How Will Media Report Senators Wanting Healthcare Reform Delay?

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Six key moderate senators on Friday called for a slowdown in the White House's push for a healthcare reform bill.

Their decision was apparently precipitated by the Congressional Budget Office announcement Thursday that the legislation currently being discussed not only won't reduce healthcare costs, but also will have negative longterm ramifications to the economy given the increase in federal debt.

With this in mind, Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) sent Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) the following:

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Dear Senators Reid and McConnell:

In the current debate about our health care system, we are firmly committed to enactment of comprehensive reform this year. That reform must reduce premiums and administrative costs, expand choices, and increase coverage for all Americans. We are eager to work constructively with Senate leadership and agree that this is an historic opportunity which makes it imperative to proceed thoughtfully and responsibly. Our efforts will affect virtually every American.

The American people expect us to adopt comprehensive health reform that addresses the priorities we have outlined without detrimentally affecting those who have health insurance or increasing the national debt. This week, Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf testified that the currently introduced health reform bills will not reduce costs. We are faced with the dual challenges of pressing ahead to pass legislation by the end of the year and to produce the reform the American people need.

We appreciate the work that has been done by Senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Finance committees, but in view of the Budget Director's statement, there is much heavy lifting ahead. We support the efforts of Finance Committee members to produce a bipartisan bill, despite calls from both sides of the aisle to rush forward or delay indefinitely. While we are committed to providing relief for American families as quickly as possible, we believe taking additional time to achieve a bipartisan result is critical for legislation that affects 17 percent of our economy and every individual in the U.S.

We look forward to working with you to develop legislation that is vital to the well-being of the American people and urge you to resist timelines which prevent us from achieving the best result. This opportunity is rare and the impact will last for generations.

Sincerely,

Ben Nelson
United States Senator

Olympia J. Snowe
United States Senator

Joseph I. Lieberman
United States Senator

Susan M. Collins
United States Senator

Mary L. Landrieu
United States Senator

Ron Wyden
United States Senator

Given media's undying support for healthcare reform and President Obama, how will this letter get reported in the next 48 hours?

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.


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Waiting

For Obama to speak on the situation 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

Jobs, jobs, jobs ... Spending, spending, spending

 

How will it be reported?

On page C 17 below the fold, next to the disclaimer report. 

I'll keep my freedom my money and my guns, you can keep the "CHANGE".

'you can keep the CHANGE'

Unemployment in June exceeds 10% in 15 states 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

Jobs, jobs, jobs ... Spending, spending, spending

 

JDW, I suspect "real" unemployment is near 18%

Unemployment and poverty numbers are manipulated every which way these days.

-Dave

"...stimulus plan is 'working exactly as we had anticipated.'" - PrezBO

Double Negative: would not only not reduce healthcare costs

It annoys me, but I am no grammar expert.

 It's technically "legal"

It's technically "legal" but it is awkward.

Would be better if it said "would not only fail to reduce...."

As to how it will be reported, I'm guessing it won't.

If it is, it will probably be as a throw-away line like this on on the $500 billion tax increase:

Meantime, a House committee approved billions in new taxes on the wealthy to pay for the reforms.

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows.  -Bart Simpson

 

Dan and MB

Dan and MB,

I don't like it either. Any suggestions?  ns

NS...how about "fail"

....will not only fail to reduce......

I hope he fails, too.

<edit> I should have linked to the Epic Fail blog with all the failure in my post, :)

 

JJ

JJ,

Well, I think my edit makes it sound better: "the legislation currently being discussed not only won't reduce healthcare costs..."  ns

A agree; that is better

A agree; that is better than "not only will not..."

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows.  -Bart Simpson

 

Hey, B....that was my

Hey, B....that was my idea!  LOL

GMTA!

Sincerely, your sister from another mother

 

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows.  -Bart Simpson

 

Obama

He lectured us again just now. Reform will happen, he repeated it twice. What a jerk. I believe he said two-thirds of the cost will come from savings in Medicare-Medicaid. The thousands of doctors that refuse to accept those programs because the the savings in them have been squeezed dry must be crazy. As far as I can see the only way the government can save anything in Medicare is simply not to pay for something or reduce what they will pay. The large body of seniors out there had better be writing their congresspeople. The same for veterans. Yes, the VA is in that chart. I pray enough democrats put the country ahead of this megalomaniac.

Stupid was just on the

Stupid was just on the TV.  Had to turn the sound off.  I can't even stand to listen to him anymore. 

You know, I bet a TV station could really increase its viewership by advertising that they would never put this idiot in front of their cameras for any reason except when he left office.  Think anyone will try . . .  Naw  . . .

This guy makes Madoff look like a punk kid.  He and his cabal over in the Congress have spent decades stiffing doctors and hospitals by low balling payments and stick us - those that actually pay for our health care - with the bill.  Then, they turn around and tell us that health care expense is spirally through the roof.  Meanwhile, they glom on more and more people into the government programs while giving the lawyers free reign to extract billions from doctors in law suits. 

Expect, if this health care crap gets passed, we will be getting health care like the rest of the socialist countries - shoddy care, limited or no care as you get older and doctors bailing on this crap.

I get asked if doctors should get paid what they get paid.  My repsonse is that a kid trying to become a doctor is middle aged by the time they can get a full paycheck.  Meanwhile, they are a half-million in debt getting through undergraduate and graduate school and then get paid peanuts while an intern and a resident.  When they attempt to establish a practice they have to ante up to a partnership fee that can range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and pay up to a $100,000 a year in malpractice insurance. 

