Graham-Cassidy Pulled: After Dozens of Votes DOA and Hopefully Forever

Four who this time and hopefully forever killed repeal movement

(My advice: Duck....!!! Tweets from you-know-who spotted on radar 

and inbound on hot missile run)

America's Troika: Standing for good and decent healthcare

(Yeah, sure thing)

Oval Office Desk and Pen

(Trump vs. Needy Americans)

Update (again): I had thought that the below updates would have been my last pending a vote on the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill deadline (Friday Sep 29), but alas it’s not to be. So, why not?

Seems the bribes have landed and aim to take over the Senate…!!! To wit this:

My View: The purpose of any congressional legislation should be and I strongly believe be geared to the positive, the good, what is right, and NOT that which is politically fitting for the moment, or for political gain or survival *a novel idea, um?

We hear the GOP (mostly GOP) chants from their awful 1-minute floor speeches:

“We serve the American people – we have their best interests in mind and in our hearts.”

Well… I’m sure some of those speakers are sincere – sadly most are not and right now with this sustained another “repeal the ACA (Obama-care)” vote looming, well, it’s easy to blame the GOP. Let’s face it: They deserve all the blame the public can heap on them, too.

This update underscores a lot of views and points in that regard.

This update from TPM below in part: I call it: “Let’s Make More Deals for More Votes”

The story: Amid crumbling support for the Senate GOP’s last-ditch bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the authors of the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill dropped revised text late Sunday night in an attempt to woo dissenting Republicans back into the fold.

The latest GOP changes and weak-ass attempts to offer something for everyone against the new bill:

1.  More insurance deregulation and the weakening of protections for people with pre-existing conditions for far-right skeptics like Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).

2.  Re-jiggered state numbers to soothe the fears of GOP moderates like Sens. like Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

3.  And added an extra sweetener for the home state of bill author Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

“Waiving the Waivers” might work, too – shall we?

Like the first version of the bill unveiled last week, the legislation would repeal Obamacare’s employer and individual mandates and federal tax credits, and convert Medicaid funding into block grants that shrink over time.

That aspect in part of the new bill allows states to segregate healthy and sick people into separate risk pools, which combined with the steep cuts in federal funding for most states could send premiums sky-high for people with serious health needs.

But in the new bill, which may not even get a partial CBO review before a potential vote this week, states would have even fewer hoops to jump through in order to waive insurance regulations set up to protect people with pre-existing conditions.

Instead of having to apply for a waiver in order to, say, allow insurers to offer plans that don’t cover mental health or to charge sick people higher rates, states would merely have to describe their system to the federal government in order to receive a block grant.

Message for Sens. Graham and Cassidy:

Fist bump all you two jokers want – it ain’t gonna work

This Closing: An awful, harsh, nasty, ugly, mean-spirited bill without question with one purpose: GOPers to show “see we keep promises” – this is good politics, NOT good policy.

Continue story at the link above, and thanks for stopping by.

Keep your fingers crossed…

Previous Posts: 

This may be my last update on this before the Senate votes on the Graham-Cassidy bill.

I am not great at making predictions (whoever really is) or guessing congressional actions, but my hope is that McConnell will hold a PR next week, come out and say he is pulling the bill.

Then the entire Congress can focus on more important issues facing the country and indeed the world at large (e.g., North Korea nukes, Iran nuke deal, and Russia thingy). But, with this bunch now in power, who knows. 

My other coverage is here, FYI. So on all this, stay tuned.

REMINDER: This bill was not even introduced until September 13, which does not give the CBO enough time to do its customary analysis on the ramifications of the bill. But third-party researchers have been running the numbers, and they’re going from bad to worse.

From the nonpartisan Brookings Institution: It finds Cassidy-Graham would reduce the number of Americans with insurance by about 21 million through 2026, after that, another 11 million would lose coverage: That’s a total of 32 million additional uninsured Americans. Why?

The bill includes some funding for people no longer covered under the ACA (Obama-care) through 2026, but no funding at all after that.

In the meantime, it imposes new limits on the maximum amount states can spend on Medicaid (e.g., health program from the poor and others), and that would cut enrollment in Medicaid over the long run despite population growth.

Besides the Brookings gloomy analysis, which darkened an already gloomy picture, an analysis by Avalere Health found that the bill would cut overall funding for health care by $215 billion through 2026, which is why so many people would lose coverage. After that, federal health care funding would plunge because of the absence of spending provisions.

