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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MJ who wrote (72845)	9/29/2009 10:41:15 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 224744

Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for the insurance trade group America's Health Insurance Plans, said the group was pleased the senators voted against having a public plan but that it was "far too early to know" whether the final bill would call for a public plan. One other Senate panel, dominated by liberals, has approved legislation with a government-run plan. But the more conservative Finance Committee bill is expected to be the main legislative vehicle in the Senate. Democrats agree on many of the key points of the legislation. They want to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans by expanding eligibility for Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the poor, and providing tax subsidies to help low and middle-income families buy insurance. Republicans are hammering at what they see as fatal defects in the legislation. They say proposed cuts in Medicare spending are too deep, the tax increases too burdensome and the legislative process too opaque and rushed. "The Democrat Party right now is poised to position itself to raise taxes during a recession, which is the most lame-brained economic stimulus you can come up with," Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said Tuesday. The 2010 congressional elections loom just over the horizon. With public doubts remaining high, time may soon run short for skittish lawmakers to cast the tough votes needed to propel the legislation forward. Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future, a liberal advocacy group, said he expects Senate Democrats will eventually find a way to pull together -- at least on the vote to end a Republican filibuster. "It's hard to imagine there won't be total unity on that," he said. "Everybody understands this is the vote, that Republicans have made this the issue they want to break the president on." But getting to 60 votes won't be easy, said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut who caucuses with Democrats. In an interview, he suggested a number of Democrats fear the legislation may be too ambitious. "There's a very significant group -- not just centrists -- who don't want to sign off on the 60 votes, without having a level of comfort about where this is headed," he said. "There's another big moment coming." In the House, ideological divisions are also roiling Democrats. Ms. Pelosi made the case Tuesday for a public plan, saying it can reduce costs to taxpayers. "I believe that we will have a public option in our bill as we go forward," she said. Write to Greg Hitt at greg.hitt@wsj.com and Janet Adamy at janet.adamy@wsj.com