Single Payer Healthcare Now

Chamber of Commerce Lies About Health Care Reform | Media Matters Action Network

2010-03-09T19:41:15Z

Chamber of Commerce Lies About Health Care Reform

4 minutes ago

On March 9, 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a blog post falsely claiming the Democratic plan for reforming health care would increase premiums, increase the deficit, and kill jobs. In reality, the plan would reduce the deficit, lower premiums, and create up to 4 million American jobs.

The Chamber Falsely Claims Reform Will Increase Premiums

U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

Your health care costs will increase. The bill will do very little to control costs (iv), while simultaneously taxing the health industry -- taxes consumers will pay (v) -- and forcing Americans to purchase more expensive health insurance. [U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 3/9/10]

PolitiFact: "For Most People, Premiums Would Stay About The Same, Or Slightly Decrease." According to PolitiFact.com: "The CBO reported that, for most people, premiums would stay about the same, or slightly decrease. This was especially true for people who get their insurance through work. (Health policy wonks call these the large group and small group markets.) People who have to go out and buy insurance on their own (the individual market) would see rates increase by 10 to 13 percent. But more than half of those people -- 57 percent, in fact -- would be eligible for subsidies to help them pay for the insurance. People who get subsidies would see their premiums drop by more than half, according to the CBO. So most people would see their premiums stay the same or potentially drop." [PolitiFact.com, 1/27/10, emphasis added]

CBO: House Bill Will Result In Lower Costs For American Families. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that in 2016, premiums will be $5,300 for an individual and $15,000 for a family of four in the Exchange. Without reform, the average family premium is expected to grow to $24,000. [CBO, 11/2/09; House Education and Labor Committee, 11/2/09]

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Chamber of Commerce Lies About Health Care Reform | Media Matters Action Network

It's Up To You To Fight #p2 #tcot

2010-03-09T18:57:49Z

Don't shoot the messenger. It's an old cliche, but it's true.

Unfortunately, shooting the messenger has become the main strategy of the people trying to stop us from taking action on climate change. And it needs to stop.

Just a couple of days ago, a columnist excoriated my friend Vice President Al Gore, insinuating that his warnings about the crisis of climate change were somehow self-interested -- ignoring his lifetime of dedication to this issue.

And maybe even worse, the last months have seen a sustained attack on scientists. Rush Limbaugh called them "liars" and "skunks" and said that they should be "named and fired, drawn and quartered."

And all of this to create an atmosphere in the media that there's some broad dispute over whether climate change is real, let alone worsened by man-made emissions.

Well, we have to defeat the campaign tactics of distract, divide, and distort -- we need to stand up and say, "Enough!" Tell the media that you demand honest reporting about what's really going on.

Take a moment, go to TruthFightsBack, and write a letter to your local newspaper demanding real, probing, and fact-based coverage of the science of climate change.

I know something about people taking lies and distortions to attack someone personally. I chose a life in the public eye, and I can take it. But scientists are just doing their jobs. They don't deserve to be the targets of campaigns to distract from reality.

And that reality is - simply - that every major scientific body that has looked at the evidence has come to the same conclusion. They all conclude that the climate is changing in dangerous ways, and human activity - our pollution, our emissions - is pulling us in a dangerous direction. This is simply not in doubt anymore.

So, take a moment to raise your voice for the truth. Follow this link to send a letter to your local paper and tell them that you want reporting on real debates, not phony attacks:

http://www.truthfightsback.com/StepUpForScience

We started TruthFightsBack.com to fight for the truth, and that's what we're going to do. I hope you can join us.

Thank you,
John Kerry

ARREST THEM! #hcr #p2 #tcot

2010-03-09T16:26:19Z

Today we're taking it to the streets.

The insurance companies are having a conference in Washington, DC to plot how to kill health reform. Thousands are gathering as we speak to perform a citizens' arrest. Even though you can't be there in person, you can help us hold the insurance companies accountable for their crimes.

