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I’m going to hand it to John Boehner on this one. It’s a brilliant little maneuver.
“I write today to respectfully ask that you invite Rep. Stupak to participate in the February 25 health care summit so that the will of the American people – and that of a bipartisan majority in the House – on the critical issue of life will be appropriately represented during the discussion.”
“Regrettably, millions of Americans are already deeply skeptical about the February 25 summit. They have noted with disappointment the decision by the White House to use the existing legislation as the starting point for the discussion – despite the fact that the current bills are opposed by a majority of the American people – rather than starting the discussion with a clean sheet of paper. They have noted with consternation the White House decision to exclude governors and state legislators representing states that will bear the heaviest burdens if the current legislation is enacted. Including Representative Stupak in the February 25 discussion, by contrast, would send a signal that the White House respects the views of a majority of Americans and a bipartisan majority of the House on the critical issue of life.”
Republicans got an extra spot because Ron Wyden got a late invitation. In addition, Olympia Snowe was asked to the summit, but she declined because her leadership didn’t ask her to attend. Instead, they asked Stupak.
It should be noted that Stupak led the Anthem Blue Cross hearings today, and said at them that rate hike problems like this would continue “until reform passes,” and also said that this was why he supported a public option. But Stupak is also a peacock on the issue of abortion funding, and the Republicans know very well that their best chance to kill the bill completely lies with him.
Stupak in the summit raises the possibility of turning it into a circus and shifting focus away from where the White House and Democratic leaders would rather go. They’ve been hiding from this abortion issue throughout this debate, but Stupak won’t go away. Publicly, however, the White House reacted calmly to the news:
A White House official said Obama would welcome Stupak at the table, but it’s unclear whether he will be the consensus pick of House and Senate Republicans.
“They can bring whoever they want,” the official said, as long as the person is a member of Congress.
This summit may actually get more theatrical, anyway.
UPDATE: Stupak was on Fox News today, incidentally, and he basically said that the House couldn’t pass the Obama-backed compromise bill, and not just because of abortion, but due to the long implementation time and the excise tax. I recognize that a lot of this is just posturing right now, but these are significant concerns. Actually, I think Stupak should be there tomorrow. He seems to be the most important stumbling block. Might as well hash this out in public.
UPDATE II: In case you missed it, the other GOP summit picks from the House are here.
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Well, that’s that.
I imagine this is the death knell of the bill.
The Democrats have been hiding from it for three months now, but that’s over.
Kudos to The Tan Man: very nicely played.
Obama, Obama, Obama, you will never learn.
I don’t think the GOP takes you seriously.
The TAN MAN is on a mention to make your Health Care Summit a complete Joke.
I am already laughing
And isn’t Conrad going too? Maybe he and Pelosi can have a little chat.
Pelosi and Conrad would be worth charging admission.
My money is Pelosi
All she has to say to Conrad is pass 200 of the House Bills dying and senate and then talk me MORON.
Wow, now that’s a gut punch… I have to smile at the audacity of it. I didn’t know that Stupak was a public option supporter (of course, “public option” can mean all sorts of things). It would be hilarious if Stupak goes into the meeting attacking Obama both from the right (abortion) and the left (public option).
In fact, I think that’s exactly what the Republicans want him to do. Anything Stupak says about abortion will fire up conservatives and anything he says about the public option will demoralize liberals. Of course, he could change the subject and talk about individual mandates, excise taxes or the 4 year delay in coverage and unite liberals and conservatives in anger. The Republicans could do worse than just sit back and keep giving their time to Stupak to let him keep talking.
I think any talk of abortion backfires. People do not want to hear about it unless they are in the 20-30 percent crazy christians.
Also it seems a little too clever. Typically these kinds of shenanigans end up hurting you more than helping you.
Uh, that ship sailed. .. on the first Obama please please love me and help me screw the people Goper fest.
That would make him useful. But I don’t think he has ever done that. A lot like the Catholic Church – denies communion to pro-choice pols, but not pro-war or anti-immigrant ones.
