Senate GOP Does “Masterful” Job in Derailing ObamaCare!

I voted yes, but I could list at least a dozen more things that I think they could and SHOULD be doing.

I also don’t trust them yet. Too many dirtbags are still around from the 2000-2006 period.

The bottom line for me is that considering what they’re up against, they are holding the line, but they have a long way to go until I can register as a republican.

Yes. Is it easier for the Senate GOP to find their moral compass now that the rudderless ship Obama seems destined to crash on the rocks? It has not been one year since the Fraud entered the White House and began his gradual descent into ignominy, it doesn’t seem possible that this manufactured persona could regain popular support with his rogues’ gallery of incompetence he has surrounded himself with; but what if he does regain momentum at some point in the next three years, will our GOP maintain their stance against this Progressive Marxism?

Remember, the Liberal base and our younger generations have been subjected to Marxist indoctrination by the public education system and the university system for decades, it is amazing that they are capable of discerning the cancerous core of our Socialist movement and the Global Warming Hoax. After years of subtle brainwashing by the majority of our educators, a process that is still in process, our younger generations may be ill-equipped to resist the siren’s call to Marxism.

Consequently, we who stand guard on the ramparts of Liberty must maintain our vigilance and not become complacent in favorable poll numbers, for it is us and talk radio who have led this fight against tyranny. Take pride in our victories, but remember there is a long way to go before the Marxist in the White House retires in disgrace and this malignancy of international Marxism is exposed and destroyed.

Gotta’ vote no on this. Here’s a letter-to-editor I sent yesterday in which I heavily borrowed from Erick at RedState:

The proposed healthcare legislation being debated in the Senate is probably the worst piece of legislation ever considered by the United States Congress. It is the most intrusive, most damaging, most costly, most dangerous bill to the liberty of individual Americans that Congress has ever considered. If there is any bill that deserves being stopped, it is this one.

The Senate has parliamentary rules and procedures that give the minority the ability to stall legislation, but the Republicans refuse to use them. Instead, they continue to play nice with their “good friends on the other side of the isle”. They keep introducing one amendment after another to “make the bill better” – which only provides cover for a few wavering Democrats, thus insuring the final passage of the bill

It’s sickening to watch the politeness of the Republicans as they allow our freedom slip away. They have the power to stop this bill, but apparently their “leadership” prefers to “get along” rather than make a stand for freedom.

If this abomination passes, history will record that the Republicans were ever-so-polite and acted the perfect gentlemen as the American Experiment was stabbed in the back and lie dying on the Senate floor.

The paper to which I submitted this letter has a 200 word limit, so I had to cut out some of my best lines, like for example: ” Meanwhile, those “good friends” continue to slur them openly on the Senate floor and no-doubt laugh at their naivete in the cloakrooms. ”

I freely admit that if McConnell has a plan, it is too nuanced for me to understand.

On CSPAN I saw a glimmer of hope yesterday afternoon, though. Sen. McConnell actually uttered the forbidden words, “I object!”, as he handed a motion for cloture on the Crapo Amendment to the clerk. Maybe, just maybe, McConnell has located his long-lost cojones.

I’l begin to have some faith in senate republicans when Snowe, Voinovich, McCain, Grahmnesty, Collins, HATCH and several others are in their home states on a permanent basis. Replace these treasonous, perpetual RINOs with Demint-type voices and republicans will control both houses for decades to come.

Mike’s America–

I think the “better idea” is to use parliamentary procedures to shut down the Senate with objection after objection until this bill dies a natural death. (See: Fight. over at RedState) Week by week more Americans turn against this abomination of a bill, and the longer it can be delayed, the better chance there is that it will die.

I do see some signs that McConnell is finally growing a set of cohones, though. If you watched CSPAN yesterday, he actually used the words “I object!” twice. I think this little exchange at the end of the day is the reason that the Senate is not talking health care today:

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have been trying for days to get an agreement to have votes on the health care measure, which our friends on the other side have said is so important to the American people and must be acted upon before Christmas. Specifically, the pending Crapo amendment has been there since last Tuesday. It now becomes clear to me the majority simply does not want to have any more votes, presumably pending these discussions that are going on behind closed doors on a bill that almost nobody in the Senate has seen. Therefore, I send a cloture motion to the desk on the Crapo amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

Cloture Motion

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the pending Crapo motion to commit H.R. 3590, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees. [list of sponsors omitted for brevity]

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I hope we can bring to fruition a consent agreement to allow us to begin to vote. Yesterday, against considerable opposition on my own side, I basically backed down and offered the consent agreement the majority leader had offered a few days ago, which would have allowed our Democratic friends to have a side-by-side with their own amendment on the issue of drug reimportation and a side-by-side with Senator Crapo’s amendment on taxes. The majority objected, essentially, to the consent that they had previously offered a few days before.

