11/06/09 04:49 - 39ºF - ID#50235

Healthcare Bill Moving forward.

The Updated Healthcare Bill is about to be voted on in the House, they're voting tomorrow, Saturday.

I support the Healthcare Bill in the House. I wish it did more, but it's a good start. and it will help millions of people.

Here's a sweet breakdown from FCNL, the Quaker Lobby

AARP and the AMA have both endorsed it

that's a good sign. AMA is the American Medical Association, made up of doctors and hospitals and such. the AARP, most of us know, that's for retired people. So I guess we can assume, based on their endorsement that the bill will not 'pull the plug on grandma'.

I'd definitely prefer it over the Republican proposal that was finally released this week.

A key difference between the two bills is that the Democrats forbid companies from denying you based on preexisting conditions. Actually here's an in depth and specific look at what the CBO said about the Republican bill, from the NY Times

well, there's the best analysis I've found so far to compare the Healthcare Bill from the Republicans and Democrats, if you find any better links, hook me up.

Democrats Plan

Republicans Plan

and I'm not going to discuss Republican fear mongering right now because I'm being civil :)

Permalink: Healthcare_Bill_Moving_forward_.html
Words: 252
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

11/04/09 10:16 - 38ºF - ID#50219

war on the environment

I just wanted to mention this.

the Republicans are boycotting the committee meetings for the Environment and Public Works committee.

That committee is trying to work on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. That's how we build a 21st century economy so we can start making solar panels and other cutting edge stuff in America. I think that stuff is kind of important. But the Republicans aren't showing up. This is a video from the hearing, notice that the bottom half of the table is empty. The only Republican is James Inhofe, he stops buy for 2 minutes, drops off a statement and leaves. This is the video of that.

one of the things I hate about politics is when people put loyalty to their political party over loyalty to the country and its citizens. I think we should be talking about the environment right now.

This is especially a problem in light of the fact that the World is meeting to discuss Climate Change in Copenhagen in mid December

We need to get our act together.

jenks writes at 03:41:04 11/06/09 - Comment #52675: nice civil informative debate, guys. Thanks. Kudos!

jason writes at 09:55:20 11/06/09 - Comment #52660: David,

Again you prove to be a fair guy yourself. My indictment of lefties on this particular theme doesn't include you. A lot of people would have ignored me or changed the subject. If you notice I'm not on here all the time complaining about Dems being bullies, I sort of expect it, they're the majority. I only get pissy is when it's suggested they're being saints.

And you know what, getting back to your original thought that you want things to not be so god damned partisan, I agree with you. One thousand percent. The politicians have things to think about like will I get the best table at the best restaurant? Will I get the most desirable office? How can my friends get their palms greased?

One of the happiest days in American history will be when we can tell the Middle Eastern oil nations to fuck off. I don't want to deal with those assholes anymore. I'm all about developing technology. I would invest HUGE, HUGE money in developing technology for clean, reliable, abundant, cheap energy. The thought of people not having heat during winter because it's too expensive is just not acceptable for us. Old folks in France dying because of a lack of AC, not acceptable! I'm all about creating new jobs and retraining people who have permanently lost their manufacturing jobs. I want us to EXPORT energy. Wouldn't that be a nice change? I want us to be a leader, same as you.

No more entanglements and relationships of convenience with backwards ass countries, or engagement in violence over it. Unacceptable! This is a conservative position, not like the jerks in Congress would know.

dcoffee writes at 09:28:40 11/06/09 - Comment #52659: Yea, I guess both sides are acting like bullies, I looked up some of that stuff, turning out the lights instead of letting republicans debate offshore drilling, moving meetings, Locking committee rooms :::link:::

Maybe that means there's no place to hide, our government is completely dysfunctional. I'm sick of the game of party politics.

jason writes at 08:58:12 11/06/09 - Comment #52658: Not every Republican is an Inhofe on the issue. Besides, our Congress is filled with certified big mouths - remember it was Boxer who went all "I got this black group that contradicts what you as a black man say" on Henry Alford at the EPW hearing.

Guys, let's be perfectly honest here, there isn't one single thing they could have put forward that the Democrats would have accepted, outside of a letter-for-letter approval of the Democrat-authored bill. There is no need for debate, or bipartisan shaping of the bill, or for including the opposition. I'm okay with that, you won the elections and have a big enough majority to not have to compromise. What I can't abide is whining about the reaction from the opposition. That takes a hell of a lot of cheek.