Oh and by the way, if Stupak agrees to do this he ought to be kicked out of the caucus. If being a Democrat means anything, it means you cannot allow yourself to be used by the Republicans to demonize the Democrats. I guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot that’s how it would work.
“he ought to be kicked out of the caucus”
___
Yeah. Like, uh, Leiberman.
If the world were composed of reasonable people I would agree with your idea. Unfortunately, I doubt if they will do a thing to Stupak no matter what he does. Too many of our politicians suffer from terminal self-servedness and situational morals where loyalty to one’s party is for naive saps that aren’t on the take.
UPDATE: Boehner never consulted Stupak on the invite, according a statement from his office.
“I had no prior knowledge of either the content of Mr. Boehner’s letter or his intentions to reach out to President Obama regarding tomorrow’s health care summit. His office informed me of his letter only after it had been sent to the President and released publicly. I am far more concerned with making real progress toward enacting comprehensive health care reform than with who received an invitation to tomorrow’s health care summit.”
“loyalty to one’s party is for naive saps that aren’t on the take.”
ain’t it the truth.
The comments on here totally misunderstand Stupak. I live in his district and have watched him since he first ran in 1992. Stupak was against Nafta and Gatt and voted with David Bonior against Rahm on issues that have undermined US manufacturing. Stupak has been around a while and I’m sure Obama is a rerun of Clinton to him. With Stupak, they come and they go. Hes also very good against any type of consumer abuses. His sub committee on investigations doggedly take on special interest. He is liberal on economic and consumer issues, but, he is conservative on issues like abortion.
He is an anomoly for his beliefs. But his constituent services are what people like. His district loves him and he should get re-elected easily.
I do not believe the Tan one really understands what Stupak stands for either. Stupak is for the more liberal House bill but with his abortion language. On every other issue Stupak is on our side. Its the situation we are in!
I had to laugh at this invitation by the Orange One. The Rs have simply outsmarted Obama in every way possible and the Ds still don’t get it. They will go down with the ship screaming “bipartisan.”
Other profiles in Democrat courage…
Get the popcorn popping. This Kabuki might be worth watching.
Remember, Obama will be pulling the discussion to the House bill, the Senate bill, the GOP “bill”, and his outline of a compromise.
McConnell and Boehner will be trying to get the various factions of Democrats in Congress to fight each other to take the spotlight away from the fact that while the Democrats have a shit sandwich all the GOP’s got is shit.
Tang must be playing 12-dimensional chess LOL
Well, this way Boner can contend that there were more democrats invited.
ES how can you say that about our wonderful hope and change artist president?
He is reaching across the aisle to the Dems from his secure Republican base. What do you want Obama Rhama is the answer a godsend. He is just waiting for the right moment to change all the bad stuff like
The economy
Green Energy
Jobs
Main Street
Catching us up to the major industrial countries on universal health care
Moving MIC in a peaceful directionand all the other campaign lies.
We have been conned by a slick corporate pimp.
So he’s willing the scuttle the whole HCR on the bsis of abortion. Doens’t sound like he’s on the people’s side very much. Or on his own side: sacrificing 44,000 actual living lives every year and risk pregant women’s lives to save a few unborn lives. Sounds like a nutcase to me.
With all due respect to anyone reading this who has worked for real and hard on getting real and serious health care reform enacted, it seems plain as day that the effort is dead. We’re getting an election-year charade right now on two topics: health care “reform”, and Central Asia foreign policy vis-a-vis Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
The Democrats have decided that it is best to appear as hawks in Central Asia, hence the vacuous saber-rattling in Iran, the “offensive” in Marja which is killing people, etc.
At home, on health care “reform”, we are seeing a push to enact some sort of atrocious legislation that amounts to a wish list for the health insurance and pharmaceutical cartels “in case ‘reform’ must be enacted, there is no way around it” and that otherwise serves for 30-second TV and radio commercials later this year.
Real health care reform died last year, early on. It died because the Democrats and Republicans together are, largely, owned by and aligned against the public with the corporate and plutocratic interests opposing reform and the public option in sufficient numbers that real reform was a non-starter.
