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Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi Claims Tea Party Hijacked by GOP

The House speaker claims the Tea Party movement has been hijacked by the Republican Party despite grassroots sharing common ground with Democrats.

The Tea Party movement is being orchestrated from Republican headquarters, so isn’t truly a grassroots movement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday.

“The Republican Party directs a lot of what the Tea Party does, but not everybody in the Tea Party takes direction from the Republican Party. And so there was a lot of, shall we say, Astroturf, as opposed to grassroots,” she said

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Howard Dean implies the Tea Party movement is racist

Written By: Alec Jacobs

In a speech Wednesday night at the George Washington University, Howard Dean told College Democrats that “the Tea Party is about a generation who grew up in an America where everyone looked like them” and implied that the movement is hostile to President Obama because of his race.

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President Obama Says Voter Anger, Frustration Key to Republican Victory in Massachusetts Senate

President Obama warned Democrats in Congress today not to “jam” a health care reform bill through now that they’ve lost their commanding majority in the Senate, and said they must wait for newly elected Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown to be sworn into office.

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Dazed Democrats rethink entire strategy

Scott Brown has turned this town upside down.

Usually, the tendency among political reporters and operatives alike is to overreact and overinterpret elections.

And there are caveats to the stunner in Massachusetts. Yes, this was a special election, which often produces unusual results. Yes, Democrat Martha Coakley ran a timid, sometimes terrible, campaign for Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat. And it’s true that Massachusetts is not as liberal as many people assumed.

But none of that counters the stunning reality of an election where breathtaking results more than justify breathless analysis. Here’s why:

1. There is no way for Democrats to spin an upside to losing their 60th vote in the Senate.

2. Any Democrat with even the faintest fear of a tough race in 2010 is rattled. It was easy for some to rationalize the defeats in New Jersey and Virginia last year — and even the flood of polls showing bad news since then.

They are in denial no more: If Democrats can lose in Massachusetts, they can lose anywhere.

3. It has been an ugly 24 hours of blame-casting for Democrats. In fact, it’s the first time in the Obama era that so many Democrats aired their private grievances in such a public way.

The White House blamed Martha Coakley’s campaign. Speaker Nancy Pelosi seemed to fault Senate Democrats. Senate Democrats, in turn, put the blame back on Coakley, who had campaign officials thrashing the White House and Senate leaders by mid-day Tuesday — hours before the polls closed.

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Mass. Senate Race: NBC News Cries Racism

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Eight Clips of Obama Promising Televised Healthcare Negotiations

Nancy Pelosi takes swipe at President Obama’s campaign promises

Nancy Pelosi takes swipe at President Obama’s campaign promises

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, piqued with White House pressure to accept the Senate health reform bill, threw a rare rhetorical elbow Tuesday at President Barack Obama, questioning his commitment to his 2008 campaign promises.

A leadership aide said it was no accident.

Pelosi emerged from a meeting with her leadership team and committee chairs in the Capitol to face an aggressive throng of reporters who immediately hit her with C-SPAN’s request that she permit closed-door final talks on the bill to be televised.

A reporter reminded the San Francisco Democrat that in 2008, then-candidate Obama opined that all such negotiations be open to C-SPAN cameras.

“There are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail,” quipped Pelosi, who has no intention of making the deliberations public.

Obama prods Congress to pass health bill quickly

President Barack Obama is prodding House and Senate Democrats to get him a final health care bill as soon as possible, encouraging them to bypass the usual negotiations between the two chambers in the interest of speed.

Obama delivered the message at an Oval Office meeting Tuesday evening with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his No. 2, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined in by phone.

They agreed that rather than setting up a formal conference committee to resolve differences between health bills passed last year by the House and Senate, the House will work off the Senate’s version, amend it and send it back to the Senate for final passage, according to a House leadership aide, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private meeting.

Obama himself will take a hands-on role, convening another meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday, the aide said.

The aim is to get a final bill to Obama’s desk before the State of the Union address sometime in early February.

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C-SPAN Challenges Congress to Open Health Care Talks to TV Coverage

The head of C-SPAN has implored Congress to open up the last leg of health care reform negotiations to the public, as top Democrats lay plans to hash out the final product among themselves.

C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb wrote to leaders in the House and Senate Dec. 30 urging them to open “all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings,” to televised coverage on his network.

“The C-SPAN networks will commit the necessary resources to covering all of the sessions LIVE and in their entirety,” he wrote.

Congressional leaders, however, reportedly are expected to bypass the traditional conference committee process, in which lawmakers from both parties and chambers meet to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill. Instead, The Associated Press reports that top Democrats at the House, Senate and White House will figure out the final product in three-way talks before sending it back to both chambers for a final vote.

This format would seem ideal for closed-door meetings, which congressional Democrats have used many times to figure out sensitive provisions in the health care bill — though President Obama pledged during the campaign to open up health care talks to C-SPAN’s cameras.

“That’s what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are,” Obama said at a debate against Hillary Clinton in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2008.

Asked about the request to Congress, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he hadn’t seen the letter.

“I know the president is going to begin discussions today on health care to iron out differences between the House and Senate bills,” he said.

