Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
It's now Democrat vs. Democrat on health care
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
It's now Democrat vs. Democrat on health care
By RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR,Associated Press Writer -
Saturday, December 19
Send
IM Story
Print
WASHINGTON – It's one of the oldest spectator sports in American politics: Democrat vs. Democrat. Welcome to the health care overhaul edition.
With just days remaining to prove that they can meet a self-imposed Christmas deadline and pass President Barack Obama's signature initiative through the Senate, Democrats seeking a rendezvous with history instead detoured to an intraparty brawl.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was poised to release the latest version of the Senate legislation as early as Friday, but it was unclear what kind of reception he'd get. Labor leaders said the bill was soft on the insurance industry, and former party chairman Howard Dean said he'd vote against it if he were a senator.
All eyes were on the only known Democratic holdout, moderate Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, whose primary concern is that abortion funding restrictions in the bill were too lax. Nelson indicated Thursday he still was not happy but would keep talking with Reid, who needs 60 votes to push through Republican opposition.
Nelson, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, was vague throughout the day about his intentions, eventually telling reporters, "I hope we're getting closer" to agreement.
"Without modifications, the language concerning abortion is not sufficient," he said earlier in the day in a written statement that summarized the results of days of private negotiations. The second-term Nebraskan opposes the procedure and wants tighter restrictions written into the overhaul.
Any hopes the bill's supporters had of a Republican casting a critical 60th vote vanished when Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine said after a meeting with Obama that the Democrats' timetable for a pre-Christmas vote was "totally unrealistic."
Republicans, who have been going all out to kill the bill, couldn't believe what they were hearing from Democrats.
"If you live long enough, all things can happen," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on the Senate floor. "I now find myself in complete agreement with Dr. Howard Dean, who says that we should stop this bill in its tracks. ... Dr. Dean, I am with you."
Former President Bill Clinton came to the defense of the Senate bill. Clinton, whose ambitions were humbled by the collapse of his own health care remake, reminded Democrats that political pros don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good.
"Take it from someone who knows: These chances don't come around every day," Clinton said in a statement. "Allowing this effort to fall short now would be a colossal blunder _ both politically for our party, and far more important, for the physical, fiscal and economic health of our country."
Liberals are furious over the compromises Reid had to make to keep the bill alive. Gone is a government insurance plan modeled on Medicare. So is the fallback, the option of allowing aging baby boomers to buy into Medicare. The major benefits of the bill won't start for three or four years, and then they'll be delivered through private insurance companies.
Overall, the legislation is designed to extend coverage to millions who lack it, ban insurance company practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and slow the rise in medical spending nationwide.
The bill would require most Americans to purchase insurance, and it includes hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to help lower- and middle-class families afford it.
"If I were a senator, I would not vote for the current health care bill," Dean wrote in an opinion piece published Thursday by The Washington Post. "The winners in this bill are insurance companies; the American taxpayer is about to be fleeced in a situation that dwarfs even what happened at AIG."
The White House challenged Dean, noting that the insurance industry actually opposes the legislation.
"We're on the doorstep of doing something really meaningful," top White House adviser David Axelrod said in an interview.
The bill would cover an additional 30 million people and put into motion a range of experiments that may yet succeed in slowing the growth of health care costs.
Politically powerful labor unions panned the Senate bill but stopped short of calling for its demise, saying they hoped lawmakers ultimately would improve it.
The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation, and the Service Employees International Union both expressed deep disappointment. The Senate bill includes a tax on high-cost insurance plans that unions fear will hurt their members.
SEIU president Andy Stern scolded Obama, saying the president should remember his campaign promise to bring change to America. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the Senate bill "bends toward the insurance industry."
Both union chiefs said they hoped the bill that finally emerges from Congress would reflect the House-passed measure, which incorporated a government insurance option and omitted the insurance tax.