The best we can hope for is no legislation at all this year, and, given the apparent inability or unwillingness on the part of either party, when in power, to deliver real reform (including a public health plan for everyone who wants it) we can hope for electoral annihilation in the Congress against Democrats in particular and incumbents in general. Deadlock for the next three years is preferable to the Democrats driving further decline.
Not much to lose since the 60 vote majority is history. Whip in line or boot them Pelosi
So we get to listen to Stupak try to shove intrusive big government down our throats by trying to criminalize abortion while Republicans applaud then go out later and tell us how much they hate intrusive government…brilliant.
Many of us women are in really foul moods lately. E.g. what’s up with Utah and criminalizing miscarriages or the poor lady in Florida whose doctor went to court to get an order forcing her into best rest for four months, albeit she had two young children and wasn’t released until her fetus died three days later! I don’t think the young women are quite as clued in as us older women who knew what pre-Roe was like. Really not interested in what allows Stupak to sleep at night.
Indeed.
McConnell and Boehner will be trying to get the various factions of Democrats in Congress to fight each other to take the spotlight away from the fact that while the Democrats have a shit sandwich all the GOP’s got is shit.
Obama will have no problem reconciling shit and a shit sandwich. Remember, he was a community organizer. Can you say, “Double-shit sandwich?”
I reject the idea that you can be “conservative on issues like abortion.” Anyone trying to make abortion less available is also trying to get women killed by returning us to the days of back alley coat hanger abortions. End of discussion.
It is a completely incoherent position. In economics, it is clear that people put a price on their lives every day: by driving a car, by choosing how much insurance to buy, by not making sure all Americans have adeqauate medical care and a million other examples. So it is abundantly clear from human behavior that human life is not sacrosanct by human standards.
Not to mention the moral issue of placing a higher value on fetuses than on humans who are actually alive.
Pimping for the Corporate oligarchy has many benefits for the head pimp and his pimpees. Priveledge and unlimited access to their largesse. After the presidency unlimited speaking engagements on Constitutional Democracy at its best. Lectures on why freedom is bad for Americans. (Worth hundreds of thousands in fees for each appearance). A lifetime citizenship to Isreal. A seat on the NY Stock exchange for a $2 Billion transfers of assests from the taxpayers to the banksters. A lifetime member in the Big Yellow Chicken Club.
A open lifetime invitiation to the Bush family events. The national Service award from MIC for over funding the military industrial comlex.
Lifetime award from the US SUpreme Court for selling the US Constitution to the highest bidder. ETC. Impeach him. For his support of the destruction of OLC and DOJ as they stomp on all of out rights and violate international human rights law.
Took the words out of my mouth.
“I had no prior knowledge of either the content of Mr. Boehner’s letter or his intentions to reach out to President Obama regarding tomorrow’s health care summit.
Holy cow, Boehner didn’t work out Stupak’s talking points before inviting him? Talk about throwing a grenade in the punch bowl.
Stupak should definitely go in to attack the president’s plan from the right and the left. He could offer as a compromise whatever plan he wants– Hyde Amendment + Americare say, or Medicaid expansion, whatever.
Everyone else at that table has been fighting trench warfare for months and would have to suddenly come up with objections to whatever Stupak’s new “compromise proposal” is on the fly… on live television.
“The Tan One”
It’s really respectful.
So classy.
Yup.
How bout that asshole Boehner?
I don’t know about any of you Pups, but THIS Pup would be DELIGHTED to see this present Senate/WH bill proposal scuttled to the bottom of the Marianas Trench!!
It will only rachet up MORE pressure on Senate/WH to pay attention to the will of the people polled, 65% who want a robust public option, competition, all in for anyone who WANTS in, starts NOW, returns antitrust, scuttles denial for preexisting, controls premium costs/copays/deductibles/lifetime caps, and more.
KILL THE BILL!!!
Clocks ticking to November, and killing this ONCE again, a kabuki redoux, only puts MORE pressure on the Senate and WH to come to the prog side of life.
I hope Stupak gums things up like a dozen wads of Bazooka!!!!!
