMMORAL. I dare say I will not be going to HIM for treatment! His wife’s a pediatrician, so I’m not likely to need her, but I am horrified at people who put ideology ahead of the common good.

I am just plain fed up with these attitudes, and I no longer can tell the right from the left.

Grrr!

Chernynkaya
Member

Hear, Hear, C’lady. Testify!

choicelady
Member

Amen, Sister Cher, amen!

Chernynkaya
Member

:mrgreen:

nellie
Member

Am I the only one who feels really good about this congress passing health care? I’ve been listening to whining progressives all day — we’ve been betrayed, we’ve been let down, the leadership has failed, we’ll never get single payer, on and on and on.

All I can think is — “Damn, we got a health care bill passed in just over a year. I never thought we would do it this fast.”

javaz
Member

No, you’re not the only one, nellie!

I am not satisfied with this bill, but I am hoping and praying that it does pass, and I’m with you in believing that it will.

This is a historical moment for our country and I’m glad to be here to witness it.

YES WE CAN and YES WE WILL finally.

addendum : I am so burned out on politics and the fighting and the we vs them attitude from the politicians, MSM and even people I know.

I stopped watching the news except for the weather report, and when I am cruising the Net, I read the articles, but absolutely refuse to read any comments.

I’m tired of it all.

But that doesn’t stop me from hoping and thinking positively, and it certainly does not change my mind about voting Democrat, until something better comes along.

nellie
Member

I don’t like this bill, either, javaz. But when H.R. 3200 came out of the House, and I read everything they had put in that bill, I realized they were serious about passing a reform bill. And since then, I’ve felt confident. Even this stinker of a Senate Bill is a solid start and will change so many people’s lives.

It has been something to watch!

javaz
Member

I’ve read so many articles from so many sites, and we do need to regulate insurance companies, but even if we don’t, the matter will take care of itself.

It’ll take longer to take care of itself, sadly, but it will happen.

The insurance for profit days are numbered, and I truly believe that.

I also believe that within 10 years that we will have single payer.

nellie
Member

That would be great.

escribacat
Member

I really don’t know what’s wrong with those folks, Nellie, except that they all must be well-covered and have no imaginations what it’s like for the rest of us who aren’t.

nellie
Member

Sadly, you might be right about that. All these people are well paid, well heeled, corporately INSURED folks on the radio.

Chernynkaya
Member

E’cat, I also believe they have been getting most of their info from sites like HP and Firedoglake. It’s no wonder that all they see are the downsides. There is a serious lack of intellectual honesty from both the Left and Fux.

escribacat
Member

HP is definitely crawling with the rabid HCR haters. Any more, I can hardly tell whether a lot of these people are leftie extremists or rightie extremists. The only thing that is clear is that they are extremists and they blame Obama for all the country’s ills. I’m starting to get some serious enemies over there, really — all on the far left. I don’t know why those people bug me more than the rightwing trolls do, but I let them really get me worked up.

And yes, a lot of them are posting endless quotes from Jane Hamsher at FDL.

nellie
Member

Sometimes I think it’s just marketing. Marketing from the right and from the site.

Chernynkaya
Member

I’m with you, Nellie! I am just still holding my breath until this is over. I am extremely disappointed in people on the Left who can’t seem to see the forest for the trees. And by Congress, but that has only motivated me more to vote for actual Democrats in upcoming elections–NOT to pout and say, “Not good enough!” and then ensure that the Reptilians regain power!

javaz
Member

No, Cher!

If you hold your breath that long, you’ll turn blue!

And today is the day to GO GREEN!

:mrgreen:

nellie
Member

That’s a profound change of heart, Cher. That takes a lot of soul searching.

I’m such a nut for primaries and primary challengers. Jane Harman has a primary challenger this year — Marci Winograd, who has challenged her before. But Harman’s votes have been really good since Marci got 36% of the votes in the last primary. And she came out early and strong for H.R. 3200. So she has my vote this year in the primary. Last time I voted for Marci.

And I’m going to write her and let her know how her stance on health care translated into a vote.

Chernynkaya
Member

Yes, Nellie, but it happened sort of gradually since I wrote the piece “Kill Bill?” a few months ago. I’ve been commenting this way for a while now.

(I assume that’s what you mean by change of heart?)

nellie
Member

I was going by your post — changing from the “not good enough” frame of mind. I wrestle with that, too — but in the end, I want to move forward, even if it’s slowly.

javaz
Member

What’s so discouraging where we live is that we live in a Red state and even though our district as it stands is blue, it’s an ‘iffy’ thing.
All of our reps are Republicans, yet somehow we’re considered a Democratic district, and I really do not understand that.

I think b’ito lives in a bluer area down in Tucson, but even that area is ‘iffy.’

bito
Member

Watching KO, and it was reported that my rep is “leaning” to vote yes. I think she will!

javaz
Member

I think so, too, b’ito, because I think it’s all political theater.

