Practically Speaking

Obama's ObamaCare "Let's Make a Deal" on steroids: Call 10 key House Democrats

Posted by Kyle Prast on March 4, 2010 | 21 comments

Health care, Legislation, President Obama, Socialism / Marxism, TAXES

President Obama has sunk to a new low with his latest strong-arm tactics to convince 10 key House Democrats to change their ObamaCare NO vote to YES when it comes their way again. The 10 NO Dems were invited to the White House yesterday for some Presidential persuasion, because the President needs them to change their votes to keep ObamaCare dream alive.

The most egregious example of strong-arming being the Obama administration just happening to recommend Congressman Jim Matheson's brother, Scott, a judgeship for the Tenth Circuit court. How about that? Now Matheson, who voted twice against ObamaCare in the House, is now undecided!

From the Weekly Standard, Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?: "Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson's brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit."

Talk about brazen. No attempt to have put this in the works back in November for future influence? This was not the only time there appears to be influence peddling: "The timing of this nomination looks suspicious, especially in light Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak's claim that he was offered a federal job not to run against Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania primary. Many speculated that Sestak, a former admiral, was offered the Secretary of the Navy job."

I heard about Obama's push to persuade the 10 Dems on Mark Levin last night. He is asking for a Levin Surge, that means a calling campaign. Senator Jim DeMint urged doing the same. Many people think their calls don't do any good. May I respectfully disagree that the only reason we haven't passed ObamaCare yet is because of your calls and presence at Town Halls and Congressional offices!

I join Jim and Mark in urging you to call the 10 Key Dems and politely ask that they stand firm on their NO votes. Call one, a few or better yet, all 10 Congressmen: Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Allen Boyd 202-225-5235, Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin* 202-225-2801, Frank Kratovil 202-225-5311, Betsy Markey 202-225-4676, Jim Matheson 202-225-3011, Heath Shuler 202-225-6401, John Tanner 202-225-4714, Scott Murphy 202-225-5614

The normal Conference process of melding the House with Senate bill into one that then is voted on again by the House and Senate has failed. Even if they did have a final bill, the election of Scott Brown to the Senate makes a 60 vote majority unlikely.

UPDATE**But wait a minute, if the House passes the Senate version, which already was passed Christmas Eve, then it goes to Obama for signing into law! The premise was that the House should pass the Senate version to have it go for Reconciliation in the Senate and then they would "fix" it later to suit both chambers. But if the House passes the Senate version, as is, legally, it does not have to go to the Senate for another vote! It will be law. No wonder Sen. Jim DeMint mentioned that the House doesn't trust the Senate? Rep. Stupak, who objects to taxpayer funded abortion says there are 12 Dems ready to oppose health care bill. If that is true, passage of the Senate version is unlikely.

So [then] the only hope of ObamaCare passage [now] is a little used budgetary tool called Reconciliation allowed by the Constitution. This was never meant to pass something like ObamaCare, but the President and Democrats are threatening to use it anyway. (Then again, Pay for Play influence isn't allowed either--in addition to Matheson, remember Senator's Mary Landrieu's Louisiana Purchase and Ben Nelson's deal?)

Funny how times change. The President himself said he would not use Reconciliation when he was campaigning. Obama is now renaming Reconciliation as a Simple Majority or an Up and Down Vote. Whatever the name, it is still Reconciliation that needs 50 + 1 votes.

If we were still under President Bush, the 50 Yes Senate votes wouldn't be enough to pass Socialized Medicine, because Vice President Dick Chaney would cast the tie breaking NO vote. But then again, if President Bush were still in office, the focus of the administration would be the economy. We would have lowered taxes on businesses, allowed domestic oil drilling, and stopped the government takeover of the US Economy, instead of pushing business killing ObamaCare and Cap and Trade.

Make the calls!

*This is the correct name

**I caught a bit of Rush after Vicki McKenna today and he had forgotten this too. Could it be that the President himself is hoping the House won't remember that if they pass the Senate version, it becomes law too?


More Reading/Viewing:
Obama 'American Agenda' Flashback: Dems Should Not Pass Healthcare with a 50-plus1 strategy - Senator Obama's own words AGAINST using reconciliation to pass healthcare in 2007--"need a 60 vote majority...We are not going to pass a universal healthcare with a 50 + 1 strategy."

Morning Bell: Obmacare's Kabuki End Game: "Where exactly do House and Senate aides writing this new bill expect to come up with the money to pay for all these new goodies? And they have to find that cash because all reconciliation bills must be certified by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to reduce the deficit by $1 billion over five years. And that CBO score will take at least a week, or possibly two to complete."

ObamaCare: Still a Threat to Your Life

Stupak: 12 Dems ready to oppose health care bill

Links: 

Brookfield7, BetterBrookfield, Vicki McKenna, Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, Randy Melchert, Mark Levin, The Heritage Foundation, CNS News, Breitbart BigGovernment