Well, we haven’t been demanding the Orange One’s birth certificate.
His home planet probably doesn’t have the “long form” any way, so…
Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Fuck these assholes on the Hill and thew Whitehouse. Throw the bums out. They are shitting all over us. More war less healthcare less food, shelter, clothing. The basic needs of 50 million americans are not met. A swelling homeles population. A swelling demand on food banks. These people are running a criminal conspiracy and justice is no longer wearing the blinders. Corporate rip of is the order of the day.
The Democratic party is holding the line on WHAT? Are people as stupid as you sound. Take a cold shower look around you and see the devastation. over 30% of Americans are under water in their mortgage and the people that did it to us are super rich getting massive bomuses and laughing all the way to the bank. Time to look at the Big Picture the perspective overall instead of these bullshit issues thAt are draining the progrssive efforts.
I’m just telling you what Stupaks history is and how he believes. If you like him or not thats your choise. Hes done goods things and things I don’t agree with. But he has made himself a player even if anyone likes it or not.
Also, he will get re-elected in this district as a dem. Bottom line.
Galaxy?
Time to start The American Progessive Party back candidates that sign a pldge for a legislative platform. Perfect opportunity as the Congress is up for grabs. The Dem/Rebs has screwed us so dump them.
A Roman Catholic. He wants to continue to be able to take communion.
In the seventeen years I taught human sexuality at the local community college, I was appalled at how little young women know about Roe v. Wade, never mind ERA.
If he’s scheduling a six-hour cage match, it’s not going to be that easy.
As they say “ignorance kills.” What a shame.
So he’s willing to kill 44,000 Americans/year so he can consume a little piece of bread over which some guy in a dress sez a little mumbo jumbo? Suddenly I understand.
Pimps are about using women for their gain. YEstrday we celebrated Women’s Day at the County Supervisors meeting. One of the smartest Fedeeral Reseve Chairperson is a women
Mod note: Post comments once please.
Women need to have control of their bodies not men. It is a human rightd issue more than a sex issue in my mind. By the way women have been used by men taking advantage of their good nature. The family duties that women perform would be a daunting task for most “men”. Men need to “Man Up” really appreciate what women are contributing.
Perfect pick, now all they need is Max Bauchus to seal the deal. This whole thing has now entered the realm of farce. Obama is not it seems learning on the job, unless the job is existential theater production.
The person on Medicaid spend Down becomes a MEDICAID EMINENT SPEND DOWN Client in3 -6 Months because he or she has an illness or condition that is worsening, an illness, chest pains, an accident, chronic disease management, hospice and palliative care, assisted living, home health care services, ESRF,organ transplant, and like that.Their FULL MEDICAID Coverage would then take effect.
Time for THE REALLY BIG, REALLY NON-PROFIT, REALLY BI-PARTISAN, REAL HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICANS-MARCH ON WASHINGTON – and direct all the crooks and liars in government
BEHOLD THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO WANT A GOOD AND HEALTHY LIFE
Naw. Stupak never bothered to talk to women before. Just now which is curious. He won’t be re-elected in the district. Too dishonest. Too many are too pissed off at his new frontline for Rome.
Sorry, I can’t make heads or tails out of your post; one only becomes eligible for Medicaid when one’s assets are spent down to $2,000. This does not include the assets of the spouse because there is a mechanism for “division of assets.”
Addendum, the spend-down usually has to do with eligibility for Medicaid paying most of the costs of a nursing home.
Citizen Raven:
I think in the last few days and goin’ into the weekend we will continue to see all these fascist chickens runnin around hollerin’ that the sky is fallin’ on their hen house. They’re runnin through the streets screamin pornographic distortions of every fairy tale of terrorists and terrorism to divert attention from the issue of healthcare reform and onto process, politics and fear.
This is why I’m not worried about all the flea ridden Blue Dogs, corporate bagmen and right wing lunatics loose without their meds includin’ Bart Stupid who are comin’ to “crash the party” tomorrow. Can’tcha jest see all these gutless wonders standin’ up to Obama and tellin’ ‘im that…well, just what is it that can motivate ‘em to gunna grow stones big enough to tell the President ANYthin’?
