Washington (CNN) — In a session that lasted into the early morning hours, Senate Republicans found violations in two provisions of the health care bill, forcing it back to the House for another vote. Democrats say they expect the House to approve it quickly.
The GOP — which has vowed to use every parliamentary tool available to undermine the recently enacted health care reform law — launched its attempt to amend or kill legislation expanding the new law in a Senate session that finally adjourned at 2:45 a.m. Thursday.
The Senate plans to reconvene at 9:45 a.m. to consider other GOP amendments, which also are designed to force Democrats to cast unpopular votes in the run-up to November’s midterm elections.
Here’s a quote I like better, from David Frum:
“Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox.”
David Frum has lost his job at the American Enterprise Institute for daring to speak truth to GOP hatemongers.
Link to WaPo article
About 15 minutes ago the House of Reps passed the reconnciliation bill that the Senate sent to them earlier today. Can the Republicans pronunce “feeble attempt” or is that too many syllables?
I Love this– from Daily Kos:
When faced with threats, stay calm
by Deep Harm
Thu Mar 25, 2010 at 03:37:29 PM PDT
The ongoing threats and vandalism against members of Congress are unquestionably outrageous and deserve condemnation. But, as a homeland security specialist, I worry when I see highly emotional responses to the threats in the form of diaries, comments and media interviews, because that can exacerbate the potential harm. Whether the threat is a mugger, a terrorist or a natural disaster, the best response is to focus on being calm and to project confidence and strength.
Being calm and projecting an image of invincibility are important for a number of reasons.
People who consciously practice calmness make better decisions. For a person targeted by a predator, a bad decision could be fatal.
The purpose of threats is to create fear and emotional distress. Responding with fear and emotional distress provides the desired feedback and encourages more of the same.
Predators prefer targets that appear vulnerable, therefore easy to overpower. Body language that projects confidence can discourage some predators.
Voters, on the other hand, prefer candidates and parties that appear confident and strong. That is even more true in times of war and financial crisis, like the present.
Displaying vulnerability to one predator may encourage attacks by others, possibly inspiring domestic or foreign terrorist groups to launch attacks.
President Obama has done a good job of projecting calmness and resisting the inclination to react rashly to provocations. Whether dealing with domestic turmoil or foreign terrorists, this characteristic makes him a good model for others.
Handling threats is little different from handling any other kind of crisis. Following the principles of good leadership will increase the odds of a good outcome. For example:
• Don’t focus on what is wrong but rather what should be happening.
• Make the right decision, not what gives anyone, including yourself, advantages.
• Stay true to your mission or your organization’s long-term mission.
That means one should resist the temptation to take political advantage of a crisis, even when low-hanging fruit appears ripe for picking. As any hiker knows, the easiest paths tend to lead downhill.
vicvega:
You go–run with these words, and use them like a spell to break the fever.
It’s on…
FE!
RE: “They are terribly afraid that their fantasy world of an all-white male tax-free Christo-fascist Amurka is about to end. ”
Hope you don’t mind if I borrow this! Holy #$%^& Batman! This motivates me with Mars just entering my fifth house to FIGHT LIKE HELL (in a creative way!!!)
thanks:)
Carrie:
You’ve got it right. We need to fight like hell.
Jude/Eric:
Remember Rep. John Lewis’ words when the billwas passed: “This is the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century”.
The bricks. The rocks. The guns.
They are terribly afraid that their fantasy world of an all-white male tax-free Christo-fascist Amurka is about to end.
They know there are more of us than them. That’s why they’re trying to waves torches in front of us to spook us.
These are very, very, small, terrified people.
Borrowing some colorful language from my friend Steve —
WHO THE FUCK ARE THESE PEOPLE? I guess some folks don’t know there’s potentially a difference between what you believe and what is true.
http://countusout.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/poll-45-gop-agree-obama-not-born-in-the-usa/
The funny thing is: John McCain is not a natural born American. He was born in Panama, not in the Canal Zone but in the city of Colon. The Canal Zone itself was not a “US territory,” (which is required for natural American birth) but were I a judge, I might let that detail slide because, you know, everyone’s heard of it. But in fact it was a leased slice of land; not a territory.
But the city of Colon was definitely not part of the Canal Zone.