Lamb urged Congress in his letter to fling open the doors in the final stretch of the negotiations.

“President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system,” he wrote. “Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American.”

Lamb said his network would use “the latest technology” to be “as unobtrusive as possible” during the talks.

So much for “Bipartisanship” and “Transparency” Democratic leadership will merge Health Bills in Secret without Republicans. The following videos demonstrate that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid felt differently back in 2006.

Nancy Pelosi speech at the DNC in D.C. on Election night ‘06

Harry Reid on using Deals in Managers Amendments to Pass Legislation 2/9/06

Obamacare expands IRS authority, may cause greater tax non-compliance

Not only does the Democratic health care bill include tax hikes, as reported by Americans for Tax Reform, it also would expand the role of the Internal Revenue Service. From Kaiser Health News:
Under the proposed health care legislation, they would get another assignment: checking to see whether Americans have health insurance.

The House and Senate bills require most Americans to have health insurance and to prove it on their annual federal tax return. Those who don’t would pay a penalty to the IRS.

[snip]

The agency also would distribute as much as $140 billion a year in new government subsidies to help small employers and as many as 19 million lower-income people buy coverage.

In addition, the IRS would collect hundreds of billions of dollars in new fees on employers, drug companies and device makers, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Some critics of the health bill question whether the IRS, which has struggled in recent years with budget problems, staffing shortages and outdated computer systems, will be up to the job of enforcing the mandate and efficiently handling the subsidies.

But that’s not the only creepy part. That penalty may effectively encourage tax noncompliance among young people who would find it cheaper to pay a fee than get insurance, as AmSpec’s Phil Klein notes:

The individual mandate won’t affect most Americans, who are already covered either through existing government programs or through their employers. Those most inclined to be uninsured by choice — and thus likely to be most resistant to the mandate — are the so-called “young invincibles” who have low health care costs and can’t justify paying the expensive monthly premiums. In fact, according to Census Bureau, 8 million of the uninsured are between 18 and 24 years old and 10 million are between 25 and 34. Members of this subgroup are also more likely to work on their own, or do cash intensive jobs such as bartending or waiting tables, where it’s easier to float below the radar and avoid filing tax returns. Though it’s difficult to quantify, it would seem that individuals in this position would be less likely to file tax returns after Obamacare is implemented if doing so meant the added burden of presenting proof of health insurance, or facing an additional tax penalty.

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Pelosi Endorses ‘Global’ Tax on Stocks, Bonds, and other Financial Transactions

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed the idea of a “global” tax on stock trades and other financial transactions, saying the estimated $150 billion in annual revenue from such a tax could be used to help fund more stimulus spending.

At her weekly press briefing on Thursday, Pelosi said the financial transactions tax (HR4191) currently before Congress would have to be made “global” to keep U.S. investors from taking their business overseas and out of taxable reach.

The House speaker said that a transaction tax could be imposed in conjunction with congressional efforts to divert funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), with funds from both going to fund a second stimulus spending package. (The first stimulus bill, $789-billion, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Feb. 13, 2009.)

“I believe that the transaction tax still has a great deal of merit,” Pelosi told reporters. “The concern that many of us or others have had is that it will send, it will send transactions overseas.

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AMA’s Endorsement of House Health Care Bill Sparks Internal Uprising

The American Medical Association’s much-touted endorsement of the House health care reform bill has triggered a revolt among some members who want the endorsement withdrawn.

Some members are outraged that the group’s trustees made the endorsement without the formal approval of the organization’s House of Delegates.

On Monday, delegates will vote on a resolution offered by some members that, if approved, will withdraw the AMA’s endorsement of the bill.

Kiss Your Freedoms Goodbye If Health Care Passes

Congress recognizes no limits on its power. It doesn’t care about the Constitution, it doesn’t care about your inalienable rights. If this health care bill becomes law, America, life as you have known it, freedom as you have exercised it and privacy as you have enjoyed it will cease to be.

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on a 2,000 page bill to give the federal government the power to micromanage the health care of every single American. The bill will no doubt pass. It will raise your taxes, steal your freedom, invade your privacy, and ration your health care. Even the Republicans have introduced their version of Obamacare Lite. It, too, if passed, will compel employers to provide coverage, bribe the states to change their court rules, and tell insurance companies whom to insure.

We do not have two political parties in this country, America. We have one party; called the Big Government Party. The Republican wing likes deficits, war, and assaults on civil liberties. The Democratic wing likes wealth transfer, taxes, and assaults on commercial liberties. Both parties like power; and neither is interested in your freedoms. Think about it. Government is the negation of freedom. Freedom is your power and ability to follow your own free will and your own conscience. The government wants you to follow the will of some faceless bureaucrat.

Owens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in first hour in Congress

Among those things they discussed in the closed-door meeting was most certainly tomorrow’s scheduled vote on the Health Care Bills. Owens indicated in a press release that he was now in favor of the bill in direct contrast to his earlier position during his campaign.

During his campaign for Congress, Mr. Owens assured voters that he felt the public option had no place in the health care reform bill. Contrary to that position, Mr. Owens now indicates that he intends to vote in favor of the bill even though it now contains a public option.