David, your characterization of the nature of the Democrats can't be more flawed, it really can't. How about the House rushing a bill through before anyone could read it? How about Waxman dropping a 300 page amendment in the dead of night? How about Democrats turning off lights and locking people out of rooms? How about Democrats more or less telling 50% of America FUCK YOUR REPRESENTATION? That's just a taste, I've got a dossier on them a mile long.

Too many lefties don't think the Republicans offer anything concerning Energy because A) They don't bother to look into it, and B) They don't particularly care to know, they just want to bitch that the opposition isn't bending over and begging to be fisted.

I'm not going to say that Republicans aren't partisan. They are. I won't defend that. That's the nature of our politicians. They chiefly want to consolidate power. But to say the Democrats have been non-partisan, and fair?!? They are partisan to a fault. And fair to who? They haven't even been fair to you and me with their bullshit, particularly in the House. The problem is that people think that by default their partisan position is the only one that could be non-partisan. I can't talk someone out of that, I only can say it needs to be re-thought.

And...again...who cares if not one single Republican votes on things? I don't. You can do what you want with nobody else's approval.

dcoffee writes at 06:42:53 11/05/09 - Comment #52650: I just think most people are tired of the bickering in politics and they want to see people get something accomplished. It's not about what team wins, this isn't football. I feel like the Democrats have been pretty fair, all the amendments that have been considered and adopted, dragging the process out, getting estimates, and making sure to release the text of the bills in advance. If the Republicans disagree with the Democrats policies offer something constructive, don't just boycott meetings. Isn't the climate getting a little weird? Do we want to be a leader in green jobs? I think Americans are pretty concerned about the climate. If you don't like one solution offer another. But we need a government that works right now. In Healthcare the majority of people in this country want a public option like Medicare. It seems like the Republicans are kind of boycotting everything, and it's almost forcing the Democrats to become more partisan.

I'm looking for NON-partisanship.

james writes at 03:25:51 11/05/09 - Comment #52645: Republican input would be welcome if they had something useful to say.

We still hear from members of congress that climate change is a hoax and that man has nothing to do with it. It might be difficult to say something at the grown up table when you just babbling.

jason writes at 01:35:50 11/05/09 - Comment #52644: Republican input isn't really welcome. I wouldn't show up either. As I've said before, bipartisanship means effectively fisting someone into submission. Anyway, what does it matter if they don't show up? Not one single Republican vote is necessary for them to pass any type of legislation they choose.

matthew writes at 01:14:05 11/05/09 - Comment #52642: Hmmm, I thought (e:dcoffee) was suggesting that "one of the things I hate about politics is when people put loyalty to their political party over loyalty to the country and its citizens." I completley agree with that.

joshua writes at 01:02:38 11/05/09 - Comment #52641: "one of the things I hate about politics is when people put loyalty to their political party over loyalty to the country and its citizens."

Are you suggesting that people who do not support a left wing climate change bill are being unpatriotic? What about Blue Dog Dems who are surely going to jump ship on the health care debacle/debate? Are you suggesting that Democrats are never guilty of toeing the party line regardless of public sentiment? Ask Americans how they feel about so-called torture - we generally don't care. Ask Americans about Guantanamo Bay - we would rather keep it open. Ask Americans about drilling our own oil - we want to do this IN CONJUNCTION with everything else. I've just named three issues Democrats are losers on but do what they prefer to do anyway - I could go on.

You are making the mistake of assuming that everything Democrats do is good for the country, and everything opposite to what Democrats are doing is bad for the country. I'm amused at the liberal notion of bipartisanship - libs NEVER look for bipartisan bills, they only wish for bipartisan votes for generally ill-conceived bills of their own. This bill was marked up with no Republican input prior to "deliberation" in committee. What exactly do you expect?

Republicans wanted further cost analysis and Democrats said no - what is up with that? This is tantamount to ignoring vital facts for the purposes of political expediency. Ask Barbara Boxer and John Kerry what the economic impacts really are from the bill - they can't tell you. Democrats will not wait for an EPA study before trying to pass the bill in the Senate. Due diligence my ass! That is, unless due diligence means passing bills with insufficient information or knowledge of the consequences of the bills they are writing.

Personally I don't support any climate change bill with a cap and trade element, similar to the fact that I'd never support a health care bill without a serious tort reform element or government funded abortions. Follow the money, particularly with the climate change bill.

BTW, this health care bill in the House included a giveaway to trial lawyers by offering incentives with a HUGE caveat - do not cap awards to trial lawyers! linky - :::link::: - Democrats are exchanging major political donor support for tens of billions of dollars in wasted taxpayer money. Who is playing politics again?