Submitted by libbyliberal on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 8:53pm
If you happen to catch Bill Moyers’ show this week with his guest Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont or read “Foul Play in the Senate” published at common dreams by Moyers and co-writer Michael Winship, you will discover one more example of how Congressional crony capitalism has reached obscene levels.
Apparently if NYT team Eric Lipton and Kevin Sack hadn’t published their exemplary investigative report most of Congress, let alone the citizenry, would not have even known about a colossal half a billion dollar sweetheart arrangement slipped into a covert clause of the recent “fiscal cliff bill.”
The THREE SENATE PERPETRATORS, long-time enmeshed with a pharmaceutical giant called Amgen, are Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senator Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and "that powerful committee’s ranking Republican", Orrin Hatch.
The loophole “tucked” into the bill was that Amgen, not mentioned by name, would have two more years of relief from Medicare cost controls for certain drugs used by patients who are on kidney dialysis, including a pill called Sensipar. This gift (to the corporation but not the taxpayers who must foot it) amounts to a whopping half a billion dollars. Read below the fold...
Submitted by libbyliberal on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 12:53am
So let's examine the Senate bill, that Obama heavily PREFERS, that faux-progressives are touting as worthy of progressive support and worthy of loyal cronyism against the hypocritical corporatist Republicans and irrationally anti-government instead of anti-corporate teabaggers. (That is a massive amount of BLIND cronyism they are calling on.):
The Senate bill depends on healthcare funding from middle class with excise taxes on comprehensive plans, sabotaging their sustainability.
The Senate bill offers no public option, not even a toehold. Read below the fold...
Submitted by mass on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:29am
Now I know Governor Schweitzer is the Governor of a very liberal state, Montanans are practically the French, no? And, yet, he manages to very effectively dispel myths of "socialized" medicine, and argues for single payer, in a way that may even appeal to those Hyde Park Blue Dogs.
Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 7:15am
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is putting on a health summit in Bozeman Aug. 9 and 10, his office announced Monday.
The summit will be free and will feature world-class experts and top foundation and business leaders discussing ways to improve health and promote wellness in small communities across the state.
Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 11:54pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 12:07am
Baucus ‘spinning’ health care
As a former lifelong Republican I voted for Obama because he promised to take power from lobbyists and restore it to the American public, especially in areas of health care, energy and education reform. These areas need drastic changes, and thus far his personal efforts to promote such change has been pathetic. ...
Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 2:52pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Fri, 05/29/2009 - 11:53am
Single-payer advocates not giving up the fight
John Selib, Baucus' chief of staff, said his boss' goal of making sure everyone has health care coverage could be undermined by opening a potentially divisive debate on single-payer.
Selib said it's been 16 years since Congress' last attempt at health care reform, and insurance companies continue to discriminate against patients and raise premiums.
Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 6:42pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 6:14pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Sat, 02/21/2009 - 2:46pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Tue, 02/17/2009 - 1:35pm
Mike Dennison: How did reform happen elsewhere?
And finally, in Canada, its system of government health insurance for all started in one corner of one province — Saskatchewan — in the mid-1940s and slowly spread across that province and then the country as citizens saw how it worked. It didn't become fully established everywhere until the mid-1960s.
Which brings us back to America, 2009, and our own health-care path. ...
...Why would we keep health insurance tied to employment? Almost nobody likes it.
Read the whole thing. Post it on your blog and any community blog you frequent. Blogwhore in the comments. Send it to your friends. Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Sun, 02/08/2009 - 3:44pm
Missoulian Online
Which brings us back to Sen. Baucus, who told us last week that health care reform in America will include “both public and private coverage,” and that he'll be carrying legislation that will have “a very strong incentive for private (insurance) coverage.”
Read below the fold...
Submitted by DCblogger on Thu, 01/29/2009 - 3:13pm
Submitted by DCblogger on Thu, 01/08/2009 - 5:13am
Pages
