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The Spectacle Blog
President Obama on Wednesday formally endorsed the strategy of ramming a health care bill through Congress on strictly partisan basis using the strategy of reconciliation.
In yet another speech revealing yet another proposal on health care, President Obama called on “leaders in both of Houses of Congress to finish their work and schedule a vote in the next few weeks.” He demanded an “up-or-down vote” — a code word for using reconciliation to pass health care.
When he served as a Senator as part of the Democratic minority, Obama wasn’t such a fan of using reconciliation to pass major legislation. Senate Republicans have noted that in 2005, Obama opposed using reconciliation to make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. “Reconciliation is therefore the wrong place for policy changes and the wrong place for the proposed changes to the TANF program,” he said. “In short, the reconciliation process appears to have lost its proper meaning. A vehicle designed for deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility has been hijacked to facilitate reckless deficits and unsustainable debt.”
Breitbart has a video compilation of Obama blasting a “50-plus-one” strategy over the years, several times on the subject of health care specifically.
In terms of the substance of the speech, Obama, flanked by people dressed in white lab coats, repeated a number of the false and misleading claims about the health care legislation. “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan,” he said. But in moments of candor during his January exchange with House Republicans, Obama admitted of the Senate bill that, “some of the provisions that got snuck in might have violated that pledge.” As I wrote last week, Obama’s own proposal would go even further in violating that pledge by imposing new mandates on existing insurance policies that were supposed to be “granfathered in.”
Obama also tried to describe the subsidies for the purchase of health insurance as “the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.” Yet the plan would force uninsured middle class Americans to either purchase expensive government-approved health insurance, or pay a tax.
He claimed that the bill would bring down costs, but the chief actuary of his own Department of Health and Human Services concluded that the bill would increase national health expenditures.
Ironically, while misleading the public, he tried to write off overwhelming opposition to the bill by arguing that the health care issue “lends itself to demagoguery and political gamesmanship; misrepresentation and misunderstanding.”
The fate of the health care legislation, at this point, hinges on whether Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi can convince enough Democratic members of the House to take suicide votes. “I don’t know how this plays politically, but I know it’s right,” Obama, who isn’t up for reelection until 2012, said to his fellow Democrats.
View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/03/obama-calls-on-congress-to-dis
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Oldefarte| 3.3.10 @ 3:39PM
The American people [or at least voters] should now agree with the congressman who declared at the last State-of-the-Union address that ........YOU'RE [HE'S] ''''''A LIAR'''''''!!!!!!
Allen| 3.3.10 @ 3:56PM
I agree with Presidetn Obama, the time for talk is over. The republicans had their time, in fact some of the republican amendments ARE INCLUDED in the Presidents proposal. Facts are Facts, and those who do not believe in FACTS are then hypocrits, because the facts don't suit their ideology. These types of people are the REAL danger to this country. It's time for this bill to get voted on and go on to other important issues, to get this country back on track. Bi-partisanship will NEVER work with the republican ideologies of the present Congress. IT IS VERY clear what the republicans are doing, do anything they can to get power back in Washington, that was taken away from them by the American people. Just like bunning holding up the jobs bill, they are ONLY PUNISHING the unemployed, another way to punish the American people for booting them out of power. GOP = VERY sad, sad excuse for humans!!!!!!!!
tp | 3.3.10 @ 6:04PM
Conservatives are about to have their time - decades I'd say. Remarkable the left keeps pushing President Obama further left. Even more remarkable is this President's continued foolishness.
Cal Mark| 3.3.10 @ 7:47PM
If you hate Republicans so much, why are you here?
ggoblue| 3.3.10 @ 8:35PM
the unemployment rate was 4.65% when the democrats took over both houses of congress.
george bush never stopped a single thing they did.
i would say the democrats punished the unemployed by destroying their jobs.
Susan| 3.4.10 @ 8:20PM
Good grief, Allen. You CANNOT be that ignorant! Do you honestly think that throwing a few GOP ideas into a fatally flawed healthcare bill is going to fix it??? It's like spraying Lysol on a pile of manure and thinking that the manure is all fixed and no longer toxic--it's still manure. It is also a fact that the Dems have had a SUPER-majority and there is nothing the GOP could do to stop them. In fact, every proposal on healthcare they introduced this past year was killed in committee. Anyone with brains and a grasp of sesame street math knows the GOP could not obstruct even if they wanted to-they didn't have the numbers, now did they? No, this mess belongs solely to the Dems. As far as the next election, the GOP is irrelevant there, too, because the Dems are doing all that's necessary to defeat themselves in the next election. They've got enough rope and they are hanging themselves. No one to blame but themselves there, too. They, alone, own this whole mess. So, Allen, nice try from the left doing what they do best--blame everything and everyone else for their own screw-ups!
Susan | 5.23.10 @ 7:25AM
I agree this you I think if the Dems likes this train they our on let them go I take a Stand on America and am ready to take America BACK
Mike M| 3.3.10 @ 4:10PM
translation: "I'm King Barack, why aren't you listening to me, wah wah."
BZ| 3.3.10 @ 4:20PM
Hey, Allen, you are either stupid or just like your D friends, you like to omit important information. Here is a fact for you: The Democrats have all the votes they need to pass this crap bill. They DO NOT need a single Republican vote and haven't needed a Republican vote for YEARS. They have the Majority, they are in control. BUT, they can't get this bill approved by their own group. STOP BLAMING THE GOP! STOP CALLING THEM OBSTRUCTIONISTS, its a LIE!
Ellis Wyatt| 3.3.10 @ 4:36PM
I'll go with stupid. We have debated this long enough and the American people flat out reject and will rebel if it is forced upon us. And Allen, if you didn't notice Bunning was upholding a law that the DEMOCRATS just passed. Talk about hypocrits!
