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POPSHealth Dems drop Medicare option Asked if Reid explicitly dropped the Medicare plan from the larger health reform bill, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) responded, "That's what it sounded like to me." The about-face leaves liberals steaming that there will be no government-run program to insure the uninsured, as was widely promised. But it was a major victory for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who expressed his concern the plan could further jeopardize Medicare, a federal program which already faces staggering financial problems. "Put me down tonight as encouraged about the direction these talks are going," Lieberman said after Reid caved. On Sunday, Lieberman said he planned to join Republicans in blocking the Democratic health-care plan if it included the Medicare option. Reid did not explicitly acknowledge or deny that he had buckled to Lieberman in stripping the Medicare provisions.
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POPS Senators Dead Meat Bayh, Evan - (D - IN) Class III 131 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5623 Web Form: bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/ Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO) Class III 702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5852 Web Form: bennet.senate.gov/contact/ Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA) Class III 112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3553 Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm Burris, Roland W. - (D - IL) Class III 387 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2854 Web Form: burris.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm Dodd, Christopher J. - (D - CT) Class III 448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2823 Web Form: dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3130 Dorgan, Byron L. - (D - ND) Class III 322 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-2551 Web Form: dorgan.senate.gov/contact/contact_form.cfm
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POPSBlue Dog list Sen. Jon Tester, Montana DC Office Phone Number: 202-224-2644, DC Fax Number: 202-224-8594 Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut DC Office Phone Number: 202-224-4041, DC Fax Number: 202-224-9750 Sen. Mark Begich, Alaska DC Office Phone Number: 202-224-3004, DC Fax Number: 202-224-2354 Sen. Evan Bayh, Indiana DC Office Phone Number: 202-224-5623, DC Fax Number: 202-228-1377 PriceWaterhouseCooper released an independent study of the Senate Finance Committee version of the government takeover of health care bill. The study showed that American family's budgets will be severely impacted by the bill and that health insurance premiums will increase dramatically. You may wish to read the study and use this as supporting documentation when you contact the Senators. Additionally, you may find some these resources helpful as well: Tea Party Patriots Health Care Talking Points Why Is Tea Party Patriots Focusing on Health Care Questions to Ask Your Represen
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POPSWhy does Joe Lieberman oppose healthcare reform? Ask his wife
But her stint at Hill & Knowlton was merely one episode in a professional lifetime devoted to the corporate health sector. For most of the past three decades, Hadassah Lieberman has been employed by either pharmaceutical companies or the lobbying firms that represent them -- starting with nearly a decade in the "public affairs department" at Hoffman-LaRoche from 1972-81, followed by stints at Pfizer, where she spent four years as "director of policy, planning and communications," and APCO Associates, a major lobbying firm where she served as a "senior associate" in its large healthcare division before retiring in 1998. She went back to work when she joined H&K, an outfit that became notorious for its billion-dollar defense of the tobacco industry. Not long after her contract began, Sen. Lieberman introduced legislation vastly extending patent protection for pharmaceutical companies -- notably including GlaxoSmithKline, a top client of his wife's firm.
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POPSClimate Bill ‘Radioactive’ -‘More Controversial Than Health Care’ “People forget what life is in the middle of the country, and I think that’s what we’re trying to talk about.” Reuters: McCain Assails Senate Democrats' Climate Bill (09/29/09) CQ: Senate Floor Action Unlikely Until Next Year (09/29/09) Energy Daily: Dems Worry about Impacts on Economy, Manufacturing, and Employment Back Home (09/30/09) Reuters: Long Road, Little Time for U.S. Climate Bill (09/29/09) AP: Senate Climate Bill Tougher than House Version (09/29/09) Politico: “Bill Dodges Some of the Most Contentious Issues” (09/30/09) Congress Daily: Dem: "I am not committed to cap and trade at this point under any circumstances," (09/30/09) E&E News: Boxer-Kerry Bill Draws “Mixed Reviews” By Senators (09/30/09) Washington Times: Senate Climate Bill Stricter on Emissions (09/29/09) http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=0b023b35-802a-23ad-49da-f4c4f8d823a6&Issue_id=
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POPSIt's time to embrace American royalty About this latest hiring by NBC, Atrios observed: "if only the Villager values of nepotism and torture could be combined somehow." The American Prospect's Adam Serwer quicky noted that they already have been: "Liz Cheney." Liz Cheney is really the perfect face of Washington's political culture, a perfect manifestation of all the rotting diseases that define it and a pure expression of what our country has become and the reasons for its virtual ruin. She should really be on every political TV show all day every day. It's almost as though things can't really be expressed thoroughly without including her. Jenna Bush as a new NBC "reporter" on The Today Show -- at a time when every media outlet is firing and laying off real reporters -- is a very nice addition though.
