Showing posts with label economic stimulus package. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economic stimulus package. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Arlen Specter: Stimulus Disgrace

By Maggie M. Thornton

President Obama's stimulus bill just passed the Senate. A few hours before the vote, we began to get a glimpse of the dangerous health care provisions in this bill.

In President Barack Obama's first primetime press conference last night, he asked why Americans would not want our health care electronically monitored. After all, he said, nurses cannot even read the doctor's handwriting.


Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)

This is the lamest "reasoning" I think I've ever heard from a Presidential podium. The Democrat party...so extremely incensed about the privacy issues surrounding the War on Terror, would like to have unequivocal access to your health information, your treatments, your medications, your private conversations with your doctors.

But, really, this is the least of our health care problems now with Barack Obama as our president.

Bloomberg News is reporting that former Senator Tom Daschle has had a hefty hand in the health care portion of the stimulus bill.
A year ago, Daschle wrote that the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”
You must read this report, and keep in mind that the Senate-House conference will begin now, and changes can still be made. If you live in Pennsylvania...well, just read the following concerning the Senator you continue to send back to Washington.

Senator Specter was one of three expected to vote for the stimulus bill. Of great importance is the fact that Senator Arlen Specter was UNAWARE of Bloomberg's assessment of these provisions.

Here is CNS News reporting on the Bloomberg report:
[Specter said] “If Bloomberg has pointed out a potential problem…there will be clarification to avoid having the government meddle in what doctors do.”
This completely irresponsible Senator laments the rush of the bill, but is unwilling to help his fellow Republicans slow things down:
Specter said one of the “big problems” with the stimulus bill is, “Why the rush? Why are we wedded to [a Feb. 13 deadline for passage]?” Specter noted that Congress never held hearings on the bill, and that has created problems.
This is one of a number of provisions that has popped up that we have to revise and be very careful about,” he said.
There should be a way for the Nation as whole to impeach Senators and Representative who are willing to sign away our personal freedom in the name of bi-partisanship. Specter's actions and support of this bill are so discouraging. He points out that he has made a "commitment" to the Democrats, and he is :
...not going to go back on my word and on a commitment.
Let me ask you, where are this man's loyalties - to his friends across the aisle or the country he is elected to represent? Just keep in mind that this Senator, Arlen Specter, knew nothing about these egregious health care provisions.

Here are just a few of the problems:

Bloomberg's Betsey McCaughey reports that the healthcare provisions are "virtually identical" to those outlined in former Senator Tom Daschle's recent book (which I will not name here), but it appears that many of Daschle's recommendations were taken from a British model. One example of that model is that the elderly with macular degeneration had to wait until all sight was gone from one eye before treatment on the second could begin.

(1) A new position within government is planned: a National Coordinator of Health Information Technology who will do the tracking of your medical conditions - AND
will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective
(2) The health care provisions in the stimulus bill affect "every individual in the United States.

(3) If you doctor does not join the electronic monotoring, he/she will be severly penalized. If you need experimental treatments, forget it.
In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make. The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research

The Federal Council is modeled after a U.K. board discussed in Daschle’s book. This board approves or rejects treatments using a formula that divides the cost of the treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit.
(4) If you are elderly, you will be culled out of Medicare payments for routine preventative care.
The stimulus bill changes Medicare's acceptance of treatments deemed safe and effective.
The idea: "individuals benefit in youger years and sacrifice later."

Beware America, your government has taken over your life.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Senate Serving America Pork and Redistributed Beans Today

Stimulus Package

This Pic from the LA Times shows

Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, from left, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, and Republican Sens. Arlen Specter and Susan Collins arrive to talk to reporters about a deal being arranged on the economic stimulus bill. The compromise, negotiated behind the scenes, would slice some $110 billion from the bill, which had grown to $930 billion as amended on the Senate floor.

(Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images)

According to this morning's Chicago Tribune, a deal was hammered out Friday that will bring about the passage of this dreadful stimulus package, and Republicans may delay the vote until early next week, “but there was little doubt about the outcome.”

Senators said the legislation, which is a cornerstone of Obama's efforts to revive the economy, would carry a price tag of about $820 billion under the compromise deal, though the final figure was unclear. The bill is expected to cost about the same as the $819 billion approved by the House and far lower than the bill as amended on the Senate floor, which had grown to more than $930 billion.

The dirty so-called “Stimulus” deal is almost done with these turncoat Republican Senators we have to thank:

Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania

Three GOP moderates — Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania — quickly declared their support for the compromise. But two other GOP moderates — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and George Voinovich of Ohio — said they would oppose it.

CBS Poll: Support For Stimulus Falls

According to a new CBS Poll nearly half of America is against the stimulus package because they do not believe it will shorten the recession.

(CBS) Slightly more than half the country approves of President Obama's $800 billion-plus stimulus package, a new CBS News poll finds. But support for the bill has fallen 12 points since January, and nearly half of those surveyed do not believe it will shorten the recession.

