Posts Tagged health care

The Cornhusker Kickback is Dead

The pressure brought by state attorneys general appears to have worked.  The Cornhusker Kickback is dead.  From Roll Call:

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) on Friday asked that a deal he secured for his state on Medicaid funding be removed from the health care reform bill, a move that follows weeks of unrelenting political blowback.

Nelson contends that a $100 million deal he extracted for Nebraska in December to pay the state’s cost of a proposed Medicaid expansion was misunderstood. He said it was intended to act as a placeholder to ensure that all states received similar treatment once negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate bills commenced.

But after weeks of criticism from Nebraskans and fellow Democratic Senators and a backlash that extended nationwide for a deal that came to be known as the “Cornhusker Kickback,” Nelson on Friday sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) asking him to strip the provision from the reform bill.

In his letter, Nelson asks that the Nebraska-only measure be replaced with one that would exempt all states from paying the cost of a proposed Medicaid expansion. However, his letter appears to make clear that regardless of whether that request is granted, he wants the provision affecting Nebraska removed.

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The Attack Has Begun

The left, and the left of left, has spun up the attack machine in an attempt to bully the state attorneys general who are raising serious constitutional questions over the Cornhusker Kickback.  Over at Think Progress’s Wonk Room, the crack team has decided the best way to attack some of the top legal minds in this country is by questioning political contributions some of the state A.G.s have received from the health care industry.  Yes, it appears that the good folks at Think Progress have figured it all out…except that it’s a safe bet that the political contributions received by the state AGs pales in comparison to how much that same industry has contributed to members of the U.S. Congress.  The point – if there is one – is that Think Progress should start taking worthless pot shots at everybody – and not just those who raise valid, legal questions about a monumental enlargement of federal spending and growth.  Be equal opportunity bullyers!

But, if they insist on looking at who got what from whom on this matter – they better start studying up on Democrats like Oklahoma Democrat A.G. Drew Edmondson (and there will be others) who are out, or about to be out publicly raising questions on the legal questions raised by the Cornhusker Kickback.  Or maybe, it’ll be better if the folks at Think Progress take this line of attack down – and stop trying to bully the state A.G.s out of doing their constitutionally sworn duty.  It won’t work.

It’s time to stop using politics to answer legal questions.

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Dems beginning to join opposition to Cornhusker Kickback

The Daily Oklahoman quietly reported on its editorial page that Democrat attorney general Drew Edmondson was “on board” with the effort to sniff out the constitutionality of the Cornhusker Kickback back on January 2nd.  That news will probably be nationwide today – compelling more state attorneys general to weigh in as well on this simmering issue – since  South Carolina papers picked up the story this morning, as did the CNS news service.  You can expect to see this information to become part of the “state A.G.s vs. the U.S. Senator” narrative immediately with the national press.  It seems that the stock Democrat response of these top lawyers opposing this aspect of the measure as unconstitutional as just politics is being flushed away.  We’ve heard there are a great number of state A.G.s concerned about this – it’s just a matter of time before more of them break ranks.

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Pressure on Democrat AGs increases on Cornhusker Kickback

Maybe some of these Democrat state attorneys general will start to see the real issue here, and join their fellow state attorneys general, now both Democrat and Republican, in the effort to protect ALL of America’s taxpayers from the Cornhusker Kickback.

From Arizona’s KTAR radio for Democrat Attorney General Terry Goddard:

Terry Goddard, this is your moment. Arizonans need you to step-up.

As the formulating of healthcare “reform” legislation secretively continues in the U.S. Senate, Attorney’s General from multiple states have begun to announce that they are launching investigations into the legality, and constitutionality of the Senate healthcare bill. Arizona’s Attorney General Terry Goddard should be calling for his own investigation, because based on what little is known about this highly secretive legislation, it appears that the bill places Arizonans at a significant disadvantage, financially and otherwise, to residents of the state of Nebraska.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, along with the Attorneys General in the states of Washington, Michigan, Texas, Colorado, Alabama and North Dakota – have joined forces to consider, among other things, if the Obamacare bill in the U.S. Senate violates the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The 10th Amendment stipulates that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states by the constitution of the United States, are reserved to the states or the people.

From the Las Vegas Review Journal questioning Democrat A.G. Catherine Cortez Masto:

To win Sen. Nelson’s vote, Sen. Reid agreed to have the federal government forever pay full freight for Nebraska’s Medicaid expansion, mandated by the bill. Every other state gets only three years of full federal coverage under the plan. After that, every state but Nebraska will be required take on huge, new, unfunded Medicaid burdens. Nevada’s alone will be at least $600 million per year.

