Senator John McCain's attempt to kill health care reform defeated

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This is what happens when you lie to seniors about Medicare, Johnny. They get riled up and call their Senators. Senate votes to keep Medicare cuts in plan:

Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the nearly $1 trillion measure. It would have sent the entire 2,074-page bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo.

A competing amendment by Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., underscoring that no benefits in conventional Medicare would be cut by the legislation, was approved 100-0.

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Democrats said seniors would not lose any guaranteed benefits. The cuts — amounting to a 2 percent slowdown in spending — would help keep Medicare solvent by making it more efficient, they contended. And they pointed out that the health-care overhaul bill improves preventive care and prescription coverage.

"My colleagues on the Republican side have resorted to the politics of fear to preserve a broken health-care system," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. "What we're hearing are scare tactics designed to mislead seniors."

Furious with opposition from the AARP, Sen. McNasty (see photo) railed on the Senate floor and delivered a message to seniors:

"Take your AARP card, cut it in half and send it back. They've betrayed you," he said.

Sorry, Johnny. Seniors should tear up your contract come next November. It is you who have betrayed seniors and Arizonans, time and again. Your lying has become pathological, and your antics are an embarrassment to this state.

Francine Shacter alerted readers in comments to an earlier post, "McCain recorded robo-calls in states that are home to key moderate Democrats asking voters to support McCain's amendment stripping the bill's Medicare cuts." So why did Francine receive a robo-call here in Arizona? McCain was the sponsor of this poison pill amendment and Senator Obstruction, Jon Kyl, was a certain vote for it. Who exactly was the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who paid for the calls, trying to influence? Or was their goal just to scare seniors with lies and distortions and to create a general climate of fear? These people are shameless.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) reportedly will offer McCain's failed motion again today for purpose of delay. Daily Kos: Today in Congress

The Senate also approved safeguards for coverage of mammograms and other preventive tests for women on a vote of 61-39 for a provision sponsored by Democrat Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine.

The Mikulski amendment gives the health and human services secretary authority to require health plans to cover additional preventive services for women. The Congressional Budget Office said the amendment would cost $940 million over a decade.

Mikulski said her amendment would guarantee that decisions are left to women and their doctors, not placed in the hands of government bureaucrats or medical statisticians.

Coming up next week is the Senate's attempt to amend the Stupak-Pitts anti-abortion provision in the House bill. Conservadem Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is drafting a nearly identical amendment to restrict abortion funding except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. Nelson: Abortion Amendment 'Is Not Ready' | TPMDC Other amendments to be offered include refining the language to maintain the status quo under the Hyde Amendment, in effect since 1976.

And for the "gang of four" conservadem senators threatening to filibuster the public option, you had better take a look at the most recent poll. Your obstruction guarantees you will have a primary opponent. Public Option Still Popular: New Poll Says 60 Percent Want It:

A new Thompson-Reuters survey on healthcare reform shows sustained public support for the public option.

Sixty percent of survey respondents said they believe a public option should be included in final healthcare reform legislation. Only about one in five, however, believes the cost, quality or value of care will improve in the next 12 months. Twenty-three percent said they expect access to care to improve....

Here are the key findings:

• 18 percent of survey respondents said they expect to spend less on healthcare a year from now.
• 21 percent believe the quality of care will improve in the next 12 months.
• 18 percent believe the value of care delivered will be better in a year.
• 23 percent believe it will be easier for people to receive the care they need a year from now.
• 60 percent of Americans believe a public option should be included in final healthcare legislation. There are sharp divisions, however, along party lines: 86 percent of Democrats support the public option versus 57 percent of Independents and 33 percent of Republicans.

[A]s far as the American public seems to be concerned the public option isn't a symbol and it isn't just a "liberal" idea. It's a smart, common-sense answer to the stranglehold the insurance companies have had on us for decades. The people want real choice, and they see a public option as a good way to provide it.