Obama: Senate on the Precipice of Passing Health Care reform

[seeinfweggos]

Source: AP (on Huffington Post)

WASHINGTON — Prodded by President Barack Obama, Senate Democrats won tentative backing from one holdout and worked intensely to satisfy another Tuesday as they grappled with the last, lingering disputes blocking passage of health care legislation by Christmas.

"It is deficit-neutral. It bends the cost curve. It covers 30 million Americans who don't have health insurance, and it has extraordinary insurance reforms in there to make sure that we're preventing abuse," he said.

In the privacy of a presidential meeting, liberals vented their frustration at having to abandon the last vestige of a government-run insurance option in the legislation, a slow-motion concession made over many months, most recently to moderates including Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut.

Two days after jolting the leadership by threatening to oppose the measure if it included an expansion of Medicare, Lieberman said with the agreed-upon changes, "I'm going to be in a position where I can say what I've wanted to say all along: that I'm ready to vote for health care reform."



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/obama-senate-on-the-preci_n_393173.html

[county worker]

1. B O stfu!

[Libertas1776]

2. Senate on the precipice...

of falling off a cliff:eyes:

[maryinthemorn]

4. and taking us with them.

[bertman]

3. Rahm is spiking the Prez's coffee with Kool-Aid. Only possible explanation.

Except for all the others that I don't want to think about.

Edited for clarity. (I hope)

[MannyGoldstein]

6. No, Rahm Made Millions On Wall Street In A Few Months

And is looking forward to his next big wet kiss from that crowd.

[bertman]

8. I'm going to change my post to read "the President's coffee" so I'm not misunderstood.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Ah, Got It

Thanks.

[Luciferous]

5. Yippee... what a joke nt

[BlueIdaho]

7. Oh there's a precipice all right...

And all our hopes and dreams of a better America are about to be thrown off it by a President desperate enough to call anything a "win."

even a piece of shit legislation like "Joe Care."

[OHdem10]

9. On the Precipice of big fat give away to Insurance Industry.

[Owl]

11. It's now unfortunately into a "lipstick on a pig" category.

[seeinfweggos]

12. Obama: 'We Simply Cannot Allow Differences' To Derail Reform

Source: Rachel Slajda Talking Points Memo

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Senate Democrats this afternoon, President Obama said he is "cautiously optimistic" about health care reform's chances for passage.

"I am absolutely confident that if the American people know what's in this bill and the Senate knows what's in this bill, it will pass, because it's right for America," he said, adding that he welcomes "the scrutiny of the press."

He warned that "the final bill won't include everything that everybody wants," but senators "simply cannot allow differences" over specific elements of the bill to derail reform.

The bill meets his own requirements, he said.

"Any fair reading of the bill will show that all the criteria I laid out, before a joint session of Congress, have been met," he said.


Read more: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/obama-we-simply-cannot-allow-differences-to-derail-reform.php?ref=fpa

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. "This bill is no longer reform."- Howard Dean.

It's over...unless the bill is changed.

[ShadDogPt]

14. Say what? can't allow differences to derail anything?

He warned that "the final bill won't include everything that everybody wants," but senators "simply cannot allow differences" over specific elements of the bill to derail reform

Jeez, Obama keeps talking in circles and it is starting to tick me off. Isn't it differences that HAVE to be resolved to get a bill that America believes in instead of just overlooking differences simply to get a bill?

Sheese.

[alarimer]

38. It won't include anything anyone but corporations want.

No medicare expansion, no public options but mandates to buy corporate insurance.

Thanks for fighting, Obama! :sarcase:

[Robb]

52. "Starting to tick me off," my fanny, troll.

nt

[lapfog_1]

15. Tell me again what's in the bill that anyone other than insurance companies

and President Obama want.

Fuck this. I'm done.

And if he loses me, he is done as President.

He now faces 3+ years of being a lame duck.

[seeinfweggos]

17. insures 30 million americans, regulates the hell out of insurance companies

eliminates denial of coverage for so-called pre-existing conditions

limits insurance company profits

eliminates lifetime caps on healthcare coverage

it moves toward a model closer to the swiss than the french - private insurance that is mandatory and HIGHLY REGULATED to insure universal coverage and prevent profits at the expense of care.

[Laelth]

26. As if. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[seeinfweggos]

27. as is

[dflprincess]

34. But it will not be HIGHLY REGULATED here

they can't deny coverage - but there's no limit on what they can charge for it either. Insurance for more is not health care for more. If you have to buy a policy with out of pockets that are so high you still can't afford to see a doctor, you're no better off than you were before.

Watch "Sicko" - it makes the point that coverage does not equal access to care very clear.

"Our" representatives have sacrificed our health for the benefit of their campaign "contributions" and their corporate masters. I hope they all burn in hell.

[zipplewrath]

36. No limits on cost

Pre-existing conditions covered, but at an unlimited price.
Eliminates lifetime caps, but no limit on cost increases on individuals.
DEMANDS under penalty of law that one have health insurance.

[bertman]

40. seeinfweggos, you are wrong on all counts except eliminating denial of coverage.

But, it does allow Insurers to TRIPLE the rates on those persons they would have previously denied.

highly regulated???

You must work for United Healthcare.

