Obama demands 'up-or-down' vote on health care

[Cali_Democrat]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Obama-demands-upordown-vote-apf-1520723001.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

Obama pushes for health care vote quickly, bypassing Republicans if they won't go along

Alan Fram, Associated Press Writer, On Wednesday March 3, 2010, 2:24 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama urged Congress Wednesday to vote "up or down" on sweeping health care legislation in the next few weeks, endorsing a plan that denies Senate Republicans the right to kill the bill by stalling with a filibuster.

"I don't see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over," Obama said, rejecting Republican calls to begin anew on an effort to remake the health care system.

The president made his appeal as Democratic leaders in Congress surveyed their rank and file for the votes needed to pass legislation by majority vote -- invoking rules that deny Senate Republicans the right to block it through endless stalling debate. Obama specifically endorsed that approach.

The outcome will affect nearly every American, either making major changes in the ways they receive and pay for health care or leaving current systems in place. There is still no certainty about the final result in Congress -- or even that Democrats will agree to the series of changes that Obama said he was including as Republican contributions.

Read more at link.

[Lerkfish]

1. notice who Obama is worried about?

the people?
nope.

"Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over,"


who gives a flying leap about the insurance companies?

[Cha]

3. President Obama does care about all of

us ..I don't care how the negatives need to look at it.

[DevonRex]

7. You missed his point entirely. nt

[ericgtr]

8. Not sure how you can miss that point but you're way off the mark n/t

[amborin]

15. Obama cares about the insurance companies!

[goclark]

2. Yes! Obama, keep fighting for the People!

We are with you all the way!

[dflprincess]

5. He has not yet begun to fight for the people

if he had, he would not have excluded single payer from being part of the discussion. He had a chance to educate the public about it, but he found it more important to appease pharma, the insurance companies and the Republicans than to fight for the public actually having access to care.

Interesting that he's stepping in now after we've heard so much from his supporters these last few months that Obama has no real clout when it comes to Congress and that's why he never pushed a public option or anything that might actually benefit us.

[quantass]

12. Spot on! And we can't forget NO DRUG IMPORTS or NEGOTIATIONS yet a price hike of +$100 Bill. Nice.

[amborin]

16. Obama endorses union-busting, what more can one say?

[girl gone mad]

4. down vote, please..

for the health insurance industry bailout bill of 2010.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. Insurance companies are opposed to any kind of health care reform

If it was a bailout for them, why are insurance companies opposed to it? Why are the rethugs opposed to it?

[Bobbie Jo]

9. Stop with the logic, already.

:banghead:

[DevonRex]

11. That's one's a brick wall. Logic doesn't work. nt

[dflprincess]

14. The rethugs are opposed to it because,

when people figure out how the Democrats sold them out on this scam they will be able to point at it and say they never supported it (the fact they never support anything will not be brought up).

The insurance companies aren't screaming all that much about the bill - if this were real reform they'd be running ads 24 hours a day attacking it. About the only thing in it they may not like is being told they have to cover preexisting conditions. On the other hand, there's nothing in the bill that says they can't make the cost of the "coverage" so high people won't be ablt to afford it. The other thing they didn't like was the public option - but the Senate bill doesn't include one and anything that comes out in reconciliation will be much weaker and won't give them a whole lot of competition.

Certainly they would prefer no regulation and no reform but being handed a bunch of new victims and large amounts of tax dollars will take some of the sting out of this - besides, there's nothing in the bill that says they actually have to pay claims - there's plenty of ways to cook the books and make it look like they're hitting the MLR and very little oversight to make sure they aren't cheating.

So much for "keeping them honest".

[DevonRex]

10. At least we know who on DU is working AGAINST the Dems. nt

[quantass]

13. Don't confuse one's desire for REAL CHANGE for sabotage. I too want Obama for change but he is...

either too weak, too political, a corporatist, or all of the above. His actions say everything and that is what we are angry about. After Bush we're hungry for change not more lies, deception, and democratic excuses.