Given the above, most doctors lose money on their government paid for patients.  They make it all up on us that pay for our health insurance - hence the part where health care is spirally through the roof.  Ask yourself, how many doctors will stay at it if they get paid by the government for all of their patients? 

My GP doctor has hired nurse practicioners to see most of his patients because more and more of his patients are on the government dole and he loses money on them.  He spends his time at the hospital where he can make up the difference.  Guess who loses - we do.  We get a nurse who has four years of education above high school  instead of doctor with eight years of education above high school and up to 8 years as an intern and resident. Which one do you want to see? 

By the way, if you get severly injured or sick, do you expect a doctor to see you right away?  Typical emergency room doctors log over a 100 hours a week.  They get paid handsomely for not having a life outside the hospital.  Think about how willing these critical care doctors will be willing to put in the above kind of hours when they get paid peanuts. 

Like on U.S Indian Reservations, with the obamacare system, don't EVER get sick or injured after June of any year.  Oh, and don't get old and sick or injured - that's a recipe for an early death.  

Did you say you wanted to sue for that shoddy care or operation that you got from doctor x?  No, no, no, - you can't sue the government.  

  

 

Brilliance

Obama: Now is not the time to slow down on health care 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

Jobs, jobs, jobs ... Spending, spending, spending

 

My GP

Has a sign on the wall by the reception desk that says "We are Unable to Accept New Medicare Patients."

I asked him a few weeks ago what his office will do when a national healthcare plan is adopted--he said, "what office?" 

"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking." - General George Patton Jr

Can someone explain this to me?

They want to require a business to offer healthcare insurance. I think 60% of the cost. So besides the obvious question of why employees can;t simply buy their own, (many make enough money to do so and choose not to), what is to stop an employer from simply lowering wages to offset the cost?

Many business owners are barely hanging on as it is. What is their argument as to why the employer has to provide insurance? Why not movie tickets, or microwave ovens. Why is this particular product, or commodity , magically the responsibility of an employer? I just am qurious if anyone has heard any sort of explanation(as twisted as I'm sure it is). 

 

As others have explained,

it's not about health, it's about power - consider, part of the law says that after the year the law goes into effect, no changes can be made, nor anyother insurance can be written, for you, BUT you can get the government version. And, THEY said Bush lied.

This isn't healthcare, it's weathgrab.

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

'Tis a Friday

what get's reported on Fridays? "Storms comming, weekend will be beautyful, Tiger missed the cut, market is up for the week, (underbreath, some think slowdown needed for healthcare reform), Paris Hilton . . . ."

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

how will this letter get reported in the next 48 hours?

Letter, what letter?

ObamaCare Makes Me Sick

This is my new bumper sticker.

- Relying upon the MSM for your information is like relying upon an embezzler to manage your portfolio.

The Weekend round table "news" shows...

"Six so-called moderate Senators, apparently looking for pork for their states, or in the pocket of the big healthcare insurance companies, are going against the will of the people of this country, and attempting to derail The Messiah, um, uh, The Presidents health care reform bill.  These Senators, including Joe Lieberman, the democrat Senator who turned against the people by supporting Bush/McCain/Palin, wrote a rambling letter to Senate leadership today, expressing who knows what incoherent thoughts."

Snowe and Collins must be

Snowe and Collins must be concerned about their re-election bids whenever down the pike,  given the deluge of emails and calls I know they received a few months ago over their RINO votes on the stimulus.

Funny that Specter's name is missing from this...thought he was actually a Reagan Conservative.  /sarc

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).

If it does get reported by

If it does get reported by the SCM, the only names you will hear will be those of the Republicans and RINOs.

After all, as we all know, the dems are all just one big, happy family. No dissent going on there. (/sarc)

-Dave

"...stimulus plan is 'working exactly as we had anticipated.'" - PrezBO

Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson is a senator from my state - Nebraska.  I have not spoken to anyone who favors him and everyone I have talked to say they want to vote him out in 2010.  I know for a fact that his office is inundated daily with emails and phone calls telling him to not vote for health care (and most other issues under this admin).  His poll numbers have to be in the tank.  He is between a rock and a hard place.  If he does - in the end - vote for health care I have no doubt this will be his last term in office.  He is sneaky about protesting things the constituents want him to protest, then voting for those very things. I suspect the other signers are in the same spot.  This has nothing to do with their beliefs - and everything to do with their poll numbers!

            This

            This is so much B.S. I have talked to a lot of people about "healthcare". Not one, even the ones that voted for obama, said they wanted to pass it. Who are the people they are listening to? WE want to "Drill here Drill now. They won't do it. WE want a balanced budget. The won't do it. WE want accountabiliy, transparency, & accesability. They won't do it. So, who the hell are these people they are listening to?

Here's something we can all do...

Well, this is really scary, but at least we know how we can actively do something:

 http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2009/07/17/urgent-action-needed-on-health-care/#more-611

 

Obama lies over and over

He keeps saying if you like your plan you can keep it but all the crap coming out of the Congress says otherwise. Pg 16 of the House bill says that no new private plans can be written after the passage of this bill.  Their ultimate outcome is to put private insurers out of business by shrinking the available client base. The most unsettling aspect is his "I won, deal with it" attitude and the push for speed in passage.  Don't you think that if savings from Medicare could be found they would have done it already?  If there are savings and they are not using our money wisely, how are they getting reelected? They are already cutting what Medicare will cover.  There are so many troubling aspects of this bill its hard to say what I most object to.  Perhaps it is the determination to fund abortions and the end of life issues. God have mercy on us.

txteacher...

"Obama lies over and over"

lmao!  That's like acting surprised because the sun keeps rising in the morning! 

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. - Albert Einstein