I hope we can get back on track. The commitment was made by the majority at the beginning of this debate that we would have plenty of amendments. We had a process where we went from one side to the other, back and forth, smoothly. Either side was able to offer side-by-side amendments if they chose to. I think it is not fair to the American people–not fair to the American people to deny them the opportunity to have votes on what has been called the most important issue of our era, so important it has to be done before Christmas.

In the meantime, they are in some secret meeting, trying to come up with a bill that not only not all Senators have seen, not even Democratic Senators, but the American people have not seen it. We know what the core of the bill is. There are amendments the American people would like to see us debate and vote on and that is why I filed cloture on the Crapo amendment. Hopefully, we will not have to have that cloture vote, we can get back on track, as we were until things began to bog down midweek.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois, the majority whip.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the majority side offered a unanimous consent, I believe on three successive days, to the Republican side, which they did not accept. Then yesterday the minority leader offered a variation on that, which is being considered at this moment by the majority leader. We are not prepared–I am not prepared to make a statement until the majority leader has made a final decision, having talked over the new offer with our members. The time may come. I cannot predict whether it will.

I do believe we have to work on it some more. In the meantime, I think the floor should be open for comments. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

Several Senators addressed the Chair.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

Mr. DURBIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

Mr. McCONNELL. I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Why the Republicans don’t demand that a quorum actually be present, I just don’t know.

Anyone want to make a guess as to why health care isn’t being debated on the floor today?

My theory is that at the last minute yesterday afternoon, McConnell said “no more Mr. Unanimous Consent” and dropped a motion for cloture on the Crapo Motion to Commit on the clerk’s desk. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that one action gave Harry Reid the shivers.

The Crapo motion would commit the bill H.R. 3590 to the Committee on Finance with instructions to report the same back to the Senate with changes that provide that no provision of this Act shall result in an increase in Federal tax liability for individuals with adjusted gross income of less than $200,000 and married individuals with adjusted gross income of less than $250,000.

That’s my theory and I’m stickin’ to it .

Edit for Patvann: I posted a nice long post earlier and it just disappeared, too. Is there a word count limit?

@John Cooper.

I looked in the spam-file and nothing of yours is in it. I know for SURE mine got posted, because I saw it…(Curt?)

There is no word-count limit, but sometimes ya might forget to hit the send-button, and if ya leave the page without doing that, it’s lost forever. For comments/posts you really want, write/save it in Word, then post it.

The server seems like it’s on Quaaludes today.

Patvann and Mike:

It was a long post with the transcript of McConnell’s objection in the Senate yesterday. I’m 100% positive that I hit the Send button, because the page reloaded like it usually does. My post just wasn’t there when it refreshed.

I’d repost it but it’s probably not worth it. If anyone wants to read it for hisorherself, here’s the link to the Pg. S13131 of the Congressional Record. McConnell starts on the lower right of the page, and continues on Pg. S13132.

The way I interpret this is that McConnell threw down the gauntlet and told the dems that he was going to FORCE an up or down vote on whether the dems are going to “raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000″.

I will be very pleased if it turns out that turning dems on dems was the Republican strategy all along rather than just pure luck.

@Patvann:

I’m not sure who Eddie Kruger is but, yeah, this health care takeover debacle keeps rearing its’ socialist head.

This whole process has been like Whack-a-Mole on Sammy Sosa strength steroids.

Mike–

That’s it. I’m now suffering from cognitive dissonance…

Just a reminder Mike, majority doesn’t mean right in the long run. Remember Churchill pre and post WW II. Just saying… .., we’ll see.

