Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first Republican supporter Tuesday and cleared a key Senate hurdle, a double-barreled triumph that propelled President Barack Obama’s signature issue toward votes this fall in both houses of Congress.

"When history calls, history calls," said Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense and provided the only drama of a 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee. ...

That's the front page of the Bangor Daily News today.

If you read down a ways, you'll find some discussion about what is actually in the damn bill, all couched in the politics.

MIDCOAST HEALTH CARE REFORM

RALLY – Put your FEET ON THE STREET

Saturday, May 30 12 - 2 p.m.
Capitol Building (Maine State House) in Augusta

If you care about health care, you'll be there.

A committee has been formed to organize a RALLY to take place at the Maine State House in Augusta on Saturday, May 30 from 12 noon to 2 pm. The committee includes individuals and organizations like the Maine State Nurses Assoc./CNA/NNOC, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Peoples Alliance and Maine Healthcare Reform.

Isn't it great that Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News asked Sen. Collins so many probing, substantive questions about her bottom line during the stimulus bill debate?

Small controversy forms around Collins, the stimulus and the swine flu pandemic

Collins: I Stand By Flu Funds Cut

Collins cut funding for pandemic flu preparedness

Maine single-payer measure gets hearing

AUGUSTA, Maine—The Maine Nurses Association says registered nurses from throughout the state will be joined by physicians, patients and health care activists Monday at a legislative hearing on a single-payer health care bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Charles Priest of Brunswick.

New California Single-Payer Bill Passes First Hurdle

SB 810 passed the Senate Health Committee on a party line vote. The bill next heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

National Nurses Movement has a wonderful diary at MyDD about all the single payer bills in the states (but leaves out the legislation in Maryland). Please read about all the good news in California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington.

Clearly single payer is a political winner, witness the increasing momentum in an atmosphere where the national media has airbrushed out all discussion of single payer.

The most important thing is to make sure that whatever Obama does, no federal legislation prohibit the states from creating their own single payer systems.

Single Payer Central

Both Houses of the Maine state legislature, on roll call votes, have endorsed a single payer healthcare system and HR 676.

The Maine senators need to take heed.

This post is for the benefit of Sen. Collins and Nelson. While you are fiddling, your states are burning.

Maine lawmakers eye Washington for budget help Good luck with that.

Millinocket Mill Layoffs

Katahdin Paper plan will affect at least 140

Furloughs proposed for UMS

City offers workers buyouts but no details on why

Local man spearheads statewide health-care movement

Since January, Call has been traveling throughout Maine and beyond to promote Conyers' bill. In March his organization coordinated showings of Michael Moore's film "SiCKO" in seven locations throughout the state. MCHR maintains a mailing list of 250 interested parties in the local area and gathered more than 7,000 signatures at the polls statewide on Nov. 4.