The AARP found the law could raise the cost of health insurance for a low-income 60-year-old by more than $16,000 per year. The plan would also give states the option to “waive” rules that prevent insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. A provision preventing insurers from doing that is one of the more popular elements of the ACA.

Related other “bad news” sites on Graham-Cassidy – here FYI:

1.  From PBS

2.  From The New Yorker

3.  From Forbes (Insurance Industry against the bill)

4.  All 50 States Medicaid Directors (against the bill)

5.  The public is squarely against the bill (the most-important group of all)

So, will the GOP-run Senate wake up or commit mass suicide against these groups and Americans in general? We are about to see where they honor and loyalty truly lies (and no pun intended).

Original Post and Previous Updates Starts Below: 

WASHINGTON ― Sen. John McCain has all but killed Obamacare repeal (the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill), but there’s still one senator in particular who could make it a done deal and nobody knows where she stands: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

She’s been wavering on the Graham-Cassidy bill for days, and given her role in killing previous bills to gut the ACA and she’s left people clamoring to know if she’s prepared to do it again. In light of McCain’s announcement on Friday that he’ll oppose the bill, a “no” vote by Murkowski would officially kill the repeal effort for now. Her office had no comment in response to McCain’s decision simply issuing a statement saying: “No update from us.”

However, there are plenty of reasons to think she won’t support this bill. Murkowski already took a political risk in July when she voted down the last repeal bill. She was hailed as a hero for it by many in Alaska, too, greeted by hugs and flowers when she went back home. She’s also not up for reelection until 2022, and this photo of her hula-hooping soon after that vote seemed to show a liberated senator living her best life and not looking back. 

But there’s a simpler reason, too. It’s just math; it does not benefit citizens in Alaska.

Continue at this link above and here.

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Two Previous Major Updates (same day at 6 pm):

Update from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - bill sponsor and close friend of McCain - he and McCain share one of the closest friendships in Congress. 

His statement in part: 

“My friendship with John McCain is not based on how he votes but respect for how he’s lived his life and the person he is. I respectfully disagree with his position not to proceed forward on Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson. I know Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson is the best chance to repeal and replace Obamacare. Obamacare is collapsing in Arizona, South Carolina, and across the nation — driving up premiums and reducing choices.  I feel an obligation to fix this disaster and intend to push forward for state-centric health care versus Washington-knows-best health care. I’m completely convinced taking money and power out of Washington and returning it to states to administer health care is the best way to replace a collapsing Obamacare system. I’m excited about solutions we have found in Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson. We press on.”

McCain for his part said: “Republicans should not be content to pass healthcare legislation on a party-line basis.”

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Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME): “I am leaning no on Graham-Cassidy.”

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): “I cannot in good conscience support Graham-Cassidy bill.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) does not like it and has turned back threats from McConnell and others – he wants 100% repeal of ACA (Obama-care).

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) offered “political bribes” for her “yes” vote.

Then this update from both RED and BLUE state medical directors: “The bill will undermine and fail all of our attempts to deliver good healthcare.” 

Looks like it's going down, folks. and rightly so — Graham-Cassidy seen here (Cassidy looking down very gloom) outta say this:

We surrender - We give up 

(Hopefully not our seats they wish...)

Original Post and from here (my other blog) - same subject:

Introduction and an excellent rundown here (NY Times) by Paul Krugman.

ACA has reduced the percentage of Americans without health insurance to a record low, and it was created on a three-legged stool premise.

1. Regulations that prevent insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions.

2. A requirement that individuals have adequate insurance, even paying into the system while healthy – analogy to defy GOP illogical views: Young healthy people not buying under that requirement that is designed to help keep all costs down, spread the premiums across a wide range, and give everyone care is like them also saying: “I don’t want or need fire insurance, my house is not on fire.”

3.  Provides subsidies to make insurance affordable for the lowest-income families via insurance provided directly by Medicaid.

Most RED states did not like the Medicaid “expansion,” but under the Graham-Cassidy bill they get a block grant to do that taking money from those states that did expand Medicaid by reducing their like in NY and Calif, while helping Texas who resisted Medicaid expansion and now gets a bundle of cash.

Graham-Cassidy takes away that safety net and does this:

1.     It like other Republican plan attempts eliminates the individual mandate.

2.     It replaces direct aid to individuals with block grants to states, under a formula that sharply reduces funding relative to current law, and especially penalizes states that have done a good job of reducing the number of uninsured (Calif and NY example).