Yeah, but Mike, I’m saying that if we have to join them to beat them, there is no difference anymore. We have become them and after that, even if they lose, they win. After that, even if we win, we have lost. It’s not about the winning or the losing in the long run. It’s about doing the right thing, fighting for actual values, for freedom for our heirs, not just winning for the sake of winning. The RePub’s have been fighting the ‘join-them’ way since the media fallout after Regan. (progressively more so each year) Where has it gotten them? Think back to 1986. Can you see any significant difference between the RePubs as a group now and the Dems as a group then? I can’t. RePubs have already become the Dems of 20 years ago. Now they’re about to become the Socialist Republicans. It’s a step too far.

Its time to take a Winston stand. Tell it like it is. If the majority won’t see the light now, at least they’ll realize that they have somewhere to turn to after it all goes to crap. That’s right; I think that if the country won’t listen to reason and fight this tooth and nail, they need to see just what we’ve been warning them about. They’ll discover that utopian socialist cake tastes like crap crackers and spit that schist out of their mouth when they get a bite or two. They’ll turn on the people who fed them that foul stench. If they think the RePubs helped that along, do you think they’ll happily turn to them? Now is not the time to be conveying “Ah, just a little bite, not a big bite like the Dems want you to take.” Now is the time to be saying, “Don’t put that crap in your mouth! You won’t like it and it’s almost impossible to get rid of the taste!”

We can’t beat them by joining them. I’d rather live as a mistreated slave who fought for his freedom than a well treated slave who gave his away.

Its time to take a stand. If we lose, let us lose with our dignity and self-respect intact. If we truly believe we are right about the values we are fighting for, we won’t give them up for a pyrrhic victory that costs us the very things we are fighting to preserve.

BTW, I’m not against having a party that takes into account differences in different regions of the country. NC was probably the only place Jesse Helms could have been elected for good reasons. But with only a few changes in his voting pattern, Joe Lieberman might fit as a RePub. I’m just saying that, like a country must have borders, RePubs must have some kind of reasonable limits. If you keep letting anyone run for you who is willing put an R behind their name just to receive millions in campaign money, you are selling the soul of the RePub party and of the country as a whole. My soul ain’t for sale.

One last BTW, Mike, I’m not saying that you want to be a slave or your soul is for sale or intending to insult you in any way. You’ve done a lot of excellent, important work in the past and are still doing that here and now. I respect and thank you for that. It’s simply that we disagree on this. This is the way that I look at it from where I’m at, for me personally.

If it’s any consolation, I hope you’re right and I’m wrong. I hope the RePubs are honestly fighting this and can beat it. However, judging from their past actions, I believe that this is a sham fight. Just enough fight to win re-election next time. I truly hope you’re right about this one. If I’m wrong, I’ll give the RePubs the benefit of the doubt for a long time to come. If I’m right, this finishes me forever with them. There is ALOT more people feeling that way than you’all think. Sorry about the long post.

To anyone who made it this far, Merry Christmas!

@Mike

Does this mean you reject the use of the declaration if it doesn’t include a specific about the Constitution? See, this is the problem I have been trying to get at. Folks will dump on whatever good moves the party makes because they left out X,Y or Z.

Absolutely not. That’s why I said that this is a good start, and that I hope and pray that they adhere to it.

I think very strongly that if they adhere to it, they will get many people to vote for them. I will be one of those people.

My point is at a higher level, and what to aim for to STAY on top, and stay doing what’s good for the country in future election. To stay a party folks can always count on. It’s all about the framing of the issue at hand.

In that light, lets take one of the items on that list, but re-state it within the framework of the Constitution: (number 4)

“In the same way article 1, section 6 of the Constitution forbids the questioning of a voter, we the Republican party will ALWAYS fight against any attempt to force workers to disclose the intent of their vote, be it to government or to a Union.”

It need not be that obvious, nor blatant, and there might even be some pertinent items that don’t have a clean match-up. It there is ZERO match-up, then the Party might want to re-consider their own position. Like the overt support of the defense of marriage act. In these cases, don’t put it on any list or platform at all, simply push it back to the states.

(number 8 )
It is the position of the Republican party, that as the representatives of the republican-system of this great country, the Rights of the States supersedes the powers of the federal government if not specifically enumerated. Because marriage-licensing is not under the perview of the federal government, we hold that this decision should be reserved for the states. If the Republican members within those states choose gay marriage for themselves, we will support it. Likewise should they reject it, we will defend that rejection with the same vigor.

