InfoAnda - The rocky road for Obama's health care journey

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Twitter's Stone says no ads in 2009 | Technology | | 23 September 2009
Thai central bank leaves interest rate unchanged | 21 May 2009
Suspected US missile strike kills 18 in Pakistan | 24 January 2009

Violence delays mine clearing in Afghanistan | 29 June 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : The rocky road for Obama's health care journey

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Search Search: The rocky road for Obama's health care journey By CHARLES BABINGTON,Associated Press Writer AP - Wednesday, September 9 WASHINGTON - Harry Reid could hardly believe his ears. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate majority leader was in Denver for a mid-August Democratic conference when he heard one of Congress' pivotal negotiators on health care trashing a bill on that very subject. "You have every right to fear," Republican Sen. Charles Grassley told a raucous citizens' forum in Iowa that day. "We should not have a government program that determines you're going to pull the plug on Grandma." Grassley's stunning comments made Reid second-guess a decision he and President Barack Obama had reluctantly made months earlier: to give six senators from small states, the so-called Gang of Six, the time and prominence to fashion a bipartisan bill on overhauling the health care system. In retrospect, it was just one of several risks, missed opportunities and dubious decisions that have forced Obama to schedule a high-stakes address to Congress on Wednesday night in hopes of salvaging his top domestic priority. A team of Associated Press reporters, interviewing dozens of key players, identified several crucial moments and decisions that brought the health care saga to this point. ___ The first big blow to Obama's health care agenda came from a bearded, bespectacled Harvard University-trained economist with a background in the Clinton administration. Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, sat before the Senate Budget Committee on July 16. Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., cut to the chase: Would newly released House bills curb federal health care costs? Nope, Elmendorf said. "On the contrary," he said, "the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs." Kaboom. Republicans pounced. House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio said Elmendorf "confirmed that the Democrats' government-run plan will make health care more costly than ever." Obama later said Elmendorf was simply stating the obvious, that bringing 46 million new people into the system would cost money. But the testimony emboldened conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who felt the House's liberal leaders were ignoring their concerns about costs. House leaders agreed to postpone a floor vote until September. ___ Warning signs about the cost issue's volatility came as early as March 4. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner explained the president's proposal to limit tax deductions for wealthy people as a way to raise money to help pay for expanded health care. But when lawmakers pushed back, Geithner did not dig in. "We recognize there are other ways to do this," he told members of Congress. The comment seemed to unleash a flood of ideas, trial balloons and mixed messages. There were proposals to tax soda pop and increase taxes on alcohol. The Gang of Six senators spent months discussing a new tax on health benefits packages, then dropped it. Now it might be back in play, with Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana proposing a 35 percent tax on the value of insurance plans exceeding $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families. In July, several House committees agreed to a new tax on families making more than $350,000. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said it should apply only to those making more than $1 million. Obama? He said he didn't want to raise taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year. But a top Obama economic adviser, Larry Summers, said on Aug. 2 that "it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out." The next day, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama stood by his campaign pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class. ___ Republicans appeared quicker to grasp the intricacies and political value of exploiting worries about cost. On June 19, pollster Wes Anderson traveled to the Capitol to show GOP leaders some surprising results from a poll that his firm, OnMessage Inc., had conducted for Republicans. Most likely voters wanted to control health care costs, but only one in five wanted greater access to health care. And 90 percent of them already had health insurance, limiting the impact of Obama's emphasis on covering the uninsured. If Republicans could drag out the debate, the group agreed, they could gain ground by hammering at costs. "This is a can of tuna fish," Anderson told the House and Senate GOP leaders. "If you let it sit there in the sun for a couple of hours, no one is going to want to touch it." ___ It's almost a Democratic article of faith that Obama is the best possible salesman for