This healthcare will destroy our economy, not to mention the quality of our healthcare system. You think it is expensive now Allen? You obviously have no understanding of reality.
Missy| 3.3.10 @ 7:38PM
Allen's probably a crackhead--reality is above the moron's paygrade.
Fifthgentxn| 3.3.10 @ 4:34PM
A revolutions a comin'...November, 2010, the NEW American Revolution. It's gonna be a rock and roll good time. Conservatives heads are gonna rock and liberal heads are gonna roll...
Kyle Smith| 3.3.10 @ 5:12PM
Do Tea Party Rallies exist anymore, or do they just have conventions once a year. Is anyone going to fight this last battle? We protested and went to town halls last summer, and now that the bill is on the doorstep of Congress about to be passed, we have laid down our arms?
DrTomVoter| 3.3.10 @ 8:27PM
Just because you are unaware of what is taking place, please do not assume that nothing is being done. But the important part is that all of us should be asking ourselves is what are WE doing to stop it.
ggoblue| 3.3.10 @ 8:37PM
they are busy backing conservatives in primaries across the land...in other words locking and loading for the first tuesday in november.
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Dubai police calls for arrest of Israeli prime minister, spy chief – MiamiHerald.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Bill. from WV| 3.3.10 @ 5:48PM
The ONLY reason that Obama wants Republicans to vote for this monstrosity of a mess is that they can say well the republicans voted for this as well when it all comes tumblin down!
They should force the Democrats to go it ALONE and spend their efforts on planning the reversal as soon as Obama and his thugs are long GONE in 2010!
Bipartisan my eye!
MRD
Richard Baker| 3.3.10 @ 8:04PM
When the House and Senate vote for this abortion, will there be a vat of political cyanide Kool-Aid and glasses in each chamber? Let's see, "Keep my Princely job or die politically for the Kenyan?" What will they do, hmmm?
Pete| 3.3.10 @ 8:18PM
It may not work, since these elitist asses don't seem to understand or care that they are REPRESENTATIVES, but please keep the heat on them via email and phone up until the last hour. The more it sinks in that this vote will cost them their jobs, the better chance we have of saving ourselves and our children from this monstrosity of government.
Inge| 3.4.10 @ 3:30AM
Whenever I see comments by trolls placed on conservative, or any other blogs, they appear to hall the same mojo: state the same talking points over, and over, which naturally are the same lies Obama been selling for some time now.
These trolls, and Kool Aid drinker never seem to be 'thinkers', their 'herdmentally' obviously doesn't allow for independ thought, or critical thinking.
They may jump in joy, should their leader succed in ramming this unconstitutional thing through, but they also will reap what they've have sown, namely it will effect them very badly financiallt etc..
And that is something these trolls like Allen will learn no matther what their little hearts emotion is right now. Eventually, all of them will be sorely disappointed.
Tim| 3.4.10 @ 8:48AM
"Ramming speed!"
Yosemeti Sam| 3.4.10 @ 9:11AM
Blah, blah - blah!
Polls - schmolls.
I still want to know who has that White House
Christmas tree ornament featuring Mao Zedong!
Becky| 3.4.10 @ 12:17PM
He is also asking Democrats like mine, Bart Stupak, to set aside their own deeply held beliefs and blindly trust that in the end everybody will get what they want. If Stupak votes for this on the "hope" the Senate will introduce Amendments he can vote for, and then they don't, he's left looking like a man without a soul,brain, or integrity. Stupak is in too deep to turn around, he is the face of the Dems opposition in the house. If Stupak can keep his cohorts in line, maybe he'll be the next minority leader in November.
While it is true that we elect people to represent us, if this were any good, it would enjoy at least an appearance of Republican support for a measure that affects every American (outside of those in Congress).
Danielle| 3.4.10 @ 12:46PM
Hey Allen, ask yourself one question....
WHY is Congress EXEMPTING themselves from this wondrous healthcare plan they want to foist upon the rest of America (uh, that is, except for Unions and gov't employees' tax exemption bennies). What's your answer, Allen? WHY DID THEY SHOOT DOWN ANY PROPOSITION TO GET THE SAME KIND OF SH*TTY CARE WE'LL ALL GET, HMMMM????
Realitybased| 3.4.10 @ 1:30PM
Why do the Republicans hate America so much? We are at war and the Republicans would act this way with the President of the United States. They should be tried for treason. I say that if you do not care for America then you should leave. The American people have spoken and they elected President Obama and if the Republican party is so eager to ignore the desire of the American people then they should be tried as enemy combatants
Libtards Are Traitors| 3.4.10 @ 2:46PM
"DESIRE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?" That's a knee-slapper.
Every poll shows the American people REJECT ObamaCare--many by two to one!!! So much for democrats' concern for the 'people'.
You loser democrats couldn't even pass the stupid ObamaCare legislation when you had super majorities in congress and the presidency. A whole year!
Democrats CAN'T govern. FAIL!
You Marxist democrats should be tried for treason. Moron.
Rodert J Houdesheldt| 3.4.10 @ 3:05PM
I am an Amertican, I have fought for this country and swore at this c ountry I have been to v ery state of the Union,even when a couple them where called territories. I know most of the history both good and bad. I have never thought copy out, but always trying to fix what I thought was wrong or waiting forthe next election, as I amdoing now. But I might add in partingt you are a JERK.
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Dialogue| 3.8.10 @ 2:47PM
It is important to maintain the discussion on the issues. The American Spectator should be open for all to debate health care reform. It is time to finally pass the legislation after the House and the Senate approved their versions of the reforms.
Republicans will lose all their credibility because of their efforts to bring government to a standstill.
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Not so much a question as a comment. | Lowrider Design links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Romantic Gift | 3.25.10 @ 5:52AM
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