Senator Ben Nelson is the latest member of Congress to sign on to Harry Reid’s suicide pact on healthcare and the final vote needed to achieve a vote on cloture. Nelson’s constituents are opposed to the current healthcare bill by a factor of two to one and in a recent poll, 61% said that they would vote against Ben Nelson in the 2012 election if he voted for the healthcare bill.
Ben Nelson had made many eloquent speeches that he could not support a bill that did not have iron clad protections against the use of public funds for abortion. He argued that the Hyde Amendment did not offer enough protection because it would not prevent federal subsidies from being used to purchase healthcare policies that included coverage for abortion. I am not even sure why abortion has become an issue; even pro-choice advocates should be able to admit that abortion is not a bona fide healthcare issue unless there are specific circumstances. In fact, if pre-choice advocates had an ounce of integrity, they should argue that real choice begins with prevention and focus on that. We must realize that abortion is an issue where compromise is impossible but I would gamble to say that the members of Congress that oppose abortion on moral grounds would have no problem including funds and coverage to prevent contraception to avoid the quagmire of publically funded abortion.
Abortions in the case of rape or to preserve the life of the mother are not in question and have never been excluded. While abortion is a medical procedure, just the title “pro-choice” says it is an elective procedure so unless pro-choice advocates are saying that hair weaves, breast implants and plastic surgery should be covered in a healthcare policy as well, they should drop the issue and let those that “choose” to have an abortion find a way to pay for it the same way those that “choose” these other elective procedures do.
Unfortunately, for those that supported Ben Nelson’s stance on abortion, Ben Nelson, the man-whore, belongs to the same Senate brothel that his colleague Mary Landrieu does (Hi Mary). Even Bernie Sanders, the self proclaimed socialist Senator from Vermont, gave up his demand for a single payer system in exchange for $10 billion dollars for community based health centers that will be written into the bill. Since Sanders is such a dawdling old fool I don’t think we can actually charge him with prostitution. In his case, I am guessing he just wanted to end the negotiations so he could slip into a fresh diaper. Nelson, on the other hand, prostituted himself as shamelessly as Mary Landrieu did; perhaps worse. After all, Mary Landrieu’s opposition to the bill was economic while Nelson claimed moral superiority on the issue of abortion and in the end; no one respects anyone that would place their morality up for sale.
Ignoring the demands of his fellow Nebraskans, Ben Nelson announced Saturday that he would support the current Senate healthcare bill after achieving major concessions from Sentate Pimp, Harry Reid, that would exempt Nebraska from the rise in the state share of Medicaid costs. These costs are expected to increase dramatically after 2016 as a result of healthcare reform. Louisiana’s exclusion from those increases will expire within a few years but Nelson’s deal has the Federal government picking up the tab for Nebraska’s share of the costs in perpetuity. All other states will see their Medicaid burden increase beginning in 2016 as a direct result of the passage of this bill and while they may still pass this monstrosity now, don’t think for a moment that Senators from each state will not demand similar relief as the timeline for the implementation marches forward.
Senator Tom Harkin not only intimated that Iowa would in fact, seek the same deal as 2016 draws near but in a bid to keep progressives on board after the loss of the public option, Harkin pleaded for patience saying this is a work in progress. He cautioned that the bill may not be a mansion, but is rather a starter home with plenty of room for future expansion. Harkin’s statement exposes the lie in the President’s assurances that this bill is not a Trojan Horse that will lead to a single payer European style healthcare system when in fact, that is exactly what Progressive Democrats are planning.
The other big lie is on the issue of budget neutrality. The bill is only budget neutral to the Federal government as much of the real costs of care are shifted to the States, deepening their budget issues. Think about it…the deal Mary Landrieu received for her vote only provides a relief from those increases for a few years yet she claims the benefit for her state is a whopping $300 million dollars. If a small state like Louisiana can save $100 million a year in this deal, what will the cost be to more populace states? Better still, where will they get the money from? There will be state tax increases on everyone to cover the gap and that is a guarantee. So; as long as we are talking about lies, here is a good question. If the President’s policies intentionally shift major costs to the states, forcing them to cut services and raise taxes for everyone, is that not an Obama middle class tax increase by proxy?
The CBO estimated price tag for this mess kept going down every time it was scored; even as Reid promised billions upon billions to gain the votes he needed for passage. The only way that could happen is if they are shifting these concessions out of the healthcare bill and plan to hide the expenses as earmarks in other pieces of legislation. I hate to be so blunt, but five pounds of crap is still five pounds of crap even if you put it in ten different bags.
Any fool can see that this entire process has been corrupt from the start and has gotten worse with each passing day. The promises Obama made during his campaign that the debates on healthcare would be viewed on C-Span have vanished as the process disappeared behind closed doors. At first it was only the Republicans that were barred from negotiation sessions then curiously, all but a handful of Democrats were barred from the discussions as well. In the end, Harry Reid, his staff and White House personnel have been writing the bill and although the final vote is still expected before the Christmas break, the people that will vote on it have no idea what changes have been made or when they will even see the completed bill.