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POPSURGENT ACTION NEEDED ON HEALTHCARE Take action FAST!! (continues) Louisiana - Landrieu North Carolina - Hagan Indiana - Bayh Connecticut - Lieberman Maine - Snow and Collins The text of the ad will be: “How can Obama care for fifty million new people without more doctors? By cutting access to care for the elderly. End Medicare as we know it. The government decides who gets hip, knee, or heart surgery. Eight month wait for colonoscopies. In Canada, an eight week wait for cancer radiation. Say no to Obama’s plan. Write Senator Evan Bayh today so you can still see your doctor tomorrow.” On Monday or Tuesday, we will e mail you info on how to donate to our campaign. We need to raise $4 million in one week to impact this vote. With those funds, we can saturate these states and send the moderate Democrats scurrying for cover. But we need your quick response. The stakes have never been higher. Thank you.
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POPSAIPAC Bill to Cut-off Oil Products from Iran, Jeapordizes US Economy More
Iran imports 40% of its petroleum products, which AIPAC is leaning on Congress and Obama to cut-off under pretext of "nuclear threat" (hogwash, no evidence of that). See the video and details from the 2009 AIPAC Conference just concluded. Let's imagine the consequences of cutting of oil products from Iran: 1. Iran could reduce supply of crude petroleum to US and others, and get OPEC to agree. Iran controls a large percentage of world supply of crude. 2. Gas prices in the U.S. would skyrocket (again), in this economic war on Iran, in the midst of a severe recession and high unemployment (still growing)! 3. In consequence of #2, all consumer products (that require transportation and fuel) would also skyrocket , causing inflation of prices during recession and unemployment! AIPAC does not care about the U.S. , only the radical Zionist agenda of a "new middle east", and only them with nuclear weapons. Tell Congress NOT to support this legislation!
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POPSEaster Monday "In South Bend, Indiana, the day marks the official beginning to launch the year's political primary campaign season (particularly among Democrats)- often from within the West Side Democratic Club, the M.R. Falcons Club, and local pubs and fraternal halls, where buying drinks is favored over handshaking. Notable politicos who have celebrated Dyngus Day in South Bend include the late Robert F. Kennedy, former Governor Joe Kernan, Senator Evan Bayh, former Congressman John Brademas, former Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Congressman and 9/11 Commission member Timothy J. Roemer, former President Bill Clinton, philanthropist Thomas A. White and Aloysius J. Kromkowski, a long time elected St. Joseph County public servant, for whom the "Al Kromkowski polka" is named."
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POPS8 Dems Oppose Quick Debate On Global Warming Bill Fast-track budget rules were used to enact President George W. Bush's tax cuts and two major budget bills during the Clinton administration, including a 1993 measure that failed to win a single GOP vote. The House and Senate Budget committees are slated to vote on the budget resolution next week, with Senate debate scheduled for the week of March 30. There also has been speculation that the expedited rules could be used to pass a health care overhaul bill, but senior Senate Democrats such as Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., oppose the idea, saying health reform must be enacted on a bipartisan basis. The White House is open to the idea of using the fast-track rules for both global warming and health care. "We would prefer not to start there, but we're not taking anything off the table at this point," White House budget chief Peter Orszag said last week.
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POPSHypocrisy and the Bailout Bill Aren't Republicans supposed to be the fiscal responsible ones? I wonder if politicians ask for this money with a straight face. There must be a clause in these requests that says any excess money goes to the general fund. Earmarks for “the design and construction of a school sidewalk”, “development of an online encyclopedia”, “tattoo removal”?!? This is blatant mis appropriation of funds. The earmark system itself is not the problem. If earmarks are used to put citizens to work and to generate an income source for the benefit of the general population then I’m all for it. What we need is a method of prioritizing earmarks so that frivolous projects don’t get funded. And the system needs to be manned and monitored by civilians immune to the reach of politicians. An alternative solution would be to not tax us so much so there wouldn’t be all this excess money to support tattoo removal.
