Nelson (D-Ne) signals progress on health care in talks

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders appeared to make progress Friday night in winning over Sen. Ben Nelson to be their 60th vote to pass a sweeping health care bill by Christmas. Nelson, a moderate Nebraska Democrat, is seeking stricter abortion curbs and said he's been offered ideas that may answer his concerns.

He declined to disclose details but said the proposed approach "would exclude any kind of federal funds directly or indirectly being used to fund elective abortions, and the question is always how you get them as tight as you can and still be able to get a common understanding and something that you could all agree to."

"We're looking at that to see if it does it sufficiently. That's the key - sufficiently," Nelson said during a break in closed-door talks in the Capitol with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, senior White House officials and others. The discussions were expected to continue into the night as Reid rushes to finalize the legislation in time for a first vote likely within days. Nelson is the lone holdout in the 60-member Democratic caucus - exactly the number Reid needs to overcome Republican opposition and pass the legislation.

Several officials said Nelson was seeking to ease the impact of a proposed insurance industry tax on nonprofit companies, as well as win more federal funds to cover Nebraska's cost of treating patients in Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor. These officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the administration and Democratic leaders had offered concessions on those points.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20091219/D9CM3DBG0.htmla

[mzmolly]

1. Oh good grief, here we go.....

:beer: :beer:

[yourout]

2. This cant be good.....no matter what.

[Blasphemer]

12. I shudder to think what they've done now.... nt

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Throw this POS bill and start with single payer health care THEN you can see how much righteous

anger towards to the Democrats and Republicans who vote NO on the SPHC.

[OHdem10]

4. Not much has been said about Medicaid but--while surfing TV this

evening, I saw the Governor of Rhode Island really complaining
saying something about the Medicaid changes in this bill will
bankrupt his state.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Are they are trying to kill it so all of us on it have to turn to whatever this bill produces?

[newfie11]

14. This is also being said in Nebraska n/t

[FVZA_Colonel]

6. "'moderate' Nebraska Democrat"

Fuck you, AP, he's nothing of the sort.

[yourout]

7. moderate' Nebraska Republican......is closer.

[newfie11]

15. Very very true n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

8. My only hope, and it is probably entirely wishful thinking, is that

They want to pass this huge, awful, messy, terrible bill - so that they can pass the health care bill 'officially', being such a huge change in policy. Then, after that is done, they can use reconciliation to fix the financial parts of it which can be done with 51 votes. Everyone keeps saying that you can't make a major change in policy using reconciliation, but you CAN go back and use it to change the details financially.

If they do that, the Democrats will turn out looking like heroes and might even do well in the next election.

If not, we are doomed.

[rpannier]

19. I'm betting on doomed nt

[tomm2thumbs]

20. damn, I better get some sleep then

there won't be much sleep when the doom arrives

:boring:

[rpannier]

22. You wan't wanna get sleep. Becuase when Doom arrives

The Fantastic Four is sure to follow

[Renew Deal]

9. What is Nelson going to do if his amendment fails again?

I just don't get that.

[Jamastiene]

10. So, they are auctioning women's right off to the highest bidder now, I see.

I wonder whose rights they will give away next.

[rpannier]

18. Don't worry. Because you can be sure

It won't be the rights of the Insurance Companies to get even more profits that will be limited or banned

[liberalmuse]

11. Oh jeez, meaning we're even more fucked....

if that's even possible.

[Jefferson23]

13. Is this guy even a moderate Republican? sheesh! n/t

I can't stand this bill.

[CreekDog]

16. has he ruined it yet?

moreso?

:wtf:

[Wardoc]

17. Because being bent over 59 times wasn't quite enough...

One more for the road! Probably with more due when they mediate the House and Senate versions. But who cares as long as we get a "win" on paper. :argh:

[nightrain]

21. sounds scary if Nelson sees "progress". Probably means more watering down.

[rpannier]

23. Yep

Mandates
but you'll get a coupon for 50 cents off your next bottle of aspirin

[tomm2thumbs]

24. 50 cents off the actual bottle, but the contents will cost 1000x

no more imported aspirin from Canada!

[Jamastiene]

25. ...and a price hike of $2 per bottle to cover

administrative "costs"* cough *a new yacht for another damn CEO* cough