You and I both know that gay marriage is ALWAYS rejected when put to a popular vote, so we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by taking this stance. 2% of the population will never run over the other 98%, even if a lot of those 98% support the 2%.

But in the meantime, before my little version of nirvanna is realised, I will support the list as published, hoping that future steps are taken to re-focus our government (and my Party) back to what our government (and Party) is supposed to be…although the Reagan bit is still kinda weak.

@John Cooper

The problem resolves itself into this: how to secure enough support to win and govern, when large portions of the population are either indifferent or hostile to those principles.

The secondary questions are:

1. How did that portion of the population become indifferent?
2. How does one turn that paradigm around?

The answer to both of these questions is one word:

Education.

The left took over the school system, by first taking over the colleges and universities in the 70’s. They then created the “new and improved” teachers.
Those teachers then took over the primary and secondary schools, and proceeded to impart the anti-American/West/Judeo-Christian, and the pro-communist/gay/green/moral-equivalence precepts.

Thus, we now have drones with brains of mush. 30 years worth in fact, and they grow more in number with each graduating class.

Make some time to review EXACTLY what the National Education Association views as “essential” to our children’s “education”. I warn you…You will be sick to your stomach, and you will find NOTHING having to do with the “3 R’s+science”.

http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2005/aug05/resolutions.html

We MUST take our school system back in order to fix the very real problem you quoted.

@Mike

Unfortunately, you are correct. Which is why our Founders warned us over and over again about having (and keeping) an educated and involved population, and why the Left fights so hard to do the opposite.

(This thread more than makes up for the “Ian/sock-puppet” fiasco. )

@Mike

I remembered the numbers from media reports. (Meaning: Big chance they are wrong)

So I looked again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)
55,000,000 million Repubs in 2004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2006
26,5000,000 Repubs voted nationally = 48% voted 52% stayed home

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/06/report-08-turnout-same-or-only-slightly-higher-than-04/
28% voted…But that number sounds too low to me, and I can’t find any absolutes yet.

What’s wrong with using “Repub”? Short-cut doncha know! (Better than “Cons”ain’t it?)

@Brian
Thank you. Feel free to add!
(You should use more capitol letters )

@Brian

LOL!

Hay… at leased eye used reel words, knot sum maid up won!

@Brian H: Not so simple, guy. If we’re going to play the grammar game, you’ll have to broaden your definitions to the mutiple uses. As Merriam-Webster says, “principal” can be both a noun or an adjective…. therefore “principals” does not solely refer to people.

Main Entry: prin·ci·pal
Pronunciation: \ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl, -sə-bəl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin principalis, from princip-, princeps
Date: 14th century
1 : most important, consequential, or influential : CHIEF (the principal ingredient) or (the region’s principal city)
2 : of, relating to, or constituting principal or a principal

Will agree that Patvann’s usage of such was meant as a noun, but didn’t want you to mislead by oversimplifying our English language.

Mike’sA, you are ever the optimist and, judging by your Christmas fun post, don’t have a bah humbug bone in your body. LOL But “masterful”? Too benevolent and too high of praise, IMHO.

I think you shortchange the financial news press who did a lot of digging prior to Congressional mouthpieces coming out with talking points. And the CBO didn’t hurt either. I’ll give them credit for standing some ground, but the game isn’t over yet. I’ve yet to see a vote, and if they show any “compromise” throughout the process. i.e. some have teetered if there was an anti-abortion clause. Others if the public option disappeared. Take those two items out and it’s still an expensive pile of manure that will sink the US economy for decades to come, while never addressing the cost of medical services.

If one considers the House bill passage, there was one GOP defector, but credit must also be given to the 39 Dems who bucked their own party.

Point is, this whole notion of confusing financial reform with health care restructuring is a can of worms that was likely to be opened because of the enormity… both in legal doublespeak over a thousand pages long, and for the fiscal impacts. So I’m not as quick to be shocked and awed by the GOP merely because they are smart enough to say no.

I would, however, been far more impressed had they gotten a cogent alternative out to the public in the form of a bill instead of just piece meal talking points that grew over time. Having an alternative plan, even possibly for the CBO to analyze, in the form of proposed legislation that was posted for the public to read would have been the cat’s meow for “masterful”. However if they stick to talking points and generalities instead of constructing legislative language (even in their own back room meetings…), they remain at risk of simply being labeled “the party of no”.

