The Tribune offers an apologia for Senator Max Baucus today telling us he “doesn’t deserve ratings plunge over health care.” Showing they are as tone deaf as recently defeated local politicians who blame the “national economy” for their defeat, the Trib’s editorial writers tell us that a) Senator Baucus’ [...]
The act will give a lift to Montana's small businesses and working families by providing stable, quality health care. It will strengthen Medicare and control runaway costs while meeting the particular needs of the [...]
Some of its provisions:
- A public option with a state opt-out clause
- Increase payroll tax on Medicare for high-income people
- A tax on high-cost, "Cadillac" health care plans
- Does not prohibit insurers from covering abortions, like the House bill's Stupak amendment
- [...]
Keith Hennessey has an early analysis on the tax side of the Pinky Reid’s (D - Palookaville) behind closed doors health care train-wreck-in-the-making bill.
You can find it here and, as always, Hennessey should be taken seriously.
I think this point is especially pertinent:
Leader Reid’s bill would use new Medicare payroll [...]
It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights—the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ’right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are rations of slavery—hay and a barn for human cattle.
— Alexis de Tocqueville P.J O’Rourke
H/T to Steve T for [...]
The Montana State University poll found that 37 percent approve of [...]
Congressman Rehberg stayed strong in the latest MSU-B, Day One Poll, marking his second highest approval rating since taking office at 54%:
Approval
2001 49.2
2003 52.9
2005 48.9
2007 58.6
2009 54
Senator Baucus, on the other hand, is having a little trouble with that health care [...]
It was reported today that Annie Bukacek of the Montana Policy Institute's anti-health care "conferences" and demonstrations and the abortion ban ballot initiative backed by Warburton, McGee, [...]
Here’s the Intrade chart on the Dec. 31 contract on whether the U.S. government will pass a health care reform bill with a public option by the expiration date. Trading with a 6 handle at the time of this post. Looks like a solid short to me.
[...]
First, Democrats struck a deal over healthcare to win the support of Catholic bishops by allowing an amendment to reach the House floor that would disallow any insurance passed in the health insurance exchange to [...]
[John] notes that the health care reform bill emerging now in the U.S House terminates the Children's Health Insurance Program in four years.
The $894 billion, 1,990-page health reform bill unveiled by House Democrats last Thursday would repeal CHIP at the end of 2013, shifting millions [...]
Although health care reform is still #1 in Washington, climate change legislation is lurking in the shadows ready to move at a moment's notice. Here are a few good links you should check out on this important topic:
Senator Baucus expresses his concerns about a proposed cap-and-trade bill
Dr. Steve Running [...]
Dennis is so excited about yesterday. He was pretending to have read the House health care bill, doling out bits of “sunshine” as he feverishly read through through the text, exposing its nefarious schemes to socialize American life. Rehberg was excited, the Montana media was excited, and the [...]
