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POPSHealth-care bill lets both parties down The winner is the insurance industry, as anybody who's been watching Washington for a while knew months ago. Just follow the money. The insurance lobby spent far more than any other during the shaping of this disaster, but now they don't look like the bad guys who blocked health care reform. It's a perfect victory for them. Reform passed, goes the headline, but quietly the insurance industry is better off than ever, while the initial problem this legislation was supposed to solve is left unsolved. Ours is a dying empire. Get yourself ready.
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POPSMandatory Provision of Health Care Bill is Authoritarian, Unconstitutional Both liberals and conservatives are challenging its Constitutionality. To claim to "provide health insurance for thousands of Americans", by simply making it mandatory and threatening a fine (as the Senate bill does) is not a "public service", but tyranny. Listen to this powerful argument, from the left (David Swanson) : The Constitution provides Congress with certain enumerated powers in Article I and explicitly leaves all other powers to the states or the people in the 10th Amendment. So, the constitutional question, for those who still care whether laws are constitutional, is whether the power to force you to buy a horrible product you do not want from a disreputable monopolistic corporation that pays regular bribes to your elected representatives in the form of campaign "contributions" is specifically listed anywhere in Article I. Great point, is it not?
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POPSSenate passes healthcare overhaul This victory is mandatory step for creating more just and prosperous society. And public option is still not "off the table". So common sense is always "prevailing" in the final end...
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POPSHealth Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges “I don’t believe Congress has the legal or moral authority to force this mandate on its citizens,” Ensign said in a statement, raising what’s known as a “constitutional point of order.” Such procedural challenges are rare and typically lead to a vote. The non-profit Fund for Personal Liberty, as well as a Virginia-based group called the 10th Amendment Foundation, already have threatened to file suit in federal court over this issue if the health care bill passes. The Constitution allows Congress to tax, borrow, spend, declare war, raise an army and regulate commerce, among other things. Proponents of the insurance mandate point to the Commerce Clause in arguing that Congress is within its rights to require health insurance and dismiss such potential legal challenges. But foes say the across-the-board requirement is too broad.
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POPSWishing Nevadans A Merry Christmas With A Smile on His Face And A Knife in Our Backs
business leaders, and healthcare professionals, the Senate majority seems intent on cramming this monstrosity down the American people’s throats.” “Under no circumstances did I have anything to do with Senator Nelson’s compromise,” Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman said in a written statement. “The responsibility for this special deal lies solely on the shoulders of Senator Ben Nelson.” Heineman urged Nelson to reconsider his support for the overall health care bill and said his state expects “a fair deal, not a special deal. Governors all across America are troubled by this unfunded Medicaid mandate. If the U.S. Senate plans to address the unfunded mandates issue, all states must receive fair and equal treatment.” (Nebraska governor to Ben Nelson: Kill the bill http://bit.ly/4RZgZp) According to a newspaper reporter, even Senator John McCain called Reid’s deals, “Bernie Madoff gimmicks.” Senator Reid himself admitted he had “taken care of” enough senators when he was quoted
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POPSDo you trust Harry Reid? This section of the bill sounds like it is taking away the power of future congressional leaders to change the healthcare bill. I don't care if there are death panels or not, placing restrictions on future legislative action seems short sighted and scary to me.
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POPS “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Senate Republicans should have been shouting those two words on the Senate floor early and often from the moment this bill was considered, instead of the complete silence we have heard " other than to constantly agree to conduct business through unanimous consent. Here are just a few ways those words can (and should) be used in a very effective way: The rules of the Senate require that a quorum be present to transact business. A quorum is 51 Senators. In most instances, outside of roll call votes, there are no more than 4 Senators on the Senate floor. If a Republican Senator suggested the absence of a quorum, Democrats could not transact business on the bill. When the Democrats ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with, the Republican should immediately shout “I object.” The healthcare bill violates 425(a)(2) of the Budget Act, which prohibits consideration of any legislation that contains an unfunded intergovernmental mandate
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POPSTop Communist Sam Webb on the Healthcare Struggle Employee Free Choice, climate change legislation, immigration reform, and other key battles. Some left and progressive people dismiss this danger, but politics is not only about passing laws, as important as that is " it is also about gaining and maintaining the initiative, building on victories no matter how small, and expanding the breadth and depth of the coalition at every opportunity. It’s higher math, not elementary addition and subtraction. The health care reform fight is not over, of course, since the Senate has yet to act and the balance of power is less favorable there. Still, the House vote gives fresh impetus to the broader movement to bring its weight to bear on Senate deliberations and then on to the reconciliation process where the bill can be improved, including through deletion of toxic elements like the Stupak amendment that would curtail access to abortions.
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POPSDecent people who feel forgotten If there had been a donation of a dollar every time someone referred to the heroes as such, they would probably have enough for the medical expenses. But never would there be enough to compensate them.
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POPSOwens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in First Hour in Congress Mr. Owens also indicated during his campaign that he was firmly opposed to cutting Medicare benefits, taxing health care benefits, and increased taxes on the middle class in any way as you can see clearly in the screenshot taken directly from Mr. Owens' campaign website. http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/images/stories/2009/11/06/oewns-screenshot.jpg The House Health reform bill contains sections that cut Medicare benefits, tax existing health care benefits, and increases taxes on the middle class, yet Mr. Owens stated today that he will now vote in favor of those things contrary to what he had promised the voters of NY's 23rd Congressional District that he would vote against. Mr. Owens indicated in his press release today that "This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction.....
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POPSAnother Republican says health care reform will destroy America. Rep. Broun, that is. Right -- if a liberal like Grayson calls out Republicans (who have no health care plan), they get their freak on. But I guess they have already been immunized to conservative insanity. Oh, and we have Rep. Gohmert saying this: Dems Would Allow Seniors To "Die Off More Quickly" This is standard conservative behavior that never gets mentioned by the media. It only comes up when a liberal is attacked and then they spend 24-48 hours to defend themselves and are forced to use these outrageous statement made by Republicans. And of course they have no traction, because of the defensive position the media puts liberals in.
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