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POPSSome in Arab World wary of Clinton Our national security issues it seems to me US gov. got noses stuck in everybody's business. Take control over things you can control and not everything that happens around the globe.
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POPSBayh not the guy I, along with many Hoosier supporters of Senator Evan Bayh were disappointed to learn he was not chosen to run as Barack Obama's Vice Presidential candidate this weekend. I wish the best of luck to Sen. Joe Biden whom I personally consider to be a decent choice and a good candidate for the office. His experience in Washington and his foreign relations experience will be an asset to the Obama Administration.
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POPSPotential Obama VP Is Pro-War, Pro-Patriot Act Neo-Con The man who many are tipping to become Barack Obama's running mate is a pro-war, pro-patriot act, Bilderberg member who was an honorary co-chair of the neocon Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, a group that aggressively propagandized for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Ladies and gentlemen - meet Senator Evan Bayh.
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POPSObama's VP Pick Friday? This might lend credence to the possibility that he'll pick Friday, and use the momentum to carry him into the Democratic convention next week.
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POPSHillary Makes Obama's VP Short List Oh gross. If he chooses her he really is as innocent & naive as I think. Of course, he said last week to ignore all the media hype about his VP choices, so I hope this is hype. But then Wesley Clark is equally a wimp. Evan Bayh might be the pick of the litter or Sam Nunn.
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POPS"Vetters" Search For Obama Veep Jones, a Vietnam vet born in Kansas City, MO (swing state alert!), was a career military officer rising to one of the highest posts possible. Being the least known potential veep, it shouldn't be surprising that the vetters have to spend more time on him in their various conversations on the Hill. But the fact that he's being, um, added to the very long short list, is an interesting development. Besides Jones, the other names on the list bandied about with congressional Dems include (and not in any order): Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Evan Bayh, Kathleen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Bill Nelson, Jack Reed, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Tom Daschle, and Sam Nunn. You'll notice a few names NOT on this list (that's not my exclusion -- hint hint). Besides Jones, I'm told the two other names that invited extended discussion were Biden and Strickland. Take this chatter for what it is -- chatter.
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POPSHillary's CUTTING OFF NOSE TO SPITE FACE! Now read this article of more Hillary nose destruction... http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/hillary-clin-10.html Hillary Clinton dissed party activists and MoveOn.org Apparently Hillary Clinton hasn't always been enamored with the rambunctious nature of the historic fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. Speaking to financial backers after Super Tuesday, she blamed the party's activists and MoveOn.org for her early primary and caucus defeats, according to an item over at The Huffington Post. "MoveOn.org endorsed -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," the item quotes Clinton as saying (there's audio on the site).
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POPS The Top Most Influential US Liberals: 1-20 jim webb,george soros,arianna huffington,donna brazile,richard holbrooke,elizabeth edwards,joan blades and wes boyd (founders of moveon.org) round off the top twenty influential liberals in the U.S.
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POPSA WARNING TO THE DEMOCRAT PARTY CORTMEISTER262 is an exemplar of how we democrats feel about our representatives in congress... Like he, we are all sick and tired of the politics this party seems to be playing. This is our lives and our constitution the Lilly-livered politicians are messing around with. As cortmeister262 so angrily states... We need to stop voting them in, if they keep on the same track as republicans... We should all collectively shout... WE WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU AGAIN! OUR VOTE WILL GO TO THOSE WORTHY OF IT... THE BRAVE ONES WHO ARE UNAFRAID TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE CRIMINALS OCCUPYING THE HIGHEST OFFICE. THOSE WHO EXPRESS THE TRUTH LIKE, DENNIS KUCINICH OR RON PAUL. MAYBE THEN THE DESCENT POLITICIANS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN AN ELECTION AND THE TWO PARTIES CAN STOP LAUGHING AND START LISTENING TO THEIR AND OUR WORDS OF WISDOM.