Schuster on MSNBC just announced that Grassley has walked it back

[Skidmore]

by saying that they would work on a bill minus the end of life provisions in it. If they want to be at the table, get there and be constructive. Personally, I believe that the toothpaste is out of the tube and smeared all over the Rs so they will not be able to hide the mess or clean it up. He backed down!!!! And we need to endlessly point out that backing down on statements that the facts did not support is defacto defeat. Give me my frickin' loudspeaker.

[glinda]

1. Doesn't matter. Damage is done just as planned. Media is to blame for not fact checking on

accusations and lies and giving these people any public profile without the full truth included.

[kirby]

5. So true...

Media is to blame for not fact checking... That sums this current situation up very very well!

[frazzled]

2. If they're taking out this innocent provision, then it's not good news for the future of the bill

Look, all it shows is that Grassley is not to be trusted to negotiate in good faith. He told an out-and-out lie. And now he's saying he's willing to work on a bill MINUS the "offending" provision? Bull. Let's just end the pretense of negotiation with these guys. They will never vote for any bill that might be successful for the Democrats or this administration.

[spanone]

3. if they get the provision out it's a win win for the thugs. but i doubt they will.

[Skidmore]

10. Well, I called his office earlier today and told them that I did not believe him to be

an honest negotiator. I hope you called too. I don't think this makes him or the Rs look stronger. Just petulant. They certainly aren't bringing anything new to the table. SO they don't vote. Get onto the Blue Dogs and the D leadership and demand that they get these people in line to vote.

[BlueIdaho]

4. Too Fucking littel, too fucking late

Email every congressional democrat and tell them the time for compromise is over - strip out all republican amendments to the helath care bills and lets get this thing done.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Fuck him.

[Mz Pip]

7. This is such a tempest in a teapot

to me. Don't doctors deal with these end of life issues everyday with their patients already? THis is hardly some new process just thought up. They aren't getting paid for this now so maybe the discussion needs to focus more on why they should be paid in the future for something they are doing already.

THe Republicans made an issue out of something that seems to be pretty benign in the grand scheme of things. I find it mind boggling that anyone would believe that any of this is some evil plot to kill off people.

[jayfish]

8. Doesn't Sound Like He's Walked Back From Shite to Me.

By working to strike the provisions from the bill he is still implying the provisions are suspect.

Jay

[rvablue]

9. Here's the story from The Hill:

The Senate Finance Committee will drop a controversial provision on consultations for end-of-life care from its proposed healthcare bill, its top Republican member said Thursday.

The committee, which has worked on putting together a bipartisan healthcare reform bill, will drop the controversial provision after it was derided by conservatives as "death panels" to encourage euthanasia.

"On the Finance Committee, we are working very hard to avoid unintended consequences by methodically working through the complexities of all of these issues and policy options," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement. "We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly."

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/finance-committee-to-drop-end-of-life-provision-2009-08-13.html


Isn't Congress on recess? Why is a Republican making pronouncements about what will and will not stay in a bill when the Democrats control Congress?

I'm seriously fed up.........

[jayfish]

12. FTS!!!

If they can get this innocuous language dropped form the bill they can get anything dropped from it. If the Dems. allow this it will be trumpeted as a victory for the RW. Include me in the ranks of the fed up. :mad:

Jay

[sinkingfeeling]

11. It could still be saved since it's exactly the same as HR 1898 introduced in 4/2009.

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc111/h1898_ih.xml

[SeeHopeWin]

13. I still don't think one single puke is going to vote with us no matter what the bill looks like...nt

[tularetom]

14. All quiet until somebody introduces another straw man to the process

Then the whole script will replay itself.

There will be manufactured outrage on the part of repubs, dutifully given credibility by the liberal media.

Pundits will pontificate as to whether or not this could spell the death of the bill and the effective end of Obama's presidency.

Dems will panic and jump backwards through their own assholes to get the offending language out of the bill.

Two more weeks will be wasted.

And then the entire process will be repeated once again. Somebody else will find another offensive passage, rinse and repeat.

These pieces a shit will never vote for a bill no matter how much the bill is neutered.

Why even bother to make any pretense of bipartisanship?

[quiet.american]

15. That's still bad. Grassley still makes the whole thing into something to be feared.

Are there so many people in this country who are really so unbelievably stupid they are scared witless at the thought of being covered for end-of-life-care costs?

What am I thinking about? Of course there are!

[librechik]

16. ack! I thought he said not only should they stay in but should be offered earlier!

WHAT A LYING JERK!!!!