Ben Nelson Found Another Damn Goalpost: Also Wants Opt-Out of Medicaid for States!!!

[Bolo Boffin]

Excuse me while I curse.

Earlier Thursday, in an interview with a Nebraska radio station, Nelson said even if the abortion issue were resolved, he still could not support the $848 billion package, complaining that the plan to cover more than 30 million additional Americans calls for dramatically expanding Medicaid, which is partially funded by the states. The Medicaid expansion would "create an underfunded federal mandate for the state of Nebraska," Nelson said, arguing that states should be permitted to "opt out" of that idea and find other ways to offer coverage to their poorest residents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121703585_pf.html



Jesus Christ, when does this asshole finally decide it's a happy ending? Oh, you don't know, either?

How about this, Ben Nelson? You get some say-so over this legislation when you pull that fucking toupee off and run around the Capitol building yelling, "Mama raised a failure!"

[rwheeler31]

1. Why do people vote for this idiot?

[GrantDem]

2. "Look over here..." "Look over here..."

"Why is everyone giving Joe all the attention?" " Why is nobody paying me any attention?"

Nelson is a complete joke.

[tnlefty]

3. I think that he should run out and have an abortion on

his way to get his hairpiece improved. I loathe this man. Leave what I decide to do with my body to me there Ben, unless I get to begin making choices about what is done with your body *^%$head.

[laughingliberal]

6. He makes a good case for retroactive abortion. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Oferkrissakes ..... he's amazing. Really amazing.

[laughingliberal]

5. Anybody wise to this, yet? They are not going to stop until every piece of this bill

that does not add money to the insurance crime cabals is stripped. Help for the poor? Fuggedaboutit! That doesn't help the corporate masters. And the cheerleaders? Let's hear how many people are going to be helped now. You know, until they cut the next group that was going to be helped out of the bill.

[Hello_Kitty]

15. But...but...but...we'll just MANDATE that the poor people buy insurance!

Mandates magically create money in peoples' budgets where it didn't exist before. Except that they don't.

Seriously though, how the hell would people who don't make enough to buy insurance and make "too much" for Medicaid get insurance? Oh! Oh! I know! We'll just subsidize their private insurance 100% via federal taxes! Gets states like MT and AZ off the hook for providing care to thousands more working poor. Whee! What a boon! Businesses, relocate to Red States where you can pay your serfs shit wages and give them no benefits, while enjoying low taxes because Uncle Sugar will pick up the tab for their health care!

[aquart]

7. Eat him.

Grind him up very fine and make lovely spicy sausage.

[jgraz]

8. This is what happens when you have a weak President.

Remind me again: how many Republicans pulled this kind of shit on Bush?

[tblue]

9. Would be the perfect moment for Obama to kick some blue dog ass.

That might even win him back some of his base. But of course he won't. Okay, I think my expectations are now on the "Reality" setting, as so many here have advised me. I now expect nothing of this president. Mission Accomplished.

Excuse me while I explode my head.

[Hello_Kitty]

10. OMG. My state, Arizona, would be all over that.

Pray tell, pom-pom squad, how are you going to justify this if it comes to pass? You won't even be able to pull the "30 million poor Americans will be covered!" card.

He is right, though, that the Medicaid expansion puts a crushing burden on states. Funny how the mandatory giveaway to insurers cheerleaders don't seem to want to discuss this aspect.

[Davis_X_Machina]

11. Arizona was the last state to opt in, in the early '80's. n/t

[Hello_Kitty]

18. We are known for such distinctions.

We were the last to adopt the MLK holiday, and only after we were shamed on the national stage and the Super Bowl threatened to pull out.

[laughingliberal]

It is odd, isn't it. I can't imagine why they aren't rushing in to instruct us all on how this is

really a good thing.

[liberal_at_heart]

12. They know we won't fight for anything so they know they can go after everything

[tritsofme]

13. It's things like this that me wonder...

Do we really need an Air Force base in Omaha?

Wouldn't it be a shame if it closed down?

[laughingliberal]

14. We are still on track towards a prediction I have made about the final bill

It will be a mandate for everyone to purchase insurance from a private insurance corporation who is required to provide some type of care for you if they feel like it.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

16. Yes! Now we're getting somewhere!

:hangover:

[laughingliberal]

17. The hits just keep on coming. No cheerleaders, yet? Odd nt

[Marr]

19. Well, this is what happens when you deal with professional sleaze.

Of course they're going to take every opportunity to help themselves. This is just another example of why Obama should've been pushing hard, himself, from the left, putting pressure on everyone in the middle to follow along. Now they're dependent on creeps like this.

[jwirr]

20. He wants states to be able to opt-out of the Medicaid program or

the abortion feature in Medicaid? That is one dangerous proposal threatening health care for those who already have it as well as those who do not.

[Bolo Boffin]

25. Out of the Medicaid expansion in the bill, as I understand it.

Not out of Medicaid altogether.

[laughingliberal]

27. If there is any upside for the states and the poor to what he is proposing, I'm willing to listen

Cause the numbers of poor left uncovered under Medicaid now is unacceptable. The expansion, in this bill, of Medicaid coverage to those extremely poor who still fell outside the government's unreasonable poverty guidelines was 1 of 2 things left in the bill which, actually, would have helped a couple of people.

[Nikki Stone1]

21. So it's not the fetuses. It's Americans who are long past fetus-hood.

And yes, that toupee is astoundingly bad.

[TwilightGardener]

22. I just posted this video in another thread--Nelson is simply craven and disgusting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6tCbTe2P5I

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. Better not happen in my state or my family is screwn.

[chill_wind]

24. Wheeeee!!!!

Aint that somethin'!!

:kick:

[JimWis]

26. It has been pretty obvious for awhile now that Ben Nelson isn't

voting for health reform no matter what the hell they put in it or take out of it. Everyday it's something new with this asshole. There never going to get 60 votes no matter what the hell they do at this point. They should have realized that right from the start.