[dflprincess]

42. What would shock UHG is how many of their employees

(at least those below a certain grade level) hoped to someday see a single payer system. At least that was the case when I worked there (5 years ago).

Every so often a cartoon of Opus the Penguin screaming "Single Payer Now" would pop up on billboards...It never lasted long but it was always funny. Then there was an "Onion" article that made the rounds "UHG Tries New Tactic - May Start Paying Claims". The company tried very hard to squelch that and blocked the "Onion's" website as "inappropriate".

[bertman]

44. Thanks for posting that and injecting some badly needed humor into this sad day, dflprincess.

[lapfog_1]

54. So wrong. go read the bill (if you can find it now)

limits insurance company profits. No, it tries to restrict profits to a PERCENTAGE of costs. Which is an incentive to INCREASE COSTS. If you tell me that I get to keep 15% of every dollar I charge people for service, what would you expect me to do?

Eliminates lifetime caps - But they put annual caps back in, which effectively means killing the concept. They will estimate how many years you have to live and set an annual cap to meet the expectation and cap their loss. And if you need more health care than that, well, bankruptcy and death follow, just like today.

[izquierdista]

16. "meets his own requirements"

It says "Health Reform" in the title.

[Luciferous]

30. That pretty much sums it up nt

[uberblonde]

18. Bait and switch.

The president and the Senate Democrats have hung us out to dry at the financial mercy of the insurance industry.

This isn't what we were promised. We were told we wouldn't have to worry about losing everything because we got sick. Instead, we're getting MANDATED insurance purchase with inadequate subsidies - a national version of the underfunded Massachusetts plan that's going under.

And to top it off, he gives himself a B plus. Unbelievable.

[kelly1mm]

43. A- once this bill gets signed, Yeah!!!!! nt

[BlueIdaho]

19. Don't make me laugh.

[Justitia]

20. Please don't do this President Obama, it's beneath you. It's a shit sandwich. Quit selling it. nt

[Jefferson23]

21. IF you know something about this bill that most Americans who pay attention don't know,

you better spell it out right quick. This bill is a huge disappointment Obama.

[michaz]

22. And who is paying for this crappy bill? The people that are already insured

and paying fairly high premiums and have really good insurance? I might not even mind increasing our expense a bit if it was going to cover more people who would get really good care but I mind if these same people are "capped" and can't get the coverage they need.

[PSPS]

23. Please just go away, Obama. I grow fatigued with your incompetence.

If Obama somehow "wins" the 2012 primary (without my vote), I'm not bothering to vote in the general election. Why? It won't make any difference if he wins or loses. We'll get the same thing: an inept and/or malevolent president.

[Iowa]

37. Yep. I can't even stand to hear his sleazy, smarmy voice anymore...

...with all his fake loftiness, passion, and sincerity. And Obama could not have come at a worse time for the country; when we needed an LBJ or an FDR, we got an inept powder puff.

[sellitman]

24. Bad change isn't what we voted for.

The Bill as it stands now is a backwards move.

Scrap it now and start over.

[KoKo]

25. It's Obama's Bill...with his "Handlers Managing his Brand." Incremental Change ...or

No Cange... They split the difference and declare "The Pig is Beautiful" with the lipstick "we" applied.

Then they roast it and laugh and laugh and laugh.

[StarfarerBill]

28. A train wreck like this is a tad more than a derailing.

Our requirements are, of course, to be ignored.

[Jack Rabbit]

29. Mr. President, sir . . .

. . . there is no reform left to derail.

[unkachuck]

31. admit it, Prez....

....this has been one big, sloppy, colossal failure from the beginning....let it die and blame it on traitor joe....

[optimator]

32. He forgot to thank Lieberman

for providing cover.

[pissedoff01]

33. The biggest scam on working Americans is about to become law

and it has Obama written all over it. Thanks, Barack!

[placton]

35. placton to Obama: STFU

I am sick of hearing your platitudes, and excuses, and your decisions that screw over your country and put the lie to your campaign promises

[Deja Q]

39. Yes we can.

We can welcome the scrutiny of the press.

Oh, that's right, they just got the test results from Tiger's 50,000 lovers...

Guess which issue is more likely to be broadcast. Here's a hint: Tiger will need it, but it isn't as important as Tiger.

[bertman]

41. THE FUCK WE CAN'T!! We're gonna derail your chances of two terms if you can't come

clean and work for the American people instead of your corporate donors.

KILL THE BILL. IT'S A TUMOR.

[New Dawn]

45. Forcing people to buy a service from private companies is fascist economics.

The "individual mandate" is not a "progressive reform", it is extreme reaction and a massive handout to the "health insurance" conglomerates.

[bertman]

46. If I had read that quote four months ago I would have thought it was from The Onion. nt

[WriteDown]

47. I wouldn't so much call it a DIFFERENCE...

than a BAIT-AND-SWITCH.

[aquart]

48. Yeah, give Lieberman whatever he wants.

And ignore what I want.

[lovuian]

49. Obama would be a fool if he pushes for this

I use to think he was smart now I see him as just desperate

[Sparky 1]

50. I didn't vote for more corporate welfare. I could not be more disgusted with Obama at this moment.

[JVS]

51. Yes we can!

[Odin2005]

53. This bill is no longer reform, Mr. President.