What we do know is that when outright bribery could not buy the needed support, the evil emperor resorted to extortion and intimidation. As Senator Lieberman wavered in his support for the bill, he suddenly found his wife Hadassah under attack as the liberal machine set their sights on her. Jane Hamsher, liberal pit bull and founder of Firedoglake.blog, demanded that she be fired from her work to support breast cancer research as the Ambassador to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation claiming she has troublesome ties to the healthcare industry. Of course everyone denies that the attacks have anything to do with forcing Joe Lieberman’s hand but isn’t it curious that the assault began the same day that Joe said he couldn’t support a bill that contains a public option?
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) knows firsthand how DC politics have taken a Chicago twist. “Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother,” Obama told DeFazio during a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, according to other members. About the only thing missing from that exchange was Luca Brazzi sporting a roll of piano wire. DeFazio maybe a progressive Democrat but for DeFazio, it is still a matter of beliefs. He will not support issues that are not consistent with his ideology regardless of the pressure brought to bear. When they yell, he simply yells back.
Before Ben Nelson caved on healthcare, the White House reportedly threatened to place an Air Force base in Nebraska on the closure list if he didn’t play ball. The base they threatened was not just any base, it was Offutt Air Force Base, a major asset in the strategic command network and vital to American national security. This was the base that secured President Bush during the brief period when the origin and scope of the 9-11 attacks were still unknown. If this is true, it represents a mindset so misguided that it would place politics ahead of national security. Is a victory on healthcare so important to the President that all other consideration are secondary, even the ability to defend our country?
Nelson was also told, as I am sure others were, if he voted against the Senate Healthcare Bill he would never get another piece of legislation through that body. What is going on here? This is no longer a Republic; at least not in the true sense of the word. I have often charged that “Progressive” is actually a code word for American Marxism. If you look at their ideology and litany of issues, it is a summary of Karl Marx’s writings. The only difference between Progressive Democrats and true Marxists is that the Marxists prefer radical change through revolution where the Progressives believe they can bring about the same changes through manipulation of the legislative process. Apparently they are right because each successive year brings us closer to the final plunge into the socialist abyss.
I warn you, my friends; if we do not return to the Constitution as it was written and contain the monster that the Federal government has become, there will be no Constitution to return to. Progressives have been writing legislation outside of their Constitutional authority for over a hundred years and it will not be long before they introduce legislation that will alter the definition of the Constitution so that our protections against their lust for power will be forever lost in the translation.
Paul
Ben Nelson had made many eloquent speeches that he could not support a bill that did not have iron clad protections against the use of public funds for abortion. He argued that the Hyde Amendment did not offer enough protection because it would not prevent federal subsidies from being used to purchase healthcare policies that included coverage for abortion. I am not even sure why abortion has become an issue; even pro-choice advocates should be able to admit that abortion is not a bona fide healthcare issue unless there are specific circumstances. In fact, if pre-choice advocates had an ounce of integrity, they should argue that real choice begins with prevention and focus on that. We must realize that abortion is an issue where compromise is impossible but I would gamble to say that the members of Congress that oppose abortion on moral grounds would have no problem including funds and coverage to prevent contraception to avoid the quagmire of publically funded abortion.
Abortions in the case of rape or to preserve the life of the mother are not in question and have never been excluded. While abortion is a medical procedure, just the title “pro-choice” says it is an elective procedure so unless pro-choice advocates are saying that hair weaves, breast implants and plastic surgery should be covered in a healthcare policy as well, they should drop the issue and let those that “choose” to have an abortion find a way to pay for it the same way those that “choose” these other elective procedures do.
Unfortunately, for those that supported Ben Nelson’s stance on abortion, Ben Nelson, the man-whore, belongs to the same Senate brothel that his colleague Mary Landrieu does (Hi Mary). Even Bernie Sanders, the self proclaimed socialist Senator from Vermont, gave up his demand for a single payer system in exchange for $10 billion dollars for community based health centers that will be written into the bill. Since Sanders is such a dawdling old fool I don’t think we can actually charge him with prostitution. In his case, I am guessing he just wanted to end the negotiations so he could slip into a fresh diaper. Nelson, on the other hand, prostituted himself as shamelessly as Mary Landrieu did; perhaps worse. After all, Mary Landrieu’s opposition to the bill was economic while Nelson claimed moral superiority on the issue of abortion and in the end; no one respects anyone that would place their morality up for sale.
