It is becoming increasingly likely – indeed, possibly inevitable without either massive public outcry, a little luck, or both – that Americans will get a massive lump of coal in their stocking for Christmas this year – in the form of Washington-run healthcare.
Sure, it is possible that Democrats will fail to pull together 60 votes – getting trapped between watering down the public option enough to earn yes votes from the Independent Joe Lieberman (CT) or (supposedly) Republican Olympia Snowe (ME), and keeping the public option strong enough to maintain yes votes from admitted socialist Bernie Sanders (VT) and like-minded liberals who refuse to admit they are actually socialist, such as Sherrod Brown (OH).
But, given the pressure coming from the President, the lack of response from Senate Republicans and a building compromise among liberal and moderate Democrats to hide (but not really eliminate) the public option under a “trigger” or an “OPM-managed” plan – the Senate may well pass a bill which Speaker Pelosi could take up and pass “as is” and send to the President to sign on Christmas Eve.
All of this is even more likely for one simple reason… it is Christmas. The American people have a funny way of actually focusing on family, friends, gift-giving and – oh, I don’t know – the birth of Jesus this time of year. In other words… all the good things – which means anything but what the fools in Washington are doing.
This Christmas, however, we owe it to those generations before ours who have passed down this great Republic to us, to those brave men and women fighting to protect our freedom overseas, and most of all, to our children and the generations to come, to pay attention… and to fight this healthcare bill with everything we have.
Have you called your Senator? Have you told a friend to call his? Have you called the office of Senators Lincoln, Nelson, Landrieu, Webb or any others and told them you will contribute to their opponent in their next election if they vote for the bill?
Failure simply is not an option. If this bill becomes law, it means:
Mandatory health insurance – or face jail time;
Washington, D.C. bureaucrats have control over your healthcare and the lives of your family;
Rationing of healthcare – including doctor shortages, waiting lines, and overuse of “free” healthcare;
More expensive healthcare for everyone – especially the young and healthy;
Bankrupting the U.S. Government (to the extent it is not already);
Long term lower standards of care – in other words… less progress, fewer life-saving treatments, less life-saving medicine, less innovation…
No – what I want for Christmas is for the American people to rise up and say no to socialized medicine – and for Senate Republicans to have the courage to help them.
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Caleb Howe
Yes, Do not let up on Congress !
skicougar (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 9:04AM EST (link)As was evidenced by the job on the epa and carbon dioxide, you cannot trust a democrat and the republicans are still push overs !
Please, please keep the pressure on on Congress !
They are expecting you are not paying attention and will give you Obamacare for Christmas is there is any way they can do it.
Sorry, GOP senators; you are being played again.
Eat ‘em up Houston Cougars !
Even worse, IMO, the GOP Senators KNOW they are playing the fool, and just don't care..NT
USNJIMRET (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 9:35AM EST (link)You're Right. They Think They're Being Clever.
farstar99 (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 1:23PM EST (link)And as usual, they haven’t got a clue.
Red siren?
cari Tuesday, December 8th at 9:39AM EST (link)How about posting the rotating red siren above this article? That always captures my attention and spurs me to action. Also, go to grassfire.org and sign their petition today. They want to get 850,000 signatures by the end of today and will be hand delivering them to the senators on Thursday.
This scam
michigan Tuesday, December 8th at 9:49AM EST (link)will be forced upon us in some form. The Republican Senators are so far impotent. The weather isn’t conducive for public marches and they know it. It matters not how many signatures, phone calls, public outcries by individuals, this WILL get through and enthusiastically signed by Obama. He’s used the people’s productivity (money) to buy cover and aid from areas in the public sector such as pharma, and insurance. The noose of socialism is being drawn over the neck of freedom, and as she stands, the hand of the progressives is on the drop lever. Resist.
Disappointed in Bayh
earlgrey (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 9:49AM EST (link)I was disappointed in Evan Bayh who was coming out strong in support of a fiscally conservative bill, but is now supporting the reform. I don’t know what he got but in late October he was talking about filibustering and now he is singing the praises of this legislation.
Not to slam you
TxCon (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 10:17AM EST (link)but what meaningful piece of legislation has Evan Bayh stood up to his party’s leadership and opposed?