They’ve got to report on something, besides Tiger Woods and American Idol.

escribacat
Member

Here in Colorado, Michael Bennett isn’t faring too well right now. He has earned my vote by standing up for the P.O. and against the filibuster. His dem challenger is significantly ahead. I don’t know much about the local scene — Bennett seems to have a lot of enemies.

bito
Member

e’cat , NPR, did a short discussion on that race. I have seen Bennett on the floor speaking, I liked him.

escribacat
Member

I like him too, Bito. I plan to vote for him. Of course, I don’t know anything about the other guy, except he might be more to the left of Bennett. I just want to make sure one of the Dems wins!!

choicelady
Member

I do, too, and the idea that at least 18 million people – and e-cat and KQ should be among them – who have no insurance and need immediate care will GET care is something I cannot ignore.

That said – would anyone tackle the issue of how we are leaving out documented and undocumented immigrants? How dreadful, IMHO, to think that anyone present in this nation cannot even BUY insurance! And legally present immigrants pay TAXES, so why are they banned from public programs for FIVE YEARS – what if they are 65? They have to wait til 70 for Medicare? Awful. And short-sighted. And dangerous to the public health. Anyone have an answer or insight?

SueInCa
Member

If they are undocumented immigrants how do they get a social security number? I am not really versed in the immigrant issue, but if they are undocumented and paying taxes wouldn’t ICE be deporting them and wouldn’t they be using a fake ss#? As for documented workers, I am not sure how they were taken out, it was my understanding they were included.

choicelady
Member

Oh it is true they often have phony SS cards, but they pay into the system – sometimes to other citizens’ accounts – and get nothing. In CA undocumented people get NO services other than emergency medical care and school for their kids (who often ARE citzens.) But they add billions – cher is right – to the tax coffers but now cannot even BUY insurance. Mexico offers single payer insurance (think of the irony) to those who are employed within Mexico. However, they SELL insurance for $95 per YEAR to those not employed within the country. The problem? US hospitals won’t take it. We’re working on that.

Legally present immigrants without private insurance cannot access any public program – I believe not even Medicare at 65 – for FIVE years under what I think will emerge. That is in the Senate bill. The House bill let them have coverage, and let undocumented people buy it, but what’s in the final bill, passed either with reconciliation or deem and pass is just not yet clear.

The only good public health measure is to be sure that everyone inside the US has some access to insurance or we’re going to see pandemics like we’ve not experiences since 1918. We will have polio, typhus, whooping cough – on and on because sick people will continue to get sick and be among us. Not everyone who is a citizen will have adequate protection. It’s just stupid. And inhumane. People are people, and the woman who cleans my hotel room matters, the guy who cuts our grass at my office matters, and his kids matter, and his mom matters. We just have taken the YOYO principle – you’re on your own – waaaaay too far. We’ve lost our decency.

Chernynkaya
Member

If there is a pandemic, the Mexican immigrants–even though they are barred from attaining health coverage– will be the first ones blamed. I remember well that POS Lou Dobbs claiming they bring leprosy! Talk about a regressive. Leprosy?!

SueInCa
Member

Not all of us are that bad, but I can see where you are feeling the way you are. I have felt for months like we are on the verge of something really bad. I just hope the many raise up against the few because most of them are on the right but the really bad ones are armed to the teeth. Homeland security better be on the ball.

Chernynkaya
Member

C’Lady and Sue, I am almost finished writing a post about immigration reform, and no, they do not have SS cards. But they pay taxes! Property, sales and some income taxes. The IRS estimates that they contributed 13 Billion in 2009, but I have to check that number.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

nellie
Member

People can already keep their existing health care under the pending bill.

Federal law will trump whatever the Oklahoma legislature decides to dream up.

Seriously — the GOP is turning into a club for the anti-social.

bito
Member

Does this mean no medicare/medicaid, and the funds that go with them?

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

bito
Member

BT, Last I heard they aren’t getting many signatures to put it on the ballot. I will check into it.

javaz
Member
bito
Member

😎 She is quite a conservative Dem. Still haven’t found out about mine Gabby Giffords. I will try to call her office again tomorrow.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

SanityNow
Member

here is an interesting wrinkle I just saw in DailyKos http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/17/847214/-Wheres-the-CBO-Report

“In order to pass the bill by the Easter recess, and avoid any further delays that could sink the bill, the Senate needs to take up the bill next week.

In order for the Senate to take up the reconciliation bill next week, President Obama has to sign the Senate bill into law before he leaves the country for a five day trip on Sunday.

In order for President Obama to sign the bill into law before he leaves the country, the House needs to pass the bill by Saturday night.

And, in order for the House to pass the bill by Saturday night, the CBO needs to release its score of the bill tonight, 72 hours before the House votes.”

Chernynkaya
Member

Or, Obama must cancel the trip if the CBO cannot get it done in time. The trip is not that critical.

SanityNow
Member

at this point, he should forget about the trip.

nellie
Member

Agreed.

nellie
Member

Very interesting timeline — let’s see if the CBO reports out tonight.

Khirad
Member

So, did someone already post this?