The best thing that can happen for reconcilliation, the public option and real healthcare reform is watchin these mental paraplegics try ta get down with Obama on national television…Jesus, if they had left well enough alone and just backed off and let Rahm Emmanuel and the Democratic leadership screw the pooch a few more times they’d be countin’ their Wellpoint bonuses and gettin ready to take over congress next January. Now even Obama can’t save his own sorry corporate friendly sell out, he’s gunna hafta sign a real bill or face the prospect of dealin with these pathetic losers in the majority in congress next year.
I didn’t follow the link, but I suspect there’s a deposed Nigerian oil minister involved in the tale somehow.
error sorry senior moment onsey
I was curious about Stupak, so I researched a bit and got exactly the impression you describe. He’s liberal on some issues, gives good arguments for passing HCR, etc. and is diehard anti-choice. His anti-abortion stuff is nothing new for him, and he won his district handily. He’s popular enough that he is considered a possible candidate for governor. I don’t know what his ambitions are, but with his amendment, he now has a national reputation too.
Including him was a trade for including my Sen. Wyden. Ron is a great guy, but he’ll put people to sleep with wonky stuff, which the Repubs will probably dismiss with some well-chosen slogans.
Stupak has to be dealt with. I hope he comes off sounding like the extremist on abortion that he is, but maybe not, because he’s smart and pretty slick.
OK I suppose my own personal experience is invalid. My 6 month spend down is $4800, my second 6 month spend down is $4700. I send documents from Hospital bills,medical equipment bills, medical mileage,pharmacy copay,etc, to the County SS Department that apply directly to my spend down and if met in that 6 month period I am eligible for Full Medicaid. I must repeat that every 6 months. Every other year I must read and fill out a 5+ page document to renew my Medicaid benefits which are Medicare A & B and Medicare part D premiums. I have to renew with a two page document other years. I have to report the fact that I am on spend down to the payee. With each new bill. The small amount of waste I accidentally happened upon lies in a pile of duplicate bills I continue to receive and do nothing with except throw them away. i have 5- 10 in three months, 10 to 20 in 6 months. I am an ESRF patient, therefore I will be Taking dialysis treatments 3 times per week at a cost of $1000 each until I find a kidney for transplant or cease to exist. The copay is $200 per treatment time 8 weeks will meet my spend down($4800), then I will have full Medicaid Benefits added to my Medicare, A B and Part D. it is $5 per bill times 5 – 20 duplicate bills. $25 – $100/patient. add it all up for two 6 month periods in one year. $50 – $200/patient. times number of patients on Eminent Spend Down within three to six months 10%–20% of a population of inpatients and clinic patients and home health care patients and hospice care patients, and chest pain patients, and trauma patients, and palliative care patients, and assisted living, and acute appendicitis, and hernia, ad nausium. FOR EXAMPLE, my Health System treats 200,00 individuals per year. At $25 x 10% of 200,00 or $25 x 20,000
Is Half a Million Bucks. At 20% of the patient population.
It becomes $1 million per year of waste.
10 bills in 6 months for 20% of the Patient population of 200,000
Comes to $2 million of accidental waste per year for ONE HOSPITAL that treats 200,000 clinic and inpatients per year.
lets say there are an average of 50 hospitals that Bill Medicaid for each STATE. 2500, 200,000 Patient Hospitals Nationwide. TIMES $200,000,000 wasted on duplicate billing of Eminent Spend Down patients.
We are approaching FIVE HUNDRED BILLION BARS(dollars) OF GOLD PRESSED LATINUM wasted per year nationally. In 10 years that amounts to
F I V E T R I L L I O N D O L l A R S 10 years What is the 10 year Health Reform 2700 page 2.3 Trillion dollar bill for 10 years. More than double that amount is already being spent by the department of redundancy department. On the trash I have to take to the dump. Paid for twice over.
If you are still unable to
Understand I will be happy to ‘splain. if I can.
Stupak is a failed state bull. A failed legislator. And one religious dingbat.