Pelosi: We’re ‘On the Brink’ of Obamacare

Buoyed by two major endorsements, House Democratic leaders on Thursday predicted swift passage of President Barack Obama’s historic health overhaul initiative. The president himself declared, “We are closer to passing this reform than ever before.”

With a vote set for Saturday, momentum gathered behind the sweeping legislation to remake the U.S. health care system and extend coverage to millions of the uninsured. The American Medical Association and the powerful seniors’ lobby AARP both threw their weight behind the bill Thursday. AARP, with its 40 million members, promised to run ads and contact activists to gin up support.

“We are right on the brink,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “We have an historic opportunity for us to again provide quality health care for all Americans. It is something that many of us have worked our whole political lifetimes on.”

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders were working to negotiate final language on abortion and illegal immigration and nail down the 218 votes they’ll need to pass the bill. Obama planned to give them an assist Friday with a rare visit to Capitol Hill to meet with Democrats and shore up any wavering support.

AARP’s tacit endorsement of Medicare cuts line its pockets, but shortchanges seniors

Why else would the nation’s largest lobbying organization, sworn to protect the interests of senior citizens, watch silently as Congress plans to cut Medicare spending by $400 billion to pay for its health reform legislation? Could it be that the interests of seniors and AARP are not exactly aligned?

Let’s follow the money. AARP takes in more than half of its $1.1 billion budget in royalty fees from health insurers and other vendors that market services with the organization’s name. Medicare supplementary policies, called “Medigap” plans, make up the biggest share of this royalty revenue.

AARP has an interest in selling more, not fewer, Medigap plans, of course. But there is a competitor on the block.

A growing number of seniors are enrolling in a new form of Medicare coverage Medicare Advantage where they don’t need Medigap.

New AARP chief gave big to Obama

Incoming AARP CEO A. Barry Rand contributed $8,900 to President Obama’s campaign committees, federal records show.

Rand, a retired senior executive at Xerox Corp., Avis Group and Equitant Inc. and the current chairman of Howard University’s board of trustees, gave the maximum $4,600 to Obama’s election campaign and an additional $4,300 to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising entity of Obama and the Democratic National Committee.

MoveOn Threatens to Push Primary Opponents to Dems Voting Against Health Plan

A civil war is threatening to erupt within the Democratic Party as liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org looks to punish moderate Democrats opposed to the sweeping health care overhaul proposed by party leaders.

MoveOn has reportedly raised more than $3.5 million in contributions to fund primary challenges against “any Democratic senator who blocks an up-or-down vote on health care reform with a public option,” according to an e-mail sent to group members on Thursday.

The e-mail warned that any Democratic House member who joins Republicans to filibuster the health care reform measure will “face an enormous backlash from the grassroots.”

You can track the healthcare bill here: H.R.3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

More Health care Coverage on Liberty’s Army

Contact Your U.S. Representative

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“In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ~ George Orwell

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On September 24th,
The Hill reported that Pelosi commits to 72-hour wait before health vote

A spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) suggested Thursday that Pelosi’s promise should be taken with a grain of salt.

“House Democrats actually voted to post the trillion-dollar ’stimulus’ bill online for 48 hours before a vote and then broke that promise, so this should be taken with a large grain of salt,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

Looks like Congressman Boehner was right.

The Washington Examiner is reporting that Democratic leadership, House Speaker Nancy Pelois and Senate Leader Harry Reid, are discouraging members from signing a petition that would force a vote on the 72-hour rule.

Congress. Reps. Brian Baird, D-Wash., and Greg Walden, R-Ore., are circulating a petition among House lawmakers that would force a vote on the 72-hour rule.

Nearly every Republican has signed on, but the Democratic leadership is unwilling to cede control over when bills are brought to the floor for votes and are discouraging their rank and file from signing the petition. Senate Democrats voted down a similar measure last week for the health care bill.

The reluctance to implement a three-day rule is not unique to the Democrats.

The Republican majority rushed through the controversial Patriot Act in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as well as a massive Medicare prescription drug bill in 2003 that added hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit.

Please read the entire article here:
Congressional leaders fight against posting bills online

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Fox News is reporting the following:

A key House committee chairman on Friday threatened to roll over moderate Democrats who are holding up the health care reform bill and bring the package straight to the floor.

The statement underscored the deep divisions the health care reform debate is causing in the ranks of the Democratic Party.

Fiscally conservative Blue Dogs are holding up the bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee over cost concerns and other issues. But Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., on Friday accused those Democrats of empowering Republicans.

“I won’t allow them to turn over control of the committee to the Republicans,” Waxman said, threatening to bypass the committee process.

“I don’t see what alternative we have,” Waxman said of talks that have raged for days with the Blue Dogs. “This can’t be an interminable discussion.”

The radical move would mean Waxman would finish writing the bill in private and merge it with the two bills that have already passed out of the committee in the chamber before bringing it to the floor.

Please read the entire article here:
Key Chairman Threatens to Bypass Committee on Health Care Bill



You can track the healthcare bill here: H.R.3200: America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

More Health care Coverage on Liberty’s Army

Contact Your U.S. Representative

Contact Your U.S. Senators

In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell

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