Pelosi vows House Won't Be Rolled by Senate; Polis Caught Lying About Union Support

[laughingliberal]

<snip>Freshman Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who has long been critical of the surtax on the wealthy, which he worries could hit small businesses, spoke up in favor of the tax on insurance. His comments about union opposition to the tax struck some on the call as surprising. Big Labor may be opposed to it, he told his colleagues, but the unions support the Senate plan, which must mean that they'll go along with a bill that includes such a tax.

"I said that the unions supported the Senate bill, which they did," Polis told HuffPost. "So that was just a simple factual statement that the unions supported the bill in the Senate. That was my only mention of unions in my comment."

The AFL-CIO, however, did not back the Senate bill. "But for this health care bill to be worthy of the support of working men and women, substantial changes must be made," said the union's statement upon passage. "Because it bends toward the insurance industry, the Senate bill will not check costs in the short term, and its financing asks working people and the country to pay the price, even as benefits are cut. The House bill is the model for genuine health care reform. Working people cannot accept anything less than real reform." <snip>

<snip> Pelosi pushed back against reports that the House would be rolled by the Senate in cross-Capitol negotiations over the final health care bill.

"Don't buy into that," Pelosi told the caucus, according to a person on the call, then added, emphasizing each word: "Not true for a second."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/house-dems-debate-cadilla_n_415293.html


Not sure if she can win this one but Pelosi hasn't pulled her punches. Earlier in the article she is quoted as laughing and asking union leaders why they are calling her. The obvious message being that the White House was the obstacle to killing the tax on benefits.

[gateley]

1. My esteem for Pelosi has soared recently. I'm hopeful she'll stand her ground. nt

[laughingliberal]

2. I was interested to see this Polis character stating the unions supported the Senate bill

Looks as if the AFL-CIO put that down pretty quickly. But the part I noted was how easily he just stated a lie as if it was true and hoped no one noticed. A freshman, it seems. Let us hope his time in Congress is brief.

[madrchsod]

3. nancy is really pissed off at obama-rahm

she was set up or she fell for the bullshit...either way she`s not going to forgive and forget.

[laughingliberal]

4. That does look to be the case

I was most pleasantly surprised these past couple of days to hear her call the President out on his disingenuous dealings on health care reform.