For now, I’ll take any body that throws themself in front of the train wreck. But a smart body would be holding up the bill behind door number two that actually addresses the cost of medical services.

Sorry, Mata, UR mistooked.

If you read more carefully, you will notice that I specified “principals” and “principles”, since those could only be noun plurals, and therefore my concise definitions are accurate (as I was principally concerned with communicating the principles that distinguished them.) 8-P

(snip) At this point, what is clear is that the Barack Obama Project is still too big to fail. It is, indeed, bigger than America in the hearts and minds of its creators and if America has to fail so that they can give the kid something, anything, to sign before the historic first anniversary of his historic inauguration then that’s what will happen.

It’s not just the Obamacare bill that is the culmination of so many traitorous American’s life’s work. Obama himself is the culmination of that long delayed dream. If Obamacare dies, the myth of Obama dies with it. This can’t be allowed to happen. Deep down Obama is as shallow as a toddler’s wading pool. He can’t be allowed to drown in it.

G. Vanderleun

The Dem’s will give up everything for a Healthcare Bill. They now they are cornered, and will fight even themselves to get SOMETHING to pass. They don’t even care if they lose every future election, as long as they can fulfill not only Obama’s dream, but Roosevelt’s.
We must therefore look at their motives the same way we look at the Taliban’s motives. They have this same sort of Kamikaze outlook in several areas that we MUST not give ANY quarter, because even the smallest incarnation will transform this country into what it was never meant to be.

Healthcare
CO2/Cap n Trade

And next up:
Unfettered immigration.

No, Mike. I’m not suggesting the GOP doesn’t have ideas. What I’m suggesting is that at no time did the GOP put all their ideas for cost reform and expanded coverage into one bill… as the Dems have done in both chambers.

As @Patvann pointed out, the only effort I saw was HR 3218 back in July, which was introduced and sent on to the Ways and Means committee. It’s now December, and what have they done since – even with increasing public opinion on their side?

That particular bill was woefully incomplete as a solution, only addressing tax credits for your insurance premiums, expanding the amount of individual groups that can be created allowing members to tap into “group” insurance rates that do not allow for denial because of pre’existing conditions by law, and sending on some matching federal funds to the states for high risk pools.

These are three good ideas, but in and of itself, is not a complete picture of reform that would even put a dent in lower costs as a stand alone bill.

What of tort reform to cut both physicians and providers overhead? The ability to opt out of Medicare without losing your SS benefits? How about doing more to equalize the Medicare payments so the privately insured aren’t picking up the slack with higher premiums? Streamlining the bureaucratic red tape that adds to providers costs? Creating tiered health plans that accommodate different levels of coverage from the regular preventive care paid out of a tax credit medical account, a second midline tier which is care for accidents, broken bones, etc, and catastrophic care for the long term illnesses? Then there’s the ability to negotiate pricing for drugs, equipment, etc… providing tax incentives for facilities that purchase and offer state of the art equipment.

And since the states can mandate their own “extras”, each insurance provider can provide state specific riders… all portable interstate… so that everyone can package the basic tiers they want from national competition, and supplement with the state rider.

What I am suggesting is that if the Dems have tome Exhibit A that essentially restructures our health care while doing nothing to curb costs; and if the GOP present a lesser tome as Exhibit B with all their ideas into one single bill; then we joe blow citizens could read both bills and see exactly the ideas each party was presenting as a way to stem rising medical costs which drives up premiums…. the single issue which everyone can agree upon.

To my knowledge, there has been no such complete reform bill out of the GOP. Thus I’ll have to give them a C+ myself. LOL

Now I know they are the minority party, and their complete bill would not be given a shot in the current Congressional. However it would surely end the debate of being “the party of no”, and the bills would be posted on all legislative sites such as Thomas, GovTrack etc for transparency. It would also be interesting to see the complete ideas as contrasted thru CBO accounting. Then the American citizens could lobby and voice their opinion on what they want more intelligently… restructure, or genuine cost reform.

Mike’s America:

“I guess the next big question is: should the GOP try and placate that fraction of conservatives who seem never to be happy no matter what or should they try and continue winning the moderates and independents?”

Right now the Anti-Socialist Party needs All the Friends that they can get and needs to purge their ranks of Socialist leaning GOP members by supporting candidates to replace them, ie: Snowe and a few others that are neither fiscally conservative or represent traditional values. Both Fiscal and Social conservatives are needed.