___
Associated Press writers David Espo, Erica Werner and Charles Babington contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
Service Employees International Union: http://www.seiu.org
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Dutch rapper convicted of threatening lawmaker AP - 42 minutes ago
Mayor set to sign DC's gay marriage bill AP - 48 minutes ago
Mom of US hiker in Iran asks for 3 to be freed AP - 49 minutes ago
Doctors to extract needles from Brazil toddler AP - 49 minutes ago
Iraqi official: Iranians seized Iraqi oil well AP - 52 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
French court rules against Google
GM sets end of road for Swedish brand Saab
British borrowing rockets to record high
Thieves steal Auschwitz concentration camp sign
Greek financial sector is hit by new credit doubts
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Brazilian confesses to sticking needles into two-year-old
Tiger's wife Elin seeking divorce: reports
Boeing's Dreamliner in maiden flight
Asians, Africans 'left out of stem cell research'
BA wins court battle to stop Christmas strikes
More Most Viewed »
Global stocks mixed amid Dubai debt crisis
Tiger's wife Elin seeking divorce: reports
Tiny magnetic discs could kill cancer cells: study
Virgin unveils spaceship to offer space tourism
Tiger Woods' girlfriend apologizes in TV interview
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Friday, 18 December 2009 Car bomb near central Baghdad restaurant kills 3
BA wins court battle to stop Christmas strikes
State Department revamps website in Web 2.0 push
CORRECTED
Early snow as cold snap hits northwestern Europe
Serra closer to Brazil candidacy as rival quits
|
Sony's Stringer says e-reader to stay a book device
US jobless claims rise for second week
RIM says BlackBerry email issue resolved
Spain's Catalonia to debate ban on bullfighting
|
Nigeria court dismisses charges against ex-governor
Air France crash report recommends black box change
|
Sony in e-reader deal to offer Wall Street Journal
Sony's Stringer says e-reader to stay a book device
|
More vaccine has US urging swine flu shots for all
RIM says BlackBerry email issue resolved
|
Japan mines toxic e-waste for precious materials
Palm, Verizon may unveil phone tie-up at tech show
|
US dad arrives in Brazil, hopes to take son home
Hewlett-Packard eyes Africa for customer support
|
China is willing to detail emission efforts
Ashanti's mom says crazed fan terrorized her
Bomb kills six on restive Myanmar border
US drone strikes in NW Pakistan 'kill 14'
Wis. cops have jolly good time in Christmas video
12 charged in upstate NY airport immigration sting
NKorea approves French plan to open office
Auditors challenge $1 billion in Afghanistan costs
SEA Games: Malaysia win football, Thailand on top
Guilty plea in leak case from ex-linguist for FBI
Pressure on Pakistani leader to quit; drones kill 12
Ariz. teacher on leave for taking choir to Hooters
What were they thinking? Let's review
Biographical details of Fed Chairman Bernanke
China's Shaolin monks plan deal with travel co.
Pakistan's forex reserves ease to $13.54 billion
Hollywood to film cult Millennium crime trilogy
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Jones dies at 90
|
Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist quits, again
|
Fox looks for merchandising bonanza from Avatar
|
A Minute With: Sarah Ferguson on making Young Victoria
|
AP NewsAlert
Jay-Z, Alicia Keys lead singles chart for 5th week
|
London art show cancelled over Liechtenstein row
Paris Pompidou Centre reopens after strike
Hollywood to film cult Millennium crime trilogy
Winfrey donates $1.5M to Atlanta private school
"Basterds," "Precious" among top SAG nominees
French rocker Hallyday in legal action over surgery
Hugh Grant returns to films after 2-year absence
Dozens missing after freighter sinks off Lebanon
British, Irish PMs want early N.Ireland resolution
Coup denied as Pakistan minister blocked from leaving
|
Pentagon plays down security breach with US drones
W.Sahara activist arrives home after hunger strike
Clooney, Cruz lead Hollywood's screen actor nominations
Tale of war and peace in the 2004 tsunami
|
Dozens missing after cargo ship sinks off Lebanon
Sex, hot online search topic for children: Norton
Brazilian confesses to sticking needles into two-year-old
W.Sahara activist heads home, declares triumph
Fired Afghan envoy starts legal action against U.N.
|
France clears Airbus execs of insider trading
Amazon's Kindle reader breaks monthly sales record
Seven killed, 11 injured in Myanmar bombing
|
Microsoft challenged for Bing trademark
Air France crash inquiry doubts Airbus speed monitor safety
Taiwan, China to hold free-trade talks
|
Oracle expects EC green light for Sun bid in January
Berlusconi leaves hospital with appeal for calm
Dozens missing after cargo ship sinks off Lebanon
|
US begins handing out broadband stimulus funds
Mexico drug war raids endanger residents
|
Libraries ask for oversight of Google books product
Venezuela's Chavez accuses Dutch of aggression
|
Blackberry in North America goes down briefly
Modernising Bhutan questions where happiness lies
|
Ex-FBI linguist pleads guilty to leaking secret documents
Palm, Verizon may unveil phone tie-up at tech show
Sony's Stringer says e-reader to stay a book device
Man charged in Washington state triple homicide
Report: Death sentences decline; death rows shrink
Amazon's Kindle reader breaks monthly sales record
|
DNA test sets US inmate free after 35 years in jail
Libraries ask for oversight of Google books product
|
Obama: Santa to use Yellow Room chimney
Hackers steal SKorean-US military secrets
Obama heads to high-risk, uncertain climate talks
Tribunal charges 3rd ex-Khmer Rouge with genocide
Diocese bankruptcy judge unseals victim settlement
Palm shares off as Sprint customer demand tepid
|
Chinese envoy's visit to test Taiwan's Ma
LA police release new sketches of serial killer
Ex-SKorea prime minister arrested in graft probe
Japanese man sentenced to death for stabbing spree
Global Weather-Celsius
Aide quits Paul's Senate campaign after blog post
CA teen charged with shooting friend, burning body
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Genocide charge for Cambodia's KRouge ex-head of state
Report: Blast in northern Myanmar kills 7
Suspected NKoreans hack war plan for SKorea
Nancy O'Dell says goodbye to `Access Hollywood'
Paparazzo crashes bike into Anne Hathaway's car
Taiwan steel firm to buy stake in Brazil miner
World Bank lends 182 million to Sri Lanka refugees
China protests against Rio-BHP iron ore tie-up
Jetstar in joint venture talks with AirAsia
Avatar director James Cameron back in spotlight
|
PAKISTAN
Man accused of stalking Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck
|
Bank of Japan vows to step up fight against deflation
Desperate Indonesians sell organs online
Japan central bank leaves interest rate
Record labels seeking profits in T-shirts, tours
|
Estonian Christmas market offers anti-crisis cheer
Coup denied as Pakistan minister blocked from leaving
Mexican pop diva Gloria Trevi marries attorney
FACTBOX-South Korea M&A deals in the pipeline
Korea Life applies for estimated $2 bln IPO
Grammy winner held after playing at drug cartel party
Avatar box office seen topping $75 million in debut
|
Parlez-vous Na'Vi?
