Blue Dogs praise Baucus bill

Source: The Hill

The leaders of a vital bloc of House Democrats threw their weight behind the healthcare bill crafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), adding momentum to the public option-free approach to health reform and likely setting up another showdown with House liberals.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), a co-chairwoman of the 52-member Blue Dog Coalition, on Wednesday gave her blessing to the Baucus bill, which is rising above the pack as the most likely bill to become law

The draft released by Chairman Baucus addresses two central goals of the Blue Dog Coalition and the administration: It is deficit-neutral, and it takes real steps to bring down the cost of healthcare over the long term,” Herseth Sandlin said.

Herseth Sadlin called the release of the Baucus bill "an important step forward as Congress moves to send responsible healthcare reform legislation to the president’s desk."


Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/59031-blue-dogs-praise-baucus-bill

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Who didn't see this coming? She forgot the third goal to keep the insurance companies happy

Geez, will this country ever get its act together? We're going to turn into a third world nation soon.

Make them, by law, be required to join whatever watered down co-op, in name only public option, they stick us with in their "reform" bill, AND without us, their employers, covering 70% of the cost as we now do. Make them pay 100% of their premiums for this crap care.

If it's such a great plan, then they should have no problem living with it.

Hey Ed Schultz, are you listening out there? Please call them out on this!

I'm so sick of this 'I've got mine, now screw you' attitude of conservatives.

We need to start calling them what they are: Traitors. DINOs. Republicans who are too goddamn cowardly to call themselves that.

I don't like using the word "blue" or the word "Democrat" in any part of their names.

And now that we all know exactly who the traitors are, let's make sure we escort 'em out next chance we get, alright ladies and gentlemen?

sick and disgusted. we elected these bastards to represent us and they are beholden to special interests instead.

we really need to flood the Blue Pigs phone lines day and night until we pass real reform.

And then the shit will really hit the fan. Insurance premiums won't be reduced, denials of service will still be common, and pre existing conditions will still disqualify people from obtaining coverage. I hope it becomes obvious before the 2010 primaries so there is time to get primary challenges to these pieces a shit on the ballots, because if not, there will be a drastic loss of seats by the Democrats.

Obama really needs to step in now and put the kibosh on this crappy bill before it goes one inch further along in the process. He shouldn't allow anybody to get the idea that he is even considering such a fucked up proposal. If he doesn't he's gonna get blamed by both sides.

I think that the entire Democratic Party will pay the price for it if it becomes law.

The individual mandate stinks.

:dem:

-Laelth

How can the Fed dictate that I have to buy a product (insurance). Will they also mandate I have to buy an iPod? Even the most extreme interpretation of the Commerce Clause would not support this. Am I totally wrong?

against the citizens of this country. Storng Public Option is a Demand! They have those catagories when you call in..so say no to baucus and yes to strong public option.

I hear it's:
"rising above the pack"
"most likely to pass"

And there maybe a:
"showdown" with
"liberals" (Yuch!)
"another showdown" this is all thought out already, time tested...

Oh, I want to vote with the winning team...NOT!

:puke:

You gotta be kidding me.:puke:

The Baucus bill is a swindle, the absolute largest, most unabashed, disgraceful and transparent boondoggle in US history.

Unbelievably insulting. This has to be some kind of totally fucking twisted joke. It has to be.

Are you kidding me? Are Democrats deliberately committing political suicide?
:grr:

kiss the Democratic Party goodbye. I sure would, and without the kiss.

what the people of this country voted for. It is disgusting that you would support the Baucus bill that gives billions to the insurance industry and nothing to the people of this country. You are against the people and for the republicans in your district so become a republican we don't want you and your Blue Dogs.....none of you were what this country wanted when 70% voted for Obama, healthcare true healthcare. None of your garbage is going to change our minds. You are not a democrat! yada yada yada....

Blue Dog Republicans support it? Are you surprised?

This bill deliberately compels us to participate economically in a system, that by it’s deliberate arbitrary design, does not afford us an equal means of reciprocation in the system but yet it punishes us economically for not participating in the system by fining us.

To those that say healthcare is a commodity and not a civil right, this, by the nature of it’s design, does not allow us the freedom to reject the private insurance commodity without being financially punished by the government.

I feel this violates our freedom to rationally choose (or freely reject) economically without suffering financially and therefore, I feel this violates our constitutional and civil rights by deliberately punishing one group unjustly.

Passing a mandate to buy private insurance, without giving us an alternative option such as Medicare, would be the same as Congress passing a law that forces us to buy a new car every 3 years from whatever car company they designate.

We've had over 8 years of corporate socialized wars that have made the Military complex and their stockholders rich beyond their dreams. Our borders to the north and south of us are wide open, yet they tell us we are fighting a war on terror.

The fact is, it is OUR money, WE back it up with our productivity and make it have value, not the suits on Wall Street or in Washington. It's useless paper they print without us.

What next?

:dem:

-Laelth

We were told that there was no way something like this would pass.

Calm down, of course it's terrible, but there is no way our party would allow something like this to happen.

Now it's "rising above the pack."

Back when Bono was still a human being, he posed a question that I think all of us need to pose to this so-called "leadership" that we elected to serve the interests of We The People, NOT The Corporations, NOT Wall Street, and NOT Insurance Companies.

"How Long, How Long Must We Sing This Song?"

How Long, Indeed.

Well, that means it is a mega ration of total shit.

They'd gladly roll over for a few measly campaign dollars.

Fucking treasonous bastards.

They are planning to rape the American people on behalf of the health insurance industry. I'll say shoot them all!

trumpeting the Baucus bill.

along with SHAM and gift to the insurance industry,doncha think?

And they can't get half the Democrats to agree, either.

Their bill gets less votes than a single payer bill would get. And really, we're just going for a strong public option bill.