SanityNow
Member

nasty people

Chernynkaya
Member

Disgusting people!

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

Chernynkaya
Member

If you are talking about the doctor from your Bill Moyers post, I never said she was! But you didn’t address my questions about what she wants.

Chernynkaya
Member

BT, no, those quotes sound like Firebagger quotes to me. That’s why I said my post was slightly OT.I was responding to the mention of the NE Journal of Medicine.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

Chernynkaya
Member

Ok, point taken. I think she is not a RW doc at all. I do think she is a LW purist. That is not name calling, but a description of her ideology.

Khirad
Member

De facto collaborator in my book.

Chernynkaya
Member

BT, I think my reply didn’t post the first time.

Ok, point taken. I think she is not a RW doc at all. I do think she is a LW purist. That is not name calling, but a description of her ideology.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

Chernynkaya
Member

But the term ideologue– to me anyway, is not derogatory. It means someone who is idealistic; who has ideals.

And I am not entirely disagreeing with her–except for a couple of statements.

But the fact is, we are where we are. Is she advocating we scrap the bill and start over? Is she saying this is not reform? What does she want? What is realistic?

Khirad
Member

Yeah, maybe she’s not a collaborator. Fair’s fair to level with us.

That’s fine.

But then what?

Chernynkaya
Member

Khirad, that’s my question. It’s not enough to simply point out what the bill doesn’t do!

Khirad
Member

In case you missed it:

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201003150057

Well Rush, you called Obama a “Third World President” the other day. No, you’re the leader of the mutinous party dragging us like an anchor and intent on driving us into a shoal – and arming yourselves like the pirates in Libertarian paradise Somalia to “take back your country”; especially after congress passes this law “illegally” – “worse than Watergate“.

Chernynkaya
Member

Thank you Khirad! and since someone asked about what reforms will kick in immediately:

Fact: Numerous benefits from Senate health care bill would “be available in the first year after enactment” of the bill

Senate Democrats note “Immediate Benefits” of health care bill. According to a document put forth by Senate Democrats summarizing the “Immediate Benefits” of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the bill includes numerous benefits that would “be available in the first year after enactment” of the bill. Indeed, WashingtonPost.com blogger Ezra Klein published the following list of benefits that the Senate bill would provide “before 2014”:

1) Eliminating lifetime limits, and cap annual limits, on health-care benefits. In other words, if you get an aggressive cancer and your treatment costs an extraordinary amount, your insurer can’t suddenly remind you that subparagraph 15 limited your yearly expenses to $30,000, and they’re not responsible for anything above that.

2) No more rescissions.

3) Some interim help for people who have preexisting conditions, though the bill does not instantly ban discrimination on preexisting conditions.

4) Requiring insurers to cover preventive care and immunizations.

5) Allowing young adults to stay on their parent’s insurance plan until age 26.

6) Developing uniform coverage documents so people can compare different insurance policies in an apples-to-apples fashion.

7) Forcing insurers to spend 80 percent of all premium dollars on medical care (75 percent in the individual market), thus capping the money that can go toward administration, profits, etc.

8) Creating an appeals process and consumer advocate for insurance customers.

9) Developing a temporary re-insurance program to help early retirees (folks over 55) afford coverage.

10) Creating an internet portal to help people shop for and compare coverage.

11) Miscellaneous administrative simplification stuff.

12) Banning discrimination based on salary (i.e., where a company that’s not self-insured makes only some full-time workers eligible for coverage.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

bito
Member

One form of this deeming provision could provide that when the House votes to approve the special rule for the reconciliation bill (or, alternatively, when the House votes to pass the reconciliation bill), the House is simultaneously considered to have voted for and passed the Senate-passed health care overhaul. In short, the vote on the temporary rule also provides for passage of the Senate-passed health care bill.

SanityNow
Member

it is a sound, logical process that has been used literally hundreds of times. Nothing new or strange here.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

bito
Member

Well, let the Roberts court kill it then.

Chernynkaya
Member

If they deem it unconstitutional, then they should nullify all the Republican legislation that used the procedure retoactively, it seems to me.

SanityNow
Member

and for exactly that reason, the SCOTUS won’t open that Pandora’s Box (imho)

SanityNow
Member

I don’t think it matters what President Obama wants as far as procedure, what matters is that the House and Senate follow its own rules to legally pass any legislation. Reconciliation and Deem & Pass are tried and true methods for passing legislation. I am positive that President Obama would not care how it was passed as long as it was passed legally.

Chernynkaya
Member

Obama called for an up or down vote– meaning reconciliation in the Senate. He said nothing about the House–which has different rules.

That said, let the Republicans try to take it to the Supremes if they want to– the procedure has been used over 100 time before.

nellie
Member

And it amounts to a vote on the senate bill. I don’t blame Pelosi for doing it this way. She doesn’t trust the Senate — and she’s got plenty of history to base that reservation on.

Chernynkaya
Member

Me neither, Nellie. Pelosi is maybe one of the most effective Speakers of all time.

nellie
Member

Yep, love Nancy. She’s really smart.