Contact your Senators today and tell them you don’t want this pork and redistributed beans package!

The Center for Individual Freedom will send out blast faxes to all of the Senators in your name for a price. Here’s what they say:

Tell them in no uncertain terms that the American people DON'T want them to "tinker" with this evil bill or to try to "fix" it. The American people do not want any "compromises" or "amendments" or ANY AMOUNT OF LIPSTICK PUT ON THIS PIG OF A BILL.

The American people want the Obama-Pelosi Theft Act of 2009 DEAD... A STAKE DRIVEN THROUGH ITS EVIL HEART! Tell them - to borrow a phrase from former First Lady Nancy Reagan - they just need to say "NO" and stop this liberal boondoggle!

We don't need compromises! We don't need fixes! We don't need alternative plans that will move America towards SOCIALISM!

Flood the following wavering and compromising Senators TODAY and their staff with your e-mails reminding them that if they vote Yes on this package their constituents will long remember!!!

SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-4254

DC FAX: (202) 228-1229

HARRISBURG PHONE: (717) 782-3951

HARRISBURG FAX: (717) 782-4920

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Scott_Hoeflich@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Maria_Plakoudas@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Christopher_Bradish@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=thomas_dower@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=seema_singh@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=corene_ashley@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=regina_campbell@specter.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=gayle_mills@specter.senate.gov

SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-5972

DC FAX: (202) 224-3808

COLUMBIA PHONE: (803) 933-0112

COLUMBIA FAX: (803) 933-0957

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Richard_Perry@lgraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Lauren_Edwards@lgraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jen_olson@lgraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=wes_hickman@lgraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kevin_bishop@lgraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Matt_Rimkunas@lGraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Colin_Allen@LGraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Laura_Bauld@lGraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Adam_Brake@LGraham.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Walt_Kuhn@LGraham.senate.gov

SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-2523

DC FAX: (202) 224-2693

AUGUSTA PHONE: (207) 622-8414

AUGUSTA FAX: (207) 622-5884

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Steve_Abbott@collins.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Holly_Nesbit@collins.senate.gov

SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-5344

DC FAX: (202) 224-1946

BOSTON PHONE: (207) 622-8292

BOSTON FAX: (207) 622-7295

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=John_Richter@snowe.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Anna_Levin@snowe.senate.gov

SENATOR MITCH McCONNELL - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-2541

DC FAX: (202) 224-2499

LOUISVILLE PHONE: (502) 582-6304

LOUISVILLE FAX: (502) 582-5326

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Fred_Karem@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Adam_Howard@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Hannah_Benton@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=robert_steurer@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=julie_adams@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=scott_raab@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allison_thompson@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Reb_Brownell@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=leann_crosby@mcconnell.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Moon_Sulfab@mcconnell.senate.gov

SENATOR GEORGE VOINOVICH - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE: (202) 224-3353
DC FAX: (202) 228-1382
COLUMBUS PHONE: (614) 469-6697
COLUMBUS FAX: (614) 469-7733
EMAILS TO CONTACT:
george_callas@voinovich.senate.gov
jan_fowler@voinovich.senate.gov
Michael_Dustman@Voinovich.senate.gov
Khisha_Fallon@Voinovich.senate.gov
Teresa_Frank@Voinovich.senate.gov
Linda_Greenwood@Voinovich.senate.gov
Beth_Hansen@Voinovich.senate.gov
Andre_Harper@Voinovich.senate.gov
Lauri_Hettinger@Voinovich.senate.gov
Eric_Hinten@Voinovich.senate.gov
Heather_Homan@Voinovich.senate.gov
Erik_Johnson@Voinovich.senate.gov
Ellen_Kinker@Voinovich.senate.gov
Beth_Martens@Voinovich.senate.gov
Angela_Mikolajewski@Voinovich.senate.gov
Phil_Park@Voinovich.senate.gov
Chris_Paulitz@Voinovich.senate.gov
Garrette_Silverman@Voinovich.senate.gov
Dana_Smullen@Voinovich.senate.gov
Lucy_Stickan@Voinovich.senate.gov
John_Stilliana@Voinovich.senate.gov
Jesse_Walls@Voinovich.senate.gov
Angela_Youngen@Voinovich.senate.gov
Richelle_Zakrzewski@Voinovich.senate.gov
Lisa_Zellers@Voinovich.senate.gov

SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN - INDEPENDENT

DC PHONE: (202) 224-4041

DC FAX: (202) 224-9750

HARTFORD PHONE: (860) 549-8463

SAN FRANCISCO FAX: (860) 317-2242

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vance_serchuk@lieberman.senate.gov

http://us.mc579.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=clarine_nardi_riddle@lieberman.senate.gov

frank_rowe@lieberman.senate.gov

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