3.     It effectively eliminates protection for Americans with pre-existing conditions.

                                                                                           

Seems like novices put this new repeal bill together and now:

The AMA, the insurance industry overall like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and others have all warned that markets would be destabilized and millions would lose coverage. The GOP is not waiting on new CBO numbers since the Sep 30th deadline hangs over them (e.g., the FY ends and they have to go back to a 60-vote rules threshold in a new budget year or change the rules again for only 50 votes).

Also, this excellent view from here (NY magazine). It also hits the proverbial nail on the head: “If there was an oral exam on the contents of the proposal, graded on a generous curve, only two Republicans could pass it,” a senior Republican aide told a reporter this week — before stipulating that the bill’s putative co-author, Lindsey Graham, was not one of them.

But you need not take an anonymous aide’s word on it. Vox’s Jeff Stein asked nine GOP senators what problems the Graham-Cassidy health-care bill solves, and how it solves them. The lawmakers responded with platitudes about federalism, the phrase “read the bill and you’ll understand,” and a bizarre reference to the final scene of Thelma and Louise (i.e., over the cliff).

Still, Republicans know a few things about their latest iteration of Trump-care. 

They know that the bill reforms one-sixth of the American economy so radically the Congressional Budget Office will need weeks to generate a detailed analysis of its likely effects; that every major health-care-industry stakeholder — from doctors and patients and hospitals to insurers and medical charities — opposes the legislation.

Even seven of their own party’s governors also oppose it.

The health-care-policy analysts believe the bill would make health insurance unaffordable for many people with preexisting conditions.

It would radically reduce Medicaid and federal subsidies for health insurance.

Some expert analysts say those cuts would increase the ranks of the uninsured by 32 million over the next decade.

Accordingly, 48 Republicans (of the 52 in the GOP-run Senate) are ready to vote “Yea” for the bill next week and that raises the question: “Why is almost every GOP senator ready to vote for widely reviled legislation that they do not understand?”

All this is solely based on a GOP political campaign promise which is all well and good, but it is not sound public or health care policy or close to any even rational concern for people those in Congress say they are in office to serve.

This is a potentially very ugly policy. It is harshness that only GOP conservatives love.

Finally, how can anything be this harsh and cruel be labeled or judged worthy by our Congress as good, decent, right, or just? That kind of thinking is based not on empirical evidence, but instead based on harsh opinion, raw rumor, and wild-ass thinking, and that is just flat out wrong by any standard.

Stay tuned for sure. 

When Trump Drops a New Lie It's Usually a Lulu and His Base Follows Suit

Academy Award Nomination for Lie of 21st Century 

Trump's loyal base sees only one end of the story

(And, it's ugly; not petty at all)

As the late great Paul Harvey used to say: Now the rest of the story from The Hill – FISA legal snooping all over again …

For some of Trump’s staunchest allies, reports that former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was under Federal surveillance are nothing short of vindication of the president’s widely-dismissed claims that former President Obama “tapped my wires *at Trump Tower” as Trump has stated numerous times.

Although surveillance experts from both sides of the aisle say the Obama tapped me claims mischaracterize reports about the court order on Manafort, that hasn’t stopped Trump allies from saying the president was right all along.

Longtime Trump advisor and nutcase, Roger Stone, gleefully circulated a segment from Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News in which the host says “all those patronizing assurances that nobody is spying on political campaigns were false, and it looks like Trump's tweet may have been right.”

My Insert: A simple BS at this point will suffice for this crazy red-meat whack crowd like Stone and other Alex Jones nitwits across GOP-Rightwing la-la land.

When Trump made his claim in March, it was rejected by members of both parties.

The DOJ also later stated that it had no evidence to back them up.

While there have been some conflicts in the reports on surveillance of Manafort by both CNN and The Wall Street Journal, they have been consistent in stating that officials obtained a lawful order from a clandestine court (*FISA court) to target Trump’s former campaign chief as part of the counterintelligence probe into Russian interference in the election.

CNN reports that the order allowed officials to place a wiretap on Manafort, while The Journal reports that it covered only stored communications and did not allow officials to intercept his phone communications in live time.

But in either case, experts say, the reporting provides no justification for Trump’s claim that Obama had his “wires tapped” in Trump Tower.

