Forbes: Kerry may have trouble telling jokes...knows how to get down to serious business

[blm]

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry may have trouble telling jokes, but he knows how to get down to serious business. Despite all the reshuffling in the halls of Congress, Kerry retained the top spot on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where he's been a member for the past 21 years.

At the top of Kerry's agenda: a bipartisan solution that would make health care more affordable to small business owners and create more oversight of the government's contracting procedures to ensure that small business contracts actually go to small business. Kerry is partnering on his initiatives with Republican senator Olympia Snowe.

"We'll engage the committee on right away," he says. Pledging bipartisanship, the Massachusetts senator says he will work to find a compromise that allows for more affordable coverage for the 27 million uninsured Americans who work for small businesses. Kerry acknowledged that health insurance pools, where small businesses could purchase insurance policies in groups, is the most likely near-term solution.

>>>>>>

Great article that also includes Gulf Coast relief for SMALL business owners who have been ignored and shorted by BushInc in favor of big bizness, as usual.

http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/18/congress-small-business-taxes-ent-law-cx_mf_1120kerry.html?partner=links

[Hieronymus]

1. Rather than helping to make healthcare more affordable to ..

small business, we need single payer healthcare like the rest of the developed nations already have. The World Health Organization rates the US as #37 in healthcare.:eyes:

[blm]

7. He advocates for universal healthcare and is taking steps towards it that he feels

are doable NOW in congress, like this affordable healthcare for small biz who employs most working class folks, and with his universal healthcare plan for ALL children 18 and under as starters towards that goal.

[lillilbigone]

9. Is it really a choice between the perfect solution and doing nothing?

I don't think so.

[many a good man]

2. If Democrat's can become the party of small business

AND the party of workers at the same time we will become unstoppable.

[blm]

4. Sad thing is Financial Times reported Kerry as the TOP lawmaker in DC for small business

interests but waited until early 2005 to publish the report. Guess their BIG business advertisers influenced the withholding of that report.

[July]

10. But FT endorsed Kerry in 2004. nt

[blm]

12. I remember - but was always curious why they held that article till after election.

They would have had the same info in it before as they had after.

[JI7]

14. it might be similar to NYT

which usually endorses the Democratic candidates in order to keep their liberal leaning subscribers. but their reporting throughout the year leans right wing.

[LittleClarkie]

3. Also posted at Kos, by me

Give it some lovin' if you're so inclined.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/22/141948/53

[Leilani]

5. I'm happy to hear this

Health care insurance, especially for small business, is a major problem.

And if John Kerry can help solve this, it would be terrific.

BTW, of all the candidates in 2004, I liked Kerry's health care proposals the most. They were well thought out, trying to give insurance to the most people, without creating a new behemoth of govt programs. Pragmatic ideas, rather than pie-in-the-sky.

[blm]

6. His goal is universal healthcare - but thinks universal for children with affordable

for everyone else is a huge first step towards getting the rest of DC to get to the ultimate goal.

[Sensitivity]

8. Kerry would have served well if he can just get his previous bills passed Now that dems control

[Cha]

11. That's a good thing to be

doing for small business owners who vote republicon because that's the way their parents did. There's a lot of them out here.

[BlueIris]

13. Hee. Awesome. I love Forbes.

It's great to see that somewhere in the wasteland of mass media, one editorial board actually DOESN'T have its collective head up its ass.

[Ninja Jordan]

15. Kerry will be a great force in the Senate for many years to come (nm)