We've obtained the fax numbers for the offices of the insurance companies. With your help, we can shut them down!

Chris Shiflett, guitarist in the Foo Fighters, has recorded a video to deputize you into the citizens' posse so you can help us arrest the insurance companies:

Click here to watch the video. We'll automatically send a free fax of a wanted poster with an insurance CEO's face on it to the insurance company offices.

Even if you can't be with us in person you can help us arrest their fax machines and shut them down! Imagine - thousands upon thousands of wanted posters showing up at the offices of the insurance companies.

The insurance companies have committed awful crimes against the American people:

They violate contracts by selling you insurance and then denying you care¹
They launder money through other front groups - including tens of millions through the ultra right-wing Chamber of Commerce²
They pervert our democracy by bribing public officials by spending millions per day on corporate lobbyists³
And 45,000 people die every year because they don't have insurance⁴

It's time to arrest them, and you can help. Click here to deputize yourself and we'll automatically send a fax to the insurance companies to let them know we're coming after them!

Today we're arresting the insurance companies. Tomorrow we're taking our message to Congress with a citizens' lobbying day on Capitol Hill. We'll tell Congress that they need to listen to the people, not insurance company criminals, and pass health reform that works for us - now!
President Obama has called for an up-or-down vote on health reform by Easter. Congress is already gearing up to meet the deadline.⁵

It's time to stand up together and stop the insurance companies.
Click here to help us arrest the insurance companies right now! We'll automatically send them a fax!

To your health,
Levana Layendecker
Health Care for America Now

White House Optimistic That House Has Health Care Cover #hcr #p2 #tcot

2010-03-08T20:09:46Z

The Obama administration believes it gained a valuable boost last week in getting health care passed when a 50th Democratic senator informally announced he would back reconciliation fixes to the bill.

Not that there remains any doubt that the Senate has the will to get legislative changes passed by an up-or-down vote -- rather White House officials view the news as the surest sign of commitment that the Senate will make alterations to adapt reform more to the liking of House Democrats.

"It is a sign of momentum," one top Obama aide told the Huffington Post.

As it stands now, the major health care hurdle confronting Democrats is in the House of Representatives, where a handful of lawmakers remain skeptical about passing the Senate bill pro forma. For weeks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) has looked for a formal commitment from Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that the chamber will use reconciliation to pass amendments to the bill. At one point, there was discussion of the Senate actually amending its bill before the House voted on it -- though that was scuttled due to the rather crude parliamentary reality that you can't change legislation that isn't yet law). At another point, talk spread that Reid was circulating a letter, to be signed by 50 other Democratic senators, pledging to use reconciliation to change their bill.

At the time, Reid's office insisted that was just a rumor. But with freshmen Alaska Democrat, Mark Begich, becoming the 50th Senator to say they will back reconciliation, the practical purpose of such a letter has been achieved.

Whether Pelosi can now use that sign of commitment to reconciliation fixes to persuade her caucus to back the Senate bill remains to be seen. Members, undoubtedly, will be pleased to see some of the backroom deals stripped from the language. And added subsidies for insurance coverage as well as a deferred date for the start of the excise tax makes the legislation more palatable to voters back home. But other side issues that can't be changed through reconciliation, such as abortion, still present a threat to passage and are keeping congressional aides cautious.

"[P]art of this deal will be making sure the House believes we can fix the things they want fixed," said one Senate aide. "But the real uphill battle is if she has the votes to pass the bill to begin with."

White House Optimistic That House Has Health Care Cover

Mr. President - What has he done!! #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-08T19:26:01Z

Robert P. Watson, Ph.D. Coordinator of American Studies
Lynn University
Email: rwatson@lynn.edu

I am always being asked to grade Obama's presidency. In place of offering him a grade, I put together a list of his accomplishments thus far. I think you would agree that it is very impressive. His first six months have been even more active than FDRs or LBJs the two standards for such assessments. Yet, there is little media attention given to much of what he has done. Of late, the media is focusing almost exclusively on Obama's critics, without holding them responsible for the uncivil, unconstructive tone of their disagreements or without holding the previous administration responsible for getting us in such a deep hole. The misinformation and venom that now passes for political reporting and civic debate is beyond description.

