Today's "outrage": Baucus writes an "excise tax" into his bill....

[Barack_America]

...and the media blames Obama?

Why are they attributing Baucus's bill to the Obama administration? It would seem Gibb's statement that, "K street got it before us", pretty much sums up the administration's feelings about it.

Have they not also noticed the plan Obama keeps outlining in his speeches sounds markedly different from the Baucus plan?

President Obama says, "no tax that will affect the middle class". The Baucus bill contains such a tax.

President Obama continues to reaffirm his support for a public option. The Baucus bill does not contain one.

So Obama is either a meanie double-fake out liar -OR- He's just not that into the Baucus bill.

Hmmm.

Let's use our processes of deduction to figure out which one is more likely.

Should be pretty easy, unless you have the intelligence of the average "journalist" in this country, apparently.

[hobbit709]

1. It's time to excise Baucus from his cushy little job.

[Barack_America]

3. That's an excise tax I could gladly support.

I am more than willing to pay for it.

[LWolf]

2. Perhaps if Obama promised to veto the Baucus bill,

put some emphasis on opposing this crap, and calling for authentic, positive health care reform, he couldn't be blamed.

[Barack_America]

4. Screw the amendments and just veto it outright?

Yeah, that would be smart.

[LWolf]

9. Yeah. Screw the ammendments.

Support one of the better bills that have already been introduced, and that didn't come out of any committee chaired by Baucus.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Perhaps he wants to see what will happen with it before condemning it?

He has made his positions clear on what he wants to see - now it's up to congress to give it to him. I suspect if it comes to him with all its flaws intact he WILL veto it.

[LWolf]

15. Perhaps.

I never expected him to act the way I wanted him to; he and I want to see different things in a health care bill.

[glowing]

5. Today the Baucus Plan is going to start the process of mark-up.. then it has to

be voted out of committee.. then the 3 bills in the Senate will have to be merged and voted upon. At that point, it will have be merged with the house bill.. then go back to each house to pass the final version. Pres. Obama is going to get what he wants. The final version will not get 60 senators, but it won't go dead either. It needs to get out of that damn committee before we talk about anything.

[Barack_America]

6. I understand that, you understand that.

Why is it so tough for the media?

Why are they assuming that Baucus speaks for Obama?

That's a rhetorical question. I know the answer. It's easier to report on "scandal" than do honest, meaningful reporting.

[Fumesucker]

7. True enough..

But we don't know what Obama really wants.

[Barack_America]

8. Really? After all of those speeches? All of the morning show appearances?

I think we have a pretty good idea of what he wants, what is less clear is what he will accept.

[enlightenment]

10. And therein lies the rub.

What will come to his desk - and what will he accept?

[AllentownJake]

11. Ding Ding Ding

Haven't seen you in a while

:hi:

[Fumesucker]

12. FISA

Said he wanted one thing, did the exact opposite.

I don't listen to speeches because I don't believe a word of any of them.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. A lot of people seem to assume Baucus' bill IS Obama's

As I understand it, Baucus' bill needs to get out of committee and onto the floor so that it can be merged with the other bills but whatever ends up getting passed by the Senate IMHO will likely NOT be current form of Baucus' proposal not even to mention the fact that Baucus' *plan* will not (or at least should not) bear any resemblance to what comes out of the final committee report and voted on by the entire Congress before being signed into law. People need to stop hyperventilating about this. From what I've heard, the only person who seems to be happy with Baucus' bills is......well.....Baucus himself- if that tells anybody anything. :eyes: