A group of six "centrist" senators has asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to slow down the stampede to pass health care reform.
A bipartisan group of centrist and conservative senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders on Friday urging delay in consideration of health care reform.The letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, was drafted by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and is also signed by Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.), who caucuses with Democrats, signed on, as did Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins -- moderates heavily courted by President Obama.
....Any of those individual senators calling for delay by themselves would be a surmountable obstacle; but together, they make a formidable force and throw the possibility of an August vote in serious doubt.
This follows the concerns expressed by House Blue Dog Democrats that are worried that the tax increases proposed to pay for Obamacare will cripple small business.
Seven Blue Dogs on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have banded together to draft amendments that they'll co-sponsor in the committee markup, which starts Thursday. Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the Blue Dogs' point man on healthcare, says if those changes aren't accepted, they'll vote down the bill."We cannot support the current bill," Ross said. "Last time I checked, it took seven Democrats to stop a bill in Energy and Commerce."
After the Elmendorf Earthquake yesterday, when the CBO director essentially told Congress and President Obama to quit lying about the "budget savings" healthcare reform would create, the tide seems to be turning against President Obama. It's amazing what just one brief statement of fact can do to what many thought was a formidable political mandate. Where were the Elmendorfs during the Cap and Trade debate? And the Stimulus debates? Both of those pieces of legislation were rushed through with the same level of disingenuousness. (The stimulus bill is the butt of jokes today)
It could be that some members of Congress are feeling vulnerable, perhaps anticipating an economic recovery that may show up after the 2010 midterm elections. Having just listened to President Obama say that health insurance reform cannot add a penny to the deficit (and he says 'He means it"), it must be asked again: Why should anyone believe him? The recent defections in Congress indicate that fewer people on Capitol Hill believe him as some cracks in the Obama facade begin to appear.
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Health Care
Tags: Health Care Reform, ObamaCare
Comments (15)
If ObamaCare and Crap & Tax... (Below threshold)1. Posted by GarandFan | July 17, 2009 4:36 PM | Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
If ObamaCare and Crap & Tax fail, Barry will have used up a lot of political capital. Tie in the failed "Stimulus Bill" and 2010 may well be a blood bath for Democrats, especially the one's who voted that bloated piece of crap into law. If the Dems even manage to hold the House and Senate, Reid and Pelosi will be gone. Barry and Company may try to speed up their spending in order to improve the economy prior to the election - which will lead to inflation. Either way, the public is gonna go to the polls pissed off.
1. Posted by GarandFan | July 17, 2009 4:36 PM |
Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 16:36
2. Posted by Pete | July 17, 2009 5:02 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
I think Obama and the Spendocrats have been smoking the Green Shoots.
2. Posted by Pete | July 17, 2009 5:02 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 17:02
3. Posted by retired military | July 17, 2009 6:12 PM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
I caught that part where Obama said
"And I mean it"
WOW What a stunning afirmation, that is bound to inspire people and set their fears to rest.
3. Posted by retired military | July 17, 2009 6:12 PM |
Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 18:12
4. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 7:25 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
The gang of six are already fearing being thrown out on their keesters after their idiotic support for porkulitis stimuvitis . The ship of fair weather fools are beginning to slink away from the Obama shrine. By election time, they will all go overboard leaving the false prophet to walk the plank alone..
4. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 7:25 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 19:25
5. Posted by Maggie Mama | July 17, 2009 7:27 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Mary Landrieu watched LA elect a Republican governor ... you know she's watching her backside.
5. Posted by Maggie Mama | July 17, 2009 7:27 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 19:27
6. Posted by MickeyGee | July 17, 2009 7:31 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Centrist senator Ron Wyden??? Yep, Someone is indeed smokin' somethin' !
6. Posted by MickeyGee | July 17, 2009 7:31 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 19:31
7. Posted by Fair Hooker | July 17, 2009 7:39 PM | Score: -10 (18 votes cast)
9/11 was a Zionist attack on America. The government account was a fraud. The one party two headed snake is run by The families behind the private for profit corporation known as The Federal Reserve. We have been duped and should start pulling ourselves out of this evil system immediately. F##K the New World Order.
7. Posted by Fair Hooker | July 17, 2009 7:39 PM |
Score: -10 (18 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 19:39
8. Posted by retired military | July 17, 2009 7:44 PM | Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
Someone mentions somebody smoking something and then the potheads come out of the woodwork.
8. Posted by retired military | July 17, 2009 7:44 PM |
Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 19:44
9. Posted by bill-tb | July 17, 2009 8:03 PM | Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Colonel Obama, America's new Chavez ... and I mean it.
Wake up before it's too late.
9. Posted by bill-tb | July 17, 2009 8:03 PM |
Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 20:03
10. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 8:11 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Colonel? I thought Komrade fit Him better? But throw one of those Kadafi/Chavez too tight outfits on Him and I guess colonel fits pretty well.
10. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 8:11 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 20:11
11. Posted by Trajan | July 17, 2009 8:24 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Can't Obama and Holder put these "gangs"
behind bars? I mean like.....in Gitmo?
11. Posted by Trajan | July 17, 2009 8:24 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 20:24
12. Posted by Baggi | July 17, 2009 9:15 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
You've got to be kidding me.
"A bipartisan group of centrist and conservative senators "
Can someone tell me which one of those Senators is supposed to be the conservative?
12. Posted by Baggi | July 17, 2009 9:15 PM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 21:15
13. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 10:42 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Lieberman is the conservative out of that group. Kind of like McCain was the conservative in the last election.. Yeah, right..
13. Posted by 914 | July 17, 2009 10:42 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 22:42
14. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | July 18, 2009 10:38 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Snowe and Collins are moderates? Just like Specter, huh?
14. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | July 18, 2009 10:38 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 18, 2009 10:38
15. Posted by JLawson | July 18, 2009 10:43 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Can someone tell me which one of those Senators is supposed to be the conservative?
Baggi - the thing is, there's starting to be some kickback from folks that should supposedly be supporting Obama. They're not stupid - they realize that this is going to be darn near lethal to the economy and they're not buying into the 'necessity' for it.
Maybe there IS some fiscal sanity inside the beltway, it just takes someone who has no concept of anything other than "I want this, and damn the cost" to bring it out.
15. Posted by JLawson | July 18, 2009 10:43 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 18, 2009 22:43