Mike’sA: Should they really put all that effort into a bill that will go nowhere? I’d rather have them spend their time doing something more productive.

Yes, absolutely they should. Doing so would be *very* productive for them politically, and for the nation at large. It’s a formal presentation of a complete reform idea that cannot escape attention with it’s prominent display on the websites that track government bills. A complete alternative bill would be picked up by media and blogs alike.

And it’s sure a fur piece more productive than simply pointing out the flaws in restructuring the health care system. It’s the “don’t present the problem without including the solution” syndrome.

I would be happy to have your Senate vote, but Gore’s global warming would never allow for a hard core conservative, such as I, to be elected in Oregon. (i.e. that hell freezes over bit first… LOL) Then again, I have a feeling that the Pelosi and Reids would be spending a great deal of time trying to dig up dirt on me to silence any pittance of influence I may have in the chamber. Could keep ‘em busy and less able to cause trouble!

Donald Bly: We need conservative leadership that will get to work on creating bills that will address these issues before the Democrats introduce their versions. Republicans elucidated various proposals on how health-car can be reformed utilizing market forces yet where is the bill. I’m not sure to this day if they’ve actually authored and submitted a bill and the Democrats have utilized this inaction to bludgeon the Republicans as a “do nothing” obstructionist party.

~~~

What we don’t need is to try to ammend our way out of bad bills introduced by the Democrats.

My point exactly to your reproduced paragraph one, Donald. Talking points never hit home the same way proposed legislation does. Nor can CBO analyze talking points. If the GOP ideas are cost savers, an introduced bill is the only way to substantiate that claim. So my only difference with your similar comment is that I *would* like the bills introduced right away instead of stalling and naysaying. Put the talking points where the mouth is.

And most certainly amending a pile of manure never disguises the reality that it remains a pile of manure. Thus why I’m not shock and awed yet…. The game’s not over, and I wonder just how many RINOs will cave to the amendment enticement.

@MataHarley

I agree that some of the issues need the legislation introduced right away. Other issues that are not yet high on the list of priorities should still have bills in the works for when the time is appropriate for their introduction.

I believe the point I was trying to make, perhaps unsuccessfully, is not that an entire bill would be introduced, sail thru committee and be voted on in the chambers, Donald. Merely that packaging the entire concept in a single bill for side by side comparison would be a valuable tool in assessing which method was optimum for reigning in medical costs and rising premiums.

Personally, I wouldn’t want an “all-in-one” bill since I prefer to do it in stages. However the whole GOP enchilada with specifics is sorely needed for scrutiny at this point.

LOL Patvann. And here I thought you couldn’t top your earlier comment…

Hay… at leased eye used reel words, knot sum maid up won!

Lighten up on the grammar critique, and pay attention to the content, Brian. :0)

But grammar is such fun!
Mata;
You are being deliberately obfuscatory! My point was that I PURPOSEFULLY used the plural forms, as they can ONLY be nouns. My challenge was for you to attempt to use plurals as adjectives: I note that you avoid the issue entirely.
______
Patvann;
Ya, ya, that’s all obvious. Could have (and should have) gone without saying.

And what do you have against neologistical innovation?
___________
As for the GOP, I take it (from Steele’s interview, etc.) that they are “picking their shots”, and dragging things out with tactics just short of those that would trigger “reconciliation” nuke options. The battle for public image and respect is often at odds with effective legislative tactics, of course. Which brings up a point: the longer this goes on, the more glimpses the public gets of the Democrat sausage machine in operation, and the worse it looks and smells.

So the GOP is walking a line between precipitating an all-out voting war, which they are undermanned to win, and just nibbling on the edges. The longer it goes on, the heavier the artillery they can bring to bear, and the worse the Dem logistics and battle-lines look. To switch back to the other analogy, throwing gravel in the sausage-machine’s gears.

HI MIKE!

PubbiesRepublicans sure are kickin butt!!

He’s busy testing the thread nanny knocking at both the back and front doors simultaneously…. you may have to work overtime. heh

Yeah… that’s because mom always like you *best*!

*thick Russian accent*

“Bah! Ian an diss Rob! I smeshed dem like bugs wiss ClueBat of Doom!”