Deep sea freediver pushes endurance to the limit
"Avatar" box office seen topping $75 million in debut
Loretta Lynn feels 'great,' is recovering from flu
SAG nods cap busy week for film award watchers
'Big Brother 9' winner released to drug treatment
Greek financial sector is hit by new credit doubts
Hardliners chant Death to Mousavi at Iran rallies
|
Strauss, Trott launch solid England reply
Iraq official confirms Iran incursion in oil area
|
Deutsche Bank staff to share burden of bonus tax
Deutsche Bank to 'globalise' bonus tax pain: report
Ryanair says deal for 200 Boeing aircraft collapses
Infamous work sign stolen at Auschwitz death camp
|
Accused Mumbai attacker retracts confession
|
New genocide charge in Cambodian Khmer Rouge trial
|
Kurdish MPs to stay in Turkish parliament
|
Yemen opposition says govt attacks killed civilians
|
Police: 2 adults, 2 children slain in Utah apt.
Twitter hacked by Iranian Cyber Army?
|
Calif. school team's success linked to Snoop Dogg
Mumbai attacks suspect says he was framed
Google in talks to buy Yelp: report
|
India says it has pulled 30K forces from Kashmir
Twitter briefly blocked by hackers
Suicide bombing at mosque 'kills 11' in NW Pakistan
Domestic violence victim granted asylum in US
'Christmas' Banned From Christmas Song
Minnesota College Student Back On Campus After Facebook Threats
US, Russia close to nuclear deal: foreign ministry
N.Korea leader 'receives letter from Obama'
Palin Blacks Out McCain
French court rules against Google over book copying
|
It's now Democrat vs. Democrat on health care
Farmers return to erupting Philippine volcano
Pennsylvania Poll Has Specter Neck-And-Neck With Conservative Rival
Senator places hold on bill over custody battle
NKorea thanks SKorea for swine flu medicine
Pepsi Passing On Super Bowl Ads
Mumbai gunman recants confession, alleges torture
Free after 35 years; DNA clears Florida inmate
'Iranian Cyber Army' Hacks Twitter
Bomb blast near mosque kills 5 in Pakistan
DNA Evidence Frees Florida Man After 35 Years In Prison
US executions down by half over past decade: report
Report Supports Obama Administration Investment Plans In Broadband
Bomb targets mosque in Pakistan, fatalities feared
Arizona Man Wrestles Bobcat To Death
FEC Elects Petersen Chairman For 2010, Bauerly To Serve As Vice Chair
Suspected suicide bomber kills four in NW Pakistan
Beijing Autos to explore new cooperation with Saab
Delta leads in bidding war for stake in JAL: report
Bank of Japan says won't tolerate deflation
Taiwan dollar near six-week low on Fed, outflows
Chinese confront wrecking ball in property war
Fox says Time Warner Cable may drop Fox TV shows
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
"Avatar" director James Cameron back in spotlight
Aussie exhibition evokes yearning for 'simpler' 1980s
Diver Attempting To Fix Leak Has Foot Stuck In Pipe, Dies
'Christmas' Banned From Christmas Song
Minnesota College Student Back On Campus After Facebook Threats
Nazi Sign Missing From Auschwitz Memorial
Salvation Army In Canada Only Halfway Of $16 Million Collection Goal By Christmas Day
Palin Blacks Out McCain
Half Of Canadian Men Are Last-Minute Shoppers
Arizona Man Wrestles Bobcat To Death
Century-Old Convicted Pedophile Released From Prison
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