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by Mark Silva and updated
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in flames - that's the image presented at the Republican National Committee's Web-site today.
And that's the new midterm election mission for the GOP: "Nancy Pelosi has to be fired,'' the RNC chairman says.
"I think, overall, most Americans would like to see the thing undone and started over,'' party chairman Michael Steele says of the healthcare bill that President Barack Obama will sign into law this morning. "The bottom line on this bill is too expensive, it creates too much of a burden on small businesses.''
With all their talk of taking over the House and repealing the healthcare bill now, aren't Republicans putting themselves in an awkward position of taking something away? The first benefits of the new bill - preventing children with preexisting conditions from being denied coverage, tax breaks for small businesses to provide coverage for employees and other measures, will take effect this year, long before any tax increases for the wealthiest Americans or mandates to purchase insurance, which sponsors count on buoying public support for the new law before Election Day.
"This is a shell of a bill that will be written largely through a regulatory process,'' Steele complained in an appearance on NBC News' Today Show this morning. " You can set up this straw dog argument that I know the left is trying to do: 'Republicans are trying to repeal this bill, they want to take this away.'''
On that flaming Web-site, where the RNC is using Pelosi -- "the most powerful woman in the world'' -- as the poster-speaker for a fundraising drive to reclaim 40 seats in the House this fall -- "no more Madam Speaker'' -- and has claimed raising nearly $1 million so far for the cause::
"I find it amusing now, all of a sudden that this thing is passed, everyone is interested in civil dialog,'' Steele said. "She's the one that pulled this out of the fire for the president after the Scott Brown election... She owns this.... The bottom line is, if you want to try to undo a lot of the damage that's being done, or that's being planned to be done under this bill, Nancy Pelosi has to be fired.''
"Democrats are celebrating,'' the narrator of a new RNC Web-ad today notes (for a look at what the campaign ads might look like, play it here:). "It's time to fire Nancy Pelosi,'' the narrator says. "Now that's a cause worth celebrating.''
If the plan is so good, why is the president heading out to sell it some more, the White House was asked today - as Obama will do with a speech delivered at the Interior Department in Washington after this morning's White House bill-signing ceremony, and with an appearance in Iowa City on Thursday - where he first spoke of healthcare reform early in his campaign for the White House.
"He's going back to Iowa where he made his first speech on health reform,'' David Axelrod, the president's senior political advisor, said on the Today Show. "I know there is a fascination with polls. Every poll you look at shows that when you look at the individual components of what this bill is, it's embraced.''
As the Senate moves forward with a package of fixes which the House approved on Sunday along with the bill on the president's desk today, the White House is voicing confidence that the entire package will be signed into law - but today's signing remains a signal victory for the president's agenda.
"We're signing this bill into law today,'' Axelrod said. ... The important thing is, today, kids with preexisting conditions and their families will have the assurance of knowing that they can get coverage... Small businesses all over this country will this year get tax credits, 35 percent, so that they can give healthcare coverage to their employees.... Lifetime caps (on insurance benefits) will be lifted. You can't get thrown off your insurance if you are ill .''
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Comments
Democrats may want to be wary of premature celebrations. The Germans celebrated when they took Paris; the Japanese celebrated when they captured Manila. The Russians celebrated when they beat back the resistance in Budapest. It's the ending that counts. The test will be how much celebrating Ms. Pelosi does on November 10.
Posted by: Mansfield | March 23, 2010 10:27 AM
UMMM YEAH, THAT'S 85% OF US. THE USUAL SOCIALIST LEFTY STUFF: HAMPER THE MANY FOR A FEW. POUND US DOWN UNTIL WE'RE ALL "EQUAL".
Already Insured? Get Ready to Pay More
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/22/eveningnews/main6323762.shtml
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 23, 2010 11:00 AM
I agree. I think the dems totally disregarded what the public wanted. And with the approval ratings for almost all dem leaders lately showing to be extremely low, it shows that they shouldnt even be up there. I am still unsure as to who keeps voting pelosi up there. Yes, we can only wait until novemeber to reclaim our constitutional rights.
Posted by: elle | March 23, 2010 11:00 AM
Yeah, right after they fire the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers. You know, that crowd that will help the Greedy Corps, rather than help their fellow citizens. Get real, Mr. Steele and get rid of that Party of No, of Obstructionists, that you are supposed to be its leader.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | March 23, 2010 11:09 AM
Republicans are not only losers, they are sore losers and pathetic at governance. Republicans like to claim they "know what the American People want"; they don't have a clue.
Posted by: Tim | March 23, 2010 11:09 AM
Comrade Nancy will soon be the ex-Speaker. I just wish I could be there personally to plant my bootprint on her commie backside to help nudge her out the door. Pity.
