CBO scores the Senate Health Bill

[Chef Jim]

I'm gonna roll the dice and say Papa Joe?

[Alaska Darin]

Just saw the BBC coverage of the thing. I like how the Republican congressmen kept saying "We have the best health care system in the world!" Can you imagine trying to quantify something like a "health care system?"

I wouldn't use "system" to describe the cobbled together mess that Congress has been trying to patch for the last 70+ years. Whoever said that is an idiot - which comes as no surprise given it came from a seated politician.

[Nanker]

That blond milf is Megyn Kelly. She's awesome, and I think she was referring to this CNN poll. I listened to that exchange on the radio, and it was funny as all hell. You kept hearing the WH person say "Well, Megyn, there are all kinds of polls out there. We don't know what kind of questions were asked and how knowledgeable the respondents were..."

 

"So the people who responded to the poll don't know what they're talking about?"

 

"No, I'm just saying there are a lot of polls out there..."

 

Too bad you can't watch the debate. Just before break, Rep. Louise Slaughter from NY started yapping about how one of her constituents has to use her dead sister's false teeth ("And thank God they fit!") because she can't afford insurance. Granted, I was listening on the radio, but you could hear Obama basically saying "Oooookay, I think this is a good time to break for lunch."

So full orthodontics procedures and practices are to be covered? Splendid! I hope they hold out for penile implants, breast augmentation, sex addiction therapy and Long Term Care insurance too. It'll be like heaven in the nursing homes. Hey, it's America, I have a right to live for free in a nursing home jacked up on free medicines, viagra and cable tv! Sweet. What a country!

[Nanker]

Understandable to lose focus. She is MILFtastic

In a heartbeat - the answer is yes.

[/dev/null]

The only thing President likes to more than listen to the input of others is Listen To Himself

[Nanker]

The only thing President likes to more than listen to the input of others is Listen To Himself

- The self-appointed arbiter of political discourse.

 

By the end of the televised event, Mr. Obama had spoken for 119 minutes - nine minutes more than the 110 minutes consumed by 17 Republicans. The 21 Democratic lawmakers used 114 minutes, giving the president and his supporters a whopping 233 minutes, according to a "talk clock" kept by GOP aides.

What a blow-hard. What a bunch of blow-hards. They all need to be swept to the curb ASAP.

[VABills]

- The self-appointed arbiter of political discourse.

 

By the end of the televised event, Mr. Obama had spoken for 119 minutes - nine minutes more than the 110 minutes consumed by 17 Republicans. The 21 Democratic lawmakers used 114 minutes, giving the president and his supporters a whopping 233 minutes, according to a "talk clock" kept by GOP aides.

What a blow-hard. What a bunch of blow-hards. They all need to be swept to the curb ASAP.

But he's the president. Rules don't apply to him. Of course, if Bush Bad had said that the media, and PPP would have blown up.

 

Also, when Mccain asked him why this hasn't been on cspan as promised, the messiah said it isn't the campaign anymore and implied Mccain should shut up since he lost. He also pretty much said everything he campaigned on was a lie and he had no expectation of fulfilling anything he promised.

 

Again if Bush bad had said those things nuclear meltdown from the libbies.

[Doc]

Despite all the camera time Barry hogged, the Repubs kicked his azz yesterday. Afterwards, what people talked about most is how dismissive he was, while not giving any new reasons for the public to want this abortion of a bill.

[Magox]

Despite all the camera time Barry hogged, the Repubs kicked his azz yesterday. Afterwards, what people talked about most is how dismissive he was, while not giving any new reasons for the public to want this abortion of a bill.

It wasn't really an "azz kicking", however the President didn't achieve what he was looking for, which was a change in public sentiment, a turning of the tide sort of "summit".

 

They were hoping that the GOP would come out with just their usual talking points, which some did to a degree such as McCain, Boehner and Cantor, but they weren't expecting them to be so cordial, numbers oriented and just generally prepared to talk about substantive matters.

 

Whereas the Democrats (other than Obama), came away spouting the typical anectodal stories that we've been hearing over the past year. Obama on the other hand came prepared, and most likely will get a boost in his approval ratings, as will the GOP. The question is, did he breed enough confidence to some of the crucial vulnerable blue dog democrats in the house, will they feel emboldened enough to commit political euthanasia and walk the plank for the president? That I believe we will find out over the next couple of weeks.

