Chairman Waxman Wants Health Deal By Tuesday

[babylonsister]

Chairman Wants Health Deal By Tuesday
By Alex Wayne and Drew Armstrong, CQ Staff


After more contentious private and public negotiations on a health overhaul between House leaders and moderate “Blue Dog” Democrats, prospects are uncertain for a vote on the bill before lawmakers leave for a long August recess.

Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry A. Waxman , D-Calif., and Blue Dogs on his committee used the media to trade barbs and accusations on Friday, with Waxman accusing the moderates of conspiring to hand over control of his committee to Republicans, and Blue Dogs suggesting that Waxman had lied to them. The day ended with the two sides in a joint appearance, promising to continue talks that had appeared to dissolve in acrimony — but they did not offer any evidence that they were any closer to an accord.

“Our colleagues have pulled us both back and said, ‘let’s all take a deep breath,’” Waxman said late in the afternoon, after a meeting of the committee’s Democrats. “Nothing’s irreconcilable unless you decide it’s irreconcilable,”

He said, though, that an agreement would have to be reached by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

House Democratic leaders will attempt to convince their caucus of the merits of the legislation Monday evening, in the hope of holding a vote at the end of this week or early next week.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003177024

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I wish ta hell the corporate lapdog press wouldn't call the Blue Dogs

"Moderates." They aren't moderates. Waxman is maybe a moderate. Feingold is a moderate. Wellstone was a moderate.

Any number of other terms would be more accurate for the Blue Dogs; but since M$M is literacy-challenged, allow me to offer a few alternative terms they might want to consider using:

Stealth Republicans
Corporate sell-outs
Insurance lobby hacks
Traitors to the people
Lobbyists in training

(Your additions are welcomed)

[rurallib]

2. "Blue Cross" Dems is the best I have heard.

[goclark]

3. Perfect name nt

[Skink]

4. recommended

actually how do you rec?:shrug:

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Look at the lower left part of the frame around the original post.

You'll see a line of text like this:

Alert | Hide Thread | Recommend +3 votes Unrecommend

Click on Recommend and it will happen.

[BlueIdaho]

6. Help move things along... email the Blue Dogs

You have a keyboard - Use it to help pass Health Care Reform NOW

Contact the Blue Dogs:

Kristen Hawn

Communications Director

[e-mail]


If they refuse to help pass health care I hope Waxman and the leadership scrap all of the work of this committee and take a bill directly to the floor of the house. We need to marginalize these buggers - take away their voice and voting power. Stick them on do-nothing committees and move their offices to the parking garage. Let them see what happens when you act like the opposition party.

edit typo