GOP Opposition To Health Bill Goes Beyond Details, Right To The "Core"

HoracePManure
CORRECTION:
And the bottom line, said McConnell, is that Republicans don't like the bill at all.
SHOULD READ:
And the bottom line, said McConnell, is that Republicans don't like the President at all.

The Senate Republican leader made clear on Wednesday that his party, despite all its griping over the public health insurance option, abortion-funding or health care for illegal immigrants, is simply and flatly opposed to the "core" of the Democratic health care reform proposal.
Satisfying every Republican demand short of scrapping the entire project, said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), would still not capture GOP support.
"Senator Kyl and some of the others have talked about some of the things that are happening in committee," McConnell told reporters, referring to Senate Finance Committee Republican Jon Kyl of Arizona.
"But the core point is this: At the end of the day, if the government plan is either in the bill or out of the bill, whether they will be able to argue successfully or not whether tax funds are gonna be provided for abortion, whether or not they will be able to argue at the end that dollars for health care for illegals is in or out, what we do know is what the core of the bill is going to look like. We know that for sure," he said.
And the bottom line, said McConnell, is that Republicans don't like the bill at all. LinkHere

Stewart Destroys Dems For Not Getting Public Option Passed

Jon Stewart went off on Senate Democrats last night for failing to get their health care reform plan past the Senate Finance Committee despite having a super majority. The Democrats had the numbers on the committee, but several members of their party voted against the amendments despite 65% national approval for the plan. Stewart argued that the "Democrats couldn't get laid in a house [where people's] sole purpose is to have consequence and disease-free sex with legislators on finance committees." LinkHere

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Democratic Super Majority
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

Alan Grayson: Republicans Want Sick People To Die Quickly

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) took to the House floor last night to give his take on the Republican health care plan: Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.
After saying he was inspired to read the Republican health care plan by the paper-waving GOP lawmakers at Obama's recent address, Grayson summed up his findings with a few simple pieces of posterboard. "The Republican health care plan: don't get sick," he said. But, he added,"The Republicans have a back up plan in case you do get sick ... This is what the Republicans want you to do. If you get sick America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly!"

House Republicans called on Grayson to apologize; he did not. They quickly jumped on the remark, declaring deep offense.
"That is about the most mean-spirited partisan statement that I've ever heard made on this floor, and I, for one, don't appreciate it," said Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn.).
"It's fully appropriate that the gentleman return to the floor and apologize," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, another Tennessee Republican. LinkHere

McCain: Health Care Will Pass With No GOP Input Or Support

Senator John McCain predicted on Thursday that health care reform legislation would pass Congress without GOP input or support, insisting that the partisan warfare erupting over the issue would benefit neither Republicans nor Democrats and could end up moving the country to "a new political era."
The Arizona Republican and 2008 presidential candidate said that Democrats would simply forge a consensus amongst themselves while in conference committee before unilaterally sending a bill to the White House. LinkHere

HowdyDoody

The GOP as a whole are suffering from mass delusion that, as McCain mentions, the viciousness shown by birthers and tea partiers is legitimate backlash against the progressive agenda. It doesn't occur to him that there are other explanations, like these right-wing organizations ginning up the most powerless and least educated among us by giving them 15 minutes of fame and a protest sign.
What is he smoking?

GOP Health Care Plan Just A Mess Of Bizarre Amendments
Robin Hood, the Amended Version

It's getting late in the Senate Finance Committee's writing of a health-care bill, but not too late for Republicans on Wednesday to make one more valiant stand for the health insurance industry.
Late in the afternoon, Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the top Republican on the committee, requested consideration of the "Grassley F-1 Modified Amendment." Its goal: eliminate $7 billion a year in fees that the government would charge private health insurance companies, and make up the shortfall by reducing benefits to poor people and legal immigrants.
It was dangerously close to a parody: Republicans demanding that fees be reduced on a profitable industry and shifted to low-income Americans. But Grassley pressed on, unafraid. The fees on the corporations, he said, are a "bad idea" and would undoubtedly result in higher insurance premiums. "I urge my colleagues to vote for my amendment, to strike the fees," he exhorted.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) recognized the fat target that Grassley had just set up. "I think it's a 'message amendment,' " he said, suggesting Grassley was sending a symbolic signal to the conservative base. "It certainly takes on legal immigrants and Medicaid in a very sharp way."
Grassley looked hurt. "You don't really believe that this is a message amendment, do you?"
Now, why would anybody get that idea?
Committee Republicans have made it clear they would not propose, as Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) put it, a "massive GOP alternative" to the Democrats' health-care bill. Rather, they offered nearly 300 amendments to the legislation that would, if adopted, represent a most curious piece of social policy. LinkHere