AFL-CIO Chief, Called To White House Over Last Minute Health Care Flare Up

[NightWatcher]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/17/richard-trumka-afl-cio-ch_n_503323.html
With a health care reform proposal being patched together for final consideration in the House of Representatives, gripes over a key element of the legislation could trip up the delicate process.

On Wednesday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was called into an unplanned meeting at the White House to discuss late-stage negotiations on a proposed tax on high-end insurance plans. According to sources familiar with what transpired, congressional leaders had begun discussions earlier in the day (perhaps last night) about accelerating the tax's impact in order to produce more savings under the president's revised health care bill.

Under the president's plan, those families with health care plans over $27,500 and individuals with plans over $10,200 would be taxed starting in 2018. That tax would be indexed to the Consumer Price Index plus one percent, which would provide some additional comfort to those with high-end policies -- specifically for labor workers who had bargained for these plans.

The plan, however, got tripped up after congressional negotiators received poorer-than-expected feedback from the Congressional Budget Office, a senior Democratic hill aide confirmed. And as a compromise, on Wednesday, they began discussing indexing the tax simply to the Consumer Price Index.

"What the White House is putting out is not any big major changes to the deal," said a source briefed on the matter. "What they are talking about is the way things are right now the tax was indexed to CPI+1 and they want to change it to CPI general inflation."

Trumka, who has fought tirelessly against an excise tax, was summoned to the White House to discuss the matter late in the afternoon. Whether the adjustment was agreed to or was enough to endanger the powerful union's support for health care legislation is not yet known.
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So Obama and Co are going to lean on the Unions like they've leaned on everyone else (except the repukes, big pharma, big insurance...)

[tekisui]

1. Lean on the liberals and the unions,

bend to conservatives. Telling.

[bvar22]

15. Yes.

The curtain has really been pulled back.

Obama aligns with and offers praise and support for:
Max Bauccus
Joe Lieberman
Blanche Lincoln
Ben Nelson
Arlen Specter

Obama ridicules and spurns:
The most progressive member of the House
The Fucking Retards on the Left

THIS told the Whole Story of Obama:

The DLC New Team
Progressives Need NOT Apply

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)


Brand Obama/Hope&Change was a very successful Corporate Marketing SCAM.
Nothing more.

[Enrique]

2. a lot of people are giving up a lot to Obama

they will be expecting him to remember it I'm sure.

[tavalon]

5. That didn't work out for the earlier promises made

I remember some hopey, changey stuff.

[Edweird]

9. That's not how it works. We held up our end of the bargain - he isn't honoring his end of the deal.

[Neecy]

3. Untold trillions for war....

Untold billions to our banking overlords...

So little left over for the rest of us.

[polpilot]

6. 2018? This has ALL become a huge wagon load of horseshit!!

[Political Heretic]

4. How long will you just keep just taking it from people who sneer as they put their boot on your face

:cry:

We need an all out political war to retake this party for American working families.

[bvar22]

14. ...or a new Party.

One that represents Working Americans and The Poor.
America doesn't have one of those now,
and WE really do outnumber THEM.

[mdmc]

7. solidarity

[Edweird]

8. I don't care who you are, that's good comedy right there.

His is apparently TRYING to lose labor support. He is succeeding.

[deaniac21]

10. Obama is like your father, you may not understand what he is doing

but he can do no wrong. (As long as it helps his ambition)

[O is 44]

11. What?

The senate is the problem they should have agreed to pay for this bill using the houses's plan. The senate sucks.

[amborin]

12. the excise tax is unacceptable; its an unfair attack on middle class workers; why not tax the wealth

wealthy?

Obama has baited and switched and flat out lied on so many, many issues

[bvar22]

13. For Obama's position on the Cadillac Tax..

SEE this Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wmN3wvhNM&feature=player_embedded



Oh.
My Bad.
THAT was the OLD Obama.
The New Improved Obama thinks the "Cadillac Tax" is just swell!