Reid & Obama get their 60 votes. "Bernie brought onboard for $250m in Medicaid funds for VT"

[madfloridian]

I guess most holding out got something to make it all go down easier. That's the way it is done, I guess.

From the Green Mountain Daily blog:

Reid & Obama get their 60 votes, Bernie brought onboard for $250m in Medicaid funds for VT

Looks like its a done deal. Ben Nelson has agreed to a deal on restricting abortion access for women, and a deal whereby the feds cover medicaid spending in his state in perpetuity.

The other maybe-kinda-sorta-not-really holdout was our own Bernie Sanders, who was b(r)ought into the deal for the inclusion of a Patrick Leahy-promoted provision to increase Vermont's medicaid payments by a cool $250 million over the next six years. Breaks out, if divided evenly, to about $42 million a year. Given the looming budget hole, which could be $90 to $110 million, that's a big, big boost

But given how scary this bill has the potential to be, is that a good deal for Vermont, or does it amount to thirty pieces of silver? And please don't try and tell me its getting any better in conference. Not with the White House pushing so hard for this very result.

I'll be the first to admit, my own reaction against the bill assumes some worst-case-scenario projections based on what the bill does - and doesn't - do. But given that the feds take virtually no responsibility for cost control and throws open the regulatory doors, its the insurance and pharmaceutical industries that are solely responsible for delivering the health care scenario, worst-case or otherwise.

You see my hesitation. This could all amount to one seriously ugly "I told you so" from the left.

[jillan]

1. It will be interesting to find out what price the taxpayers paid for votes on this bill.

Landrieu, Nelson, Sanders.


And because I have two repug senators, Az got nada.

[madfloridian]

12. What was it...300 million for Landrieu?

[gateley]

2. So some of our most strident voices have been bought -- but the difference

between buying them and buying the Blue Dogs and Reps, is that our people got benefits for the people they represent, not fatter bank accounts.

Does anyone know why Franken is supporting this now?

And...anything from Feingold?

[madfloridian]

11. Looks that way.

[d_b]

3. fuckin' a

let's move to vermont.

[rgbecker]

4. Here's Yahoo's take on Sanders take home....

Seems like a noble enough request as he does down with the rest....

"Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., claimed credit for a last-minute, $10 billion increase in funding for community health centers nationwide, which he said would create new or expanded facilities in 10,000 areas and provide primary care for 25 million more Americans.

Sanders made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor earlier in the week on behalf of a doomed proposal for government-run health care. In an interview, he said he only agreed to vote for the legislation on Friday, when Reid told him additional billions for the health centers would be included."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

[madfloridian]

5. Thanks.

I guess the love got spread around.

[AndrewP]

6. Well, that's politics

[coti]

7. That's exactly what it's going to be- another "I told you so," just like Iraq.

This is Iraq all over again.

[coti]

8. Not to mention- this is what they very easily could have done with Lieberman and Nelson.

But they didn't want to.

The deal with pharma and the insurance companies was made long, long before.

[amborin]

9. k & r and,

i'm trying to learn how they twisted boxer's arm

her major campaign donor is emily's list, a pro-women's rights org....

[madfloridian]

10. I was stunned at Boxer's comments.

How easily they are all giving in.

They have a fall guy now...Dean...and they can pretend like everything is his fault. They can pretend they must defend the bill because he spoke out against it. Funny how that works.