Here is Obama’s BC. I think that the “Birthers” come off claiming that Obama is not a natural born American because his father was from Kenya. And some think that Hawaii wasn’t really a state in 1961.
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/Obama-birth_certificate5.jpg
Think Progress unscrambled the particulars, including this:
Conservatives’ childish obstruction tactics can best be summed up by comments made by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on an Arizona radio show Monday: “There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year. [Democrats] have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.” (He later made an exception for “national emergencies.”)
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/2010/03/pr20100325/index.html
New poll shows 45% of Pubs believe O’s not a citizen — therefore, I suppose, this is not a legitimate government and they don’t have to deal with it civilly as they plot to overturn it.
Here’s a quote I like better, from David Frum:
“Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox.”
So, thanks 300 million, Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch. And just think … this wasn’t actual health care reform, merely a first step in policing insurance carriers.
“However, what happens four or eight years from now if there’s a Republican administration? Then all of those regulations can be undone, and revised to the benefit of private insurers and Republicans.”
Fe, The above sentence is exactly why there must be a public option. I hope people bombard congress with letters demanding a public option amendment.
::::going off to write letters::::
FROM “CONGRESS MATTERS”
In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:
Convenes: 9:45am
9:45am resume consideration of HR4872, Health Care and Education Reconciliation.
Roll call votes in relation to amendments and motions will begin around 9:45am.
Just a few suspensions on the calendar in the House today. Mostly this is about keeping the engine running in case the reconciliation bill comes back from the Senate with changes, so that the House will be available to deal with them. And it’ll have to, since after much huffing and puffing and threatening to blow the house down, Senate Republicans have managed to eke out two technical changes to the portion of the bill dealing with the student loan program. An easy fix, and the House can dispense with it in an hour or two.
The Senate stayed up late plowing through as many amendments as possible, though there may be more votes to come today. Still, all indications are that the Republicans are out of gas, and final passage may come as soon as today. The House will likely move immediately thereafter, though perhaps waiting a day before taking up the rule on a motion to concur, rather than waive the required waiting period.
Breaking: Hoyer Says House Will Pass The Fix Again Today!
by slinkerwink
Thu Mar 25, 2010 at 07:14:57 AM PDT
In spite of the Republicans finding a points of order against the reconciliation bill, the Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate are confident that the reconciliation fix will pass easily again through the House. If that happens, it means that the GOP weren’t able to win here, and that this is a very short-lived victory for them.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday he’s confident the House will approve a measure making final fixes to healthcare law when it comes back to the House.
Hoyer said he expected the House to vote today to re-approve the healthcare reconciliation bill after Senate Republicans successfully raised a point of order against that bill, setting up another House vote.
“I expect to get this bill back from the Senate sometime this afternoon, and I would expect several hours after we will have the bill on the floor, and we will pass the bill and send it to the president,” the number two House Democrat said.
This is good news regarding what happened last night when the GOP raised a point of order on the Byrd rule:
Republicans managed their first successful point of order on early Thursday morning, when, after hours of debate, Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin ruled that some provisions affecting the Pell Grant program were out of order under the budget reconciliation rules governing the Senate debate.
Once the reconciliation bill passes, it means that the subsidies for the middle class and low-income will have been increased, that the excise tax has been fixed, the special deal for Senator Nelson will have been nixed, and that families and students will have student loan reform. These are important changes to the Senate health bill.
However, more has to be done on this issue. This Senate health bill is only the start in the foundation towards real health care reform. After all, private insurers are already trying to game the system by exploiting loopholes in the Senate health bill that allows a private insurer not to cover a child’s pre-existing condition by simply leaving that condition out of the insurance policy coverage.
The good news is that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, will be issuing regulations that fixes that loophole. However, what happens four or eight years from now if there’s a Republican administration? Then all of those regulations can be undone, and revised to the benefit of private insurers and Republicans.
That’s something that we all will have to work on and keep on eternal vigilance to make sure it doesn’t happen in that manner.
Between the rocks and retro-activity, the republicans are out of gas.
Really sore losers, aren’t they?
Good grief! (charlie brown) 😉
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy — Monster, from “Danny Boy”
“oh, bother.” – Winnie the Poo