no matter how he dissembles about it. Aren’t you all glad you helped get rid of that evil old Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)?

From her senate website:

“I’m on one of the two committees in the Senate that is actually looking at health-care reform,” Hagan said in her state headquarters at Green Valley Office Park. “Our committee passed a bill that says even if you’ve got a pre-existing health condition, the insurance companies cannot use that to bar you from purchasing insurance. We want to be sure people have the ability to have affordable and accessible health insurance, and I wanted to be sure that whatever we do doesn’t increase the federal deficit.”

and…

When asked about cuts in Medicare as a result of health care legislation,

Hagan replied, “I keep hearing that, and I can guarantee people will not see a drop in their Medicare coverage.”

The 56-year-old Shelby native, who grew up in Lakeland, Fla., and has lived in Greensboro since she received her law degree from Wake Forest University, said a lot of Medicare money is currently being wasted.

“Right now we know there is fraud and abuse in the system,” Hagan said. “We have put a lot in this bill to prevent that, and so we put a number on that [prevented fraud] that said we can reduce the money being spent on Medicare right now by cutting this fraud. I think that’s where people are saying that we’re going to cut Medicare.”

and…

“People need to realize we can’t continue not to take action,” Hagan said of health-care reform. “Ten years ago, people paid $6,000 in annual family premiums; today it’s $12,000; in 2006 it’s projected to be $24,000. I don’t think people are going to be able to afford those kinds of increases in premiums. That’s why I think health-care reform is necessary.”

and finally…

“The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has analyzed the Senate’s health care reform bill, determining it will bring down our deficit into the future. Reducing our deficit has been a key priority of mine all along. People who like their insurance coverage and doctors will keep them. The Senate’s bill will slow down the exploding costs of health care, expand coverage, protect Medicare and improve the quality of care for all Americans. Insurance companies will no longer be able to turn people away with pre-existing conditions. When people lose their jobs, they will have an avenue to get insurance.

By all means keep calling, she might cave, but even in light of the recent devastating election results in Virginia and NJ she isn’t up for re-election till 2014. She’ll sell us out and lie about it then.

to bring “the animating contest of freedom” to those Senators who still think the SEIU has the best interests of the little people at heart. The union’s bullying of a humble Eagle Scout candidate in PA has inflamed the entire nation.

I just got off the phone with his staffer.