Posted by: Farewell, Comrade Pelosi! | March 23, 2010 11:24 AM
The White House has already sent out the Dem Party talking points on ObamaCare, which politico.com has.
How many of these talking points will David Axelrod, and his old co-worker Mark Silva, repeat this week?
Posted by: Equal time | March 23, 2010 11:33 AM
WRITTEN BY A DOCTOR
Depend On The Government For Your Health Care? Good Luck…
The government sold health care reform with 5 basic talking points:
1. You won’t be able to be kicked off of your insurance when you really need it
Turns out that the insurance companies CAN kick you off if they pay a fine. It is not hard to imagine that an insurance company will figure out pretty quickly that it would be cheaper to pay the fine than to pay for coverage of a long term chronic illness.
2. You won’t be denied medical care for pre-existing conditions.
If the insurance company deems that you have lied on the application you will be denied coverage.
Sick children are no longer considered to have pre-existing conditions, but what about women who are pregnant?
3. You can keep the doctor you have if you are already covered.
With the cuts in Medicare reimbursements that have already happened (no more consultation fees) and the looming 21% cut at the end of October. Many more physicians than the current 30% are looking to opt out of Medicare. When the commercial insurance reimbursement rates drop (as they invariably will since they pay at a percentage of Medicare) there will be more doctors looking to leave commercial insurance as well.
4. Health care reform will lead to increased access
There is no way that there will be an increase in access when you take into account; 1) the physician shortage, 2) Those physicians who will leave medicine after the passage of this monstrosity (a recent poll of physicians states that 35% would leave the profession), and 3) those who will stop taking insurance all together because they are simply fed up.
Expanding Medicaid to those who are currently uninsured is not going to help since most doctors are not taking Medicaid now. Currently access to specialists is pretty poor, it will decline further.
5. Health care reform will cover 30 million more uninsured people
The bill will cover approximately 7 million more people over the next nine years and leave over 100 million people under insured.
6. The health care reform bill will decrease the deficit
The CBO numbers do not take into account the “doctor fix” and the government takeover of student loans was added to pad the numbers.
If you do real world accounting by adding in the “doctor fix” (over 230 million dollars) you actually wipe out the cost savings and you increase the deficit (anywhere from 400-700 million dollars.)
It is likely that the estimated costs will likely be much higher. How can anyone really know what is going to happen in the next 10 years. To say that these numbers are optimistic is being kind.
The Health care reform bill has done absolutely NOTHING that would really lower the cost of health care.
The pharmaceutical companies got three major cost raising concessions
- the government cannot go out of the country to shop for cheaper drugs
- the patent for biologics was extended to 12 years from 7 thereby locking out cheaper generic drugs. (For example a patient can continue to pay over $1000 a month for a drug like Embrel instead of getting some relief.
- patients will not be able to buy cheaper over the counter medications with their health savings account only more expensive prescription medication.
The health insurance companies may whine about their profit margin, but they get millions more people to add to their roles. Most of those people will only see a doctor 1-2 times a year for routine things, but will pay 14% higher premiums for the privilege.
*
http://biggovernment.com/egeorge/2010/03/23/depend-on-the-government-for-your-health-care-good-luck/#more-94402
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 23, 2010 12:07 PM
The Americans against this Health Care Bill are ignorant and pathetic! It is amazing that you will vote against your own best interest and listen to BS artist like Steel et.al. who enjoy great Health Care. Instead of drinking their toxic diatribe, why don't you stupid RIGHT WING EXTREMESTS go and get an EDUCATION so that you can enjoy White Privilege and extricate yourselves from your trailer trash park.
Posted by: Sonja | March 23, 2010 12:10 PM
Sonja
If you were one of those Americans that was against the health care bill and very educated (have PH.D) and enjoy the fruits of our labor, and enjoy the finer in things in life, you would understand that we do not intend to pay for insurance for individuals that are too damn lazy to work or get a job. So, Sonja get a job and see how it feels to give away more than 30% of your income to taxes!
Posted by: kevin | March 23, 2010 2:38 PM
Obama-worshiping "Sonja", if you're going to label "right wingers" "extremists" "ignorant", shouldn't you first learn how to spell "extremists"?
Hint: it isn't spelled "extremests".
Posted by: Equal time | March 23, 2010 4:22 PM
Comrade Nancy will soon be the ex-Speaker. I just wish I could be there personally to plant my bootprint on her commie backside to help nudge her out the door. Pity.
Posted by: Farewell, Comrade Pelosi! | March 23, 2010 11:24 AM
Comrade:
Pelosi is in something called the "House of Representatives." If you read the Constitution for the first time, you'll get an idea what that is.
