Those of us who followed the legislation called the Democrats out on it, but since Democrats had the numbers in Congress, it passed anyway.
One of the monumental lies and deceptions was the so-called "Doc Fix," by which the CBO was required to score the legislation as if there would be an over 20% reduction in payments to physicians under Medicare, whereas everyone knew such cuts never could take effect because of the political fallout of seniors being cut off from care.
And sure enough, the cuts were supposed to take place today, but the Democrats screamed foul and dared Republicans to block the fix.
Max Baucus, one of the key Democrats who pushed through ObamaCare, announced that the cuts required under ObamaCare without the Doc Fix would result in “near chaos in absence of medical care to seniors.”
The Republicans in the Senate agreed to a 6 month fix, without a rollcall vote, rather than hold Democrats to the consequences of ObamaCare. The measure supposedly is paid for with cuts elsewhere, but those cuts could have been made anyway to save money, so the Doc Fix does represent real new spending (except perhaps in Washington budget lala-land).
The measure now goes to the House, where it is sure to pass given the large Democratic majority.
It was the classic hostage situation, and the Republicans blinked. Max Baucus, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, the American Medical Association, AARP and Consumers Union, among others held our seniors hostage, hung them out on a ledge dangling by a fiscal rope, and then dared the Republicans to let them hang.
I can't wait to see the reporters chase around Harry Reid demanding to know why he passed legislation which would have created "near chaos" in care for seniors, why Reid phonied up the numbers, and why Reid is bankrupting the country.
Just like they are chasing around Sharron Angle.
Update: Calling all reporters to chase Harry "Havoc" Reid shouting "havoc," what did you mean by "havoc," why did you pass "havoc," are you "floating the possibility" of "havoc":
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had warned Thursday night of the “havoc” that would erupt in America if Medicare doctors got a pay cut.
Update 6-19-2010 - I may have been wrong on the prospects for the Senate "fix" passing the House quickly, as it is reported that Nancy Pelosi is refusing to allow a vote unless the Senate also passes a "jobs" bill:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struck a combative tone tonight, rejecting the Medicare "doc fix" passed hastily through the Senate Friday until Senate Republicans allow a vote on jobs measures that have passed through the House.
If true, then Pelosi may have given opponents of ObamaCare a gift, by making the Democrats the reason the Doc Fix did not become law, thereby highlighting the phony nature of the CBO scoring without Republicans having to be the ones standing in the way.
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Related Posts:
Alphabet Soup of Health Care Delusions
Consumer Reports' Specious Stand On Health Care Reform
CBO Credibility The First Victim Of Obamacare
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Sad. Now we know how serious the GOP is about the whole "repeal and replace" movement.
ReplyDeleteMost of us knew the Democrats were committing a horrendous fraud against the American people that they would have to answer for. And the GOP response is to effectively be complicit with it.
The GOP should just dissolve itself. They don't want limited government, and they don't want to make the Democrats face the voter wrath for their horrendous fraudulent law.
The stupid party, indeed.
That's why we tea party types are cleaning the gop out, one primary at a time.
ReplyDeletedon't give up. we'll make the jerks do what we want after we put majorities back in office.
"Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war"
ReplyDeleteShakespeare's Julius Caesar
And this is why we are doomed as a nation. It's over until it crashes, then we rebuild from scratch. Gov. Christie's speech was what should have been done.
ReplyDeletehttp://truthandcommonsense.com/2010/06/17/from-pundits-website-they-do-good-work-there-so-does-gov-christie/
The democrats planned this type of strategy all along. They aren't stupid, just evil.