tough issues such as health care. But findings by the Herndon Alliance, a partnership of liberal, labor and some health care provider groups, raised doubts about that in June. "All references to President Obama tend to be polarizing," the group said in a memo, drawing on findings from Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling firm. "If President Obama is mentioned," it said, "use his name AFTER the strong and less polarizing message language so people don't tune out our core message." ___ Obama's team negotiated quietly last spring with the powerful drug manufacturing industry, which eventually agreed to reduce costs to the health care system by $80 billion over 10 years. On June 22, the White House proclaimed it a "historic agreement to lower drug costs" and to help pay to cover uninsured Americans. The industry's top trade group agreed to pour $150 million into TV ads supporting the Democrats' proposals. But critics soon spoke up, causing new headaches for the White House. Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the pharmaceutical companies were yielding far less than they had gained when Medicare began covering prescription drugs years ago. Waxman vowed to wrest more concessions from the industry, even as Obama struggled to get Democrats on the same page. ___ Reid always had questioned whether the Finance Committee's Gang of Six could produce a bipartisan bill that would attract enough Republican votes to pass the Senate without prompting a revolt by House liberals. But he and Obama decided to take that chance. It was risky because it would send lawmakers into the long August recess unable to show voters a health care bill passed by the House or Senate. Sure enough, critics seized on the legislative vacuum to describe Democrats' intentions in highly unflattering and sometimes patently false ways. And at the mid-August forum in Iowa, Grassley, the Republican most vital to hopes for a bipartisan breakthrough, seemed to be stabbing Democrats in the back with his comments. ___ If Reid had any doubts that his political foes were taking full advantage of the drawn-out debate, all he had to do was watch the footage playing endlessly on cable news shows from Lebanon, Pa. "One day God will stand before you and judge you!" a man shouted at Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., before leaving as security guards approached him at a highly emotional public meeting. For White House officials and Democratic leaders, Specter's widely broadcast berating was an early warning of what awaited dozens of other lawmakers. And it was an unmistakable sign that the wind was shifting against them. "We weren't prepared for how angry it was," said Gerald Shea, the AFL-CIO's top health care policy adviser. ___ Associated Press reporters Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Philip Elliott, Ben Feller, Alan Fram, Jim Kuhnhenn, Jennifer Loven, Stephen Ohlemacher and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: World Analysis: Obama foes contrived back-to-school fussAP - Wednesday, September 9 'Hillary: The Movie' gets new airing at high courtAP - Wednesday, September 9 Iraq fraud inquiry focuses on retired Army colonelAP - Wednesday, September 9 Mexico City limits love affair with plastic bagAP - Wednesday, September 9 Israel moves on plans to build in east JerusalemAP - Wednesday, September 9 Most Popular – World Viewed Giant statues reveal red hat secrets: study Hershey considers rival Cadbury bid: report Anti-piracy equipment dazzles defence fair New Alzheimer's gene link discovered Economy outlook "better" than expected: bankers View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Russia dismisses reports ship had missiles for Iran
Russia denies Arctic Sea carried missiles to Iran
AOL taps former exec to head email push
Anti-piracy equipment dazzles defence fair
OPEC kingpins upbeat as ministers gather
Blasts kill four U.S. troops in northern Iraq
British mobile merger risk to Nokia Siemens
EU seriously concerned by Israel settler approval | International |
Iran shuts reformer Karoubi's office, detains aide | International |
Sudanese woman in trouser case freed from jail
I was betrayed, says U.N. envoy abducted in Niger | International |
Karzai passes key 50 percent mark in Afghan vote: results
Iran raids raise pressure on opposition leader
New German law clears all its WW2 Nazi traitors | International |
Roadside bombs kill 4 US soldiers in Iraq
Bomb scare at UK air base proves false alarm | International |
British mobile merger risk to Nokia Siemens
Sprint offers $100 credit to new Pre users | Technology |
Critics of new Indonesian film law fear censorship
Ky. mother upset by football player son's baptism
Prospects dimming for gov't insurance plan
Trade panel to look into digital television order | Technology |
UNICEF upset at Sri Lanka's expulsion of official
Myanmar pro-democracy party wants offices reopened
Boy found hidden remains in state custody
EU welcomes Japan climate plan
Obama recalls restless youth in kids address
Japan coalition talks stalled by US base dispute
NM governor not injured in minor boat accident
Defense declines request for Guantanamo group tour
New Jersey Nets sign practice jersey sponsor deal | Technology |
Hartford mayor arraigned on extortion charge