Pelosi does not stand for national election. She only has to win her liberal San Francisco district, whose only gripe with her is this law does not provide universal, single payer healthcare. She does not need to worry about getting votes from you or any other drooling idiot.
Posted by: a blinkin | March 23, 2010 4:35 PM
You liberals dazzle us with your knowledge. No Nancy is not going to get voted out of office. The Republicans will take over the majority in the House and Nancy will no longer have to be the deer in the headlights. That means she will no longer be Speaker. There, I typed it real S L O W for you.
Posted by: Free to Watch Liberals Meltdown | March 23, 2010 6:26 PM
If our elected officials truly wanted to empower the american people, there would be a law that requires BOTH political parties to submit 5 names from each house of congress on a ballot every even numbered year. The top vote getter from the majority party would be the Senate Majority Leader (Senate) or House Speaker (House). The second highest vote getter (House) would be the House Majority Leader. The top vote getters in the MINORITY party would be the minority leaders. Any voter who failed to vote for a member of BOTH parties would have their vote in that category nullified. In this scenario, the Democrats could still maintain majority in the House but Pelosi could lose her position as Speaker (not her seat).
Posted by: David | March 23, 2010 8:03 PM
Pelosi is not interested in children, middle class, seniors etc. She thrives on Power. With her background of Riches she no idea or concern for the struggling. A hipocrite of the worst kind.
Posted by: Jacqueline Ciszewski | March 23, 2010 10:35 PM
Obama, Pelosi and Reid can stick there CHANGE where the sun don't shine. 3 STOOGES !!
Posted by: stephen bolchazy | March 23, 2010 10:54 PM
Keep dreaming, Meltdown. There's a reason the Republicants lost the House: they are incompetent, whether that means prosecuting a war or balancing a budget, or even, say, defending against terrorism (great work on 911 guys!).
Republicans are failures, the electorate knows it, and therefore the Dems will most certainly keep a majority in the House for the foreseeable future.
Posted by: a blinkin | March 23, 2010 11:29 PM
On the WLS morning show today Congressman Jackson stated that healthcare will cost more than what was estimated and that much deeper cuts will be needed in other programs. Less than 24 hours after this bill was passed a liberal stepped up and start to tell the truth. You can try to say he didn't say it but it is now in a podcast.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | March 24, 2010 4:39 PM
the republican actions reminds me of how the gop treated Martin Luthur King 45 years ago anyone that would standup and cheer because someones life is threatened is worse than pond scum, i am ashamed of them and will never vote for any republican again. this is a democracy and there is no place on earth for their actions except maybe the iran leaders
Posted by: george | March 25, 2010 11:34 AM
She needs to fired. Because she has not done her job.
Her job, and the job of all the rest of them is to "uphold and defend the constitution of the United States Of America."
They actually say that when they take the oath of office.
They have not upheld nor defended.
If I had done my job as poorly, I wouldn't have lasted 10 days.
Posted by: Dick | March 25, 2010 12:31 PM
What would it Solve to get rid of Susan Pelosi there is a lot of idiots in the congress that really needs to buckle up with expends like there rest of the country. What kind of people are we voting for? Not very smart ones thats for sure National or State Thing of the American person they are not there party we are all "Human"
Posted by: Wess | March 31, 2010 11:20 PM
As a Real old time Republican who voted for Barry Goldwater and every Republican since, I gotta tell Mr. Steele, that I for one will be happy when the RNC fires HIM. He has become the mouthpiece for the extreme right wing and while I realize they are the most activist and help to get folks NOMINATED, they do NOT get them elected any longer. Having said that, I will be extremely happy when Ms. Pelosi gets fired because her party no longer holds the majority in the house and That probably wont be long after the November election.
Posted by: Real-Repub | April 3, 2010 12:52 PM
This health care bill just cost us our jobs. So now were just ward,s of the state instead of taxpayer's. "THANK YOU PELOSI' and tell king Obama job well done!
Posted by: possom | April 6, 2010 4:15 AM
The people of this world need to stop the fighting and try to work together. We wonder while our children is in a world wind and lost and can't find there way, but they can't depend on us as an Adult, because we don.t know how to act. Everyday it's a fight about something, Republic against Democratics and vice verse. We already have a war going on that our children is dieing everyday, but that's not enough. When is it going to end? When we destroy the United States and then you say you believe in God. What kind of people are you? We chose this leader, give him a chance, he can't make miracle happen overnight ,nobody can. Please lets stop the name calling and work together as Adults and set example for our children. PLEASE
Posted by: Roberta Parker | July 21, 2010 11:31 PM