As such, there is a need to set the record straight. What most impresses me is the fact that Obama has accomplished so much not from a heavy-handed or top-down approach but from a style that has institutionalized efforts to reach across the aisle, encourage vigorous debate, and utilize town halls and panels of experts in the policy-making process. Beyond the accomplishments, the process is good for democracy and our democratic processes have been battered and bruised in recent years.

Let me know if I missed anything in the list (surely I did).

Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB
Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier's family
The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act
Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible
Limits on lobbyist's access to the White House
Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
New federal funding for science and research labs
States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect
Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
New funds for school construction
The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out
US Auto industry rescue plan
Housing rescue plan
$789 billion economic stimulus plan
The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
US financial and banking rescue plan
The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards
Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales
Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government
Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program
Instituted a new policy on Cuba , allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones
Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
Expanding vaccination programs
Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
Closed offshore tax safe havens
Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals
Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry's predatory practices
Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
Lower drug costs for seniors
Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
Improved housing for military personnel
Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses
Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
Increasing student loans
Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
Established a new cyber security office
Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness
Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
Improving benefits for veterans
Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud
The FDA is now regulating tobacco
Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons
Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive
Making more loans available to small businesses
Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare
Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production
Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket
Held first Seder in White House
Attempting to reform the nation's healthcare system which is the most expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health insurance and millions more under insured
Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform
Has announced his intention to push for energy reform
Has announced his intention to push for education reform.......

Oh, and he built a swing set for the girls outside the Oval Office

Palin Crossed Border For Canadian Health Care #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-08T19:05:04Z

While Sarah Palin is busy telling Americans that the current healthcare bill is government takeover of healthcare, it seems in the past she found the Canadian system better than what she had in Alaska. The GOP has elevated the definition of hypocrisy. Their evilness with regards to what is best for America is without precedent in our country.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- who has gone to great lengths to hype the supposed dangers of a big government takeover of American health care -- admitted over the weekend that she used to get her treatment in Canada's single-payer system.

"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada," Palin said in her first Canadian appearance since stepping down as governor of Alaska. "And I think now, isn't that ironic?"

The irony, one guesses, is that Palin now views Canada's health care system as revolting: with its government-run administration and 'death-panel'-like rationing. Clearly, however, she and her family once found it more alluring than, at the very least, the coverage available in rural Alaska. Up to the age of six, Palin lived in a remote town near the closest Canadian city, Whitehorse.

Officials at several hospitals in that area declined to give out information on patient visits.

Palin Crossed Border For Canadian Health Care

#HCR Reality- We now have confirmed 50 votes #p2 #tcot

2010-03-06T18:02:24Z

Senator Mark Begich is open to using reconciliation for health reform. From a letter to a constituent:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform.
The reconciliation process is a budgetary tool used to address spending and deficit issues with a simple majority vote. The budget reconciliation process has been used 22 times by both parties since 1980. Action to clean up the health reform bill will further reduce the deficit.

Comprehensive health care reform has already passed the Senate with 60 votes. If the House passes the Senate bill, the President could sign that version of comprehensive reform into law. I believe reconciliation would only be used as a tool to take out special backroom deals and to eliminate concerns raised by many Alaskans I've talked with. The President has proposed narrow changes which I support, including completely closing the coverage gap for seniors' prescription drugs, eliminating the special Nebraska funding provision, providing additional federal financing to all states to help pay for the expansion of Medicaid, and strengthening the Medicare waste, fraud, and abuse provisions.

Again, thank you for contacting me. As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,
Mark Begich
U.S. Senator

That makes 50 Senators publicly open to using reconciliation to finish health reform without any maybes. There will be a reconciliation fix to the Senate health bill, as long as the House first passes one.

