Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) is knee-deep in entrenched healthcare provider interests. Lots of campaign contributions, staffers gone to work for these anti-public option institutions, weenie roasts together. He's all about secrecy, pissing off his fellow Dems. If true healthcare reform goes down, Baucus should be challenged hard in his nomination next time around and, ideally, removed from future Senate power. Now would be good as well.
The House Blue Dogs -- Southern and other pro-industry obstructionists, the "go-slowers" who need the time to neuter or can the legislation -- need similar challenges as well, right now. If true healthcare reform is defeated, the must be swept from office, even (especially) if it means significant losses for the Dems in Congress. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA, and my rep, I'm proud to say) who's Chairing the committee with the action right now is threatening to bring the bill to the House floor without a committee vote. Risky move, possibly not the silver bullet he needs to garner votes, but it's hardball time, every day until this gets passed or dies.
Bumps today, Friday, but Blue Dog talks back on. If they defeat true reform, expect to see the Dems become the minority Congressional party within six years.
Meanwhile on the GOP side, they're brazenly lying again, this time calling a study supporting their deadly position "non-partisan," when in fact is that the organization which conducted the study, The Lewin Group, is actually owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers.
GOP Reps: Unrepentant liars.
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