Key Dem moderate turns against public plan
Jet Airways disrupted as pilots 'report sick'
Tower Semi gets more deals in South Korea -report
Clooney speeds into Venice for premiere of 'Goats'
Taiwan lifts ban on Chinese TV actors
Women in Sudan risk flogging if their trousers offend
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Mary J. Blige tops Jackson tribute in Vienna
Yale criticized for nixing Muslim cartoons in book
Disney burnishes brands at D23 fan show | Entertainment |
Toronto film festival promises deals, less glitz | Entertainment |
Legal settlement clears way for Hobbit movie | Entertainment |
Clooney plays hippie soldier in comedy set in Iraq
Italy TV host Bongiorno dead
Byatt, Coetzee and Mantel top Man Booker shortlist
Israeli study: Civilians majority of Gaza war dead
Massive bomb defused in N.Ireland: police
Karzai headed for poll win; recount ordered over fraud | International |
Palm unveils Pixi phone, may be overshadowed by rivals
Karzai extends lead in tainted Afghan vote
Germany clears Nazi-era 'traitors'
North Korea extols friendship as U.S. presses sanctions | International |
Fred nears hurricane strength in the Atlantic
Egyptian guards kill migrants crossing to Israel
Asian social networking sites profit from virtual money
Japan's ruling Democrats clinch coalition deal | International |
Israeli official doubts Syria's clout on Hezbollah
Sprint withdraws $100 credit offer for new Pre users
Obama warns teens of perils of Facebook
U.S. acts to freeze assets of two N.Korean entities | International |
Iran raids raise pressure on opposition leaders
Barack Obama is... warning about 'stupid' Facebook posts
Flurry of last-minute objections to Google book project
NATO troops free kidnapped NY Times reporter | International |
Roadside bombs kill 4 US soldiers in Iraq
Four US soldiers, 10 Iraqi police killed in bomb attacks
EU ruling opens door for online betting crackdown
Trade panel to look into digital television order
Mexico plans more taxes, cuts in bureaucracy | International |
Philippines' Noynoy Aquino says will run for president | International |
Colombia's Uribe signs his own re-election bill | International |
Iran tightens screws further on opposition
New Jersey Nets sign practice jersey sponsor deal
U.S. special envoy to travel to Sudan for talks | International |
Australia considers sending women into combat | International |
Can Beatles revive video game industry? | Technology |
Blagojevich: Words on FBI tape out of context
Japan's Democrats seek to finalise coalition
Palm unveils Pixi phone, may be overshadowed by rivals | Technology |
Asian social networking sites profit from virtual money | Technology |
AP photographer gets subpoena in Katrina probe
Aquino's son to run for president in Philippines
U.S. acts to freeze assets of two N.Korean entities
Appeals court: Nazi survivor can sue over painting
Obama warns teens of perils of Facebook | Technology |
China, Serbia vow to strengthen ties
6 Mass. boys accused of beating sleeping immigrant
China's Li upbeat despite US Open defeat
US: Sorting out Afghan vote could take months
US, EU urge NKorea to return to nuke talks
Minn. man charged with killing toddler at church
India to release detained UAE air force plane
Industry pushes new visitor, tourism industry fees
Trial moved for NJ blogger accused of threats
Suspected U.S. drone kills up to 10 in Pakistan
CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama girls' outsized summer fun
Suu Kyi's party hopeful for her release: spokesman
Authorities: Bone near Garrido home probably human
Hollywood gossip writer Army Archerd dies at 87
North America box office completes record summer
Clooney, new Italian girlfriend dazzle Venice red carpet
Legal settlement clears way for "Hobbit" movie
China's Geely Autos planning Volvo bid
Korea Hot Stocks
Taiwan dlr rises to 5-wk high on foreign buying
Seoul shares slip;Hanwha tumbles on Daewoo report
Can Beatles revive video game industry? | Entertainment |
S.Korean T-bonds slip ahead of rate vote
Toronto film festival promises deals, less glitz | Entertainment |
Lil Wayne concert trek grosses $42 million | Entertainment |
Hollywood gossip writer Army Archerd dies at 87 | Entertainment |
Rwanda jumps rank in World Bank business survey
Australian war-crimes probe into journalist deaths
Seoul shares open firm;caution before rate meeting
Beatlemania back as albums, computer game go on sale
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gears up for DVD, album | Entertainment |
S.Korea FX authorities seen buying dlrs -IFR
Repaving "Abbey Road" a delicate task
Repaving Abbey Road a delicate task | Entertainment |
Lil Wayne concert trek grosses $42 million
Australian actor Ray Barrett dies at 82
Veteran Australian actor Ray Barrett dies aged 82 | Entertainment |
Malaysian-Indian alliance to buy stake in Kuwait's Zain telecom
Janet Jackson to open MTV Video Music Awards
George Clooney's war spoof could have been funnier
Ne-Yo among actors ready for Battle | Entertainment |
Rapper Speech Debelle wins Britain's Mercury Prize
Review: New Beatles product dazzling, expensive
George Clooney's war spoof could have been funnier | Entertainment |
North America box office completes record summer
Can Beatles revive video game industry?