Open Left:: Mark Begich open to reconciliation for health reform--that makes 50 without any maybes

Obama Retains More Trust Than Republican Leaders On Health Reform #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-06T17:11:31Z

It's a truism that when the parties battle, some independents and non-political people turn off to both parties. But that hides the fact that there are winners and losers in the battle for public opinion. One big loser is health insurance companies, but they are only marginally less trusted than Republican Congressional leaders.

This Gallup poll released yesterday notes:

Americans remain more confident in the healthcare reform recommendations of President Obama (49%) than in the recommendations of the Democratic (37%) or Republican (32%) leaders in Congress. But these confidence levels are lower than those measured in June, suggesting that the ongoing healthcare reform debate has taken a toll on the credibility of the politicians involved.

Take a look at the numbers (click for bigger pic):

But take a look at the expanded graph for who the real losers are:

Republican leaders, 32. Health insurance 26. Losers.

Hey, you can take my word for it. I'm a doctor, and I come in at 77. And I'm telling you, health reform needs to pass. And I am far from alone. CONTINUED

Daily Kos: Gallup: Obama Retains More Trust Than Republican Leaders On Health Reform

Stupak Wrong & GOP Wrong Senate Bill Does Not Pay For Abortion #p2 #hcr #tcot

2010-03-05T23:19:55Z

ABC has fact checked whether the Senate bill pays for abortion. It does not. LISTEN.

TruthFightsBack – Climate Change #p2 #tcot

2010-03-05T21:13:25Z

If we ever needed a great example of how Washington is broken, we got it this week. One Republican Senator spent days using every procedural trick he could to delay an extension of unemployment benefits in the worst economy we've had in decades. Only the overwhelming attention to the issue caused the other side to finally stand down and allow the vote to go forward.

One thing we can be sure of: we'll get the same games around legislation for clean energy reform to address the climate change crisis. And this is just too important to play games around. We need the good jobs that'll come from building the new clean economy, and our planet desperately needs us to stop polluting the air.

But we saw this week that when the pressure intensifies, we can break through the obstruction and games to get results. But only you can bring that pressure.

So please, take a moment and call your Senators and let them know that you want action. Call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121, and they'll connect you to your Senator.

When you call, be polite but firm in your resolve to see action on this critical issue. Tell them why this is important to you, and that you demand that they support immediate action on clean energy and climate change. They need to know that you care about this.

Look, this isn't as partisan an issue as many we've seen. I've been working hard with Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, on the legislation, and I've had productive meetings with other Republicans. But we need to raise the level of urgency across the board to get the result we need.

We need to protect our climate from carbon pollution. And reforming the way we create energy will repower our economy, creating investment and good jobs and putting our country back in control of our own energy again. This is a critical step that we have to take.

So make that call today. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators. They need to hear from you.

Thank you,
John Kerry

America's most wanted #p2 #hcr #tcot

2010-03-05T20:49:08Z

When Big Insurance CEOs return to Washington next week on March 9th, we're going to be ready for them.

We've gathered a massive posse to arrest these scallywags for crimes against the people - crimes like denying our care and letting people die because they don't have insurance.¹ And we're going after the insurance lobbyists to make sure Congress listens to us, not the insurance companies.

Our partner, TrueMajority, has a way for you to join in by making your own wanted poster: You can customize it by adding the CEO of your insurance company and adding to our list of indictments by sharing your story, or the story of someone you know.

Click here to make your own customized wanted poster.

We'll deliver all the posters and indictments next week when we arrest the insurance companies, and you can print out your poster and hang it on a local bulletin board so others know it's time to take action.

President Obama has just called for Congress to finish reform right and send him a health care bill by Easter² -- and Congress is already gearing up to meet that deadline.³

But the insurance companies and their allies in Congress are gearing up too -- word has just leaked to the press about a secret last-ditch attempt to defeat health care once and for all.⁴

We've come too far to let Big Insurance kill health care in the home stretch. So we're taking the fight right to their doorstep by crashing their conference in D.C. next week and calling on Congress to finish reform right.