If it is out there, then great. But he, like of lot of these so-called “Blue Dogs” cave when its nut-cutting time. I know what I’m talking about, as I am “represented” by one of them.
You are probably right
earlgrey (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 10:42AM EST (link)He did make all kinds of noises in the spring and summer about being fiscally responsible. He did vote against the budget and the omnibus spenidng bill. Of course they passed anyway so that didn’t end up making a difference.
If you vote to pass this bill that you are voting for socialism and the blue dogs should completely drop that claim.
I wish somoene from IN with some crediibility would challenge Bayh in 2010. If they were than maybe he would be rethinking his position on this bill.
And isn't that just the most sick aspect of our corrupt government?
USNJIMRET (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 11:08AM EST (link)That the only real chance of a currently sitting Congress Critter voting the will of their constituents is IF they believe they MIGHT face the loss of their freaking job.
This is what this Nation has descended to, only by threatening their comparative lap of luxury, taxpayer funded lifestyle, can there be any hope that an elected Representative (either house) might consider voting like the folks back home want.
Conservatives Are BLOWING IT!!!
ggross56 (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 11:42AM EST (link)Guys, thsi is really aggravating. We’re focused on the public option when the population is worried sick about the Medicare cuts, especially the cuts to Medicare’s home care budget. I wrote here that Sen. Johanns’ amendment would’ve restored $43 billion in home care cuts. That amendment was defeated by a 53-41 vote.
I know from the discussion that that post has generated that this is something that people are worried sick about. This is something that stirs up alot of passion. (I call that an “animating factor.”) It’s time we started pushing the right emotional buttons so we can defeat this bill.
Read my post, then tell me that it’s not touching on something that everyone can relate to.
Are Conservatives "Blowing It" or Republicans?
Ausonius (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 11:59AM EST (link)Too many Republican “conservatives” cannot be trusted, because they are RINO’s infected with D.C.-itis!
Any Republican doing anything other than sabotage to this bill is not to be trusted by conservatives.
With MAObama’s approval falling in relationship to the public’s awareness of the monstrousness of his Hell-th Care bill, why would any truly conservative Republican act like this is something that can be fixed or salvaged?
I know there is a theory that the bill should be allowed to be passed because the outrage will bring Republicans into the majority next year: that is a gamble I am not willing to take with the future of America at stake.
Short-term politicking vs. the longevity of what is left of the Republic.
Ausonius: 310-395 A.D. Teacher, Poet, Consul, General, Farmer.
Personal Tutor to the future St. Paulinus of Nola and to young Gratian, heir to the throne during the turbulent final years of the Western Roman Empire. When his former student Gratian was assassinated, Ausonius threw up his hands and retired to his farm in Gaul. Rome was captured by barbarians 14 years after his death.
Cato@rock.com
I don't see any blowing it right now
Richard Mullins (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 12:07PM EST (link)All Republican Amendments have failed and the only amendments that pass with a healthy bi-partisan support are powder-puff amendments. We need to separate passion from reality. If a republican Amendment gets though, we have real problems.
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Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
They are not blowing it, but they are not doing enough to stop it.
skicougar (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 12:28PM EST (link)In Texas, we have the Hutch advertising she’s putting her governor run on hold to stop governement healthcare.
Unless you watch c-span; her efforts are not even noticeable.
She should be going Palin on steroids, or her governor run and senate run are finshed is she tries and fails and then comes back to the voters with nada, ala McCain and the financial crisis.
I thought the tea parties would make the Dems pause, it didn’t.
I thought the GOP Senate was getting serious; it isn’t
The holdiays will be fun for me. I expect to have govt care and cap and tax thru the EPA to open under my Christmas tree.
I have never drank for a week straight and called in sick for work because I didn’t feel like working; I may just try it; my efforts to make life better for myself and others is about to hit a lifetime speedtrap. Might as well start acting like a targeted democrat constituency, I’m being treated like one.
Eat ‘em up Houston Cougars !
