How do you go over a waterfall in a barrel?
Easy. You close your eyes, pray and hold on tight.
That's pretty much what Americans will have to do as the U.S. Senate today barrels recklessly and helplessly toward a 2,000-page overhaul of the nation's health-care system.
Few people know what's in the bill or what it would do -- other than use your money to pay for abortions and set up a new government health-care program that will likely, someday, become the single payer for health care in America.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., had planned on demanding that the bill be read aloud -- which might have taken 30 hours, slowed down the process and educated senators and the electorate. But peer pressure made him relent: Seems senators want to get home after today's debate for the Thanksgiving recess.
The stakes could not be higher for the American people. In an effort to provide health insurance to less than 5 percent of the population, Congress and the president seem willing to turn one-sixth of the nation's economy on its head -- and, ominously, to stick the government's nose further into the people's health-care tent and burden us with intrusive regulations as-yet unseen.
Senate Democrats are trying to move mountains to get this done, too -- with a 10-hour debate today and an evening vote on whether to proceed with the bill after Thanksgiving. They desperately want to get it done before the end of the year; next year, being an election year, Americans will be paying closer attention and won't brook this kind of nonsense.
Plus, Democrats want to get it done and avoid a repeat of August's angry town halls.
The stakes are, therefore, sky high for congressional Democrats and President Obama as well. The thing is, they may be caught in a trap of their own making. Consider: If they fail to pass a health-care bill, they will be seen as having fumbled their opportunity; yet, even if they pass the Senate's 2,000-page version, the House's 1,900-page version -- or some dangerous new hybrid of the two -- the bill's hidden provisions will likely seep out for months next year, horrifying many unsuspecting voters and creating a tidal wave of buyer's remorse.
Americans are currently opposed to the Democrats' reform proposals -- with those who feel strongly about the plans opposing them nearly 40 to 25 percent. Just wait until we found out what's in them -- especially after the ultra-left Democratic congressional leaders put the final package together in the all-powerful House-Senate conference committee.
Already, business leaders, who have been cautiously supportive of reform, are balking.
"We're disappointed," Bruce Josten, an executive vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in the Wall Street Journal . "If it ends up in that form, I can't imagine the business community supporting it."
Meanwhile, the Catholic church is increasingly at odds with Democrats over abortion funding in the bill.
"The White House is on a collision course with Catholic bishops," writes the Associated Press, "in an intractable dispute over abortion that could blow up the fragile political coalition behind President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
"An official of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Sen. Harry Reid's bill is the worst he's seen so far on the divisive issue.
"Ultimately, he will need the votes of Democratic senators who oppose abortion to get his bill through the Senate."
And wait until senior citizens find out that Democrats are financing reform partly on their backs -- with a nearly $500 billion cut to Medicare!
Guess what: They're already finding out. Democratic support among seniors is falling through the floor, with Democrats now trailing Republicans in a "generic" poll of seniors by 15 percent, after that group was split between the two parties in 2008.
Of Democratic leaders, Jay Cost writes at RealClearPolitics.com: "Have they simply gone mad?"
If so, close your eyes, pray and hold on tight.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
Lots of shady deals going on to pass this bill. The $500 billion in Medicare cuts will be reinstated soon after the bill is passed. It's there now to make the numbers look better. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who was on the fence about the bill, had an extra $100 million for her state put in the bill in exchange for her vote. The splash from the barrel going over the falls is going to create a wave that will run over the heartland and have the furniture in the offices of Democratic Senators and Representatives floating out the doors along with them.
"Just wait until we found out what's in them -- especially after the ultra-left Democratic congressional leaders put the final package together in the all-powerful House-Senate conference committee."....Let's hope we never "FOUND" out.
this health care Bill is nothing more than an attempt to extend the plantation the Democrates have created for the poor and underpriviledged. If you want to look at the probabilty of this bill providing health care look at the success of the Democrates efforts creating jobs look the the bail outs, closing gitmo etc. Once passed it will not be repealed.
Lets see Mary Landreiu is getting 100 million dollar payoff to vote sort off like Coa getting a big pay off...I guess bribery is OK if you are a Democrate..Change we can believe in anybody BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
This bill represents the height of insanity and will be the straw that ends America as a free nation. Our economy can't withstand the multiple trillion dollar debt of this bill. This final blow, if any form of it is passed into law, will bring this nation tumbling to third world status will little chance of recovery.
The Chinese students asked Obama carefully drawn up questions. One of those was how the U.S. could pay for the health care bill. They are watching THEIR money carefully and are going to yank it if this nonsense continues.
If you're not concerned -- You're not paying attention...
If this bill is passed, it will be the death knell of America as we know it today. God help us!
Health care is being used to sell papers. Any intelligent citizen knows that the EXACT same words were used during the Civil Rights Act, The enactment of SSA, the medicare prescription drug benefit, so these article are typical of those who might say or write anything. Just go back and look at what was said about the referenced examples. Oh, and ol' Limbuagh started the "mad" thing because he, and millions of others, are desperate willing to say anything.
Just e mail your democratic congresspersons and ask them if they've heard of the RECALL movement yet..