 

All in all, I would say a draw is a win for the GOP, in regards to their public image regarding the "Summit".

[Doc]

It wasn't really an "azz kicking", however the President didn't achieve what he was looking for, which was a change in public sentiment, a turning of the tide sort of "summit".

 

They were hoping that the GOP would come out with just their usual talking points, which some did to a degree such as McCain, Boehner and Cantor, but they weren't expecting them to be so cordial, numbers oriented and just generally prepared to talk about substantive matters.

 

Whereas the Democrats (other than Obama), came away spouting the typical anectodal stories that we've been hearing over the past year. Obama on the other hand came prepared, and most likely will get a boost in his approval ratings, as will the GOP. The question is, did he breed enough confidence to some of the crucial vulnerable blue dog democrats in the house, will they feel emboldened enough to commit political euthanasia and walk the plank for the president? That I believe we will find out over the next couple of weeks.

 

All in all, I would say a draw is a win for the GOP, in regards to their public image regarding the "Summit".

Sorry. I should clarify that by "azz kicking" I meant in terms of how it was setup to be an ambush, and despite this, the GOP came out looking good. And I wouldn't call it a draw. The GOP made their case as to why this bill is bad and that starting over and incorporating their ideas is the way to go.

[IDBillzFan]

It wasn't really an "azz kicking", however the President didn't achieve what he was looking for, which was a change in public sentiment, a turning of the tide sort of "summit".

 

I disagree. I think Obama got exactly what he wanted yesterday: fulfilment (of sorts) of a campaign promise to hold health care negotiations on TV, as well as the card he needs to hold when they go to reconciliation.

 

"Look, everyone. We tried to do this in a bipartisan way, but the GOP wouldn't move, so we're doing this on our own. If you don't like it, blame them for not working with us. They made us go the route of reconciliation."

[Magox]

I disagree. I think Obama got exactly what he wanted yesterday: fulfilment (of sorts) of a campaign promise to hold health care negotiations on TV, as well as the card he needs to hold when they go to reconciliation.

 

"Look, everyone. We tried to do this in a bipartisan way, but the GOP wouldn't move, so we're doing this on our own. If you don't like it, blame them for not working with us. They made us go the route of reconciliation."

I do think that he partially achieved that, but more importantly I believe he wanted to change the public perception of his bill by contrasting the differences and hoping that he could successfully brand the GOP with the "Party of No" slogan and hope that those vulnerable Blue Dog House Democrats would feel confident enough to move forward with his plan.

 

In regards to changing public perception, I'm pretty sure that didn't happen, not that it matters much to him, the question is will those Blue Dogs side with him?

[IDBillzFan]

... the question is will those Blue Dogs side with him?

Or the far left. I heard a number of uber-lib congressmen yesterday saying "No public option or single payer means a no vote."

[Magox]

Or the far left. I heard a number of uber-lib congressmen yesterday saying "No public option or single payer means a no vote."

I think they are mainly posturing for their wacky "progressive" base. Maybe a Kucinich might not vote for it, but other than him, I really couldn't see many others withholding their votes.

[/dev/null]

I think they are mainly posturing for their wacky "progressive" base. Maybe a Kucinich might not vote for it, but other than him, I really couldn't see many others withholding their votes.

 

Yeah the Progressives and the Blue Dogs will get together behind closed doors with Nancy, who will decide which Congresscritters are allowed to vote against it

[IDBillzFan]

I just to have to say this, there is no one, and let me say it again, no one in Congress who knows his ****/numbers more than Paul Ryan.

In case anyone missed it yesterday, here is Ryan setting the record straight on how the Senate's bill really should be scored. He lays out precisely where the budget submittals to CBO are "smoke and mirrors" to make it look like the Senate bill will reduce the deficit.

 

If you see nothing else from yesterday's summit, you should at least watch this because the plan Obama is putting foward, as Ryan says, is based on the Senate bill.

 

Ryan destroys any concept that this bill makes fiscal sense.

