Will He Cave? UPDATE: He Caved
Throughout the health care debate, the Democrats have whined about the GOP being the “Party of No.” Thus far, Ben Nelson has been consistently saying no, too. Now it appears that he’s put a price at which he can be bought. Based on this AP article, it sounds like he might accept a Landrieu-like deal to cover Medicaid expenses:
Several officials said Nelson was seeking to ease the impact of a proposed insurance industry tax on nonprofit companies, as well as win more federal funds to cover Nebraska’s cost of treating patients in Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor. These officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the administration and Democratic leaders had offered concessions on those points.
Thus far, the difference has been that he isn’t changing his position on federal funding of abortion:
Nelson has spoken openly of seeking stricter abortion curbs, and a proposed compromise on that issue has won the tentative support of Catholic hospitals. But the National Right to Life Committee objected during the day, issuing a letter that said it “in no way improves the highly objectionable provisions of the…bill that authorize subsidies for health plans that cover elective abortion, and that authorize federal mandates for private health plans to cover elective abortion.”
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Reid apparently figured out what it took for Sen. Nelson to flip:
Sen. Mary Landrieu got the “Louisiana Purchase.” Sen. Ben Nelson got the federal government to pick up most his state’s future Medicaid tab…forever. As part of the deal to win Nelson’s support, the federal government will fund Nebraska’s new Medicaid recipients. It’s a provision worth about $45 million over the first decade.
This isn’t health care reform. This is Reform In Name Only, aka RINO. This is looking like a Christmas tree. It’ll be interesting to see how many more concessions the House will push for in conference committee. It’s practically guaranteed that they’ll want their cut of the pie, too, ‘pie’ that’s coming from our pockets.
This isn’t a good deal for Nebraskans, something that the Nebraska GOP should remind people of when Nelson’s next up for re-election. Nebraskans’ insurance costs and health care costs will increase as a result of this legislation. The budget deficits will undoubtedly increase because of this legislation.
Only in Washington, DC, can legislation raise taxes, increase costs and explode the deficit and still be called reform with a straight face.
Technorati Tags: Medicaid, Ben Nelson, Christmas Tree, RINO, Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Purchase, Deficits, Health Care, Democrats, Elections
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
December 19th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
“…got the federal government to pick up most his state’s future Medicaid tab…forever.”
Yeah, and pretty soon the white coats will come and take him away in the jacket with the long sleeves if he really believes that will last “forever”.
Just like the O&C timber receipts were to last “forever” in Oregon and California, the feds will find some semi-loophole and bail in 3-5 years, and Mr. Nelson will be left to explain to his constituents why their taxes shot through the roof…
Hopefully, he’ll only have to explain once because Nebraskans should be smart enough to see he sold what tiny, minute and totally useless soul he had left to the devil, and retire him.
BTW, if such shenanigans happened in private industry they would lock him and Dingy up and throw away the key.
December 19th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Sold his soul and his manhood in one fell swoop. Now he can be a whore like that bitch from louisiana. Saw him, dirtbag reid, doddering dodd and that shitstain that used to be one of my senators, max (I will bang your wife) baucus. I know that worthless fucker. I am being civilized.
December 19th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Come on, guys! It will last as long as it takes them to rip it out an put the abortion requirements and funding back in. With the snow and all, that will likely be at least a week.
I’d say “I live in Nebraska, but I’m not a Nebraskan” but then I’d have to say “I’m a Californian”, which may be worse. At least we don’t have the Folsom Street parades here.