Grassley Plans to Doublecross Baucus
Posted on May 6th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in Congress Watch
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Senator Chuck Grassley is getting started working on an "backup" health care plan:
“In tune with our responsibility as the loyal minority and loyal opposition, with emphasis on ‘loyal,’ we have to have a constructive alternative, with emphasis on ‘constructive,’ ” Grassley said. “So we have to be developing a bipartisan package with Baucus, with that being our goal and right now our only goal, but [we] can’t wait until the midnight hour to have something that Republicans can rally behind.”
Now, of course, Grassley is spinning this as a shield against budget reconciliation, which if used, wouldn't allow his party to block health care reform. He says that he's working with Max Baucus on the Senate Finance Committee in "good faith" and will only deploy his backup if Obama or Congressional leadership try to railroad him.
I'm not sure I buy it. Republicans have been very good at being the party of "no" up until now, and I don't know if I see that changing. Rather, this backup looks like a recipe to doublecross Baucus. At the last moment, Grassley can claim some kind of partisan slight and pull out of a deal. And he's laying the groundwork for that now.
Given the concessions they've already gotten on structure of a public plan and the White House's willingness to negotiate on tort reform, what else are they looking for?
They're not negotiating. Talking about being railroaded when you're not compromising is bullshit.
We have a sickness care system in America. If you really want to repair the American health care program you will stop the economic interference of complementary true health care. Chiroprators, Naturopaths, Chelation, other alternative practitioners and practices provide cheaper early preventive care. The FDA has given the AMA and pharmaceutical companies a monopoly on the sickness care in this country. The FDA has interfered with the natural products defending itsself at UN Codex meetings. This could result in all natural supplment to become a by prescription only product. If Medical Doctors get financial aid for school, complementary care students should get aid also.
"Chiroprators, Naturopaths, Chelation, other alternative practitioners and practices provide cheaper early preventive care."
Sorry, Mary, all that crap you mentioned is designed to skirt consumer protection regulations and steal your money. None of it works, and chelation flat-out hurts people (assuming you're talking about chelating children as a 'cure' for autism).
The FDA exists to make sure what you're buying actually works, and isn't just rat poop in a jar. Simple as that.