Help spread the word by making your own wanted poster, and tell your friends and family that it's time to saddle up for reform. Click here to make a poster.

To your health,
Levana Layendecker
Health Care for America Now

1. Direct Action Time: Stop the insurance companies! - NOW! blog
2. Obama intensifies health-care efforts - Washington Post
3. Obama Calls for 'Up or Down Vote' on Health Care Bill - New York Times
4. Exclusive: GOP To Unleash Huge Wave Of Robocalls Warning Of Dem Plot To "Ram" Health Reform Through - Greg Sargent

GOP: Is Fear All They Have Left? #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-05T01:20:44Z

Consumer Union On Healthcare Reform - Hold them accountable! #hcr #p2 #tcot

2010-03-05T00:33:40Z

RETWEET PLEASE: We have trusted consumer reports to be objective about the products and services it tests. It is hard to believe those trying to deny Americans from healthcare reform over this respected organization.

We’ve been telling you about the benefits you’ll get under health reform and asking you to tell others, because they probably don't know. They add up to this – you and your family will always have access to health coverage, no matter if you’re sick, get older, lose your job, change your job, or hit a rough financial patch.

It’s about giving you peace-of-mind about your health care, and the freedom to live the life you want without fear you’ll be denied insurance or can’t afford it.

Reform proposals already have passed both chambers of Congress by majority vote. They’ll not add to our deficit, and actually will cut wasteful healthcare spending. And yesterday, the President added more changes after meeting with both parties, including greater efforts to reduce medical fraud and frivolous lawsuits – and then he called for an up-or-down vote on health reform.
But thanks to politics and the coming election season, some in Congress still want to turn their backs, delay and leave us at the mercy of the giant insurance companies.

Who can change their minds? YOU! Tell your members to finish the job they started

Opponents are more fired up than ever, because they know it’s always easier to be against something than have the courage to fix a tough, systemic problem like health insurance. But you ultimately have the power, because your members of Congress are responsible to you, their constituent!

You can hold your lawmakers accountable if they don’t deliver:

Health insurance that can never be denied to you, even if you have a pre-existing condition.
Your choice of the same coverage members of Congress get.
Help to buy coverage should you lose your job or have less money coming in.
Needed preventive care and screenings – mammograms, colonoscopies – covered 100 percent.
Real insurance industry reforms, including a rebate if your insurance company uses too much of your premium on their profits and overhead.
Tax credits to help local small businesses cover their workers.
A Medicare program that doesn’t waste your tax dollars, and is there when you need it.

Email your Senators and Representative now to finish what they started! They work for you

The next few weeks will be critical if we are to get real change, which is why we need you and everyone you know to weigh in. Please forward this to all of those you’ve reached out to recently, and stay with us as we unleash a flood of emails, phone calls and visits on your members of Congress to finish what they started.

Thank you for your dogged perseverance – it will pay off!

Sincerely,

Liz Foley
PrescriptionForChange.org
A project of Consumers Union
101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703

President Obama on the Final March for Reform #p2 #hcr #tcot

2010-03-05T00:14:08Z

OMB – Healthcare Reform Savings No Gimmick #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-05T00:10:17Z

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

No Gimmick

Peter R. Orszag, Director

The President has insisted since day one that health insurance reform should not add a dime to the deficit. In keeping with this commitment, the President has put forward a health plan that would reduce deficits by roughly $100 billion over the next ten years and by roughly $1 trillion in the decade after that.

Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to a claim that this deficit reduction is achieved only through a business-as-usual Washington budget gimmick: paying for just a few years of costs with many more years of savings.
This charge is simply false—and let’s get the facts straight.

First, it’s true that loading savings upfront and costs in later years is a time-honored budget gimmick. It has a single purpose—to hide the ball and make programs look paid for in the near term that will in fact substantially add to the deficit over the long-term.