A conference committee will begin meeting in the new year to work out a compromise between House and Senate versions of the bill. Mr. McMaster says if the bill goes through with the benefit for Nebraska, taxpayers in the other 49 states will have to cover their own unfunded mandates in addition to Nebraska’s share.

The 13 attorneys general signing the letter are all Republicans. But the danger of such a precedent, once set, is surely not limited to states adhering to one party. Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto should join the action on Nevadans’ behalf.

Some will hold that unlikely, since it might be seen as a challenge to Sen. Reid, the presumed godfather of Nevada Democrats.

The question is, does Ms. Masto represent the Nevadans who will have to pay “more than their share” under Sen. Reid’s Nebraska payoff scheme … or someone else?

Kansas state house and senate leaders are asking Democrat A.G. Stephen Six to take a closer look at the constitutionality of it all. From the Lawrence Journal World:

“With luck and a little persuasion, perhaps a majority in Congress will come to its senses and conclude that our nation’s health care can be reformed without disregarding the Constitution,” the four legislators wrote in a letter to Six. “But if they don’t, then it will be up to you and to us to protect the Constitution we are sworn to uphold and to preserve the liberties of the Kansans we represent.”

They cited what is being called either the “Cornhusker Kickback” or the “Nebraska Compromise,” and a requirement that every person have health insurance coverage.

Governors in Connecticut and Georgia have asked their attorney general to actively look into the constitutionality of Cornhusker Kickback.  Tennessee’s Lt. Governor wants his state attorney general to look into the health care deal also.

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The States Are Where It’s At

From the Republican State Leadership Committee:

- POLL FINDS MAJOR SHIFT IN POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT; GOP ON REBOUND –

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), the nation’s largest caucus of Republican state leaders, released a national poll today indicating a clear backlash over the expansion of the federal government in recent months – with a majority of Americans believing that the best solutions are found in state government. The poll also reveals a major shift in the political environment with President Barack Obama’s approval declining to 51 percent, tying Bill Clinton with the steepest drop in presidential approval ratings during the first six months in office, and the Republican Party on the rebound. The national poll, taken by Public Opinion Strategies, was conducted August 30 – September 1, 2009.

Read the rest of the release, read the summary memo, and see the charts – all right here.

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Where Good Ideas Go to Grow

Maybe Washington should be paying more attention to what’s happening in the states when it comes to finding solutions to solving the health care issue in this country.  Chris Rants is running for Governor of Iowa, and he’s come up with 4 ideas to improve health care.  You know he’s not the only candidate out there trying to create or identify solutions that Washington might be missing – but he’s the one in the news right now. The truth is, Washington can work better if it works harder at looking for solutions to the nation’s problems by looking where they grow more plentiful….out in the nation.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Rants is touting four ideas he says could raise the quality and lower the cost of health care in Iowa. “Some of these proposals are common sense, practical solutions (like) electronic health records,” Rants says. “Making a commitment that the state should enable that is something that I think both parties should be able to agree upon.”

In addition to calling for all medical records in Iowa to be digitized within four years, Rants proposes adjusting the system of reimbursing hospitals for the care provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients. Rants says high-quality care should be rewarded with the highest payments.

You can read the entire article at Radio Iowa dot com.  Check out Rants entire press release here.

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Obama is no Clinton…

But his health care plan apparently is.  From Bill McInturff over at Public Opinion Strategies:

“This data is highly problematic for the President and clearly demonstrates the struggle President Obama faces as he tries to sell his health care plan to Americans.” said Bill McInturff, co‑founder and partner of Public Opinion Strategies.

The survey, conducted August 11‑13, provides some revealing points of comparison for public opinion today versus June of 1994:

President Clinton’s Plan (June 1994)
President Obama’s Plan (August 2009)
67% Familiar with the plan
23% Favor the plan
35% Oppose the plan
42% Have no opinion
52% “The more I hear about the plan the less I like it”
34% “The more I hear about the plan the more I like it”
64% Familiar with the plan
25% Favor the plan
37% Oppose the plan
37% Have no opinion
49% “The more I hear about the plan the less I like it”
38% “The more I hear about the plan the more I like it”

McInturff stated, “This data is hauntingly similar to what we saw in 1994.  President Obama is learning the same lesson that the Clintons learned: Too much government intervention in the health care system can alienate more voters than it attracts.”

Yes, the American people seem to think that too much of a bad thing really is bad for them…and America.  See the entire release.  Check out the toplines and charts.

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