Israeli rights group says 320 minors died in Gaza war
Top economies to keep best ratings: Moody's
US-TECH Summary
Iran poised to hand over new nuclear proposal
Iran present proposals as West ups nuclear pressure | International |
Netanyahu secretly visited Russia: reports | International |
Heaviest Istanbul rains in 80 years kill at least 23 | International |
Bomb kills at least eight in Iraq's disputed Kirkuk | International |
Myanmar junta asserts control over rebellious region | International |
Israel PM made secret Russia trip over Iran: report
Commandos free kidnapped journalist in Afghanistan
Venezuela's Chavez accuses Israel of genocide | International |
Israel moves on plans to build in east Jerusalem
Beatlemania unleashed on a new generation | Technology |
Berlin's electronics fair pushes greener future | Technology |
Madoff's properties in NYC, Florida up for sale
Nokia to skip operator tailoring for Linux phones | Technology |
Pakistan: Soldier, 7 militants die in Swat clash
Thai government transfers national police chief
The Nation's weather
Management of DNA sample at issue in Wis. killings
Australia probes journalist killings in East Timor
Okla. researchers look for cash in the switchgrass
Malaysia charges 12 Muslims for anti-Hindu protest
NYT reporter freed in raid; 1 Brit commando killed
Dem leader wants 'successful' plan for Afghanistan
Body of female ferry victim found in Philippines
Questions, answers on requiring health insurance
The rocky road for Obama's health care journey
Bus accident kills 5 preschool children in China
Timeline of Obama's health care overhaul efforts
Don't eat kangaroos, Steve Irwin's dad urges China
Analysis: Obama foes contrived back-to-school fuss
Goa casinos shut in protest at hike in entry fees
Iraq fraud inquiry focuses on retired Army colonel
Australia warns against travel on Filipino ferries
China's Geely Group 'mulls Volvo bid'
FACTBOX-Property, politics vie for S.Korea c.bank attention
SCENARIOS-Bank of Korea could signal tightening shift
Columnist Army Archerd dies at 87
India's Jet Airways pilots strike for 2nd day
Pakistani stocks up 3 pct led by energy sector
Damon, demons, Darwin among Toronto fest offerings
Seoul shares decline; LG Elec loses, Korea Zinc up =2
Mitsubishi to hire 1,300 workers in Thailand
Taiwan, China to settle currency transactions soon
Mitsubishi Motors hiring 1,300 workers in Thailand
Beatlemania unleashed on a new generation | Entertainment |
Seoul shares decline; LG Elec loses, Korea Zinc up
Zombie master Romero's film targets discrimination | Entertainment |
Jackson family supports tribute concert: brother | Entertainment |
Bad blood in Venice over Bad Lieutenant title | Entertainment |
Iranian artist denounces lack of freedom in film | Entertainment |
Organizers unveiling London Film Festival lineup
Columnist Army Archerd dies at 87
Damon, demons, Darwin among Toronto fest offerings
Gates brings education message to MTV, Nickelodeon
Australian round-the-world sailing teen crashes
Court: Holocaust survivor can sue for painting
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gears up for DVD, album
Tila Tequila's attorney: Linebacker's story 'spin'
Veteran Australian actor Ray Barrett dies aged 82
Ne-Yo among actors ready for "Battle"
SKorea, US sign $45 mln weather supercomputer deal
Anticipation builds ahead of Apple event
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01