Your comment reminds me of that campaign
janis (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 12:37PM EST (link)add from Hillary in ’07, where she showed all the packages under the Christmas tree with all those names on them for what was inside:
Health Care, Jobs, Educational Funding, etc., and any other program that spends the taxpayers’ money without their consent.
Who knew that Hillary was a psychic? Apparently not a very good one, however, or she might not have accepted the job offer from Obama that would take her out of the news cycles for whole months at a time.
This Time, It's Conservatives
ggross56 (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 1:29PM EST (link)This time, it’s conservatives that are blowing it because they haven’t been willing to effectively use hot button emotional messaging to turn people off to the bill, especially as it pertains to Medicare’s home care cuts.
This is THE TOPIC that we can & should pound the Democrats with over & over & over again with. Everyone knows someone who would benefit from home care. EVERYONE!!! Whether they’re suburban or rural constituents, they’re interested in getting this part done right.
Highlighting the Democrats’ gutting the most efficient federal health care program will turn opinions BIGTIME!!! We’ve been given a billy club. USE IT!!!
I too have that sinking feeling...
nateleyswhore Tuesday, December 8th at 1:07PM EST (link)They are going to use the busy holiday season as cover, then do their usual Little Drummer Boy tearful appeals to “help the kids, the poor, the downtrodden.” By the time the true horror of government health care is implemented, they will all have moved on down the road with their cushy Congressional coverage. We’re screwed. Spit!
“Nately had a bad start. He came from a good family.” –Catch 22
JUST GREAT
ggross56 (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 1:31PM EST (link)Another whiner instead of being a person who changes the paradigm & who provides us with a great SOLUTION!!! Just what we need.
We've got plenty of solutions, but we're realists.
skicougar (Diary) Tuesday, December 8th at 6:06PM EST (link)One of the things in common about many conservatives is that we’re realistic.
There were plenty of protests all the way to the possibility of a 3rd party even forming in some tea party orgs., but the Dems continue to move the ball toward socialism and more control over the people.
And, being a realist; we know once that stuff is passed; it will be nearly impossible to turn it back.
It’s up to the GOP Senate to stop them now, there’s not enough people to yell and scream to get them to stop with holiday, family and religious events garnering so much attention and the senate GOP don’t look to be up to the challenge.
I was hopeful in the fall, but the Dems are very good at this game and the GOP senate has no Favre/Arod/Kobie to stop them.
Eat ‘em up Houston Cougars !
Don't panic
cari Tuesday, December 8th at 1:47PM EST (link)As much as I’m tempted, I’m not going to panic. This is a horrible piece of legislation. It won’t work because it can’t. It’s too top heavy, too difficult to enforce, too many unintended consequences, too expensive. I don’t think it can even be fully implemented before it topples from its own weight.
If, God forbid, it passes, it can be challenged in the courts for it unconstitutionality, in the states, under the tenth ammendment, and if necessary, by revolution.
We’re Americans. We will not have our freedoms stripped from us without a fight. I’ve raised kids. I know that you cannot take a toddler who has had free reign of the entire house and then stick him in a play pen and expect him to like it. Freedom is a hard thing to have taken away, once you’ve had it. Just try grounding a teenager! And the American people can be pushed just so far before we’ll fight, quite literally, to gain our freedom back. I’m just glad that most of the gun owners in America are on the side of freedom!
WOLVERINES!
robertbelvedere Tuesday, December 8th at 6:38PM EST (link)Quoted from and Linked to at: A CALL TO ARMS
as currently being accomplished in D.C.
olddog Wednesday, December 9th at 11:42PM EST (link)this isn’t just socialism but fascism, they use intimidation, bribes and when all that fails they will, bring out the purple shirts and the tree nuts and la-bamba corp., just as brown shirts once did, they will do.
There has already been a black man, beaten for his conservative views, a man had his finger bitten off in another incident, an old man killed for having anti-abortion signs, a union member beaten to within an inch of his life for opposing his unions, views. Never falter, but be alert, the thugs are out and about. when cornered, rats always fight..
they feel , We, the people can’t take care of ourselves, so they have to whether we like it or not. Besides, there is all that Money, if they can do this.
SUPPORT our TROOPS! Especially this Christmas, some of their families are really hurting,!
One Old Dog