Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

NY-23’s new representative will vote “yes” on health care reform

By

Fabulous, fabulous news, for so many reasons.

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) can be counted on as a “yes” in this weekend’s expected vote on the House Democrats’ health care bill, announcing his support in a press release.

“This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction we need to go,” said Owens. “There are still changes I would like to make, including raising the payroll exemption for small businesses, but like I said last week, there is a fundamental need for reform and we must act with a sense of urgency.”

I’m guessing Doug Hoffman would’ve been a solid “no,” so that’s a critical pickup in a vote that by all accounts will be very, very close.  And this must really burn the ‘baggers.  đŸ˜‰

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. Remind me – how is the local Governors race in New Jersey a referendum on Obama, but the NY-23 is not (even if Owens is actually voting on Obama’s top domestic priority)?

    • Particularly Maine as it’s now clear Organizing For America cared more about the New Jersey election than No on 1.

      <

      p>

      Joe broke the news on Monday that the DNC’s “Organizing for America” group, formerly known as “Obama for America,” contacted Mainers by email, urging them to vote on Tuesday, but without mentioning what the election was about, nor which way to vote. Among the measures up for a vote was ballot measure 1, the repeal of gay marriage in that state. A number of us were concerned as to why the DNC wouldn’t inform gay voters that 1 was on the ballot, let alone not urging them to vote “no.”

      Shortly thereafter, a second Mainer received another email from the DNC’s OFA. This one urged her to call five people in New Jersey, in order to help Jon Corzine’s re-election for governor. This was disturbing for a number of reasons. First, why would the DNC ask Mainers to help out in New Jersey, while not asking Mainers to help on “1” or any other ballot measures in their own state? Second, the email was proof that the DNC was in fact doing more than sending generic “get out the vote” messages to advocate. In states they deemed worthy, they were actually organizing for specific things on the ballot. Marriage in Maine simply didn’t pass muster.

      <

      p>Follow the link.  The “apology” mail from DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias is a masterpiece of weaseling.  There are many reasons the gay community is unhappy with the Obama administration.  This is just the most recent.

        • It’s a phrase that almost all candidates for national office have had to utter in order to win their race.

          <

          p>NY-23 was another loss for gay marriage, which went at least 0-3 that day.

  2. Denial of care based upon not being vaccinated.  Talk about an increase in Orwellianisms.
    You can take your shots and as it seems western allopathic medicine and deny it to everybody.
    http://www.youronlineinsurance…

    <

    p>And no teabagger is a profanity to the 911 truth crowd.  It is even more profane than “in this post 911 world”.

    • Do I really want to know?  

      <

      p>Sometimes (frequently?) your posts are so cryptic it’s hard to tell whether or not you’re speaking English or some coded version of it.  

      • There’s just too much Secret Knowledge to put in his comments. You must go to the websites he links to sometimes, and read up on it there. Then you, too will be among the cognoscenti.

      • It sounds like he is suggesting that under the reform plan you can be denied coverage for refusing vaccinations.  However, I suspect there is just as much truth to this as to the “death panels” claim.

      • Since he doesn’t believe in psychiatry, I doubt he’ll get the help he needs.

        <

        p>The next question is how his presence here “advances the conversation.”

  3. …that Owens deliberately waited and had the honor of casting the 218th vote for the bill last night.

Archives