Ignoring the demands of his fellow Nebraskans, Ben Nelson announced Saturday that he would support the current Senate healthcare bill after achieving major concessions from Sentate Pimp, Harry Reid, that would exempt Nebraska from the rise in the state share of Medicaid costs. These costs are expected to increase dramatically after 2016 as a result of healthcare reform. Louisiana’s exclusion from those increases will expire within a few years but Nelson’s deal has the Federal government picking up the tab for Nebraska’s share of the costs in perpetuity. All other states will see their Medicaid burden increase beginning in 2016 as a direct result of the passage of this bill and while they may still pass this monstrosity now, don’t think for a moment that Senators from each state will not demand similar relief as the timeline for the implementation marches forward.
Senator Tom Harkin not only intimated that Iowa would in fact, seek the same deal as 2016 draws near but in a bid to keep progressives on board after the loss of the public option, Harkin pleaded for patience saying this is a work in progress. He cautioned that the bill may not be a mansion, but is rather a starter home with plenty of room for future expansion. Harkin’s statement exposes the lie in the President’s assurances that this bill is not a Trojan Horse that will lead to a single payer European style healthcare system when in fact, that is exactly what Progressive Democrats are planning.
The other big lie is on the issue of budget neutrality. The bill is only budget neutral to the Federal government as much of the real costs of care are shifted to the States, deepening their budget issues. Think about it…the deal Mary Landrieu received for her vote only provides a relief from those increases for a few years yet she claims the benefit for her state is a whopping $300 million dollars. If a small state like Louisiana can save $100 million a year in this deal, what will the cost be to more populace states? Better still, where will they get the money from? There will be state tax increases on everyone to cover the gap and that is a guarantee. So; as long as we are talking about lies, here is a good question. If the President’s policies intentionally shift major costs to the states, forcing them to cut services and raise taxes for everyone, is that not an Obama middle class tax increase by proxy?
The CBO estimated price tag for this mess kept going down every time it was scored; even as Reid promised billions upon billions to gain the votes he needed for passage. The only way that could happen is if they are shifting these concessions out of the healthcare bill and plan to hide the expenses as earmarks in other pieces of legislation. I hate to be so blunt, but five pounds of crap is still five pounds of crap even if you put it in ten different bags.
Any fool can see that this entire process has been corrupt from the start and has gotten worse with each passing day. The promises Obama made during his campaign that the debates on healthcare would be viewed on C-Span have vanished as the process disappeared behind closed doors. At first it was only the Republicans that were barred from negotiation sessions then curiously, all but a handful of Democrats were barred from the discussions as well. In the end, Harry Reid, his staff and White House personnel have been writing the bill and although the final vote is still expected before the Christmas break, the people that will vote on it have no idea what changes have been made or when they will even see the completed bill.
What we do know is that when outright bribery could not buy the needed support, the evil emperor resorted to extortion and intimidation. As Senator Lieberman wavered in his support for the bill, he suddenly found his wife Hadassah under attack as the liberal machine set their sights on her. Jane Hamsher, liberal pit bull and founder of Firedoglake.blog, demanded that she be fired from her work to support breast cancer research as the Ambassador to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation claiming she has troublesome ties to the healthcare industry. Of course everyone denies that the attacks have anything to do with forcing Joe Lieberman’s hand but isn’t it curious that the assault began the same day that Joe said he couldn’t support a bill that contains a public option?
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) knows firsthand how DC politics have taken a Chicago twist. “Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother,” Obama told DeFazio during a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, according to other members. About the only thing missing from that exchange was Luca Brazzi sporting a roll of piano wire. DeFazio maybe a progressive Democrat but for DeFazio, it is still a matter of beliefs. He will not support issues that are not consistent with his ideology regardless of the pressure brought to bear. When they yell, he simply yells back.
Before Ben Nelson caved on healthcare, the White House reportedly threatened to place an Air Force base in Nebraska on the closure list if he didn’t play ball. The base they threatened was not just any base, it was Offutt Air Force Base, a major asset in the strategic command network and vital to American national security. This was the base that secured President Bush during the brief period when the origin and scope of the 9-11 attacks were still unknown. If this is true, it represents a mindset so misguided that it would place politics ahead of national security. Is a victory on healthcare so important to the President that all other consideration are secondary, even the ability to defend our country?
Nelson was also told, as I am sure others were, if he voted against the Senate Healthcare Bill he would never get another piece of legislation through that body. What is going on here? This is no longer a Republic; at least not in the true sense of the word. I have often charged that “Progressive” is actually a code word for American Marxism. If you look at their ideology and litany of issues, it is a summary of Karl Marx’s writings. The only difference between Progressive Democrats and true Marxists is that the Marxists prefer radical change through revolution where the Progressives believe they can bring about the same changes through manipulation of the legislative process. Apparently they are right because each successive year brings us closer to the final plunge into the socialist abyss.
I warn you, my friends; if we do not return to the Constitution as it was written and contain the monster that the Federal government has become, there will be no Constitution to return to. Progressives have been writing legislation outside of their Constitutional authority for over a hundred years and it will not be long before they introduce legislation that will alter the definition of the Constitution so that our protections against their lust for power will be forever lost in the translation.
Paul
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