Democrats see GOP hypocrisy in health care debate

[FreakinDJ]

Source: By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer

Democrats see GOP hypocrisy in health care debate

WASHINGTON – Republican senators attacking the cost of a Democratic health care bill showed far different concerns six years ago, when they approved a major Medicare expansion that has added tens of billions of dollars to federal deficits.

The inconsistency — or hypocrisy, as some call it — has irked Democrats, who claim that their plan will pay for itself with higher taxes and spending cuts and cite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for support.

By contrast, when Republicans controlled the House, Senate and White House in 2003, they overcame Democratic opposition to add a deficit-financed prescription drug benefit to Medicare. The program will cost a half-trillion dollars over 10 years, or more by some estimates.

With no new taxes or spending offsets accompanying the Medicare drug program, the cost has been added to the federal debt.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091225/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_deficit

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Just kills me to think that "True Health Care Reforms" were derailed by these Lying AssHat RATpubliCONs and their propaganda machine

[Moosepoop]

1. I'm surprised to see such an honest, earnest AP article on this

K&R!

Edited to fix typo in subject line.

[jeanmarc]

2. I can't believe this is the AP

The Associated Press produces this sort of article? I can't believe it.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. Ron is obviously on holiday.

[Dappleganger]

3. Waiting for the retraction.

[CLANG]

4. I hope the news media distribute this piece widely

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

9. Friday night news dump...

... it will be history by Monday and no coverage will result.

[barbtries]

11. not just friday

christmas! lol i'm going to go post it to my facebook page, that ought to get it out to maybe three more people...

[Demeter]

5. "Take the Splinter Out of your Own Eye Before Complaining About the Dust Speck in Your Opponents' "

comes to mind as an appropriate quote.

[levander]

6. Universal coverage AND fiscal responsbility, without tricks, is possible

The Healthy Americans Act is proof of that:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lanny-davis/a-plan-for-universal-cove_b_309513.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lanny-davis/the-wyden---bennett-healt_b_293117.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lanny-davis/the-healthy-americans-act_b_301962.html

Criticizing the Reid bill for fiscal irresponsibility is not hypocritical by the Republicans. Some of the more stubborn Republicans don't believe universal coverage is possible because it will necessarily drive up national health expenditures to levels they believe aren't controllable. Other Republicans are against it because they believe it could be done in ways not harmful to the national deficit, even without the tricks involved with the Reid bill. The Healthy Americans Act being an example of a more fiscally responsible approach.

Ignore that stupid article from the AP. It's just generalizations and partisan bickering. If you're just interested in playing us vs. them, have at it. You're hopeless.

[FarLeftFist]

7. Of course AP would put this up on Christmas when no one is looking...

And will probably be gone by tomorrow morning.

[Jax]

8. ya think 'dems' ...sell out corporate scum

Alyce

[tomhayes]

10. Where was the Tea Party on this one???

I bring up Meidcare part "D" whenever someone tells me that 2009 reform bills are "too expensive."

[laughingliberal]

17. All these concerns about their principles melt away if one of their own party does it

Sadly, we have our own brigade of locksteppers, also

[laughingliberal]

12. Oh, this is rich. Snowe calls Medicare part D 'history'

"Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said simply: "Dredging up history is not the way to move forward." She noted that she fought unsuccessfully to offset some of President George W. Bush's deep tax cuts at the time."

Not sure you can call it history when we're still spending the money for the bill they passed. As pissed off as I am about Obama's deal with Phrma, he did, at least, get some reduction in the cost of part D from them in return.

[No Elephants]

16. The AARP lobbied for it.

Lesson: we need citizen lobbyists.

[Lasher]

13. That was also the legislation that authorized the overpayments to Medicare Advantage.

A GOP giveaway to private insurance companies that Democrats seek to abolish with this bill.

[Zoeisright]

14. 'GOP hypocrisy' is pretty much a constant truth in the universe.

That's all they are - a bundle of meanness, cruelty, stupidity, selfishness, self-hate, and hypocrisy.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Repub answer: A noun, a verb and 911

[yurbud]

19. kick--wish I saw it soon enough to rec