President caves in completely

[Drake Tungsten]

Obama shouldn't be able to pull it off, either. There's no question about this being a tax.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh, he will. He's pretty good at this. After all, this is the guy who convinced Democrats that Bill Clinton was a racist.

[Drake Tungsten]

True. Good point.

[Ramo]

Given the structural deficit, real middle class tax hikes are inevitable. Claiming that the mandate penalty is crossing the line is going to reduce the ability of the Republicans to stop substantial tax increases when they actually come (second term?). Hell, it's not even close to the largest "middle class tax increase" likely to be in reform (see the couple hundred billion dollars/ten years due to capping the employer tax deduction). Though it was pretty dumb for Baucus to explicitly call it a "tax." But what else is new?

[RGBVideo]

after election:

Given the structural deficit, real middle class tax hikes are inevitable. Claiming that the mandate penalty is crossing the line is going to reduce the ability of the Republicans to stop substantial tax increases when they actually come (second term?). Hell, it's not even close to the largest "middle class tax increase" likely to be in reform (see the couple hundred billion dollars/ten years due to capping the employer tax deduction). Though it was pretty dumb for Baucus to explicitly call it a "tax." But what else is new?

before election:

[Ramo]

I've always said that promising a net tax cut was stupid (just not nearly as stupid as McCain's much larger net tax cut).

[DinoDoc]

I think it's a shade less than "No New Taxes", as it wasn't really a campaign pledge and wasn't done in front of a cheering crowd (which makes for a better campaign commerical)

No cheering crowds?

[Asher]

In his defense, he probably had a Fox News producer encouraging the crowds to cheer.

[Darius871]

It's news that the tax pledge was dead on arrival? Gibbs already spilled the beans months ago, and even journalists managed to pick up on it instantly:




"So... it's not then?"

[DaShi]

Obama

[Krill]

I thought that crowd was made of FN producers...

[Drake Tungsten]

Obama lied, amendments preventing federal healthcare dollars from paying for illegal immigrants and abortions died.

Senators turn back ID requirement for immigrant healthcare

Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed a requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for federal healthcare programs.

Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that current law and the healthcare bill under consideration are too lax and leave the door open to illegal immigrants defrauding the government using false or stolen identities to obtain benefits.

Grassley's amendment was beaten back 10-13 on a party-line vote.

The bill, authored by committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would require applicants to verify their names, places of birth and Social Security numbers. In addition, legal immigrants would have to wait five years, as under current law, after obtaining citizenship or legal residency to access federal healthcare benefits such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or receive tax credits or purchase insurance through the exchange created by the legislation.

But the would not require them to show a photo ID, such as a drivers license. Without that requirement, the bill "remains dearly lacking when it comes to identification," Grassley said. "Frankly, I'm very perplexed as to why anyone would oppose this amendment," he said.

But Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who represents the border state of New Mexico, said that the type of fraud Grassley said he wants to prevent is highly uncommon. "The way I see the amendment, it's a solution without a problem," Bingaman said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60939-senators-turn-back-id-requirement-for-immigrant-healthcare

Committee votes down abortion amendment

The Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment to its healthcare bill Wednesday that would have required women to purchase a separate, supplemental insurance plan to cover abortion services.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) proposed the amendment with the goal of making existing laws against federal money being used to pay for abortions, and the language in the healthcare bill, ironclad.

"All I'm asking -- my gosh -- is for specific language in the bill that prohibits federal dollars from being used to fund abortions," Hatch said.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) described Hatch's amendment as "insulting" to women.

Democrats on the committee, along with pro-abortion-rights Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine) rejected Hatch's argument, saying it would be unfair to require women to purchase separate insurance coverage for abortion services. Such a requirement, Snowe said, would raise privacy issues by asking women to anticipate their need for abortion coverage.

"It's discriminating against women," said committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who authored the bill.

The amendment failed on a 10-13 vote, with Snowe joining Democrats and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) voting with the Republicans.

The bill, authored hews to existing laws on federal funding for abortion, Baucus argued. "The mark makes it clear that no federal funds will be used for abortion. None. None. It's very clear," he said. The existing rules, known as the Hyde amendment, includes exceptions for abortions from pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or when the life of the woman is endangered.

Under the legislation, the federal tax credits used by individuals could not be used for abortion services. Instead, the policyholder's share of the premiums would be "segregated" from the federal dollars and go toward paying for abortion coverage.

That distinction is inadequate because money is inherently fungible, Hatch argued, and the bill needs a clearer prohibition to ensure no federal money goes to pay for an abortion. "You can't establish complete segregation of the funds."

A second Hatch amendment, designed to strengthen existing "conscience clause" laws protecting healthcare workers from performing abortions or other services to which they have moral or ethical objections, also failed on a 10-13 vote. Once again, Snowe voted with the Democrats and Conrad with the Republicans.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60911-committee-votes-down-abortion-amendment

If only we had listened to Joe Wilson.

[Dinner]

I'd jump on this if it wasn't for the fact that Drake was a liar and a mental abortion.

[Straybow]

Takes one to think he sees one

[KrazyHorse]

Obama shouldn't be able to pull it off, either. There's no question about this being a tax.

Yes there is. It behaves partially as a tax, partially not.