New definition of bipartisan

[Magox]

Bipartisonship. What it takes to get it.

 

In a letter to congressional leadership on Tuesday, President Barack Obama did not explicitly advocate the use of reconciliation to pass health care reform into law. But he did weigh in heavily in favor of having a comprehensive bill, rather than "piecemeal reform" sent to his desk. And in a last gambit to lure Republican support, he said he is exploring the inclusion of four GOP principles into the final health care reform package

 

Writing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader John Boehner, Obama laid the groundwork for the more detailed proposal he will unveil on Wednesday. He described the bipartisan summit on Thursday as a productive affair and insisted that the two parties stand closer to agreement than had been portrayed.

 

Then he called for four distinct Republican proposals to be considered in the final package:

 

1. Engaging "medical professionals to conduct random undercover investigations of health care providers that receive reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal programs."

 

2. An additional $50 million in funding to states "for demonstrations of alternatives to resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts."

 

3. Additional funds for Medicaid reimbursements to doctors to correct the problem that those reimbursements are currently "inadequate in many states."

 

4. An expansion of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

 

The president also pledges to eliminate one of the more glaring back-room deals that was crafted to ensure the bill's passage in the Senate: a provision that would have exempted Florida from Medicare Advantage cuts.

Riiiiiiight, because he truly wants to be bipartisan. Nevermind the fact that he is doing this at the 11th hour, when "Health Care" Reform is on the brink of either failing or passing, and that somehow, he has come to the conclusion that he honestly wants to bring in GOP ideas just for the sake of making the bill better, which of course has nothing to do with trying to APPEAR bipartisan.

 

Whoever really believes that he is making a genuine effort of being bipartisan is either a !@#$ing idiot or a partisan lemming.

[erynthered]

Bipartisonship. What it takes to get it.

 

In a letter to congressional leadership on Tuesday, President Barack Obama did not explicitly advocate the use of reconciliation to pass health care reform into law. But he did weigh in heavily in favor of having a comprehensive bill, rather than "piecemeal reform" sent to his desk. And in a last gambit to lure Republican support, he said he is exploring the inclusion of four GOP principles into the final health care reform package

 

Writing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader John Boehner, Obama laid the groundwork for the more detailed proposal he will unveil on Wednesday. He described the bipartisan summit on Thursday as a productive affair and insisted that the two parties stand closer to agreement than had been portrayed.

 

Then he called for four distinct Republican proposals to be considered in the final package:

 

1. Engaging "medical professionals to conduct random undercover investigations of health care providers that receive reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal programs."

 

2. An additional $50 million in funding to states "for demonstrations of alternatives to resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts."

 

3. Additional funds for Medicaid reimbursements to doctors to correct the problem that those reimbursements are currently "inadequate in many states."

 

4. An expansion of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

 

The president also pledges to eliminate one of the more glaring back-room deals that was crafted to ensure the bill's passage in the Senate: a provision that would have exempted Florida from Medicare Advantage cuts.

 

 

Put the link in next time, Douchbag

[Adam]

I find the whole state of thing sad and it gets more depressing ever single day. The democrats and republicans have the country conned into believing that it is the lesser of two evils or your vote doesn't count. It really feels like the two parties aren't even on the same side and we are in the midst of a civil war.

 

Welcome to the Divided States of America. Accept or leave......

[/dev/null]

I find the whole state of thing sad and it gets more depressing ever single day. The democrats and republicans have the country conned into believing that it is the lesser of two evils or your vote doesn't count. It really feels like the two parties aren't even on the same side and we are in the midst of a civil war.

 

Agree with the first part.

Disagree with the bolded part. I think both parties are on the same page and have us right where they want us

[Adam]

Agree with the first part.

Disagree with the bolded part. I think both parties are on the same page and have us right where they want us

I also find in depressing that it seems the republicans seem ready to absorb the tea party. Eliminate the choices and consolidate the power.

[IDBillzFan]

I also find in depressing that it seems the republicans seem ready to absorb the tea party. Eliminate the choices and consolidate the power.

The GOP can try, but it's not that easy.

 

Most tea party folks lean toward old Republican values; smaller government, less spending, sticking to the constitution, etc., so by default the GOP has more to gain from the tea party movement, especially because local tea party groups are against a third party creation as it would hurt them in the near term. That said, simply being a Republican doesn't get you tea party backing. Consider the Arizona groups, who don't like either McCain or Hayworth so they are not "endorsing" either of them.

 

I think the biggest thing people don't get about the tea party folks is that while they work to pressure elected officials on topics like health care reform, they mostly are looking after their local elections. The group in Dallas isn't focusing on John McCain or J.D. Hayworth. And the group in Phoenix isn't focusing on DeVore or Fiorina or Boxer in CA. They're examining the local races, getting behind a candidate if they make sense, and then helping fund that candidate. If anything, this is the biggest problem for the GOP because while, yes, most of these people are Republicans, tea party folks are done with the GOP as a whole and are giving targeted donations to specific candidates, which is (at least to me) the biggest reason the GOP sounds like they're trying to get the tea party folks absorbed into their world. They need the money. But I just don't see this GOP/Tea Party union happening any time soon...at least until most of the RINOs like John McCain and DeDe Scozzafava are purged...and that isn't going to occur overnight.

 

Just my two cents.

[Adam]

The GOP can try, but it's not that easy.

 

Most tea party folks lean toward old Republican values; smaller government, less spending, sticking to the constitution, etc., so by default the GOP has more to gain from the tea party movement, especially because local tea party groups are against a third party creation as it would hurt them in the near term. That said, simply being a Republican doesn't get you tea party backing. Consider the Arizona groups, who don't like either McCain or Hayworth so they are not "endorsing" either of them.

 

I think the biggest thing people don't get about the tea party folks is that while they work to pressure elected officials on topics like health care reform, they mostly are looking after their local elections. The group in Dallas isn't focusing on John McCain or J.D. Hayworth. And the group in Phoenix isn't focusing on DeVore or Fiorina or Boxer in CA. They're examining the local races, getting behind a candidate if they make sense, and then helping fund that candidate. If anything, this is the biggest problem for the GOP because while, yes, most of these people are Republicans, tea party folks are done with the GOP as a whole and are giving targeted donations to specific candidates, which is (at least to me) the biggest reason the GOP sounds like they're trying to get the tea party folks absorbed into their world. They need the money. But I just don't see this GOP/Tea Party union happening any time soon...at least until most of the RINOs like John McCain and DeDe Scozzafava are purged...and that isn't going to occur overnight.

 

Just my two cents.

I just hope they have the guts to stick by that long term. My gut tells me they will abandon that in 2012. Call me cynical, but thats just how our country works- people that step out of line are no longer considered heros. Maybe calling himself a maverick actually hurt McCain.