[Magox]

In case anyone missed it yesterday, here is Ryan setting the record straight on how the Senate's bill really should be scored. He lays out precisely where the budget submittals to CBO are "smoke and mirrors" to make it look like the Senate bill will reduce the deficit.

 

If you see nothing else from yesterday's summit, you should at least watch this because the plan Obama is putting foward, as Ryan says, is based on the Senate bill.

 

Ryan destroys any concept that this bill makes fiscal sense.

Paul Ryan is going to cause alot of headaches for the libs for many many years..

 

Regarding his point, look here.

[Doc]

I disagree. I think Obama got exactly what he wanted yesterday: fulfilment (of sorts) of a campaign promise to hold health care negotiations on TV, as well as the card he needs to hold when they go to reconciliation.

 

"Look, everyone. We tried to do this in a bipartisan way, but the GOP wouldn't move, so we're doing this on our own. If you don't like it, blame them for not working with us. They made us go the route of reconciliation."

Oh, I have no doubt that Barry thinks he got what he wanted. But that just reveals just how out of touch he is. Everyone knows that while this was on TV, the meat of the bills' construction was behind closed doors and filled with special interest appeasements. And attempts prior to the summit to portray the Repubs as having no ideas were wholly disproven. If anything, the Dems lost when their only real answer was "well we disagree and we'll push on regardless."

[erynthered]

Reconciliation wont work for obamacare. In case you missed FTN.

 

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/02/28/conr...-for-obamacare/

 

 

Nice comment:

 

Everything for the democrat majority is pell mell now. God forbid the law of diminishing returns is applied to their failed logic to Obamacare. What do I mean by that? Case in point, look at the social security deduction taken out of your paychecks going back through the years. Has social security payroll deduction percentile gone up over the years? We know the the salary cap does. This is because the system originally designed was an unsustainable scheme from the outset without an infusion of new or additional funds. If the deductions from your paycheck were not increased, social security would have failed long ago. The law of diminishing returns – a law affirming that to continue after a certain level of performance has been reached will result in a decline in effectiveness. That is why it will periodically need to take away a higher percentage of your earned income to maintain the level of its effectiveness. This is the part of Obamacare that the democrats can’t sell to the American people at large. They are saying they have a plan to do this with a certain amount of money, but we know that it really translates into give us some money now, and oh by the way, we’ll be asking your children and grandchildren for higher percentage of their disposible income down the road. That is what happened to the soon to be bankrupted Social Security system. A mandated ponzi scheme is what we’re looking at here people. Why would Americans want to adopt a new pet project that will have in all likelyhood become another economic crippling pituitary gland like problem promoting an overall growth into an even bigger government bureaucracy, leading us further toward an abundance of unknown problems that have yet to raise their heads. That is why it is called a Trojan Horse. Just let it get into Troy and watch the destruction of the best health care system on earth and unravel our capitalist economy to boot.

[Magox]

So I'm hearing that Obama is going to be proposing a scaled down version of the bill that would be "signficantly" lower than that of th

 

"It will be a much smaller proposal than we had in the House bill because that's where we can gain consensus. But it will be big enough to put us on a path of affordable, quality health care for all Americans that holds insurance companies accountable."

 

Melody Barnes, a top Obama domestic policy adviser, did not dispute Pelosi's characterization of the new plan as smaller in scope -- and quite possibly in cost -- than either the House or Senate health care bills.

 

 

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated Friday that the White House would work on GOP ideas for health reform over the weekend. Barnes identified two: tort reform and allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines.

 

"They (the summit participants) talked about medical malpractice reform and found possible areas of common ground there and so that's something they (White House staff) will be looking at," Barnes said. "They (summit participants) talked about purchasing insurance across state lines doing that, though, in a way to make sure people are treated fairly. So, I think we'll look towards those issues and we will be drawing upon that. The conversation that took place at Blair House was important to us, because we wanted to hear what the leadership in Congress had to say."

 

This will probably get the support of the some of the moderates, so this it folks. A bill that probably will have half the subsidies and at least half the cost with some form of tort reform and selling insurance across state lines, and probably the outright elimination of the excise tax to appease the libs and unions.