That's right! The world is coming to an end! But slowly, the Republicans will waste our time by applying every delay tactic they can to drag this out for months. Why? It won't change anything but will create even more animosity. And they certainly never offered any real solutions that weren't insurance company endorsed.
Any Senator who votes for this bill should be an X Senator come the next election.
That`s the problem, insurance companies have lots of stock out there and Repubs are always into making a buck. Anyone notice that insurance companies are all over trying to get folks to get on their commited lists so they won`t be left out when this bill passes. That`s the reason for the delay, get as many people as you can in a contract and then pass the bill. Just business as usual, if you have a dollar we want it...
Reid says this bill will cost '2 TRILLION'. So where do the blind and gullible fawning followers think they are going to get the money to pay for this horrible bill? Of course, medicare is going to be cut but that isn't going to be enough. Especially since the dims have to pay off people to get their vote. Where do the libs think that money is going to come from? We owe China millions each month, just in interest. prezbho and his crooks are doing everything they can to destroy our country. If you're not concerned - You're not paying attention...
he he
jb5365 on Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:06 AM Get your glasses on and read where the bail out money went and who contributes to the democratic party and tell me about making a buck...
Obama supporters will say anything that cast dispersion on someone other than O. They never come back with good things he has done because he has only helped big union and banks, he has not a care for the folks looking for work. If his "hope & change" encompassed the little man" then we would not be having this conversation.
I hope the Catholic Church leaders are finally understanding that while they are entitled to their beliefs, they do not have the right to impose their religious beliefs upon others. My beliefs say that it is wrong to pay disability to drunks, druggies, and morbidly obese people, but my tax dollars still go to pay for them, because other people think it's the right thing to do. My tax dollars go to pay for AFDC and Medicaid for parents that churn out baby after baby after baby with no intention of ever supporting them, but other people think it's the right thing to do. It's a democracy, and majority rules.
It boils down to this: the Liar in Chief and the Socialist Democrats want control of every aspect of your life and mine. If you think they'll stop with healthcare, guess again. They want to determine who lives and who doesn't.
Anyone who votes for a bill that raises taxes on so many people without reading and understanding all of its parts needs to go. Term Limits!
I have complete fatih in President Obama and our Democratically controlled Congress. They have screwed up everything they have touched in 2009, why change no???
I guess you DIMs like paying more to the government as this bill will do in increased taxes on ALL Americans who have insurance or don't have insurance-both pay. Same for small businesses. Also, ask your momma and daddy or your grandma and grandpa how they will like paying more for any hip or knee replacements as the new taxes on those are passed on to the consumer as their health insurance premiums go up to pay those taxes (the insurance companies ain't gonna' absorb them). Of course, ther are plenty of those DIMs who already have a hand out and this will just be another hand out paid for by the productive to the unproductive. This bill s full of gimmick and lies just to try and convince the public that it will not raise our national debt-all written behind closed and locked doors-no Republican invited. Now that's real Democratic government, ain't it?
slippery-there are term limits. It's called the ballot box every 2 years for the HOuse and 6 years for the Senate. Any one of these who voted forthis bill needs to go in 2010. BimbObama in 2012.
This health care thing is so Hitlerish it makes my skin crawl. They want to take over health care, but they are already projecting their savings over the next 20 years. They don't want to pay for the old, they don't want to pay for mammograms, if they find out a woman has breast cancer they will have to pay for her treatment. They want to make sure that they don't find it until it is too late. They want to pay for abortions, why? Because most of these babies if born will be to unwed poor mothers and many will have health issues when born. Cheaper to pay for abortions than to pay for these children for life. If a woman wants an abortion badly enough she will find a way to get one, but by the government paying for it perhaps even pushing for them I grant you there will be a lot more of them.
Bring the troops home tomorrow from these two wars and we can restore financial health to this country. We do not need to be in Iraq and Afghanistan one more day. It is a big waste of time, talents, and resources. END THE WARS, NOW!
If no one knows what is in the two thousand page bill, what are you b----ing abou? The just say NO side, just need somrthing to say NO about!!! So just say no, and don't worry about what's in the bill!! If they took the time to read it, then I could understand, if there is something that they don't like about it!!!! If they havent read it, then they need to just shut up!!!!!
1941..Don't you get it? we NEED to know what is in it. If we are to pay for it, then we should have the opportun ity to read the fine print. I was taught that fact all my adult life, I can't change now.
More lies from the Chronicle. I heard that the bill is on-line for those who want to read it.
Kind of hard to read it when they keep changing it. I guess it's change you can believe in alright. I ran out of ink 3 times trying to print the stupid thing out. I've also intently listen to the arguements by both sides. Even if you beleive the left sides interpretation it is still scarey as hell. Keeps making you say to yourself, "and you think this is a good thing"?
carcraft, I`m more interested where EVERYONE`s money went when repubs were in charge. There were savings and pension monies that just "disappeared". Like I have said "if you have a dollar-they want it". Check to see who has the most stock in war materiels companies and you`ll see why we are always at war. Very profitable business when there is fighting anywhere...