Bribes For Votes
Bribes For Votes
Oh yea...the Change what a F'n Joke:
Several of the "on the fence" Democrats were convinced to vote for Reid's clotures -- not because of their principles -- but because they were BRIBED.
Just take a look at the PORK that was added to this monstrosity of a bill, just to bribe enough Senators to vote for it:
With the bill hanging in the balance, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) won a provision exempting his state from paying the usual share of costs for new Medicaid patients. The deal, which critics have dubbed the "Cornhusker Kickback," is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years.
Before a close vote last month, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) won an even larger break for her state -- an estimated $300 million in extra federal spending, in a move now derisively called the "Louisiana Purchase."
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) made sure that certain insurance companies in his state are off the hook from a new $7 billion dollar tax.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) got his kickback -- a $100 million bonus for the University of Connecticut… to do with whatever they want.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) was "persuaded" to drop his concerns after Senator Reid offered his state a $10 billion grant for "community health centers"-money that could easily be funneled to facilities that perform abortions.
Three states -- Pennsylvania, New York and Florida -- all won protections for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) won a promise from Reid to support his plan to expand eligibility for health insurance.
The Senators from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming will get the "Frontier Freebie" -- they'll see an increase in Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors, because "at least 50 percent of their counties are ‘frontier counties,' defined as those having a population density less than six people per square mile."
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate health committee, got a provision inserted to increase Medicare payments to certain "low-volume hospitals" in Grinnell, Keokuk and Spirit Lake, treating limited numbers of Medicare patients.
Even the Democrats themselves are starting to complain about this obvious "Cash for Cloture" bribing going on. When Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) couldn't get past the reporters swarming Ben Nelson on her way to the cloture vote, she quipped, "I know I'm not as important as Senator Nelson. I didn't get the money for my state. I was too stupid."
The word is getting out about these OUTRIGHT BRIBES for votes.
Several of the "on the fence" Democrats were convinced to vote for Reid's clotures -- not because of their principles -- but because they were BRIBED.
Just take a look at the PORK that was added to this monstrosity of a bill, just to bribe enough Senators to vote for it:
With the bill hanging in the balance, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) won a provision exempting his state from paying the usual share of costs for new Medicaid patients. The deal, which critics have dubbed the "Cornhusker Kickback," is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years.
Before a close vote last month, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) won an even larger break for her state -- an estimated $300 million in extra federal spending, in a move now derisively called the "Louisiana Purchase."
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) made sure that certain insurance companies in his state are off the hook from a new $7 billion dollar tax.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) got his kickback -- a $100 million bonus for the University of Connecticut… to do with whatever they want.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) was "persuaded" to drop his concerns after Senator Reid offered his state a $10 billion grant for "community health centers"-money that could easily be funneled to facilities that perform abortions.
Three states -- Pennsylvania, New York and Florida -- all won protections for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) won a promise from Reid to support his plan to expand eligibility for health insurance.
The Senators from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming will get the "Frontier Freebie" -- they'll see an increase in Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors, because "at least 50 percent of their counties are ‘frontier counties,' defined as those having a population density less than six people per square mile."
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate health committee, got a provision inserted to increase Medicare payments to certain "low-volume hospitals" in Grinnell, Keokuk and Spirit Lake, treating limited numbers of Medicare patients.
Even the Democrats themselves are starting to complain about this obvious "Cash for Cloture" bribing going on. When Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) couldn't get past the reporters swarming Ben Nelson on her way to the cloture vote, she quipped, "I know I'm not as important as Senator Nelson. I didn't get the money for my state. I was too stupid."
The word is getting out about these OUTRIGHT BRIBES for votes.
Last edited by vman on September 20th, 2011, 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have to say thank you to me ..." for not being stupid enough to go to Penn State."
Re: Bribes For Votes
Going over some emails & I had to respond to Harry Reid's response .....(combine the unseemly deals with Reid’s pathetic defense of them a couple days ago). According to Reid, “this legislation is no different than the defense bill we just spent $600 billion on.".......That would be the bill with more than 1,700 pet-project earmarks.” So when Reid says, "It's no different than other pieces of legislation," he’s giving up a lot —health care reform was supposed to be different. It was special, historic, a moral imperative, and so forth. If it’s no different, if it’s just another piece of cobbled-together legislation, why not kill this mess and start over?
Other thoughts.....the issue Jim DeMint raised on the floor of the Senate redcently. Why did the authors of the legislation want to specially protect the Independent Medicare Advisory Board by making it difficult for future Congresses to legislate in that area? Because the heart of the bill is the attempt to get control of our health care permanently in the hands of federal bureaucrats, who would allegedly know better than doctors and patients what’s good for them, and who would cut access to care and the quality of care so there’s more money left over for various big government liberal social programs.
As people learn more about the sleazy sweetheart deals and the creepy permanent death panels — this thing could still go down in the House next month in the face of popular outrage.
Other thoughts.....the issue Jim DeMint raised on the floor of the Senate redcently. Why did the authors of the legislation want to specially protect the Independent Medicare Advisory Board by making it difficult for future Congresses to legislate in that area? Because the heart of the bill is the attempt to get control of our health care permanently in the hands of federal bureaucrats, who would allegedly know better than doctors and patients what’s good for them, and who would cut access to care and the quality of care so there’s more money left over for various big government liberal social programs.
As people learn more about the sleazy sweetheart deals and the creepy permanent death panels — this thing could still go down in the House next month in the face of popular outrage.
Last edited by vman on September 20th, 2011, 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have to say thank you to me ..." for not being stupid enough to go to Penn State."
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Re: Bribes For Votes
First, I'll say I'm not pleased with Barack Obama's job performance thus far. I suppose back room deals have long been part of the Washington culture, but I agree it seems nothing more than bribery for votes. If it was a bill that would make major reforms I could see it, but the Senate version is so watered down and will not control costs. There are a couple of good things in it and I suppose that makes it worth while, but it could have been so much better if the democrats had fought harder.
I can't believe you are still on death panels. We have death panels now. What happens now if you lose a job and can't get insurance because of a pre-existing condition? Is that not a death sentence waiting to happen? Well sir, you can live a long happy life just as long as the cancer doesn't come back!
I know people right now who have been denied medication by the insurance company that doctors have prescribed! I don't know why you think the government will be any worse. Right now we are paying people who have the goal of NOT paying benefits so they can INCREASE profits. Add the fact that premiums have risen 130% in ten years. Think about what we'll be paying in another 10 years. Think about what your kids will be paying in 20 years! Of course we'll be in that awful medicare program by then and won't have to worry about out of control premiums, but our kids and grandkids will!
I can't believe you are still on death panels. We have death panels now. What happens now if you lose a job and can't get insurance because of a pre-existing condition? Is that not a death sentence waiting to happen? Well sir, you can live a long happy life just as long as the cancer doesn't come back!
I know people right now who have been denied medication by the insurance company that doctors have prescribed! I don't know why you think the government will be any worse. Right now we are paying people who have the goal of NOT paying benefits so they can INCREASE profits. Add the fact that premiums have risen 130% in ten years. Think about what we'll be paying in another 10 years. Think about what your kids will be paying in 20 years! Of course we'll be in that awful medicare program by then and won't have to worry about out of control premiums, but our kids and grandkids will!