Second, it’s also true that some of savings under the health plan start sooner than the major costs in the legislation. We can move quickly to begin identifying waste and improving quality in the current health care system, as well as make certain reforms to rebalance the tax code. But, the major coverage expansion does not occur until 2014, in part because we need to take time to establish a system of state-based exchanges through which private insurance companies will provide quality insurance to those not getting it through their employer. Still, it is important to note that the vast majority of the savings in the next ten years occur in 2014 and thereafter.

Third, this is not a budget gimmick. The purpose the tried-and-true gimmick described above is to make a proposal that adds to long-term deficits appear fiscally responsible. But if that were the course we were taking, we would expect to see a large fiscal hole at the end of the first decade and larger and larger deficits in the second decade. Instead, over the long-term, the savings under the President’s plan are expected to grow faster than the costs. So, when the Congressional Budget Office is done with its scoring, we expect it will find that the President’s plan reduces deficits by roughly $100 billion in the first 10 years and roughly $1 trillion in the decade after that. In other words, health reform should reduce the deficit by growing amounts over the long-term.

Put simply: Health reform will reduce the deficit in this decade, and it will reduce the deficit by even more thereafter. There’s no gimmick in that.

OMB - Blog Post - No Gimmick

Grayson And Bachmann Debate Health Care Reform On Larry King Live #p2 #tcot #hcr

2010-03-04T14:35:17Z

The best statement out of this debate is when Grayson said if reconciliation is good enough to pass tax cuts for the rich it is good enough to provide healthcare to average Americans.

Intrade +14 Today For Obamacare Passage #p2 #hcr #tcot #politics

2010-03-04T05:29:10Z

GOP Reconciliation Misinformation vs HCR #p2 #tcot

2010-03-04T05:05:24Z

This chart shows the budget effect of bill passed by reconciliation. Note the first two were under GOP control of the Senate while the projected one for Healthcare Reform is under the Democrats. It is evident Republicans just talk while others are more predisposed to act and govern.

Republican’s reconciliation incurred over a 1.7 trillion dollar deficit while President Obama’s healthcare reform proposes a 130 billion dollar savings. In other words, his proposal is paid for. These are all numbers from the CBO so it is the metric all sides use.

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2010/03/what_are_these_1.html

Erick Erickson: 'GOP Does Not Want A Black Man In The Senate' #tcot #p2 #politics

2010-03-04T02:42:08Z

Despite paeans to diversity, the Republican Party clearly does not want a black man -- or any minority candidate -- in the Senate, leading conservative blogger Erick Erickson wrote Wednesday.

"It is starting to get really disgusting," Erickson, the editor-in-chief of the right-wing site RedState wrote. "First, the GOP said it needed diversity and chose the orange Charlie Crist over the Latino, Marco Rubio. Then the GOP said it needed to do better outreach in the black community, so it ignored Michael Williams in Texas and tried to find a rich white guy to run for the Senate. Now that Kay Bailey Hutchison has lost the Texas primary to Rick Perry without even making it into a runoff, the Washington, D.C. Republicans are scared to death a black man might actually get appointed to the Senate as a Republican."

Even South Carolina GOP Sen. Jim DeMint supports Michael Williams, Erickson noted. "This is really sick," he wrote.

Though Erickson said in a postscript that he was using "a hefty dose of sarcasm," he went on to restate the same point. "The fact remains that the GOP preaches diversity all the time and when presented with an attractive Latino and black candidate, they pass on both because they are too conservative," he wrote.

Erick Erickson: 'GOP Does Not Want A Black Man In The Senate'

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion #p2 #tcot #hcr #politics

2010-03-04T02:10:40Z

Barack Obama gets a surprise visit in the night from ex-Presidents Bush Sr., Bush Jr., Clinton, Ford, Reagan and Carter to get a few pointers about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why it's so important.

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell