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

To: TideGlider who wrote (80749)	3/11/2010 12:00:57 PM
From: lorne	2 Recommendations Respond to of 224756

Health care reform draws protest before Obama’s arrival By Brian Flinchpaugh Originally published March 10, 2010 globe-democrat.com Hours before President Barack Obama was scheduled to speak in St. Charles on reforming the nation’s health care system, more than 2,000 people packed a convention ballroom a few miles away to rally against those reforms. The occasion was a health care town hall meeting and teleconference Wednesday featuring Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin and other Missouri legislators at the St. Charles Convention Center. Akin and other legislators took to task the health reform bill that is now before Congress. Kinder and legislators said the President’s health care bill would play havoc with state finances at a time when Missouri faces major budget issues. Tea party activists and Republican party activists turned out in big numbers. The overflow crowd in the convention center’s main ballroom applauded Akin, Kinder and local legislators as the spoke. Before the rally, about a dozen people held signs along the drive in front of the convention center. But only a few questions were taken from the audience. “Are there any Democrats here,” said Jamie Allman, a local radio personality and the moderator, asked the crowd as the rally began. One man stood up. “The bill we are talking about is the worst bill that I have ever seen in all my time in Congress,” said Akin, who spoke via a video feed from Washington D.C. He said the present bill will destroy health care in America and the federal government’s ability to manage its budget, he said. Akin said the bill is unconstitutional. “There is nothing in the constitution that gives the federal government the authority to regulate our health care or demand that Americans buy health insurance or be penalized under the law,” he said. Similar bills have failed in Canada and England, he added. Kinder said the reform bill may destroy the state’s finances. He said it would mandate at least another half-billion dollars in spending by the state at a time that state is running out of money. The health care bill is “a fundamental assault on our freedom that is transforming this country that is unrecognizable from the country that you and I grew up in and that we love so much,” he said. “But we the people will have the final say on this matter.” “Whatever happens over the next few days in Washington D.C., I stand with you,” Kinder said. “Whatever happens we have just begun to fight on this issue.” State senators Scott Rupp, R-2nd District; Jane Cunningham, R-7th District; and Eric Schmitt, R-15, along with state representatives Allen Icet, R-84th District , and Cynthia Davis, R-19th District each spoke briefly. Cunningham discussed pending state legislation-- the Health Care Freedom Act--that she sponsored to counteract federal health care mandates. Meanwhile, residents who attended said they feared a government takeover of the health care system. “The problem I’m having with this is that President Obama has surrounded himself with advisors who are self-proclaimed communists and socialists and they are fundamentally trying the change this country,” said Janet Allquist, an O’Fallon resident. Allquist stood out front of the convention center holding a sign. She said she favored some reform to the health care system but not what’s in the health care reform bill. “I won’t allow that to happen,” she said. “I have 11 grandchildren and three children and I’ll fight this with my last breath.” “I’m here for freedom,” said John Stolte, who drove in from Kansas City, who was holding a sign outside the convention center. Stolte said the health care system needed to be fixed but he feared a growth in government bureaucracy. David George of St. Peters, also holding a “Join Me for Freedom,” sign agreed. “I look at Amtrak and other organizations that are pretty much controlled by the government and I don’t see anything that has gotten better,” George said.

To: TideGlider who wrote (80749)	3/11/2010 12:01:37 PM
From: lorne	3 Recommendations Respond to of 224756

Entire Senate GOP vows to block policy changes in health bill By Michael O'Brien - 03/10/10 thehill.com All Senate Republicans wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday, vowing to oppose any policy-driven changes to the healthcare bill in the Senate. All 41 GOP senators signed a letter to Reid pledging to uphold the "Byrd rule," which requires that all elements of a bill passed using budget reconciliation rules be strictly related to the budget. The GOPers' pledge amounts to a threat to block any changes sought by Senate Democrats on issues like abortion or immigration, or perhaps the reintroduction of the public option to the healthcare bill. "We wish to inform you that we will oppose efforts to waive the so-called Byrd Rule during Senate consideration of any reconciliation bill concerning health reform," the senators wrote. "As it takes 60 votes to waive the Byrd Rule, we can ensure that any provision that trips the Byrd Rule will be stripped from the bill, which will require that the bill be sent back to the House for further consideration and additional votes." The letter has the effect of putting Reid and Democrats on notice that any attempt to go beyond the scope of budget reconciliation rules will be met with fierce GOP opposition. The reconciliation process is being considered to make changes to the Senate's original healthcare bill in order to placate enough House Democrats' concerns about that bill. The process would allow senators to approve changes with a simple-majority vote, instead of the 60 votes typically needed to end a filibuster. Republicans have already said they'll oppose that process, and the Senate's second-ranking Republican, Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.), said Wednesday he thinks the GOP has enough votes to stop some parts of the reconciliation bill.