“No — no — absolutely none,” said David Shedd, a Heritage Foundation fellow who was Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy 

* FISA extended until 2020, as cited below in S. 1035 – A BILL

Purpose: To extend authority relating to roving surveillance, access to business records, and individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, and for other purposes.

To extend authority relating to roving surveillance, access to business records, and individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Extensions of authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978.

(a) Roving surveillance and access to business records.—Section 102(b)(1) of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 (50 U.S.C. 1805 note) is amended by striking “June 1, 2015” and inserting “December 31, 2020.”

(b) Individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers.—Section 6001(b)(1) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (50 U.S.C. 1801 note) is amended by striking “June 1, 2015” and inserting “December 31, 2020.” 

How High's the Water Mama — How Hot's the Mueller Russian Look-see

Oval Office: May 10^th One Day After Trump Fired Comey

(Trump and Russian Full Cast of Actors)

For. Min. Sergey Lavrov, Trump, Amb. Sergey Kislyak 

In his hit song, Johnny Cash asks about flooding: “How high’s the water momma? She answers 2 feet, then 3, then 4, and then 5-feet high and risin.”

We may now ask S/C Robert Mueller how hot’s the investigation temp? According to this latest report from the New York Times here – I’d have to say 120° in the Oval Office shade and risin’…

Intro and Highlights:

WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, has asked the White House for documents about some of President Trump’s most scrutinized actions since taking office, including the firing of his national security adviser (Michael Flynn) and FBI Director (James Comey), according to White House officials.

Mr. Mueller is also interested in an Oval Office meeting Mr. Trump had with Russian officials in which he said the dismissal of the FBI director had relieved “great pressure” on him.  (See the two photos above).

Mr. Mueller has also requested documents about the circumstances of the firing of Michael T. Flynn, who was Mr. Trump’s first national security adviser.

Additionally, the special counsel has asked for documents about how the White House responded to questions from The Times about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that was set up by Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, to get derogatory information from Russians about Hillary Clinton.

(Note: You may recall that Trump Jr. corrected the meetings attendees and purpose at least three different times, but his own documents caught him in the trial of lies).

More on that Oval Office meeting a mere one day after Trump fired Comey is also nicely covered here from NPR wherein Trump specifically says to the two Russians: “I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.”

(I also note: It sure looks like the two Russians had a hearty guffaw upon hearing the news about the Comey firing, or so it appears?)

Finally, the temp inside the White House – more specifically the Oval Office is —for sure it's high and risin' and getting more intense and focused.

Stay tuned – we surely are witnessing a historical moment – more so and more intense than Watergate or anything before or since in American political history. Bet on it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Trump Above All Else Always Markets the Trump Brand (Now at the UN)

Opening words before his main UN speech was Trump Tower praise

(Totally astonishing)

Story from ABC News and TPM here – more to follow on this later I am sure. 

The headlines are startling:

First Words at UN Trump Praises the “Trump-Branded Condo (Trump Tower) Next Door”

Trump opened his first remarks at the UN by complimenting the Trump-branded property across the street (Trump Tower) in his first remarks right after he thanked everyone for his invitation saying this:

“I actually saw great potential right across the street, to be honest with you, and it was only for the reason that the United Nations was here that that turned out to be such a successful project.” (Note: Trump World Tower is across 1st Avenue from the UN, between East 47th and 48th streets in NYC). 

US-UN Ambassador former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) introduced Trump by saying:  “he has a businessman’s eye for seeing potential, and he sees great potential not just in this (UN) reform movement, but in the United Nations itself.”

Trump precise words are here - the man has no shame, no skills, no finesse, nada, nothing, nil, zip, zero ... even called the UN Secretary General António Guterres (Gootiris). seen and heard at the 3:00 mark - astonishing:

My Notes: Trump cannot help himself … constantly marketing his name anywhere, anytime, and to anyone listening – his family takes that same path.

Again, he is trying to run the country as a whole like a new business endeavor he just acquired through some other “shady deal.” Only now he plays to the on the world stage with his “un-reality show.”

Thanks for coming by. Come again.

Trump Says Illegals Cost Him Popular Vote and He Sticks to the BS Line

“A tool for voter suppression” yep, the Kobach Commission at your service

(Hell, even Trump nails it - smile)

The headlines from this story is a bit unnerving to say the least - but many of us already knew that:

“Database Used By Fraud Commission Disproves Its Own Point”

 FAKE NEWS – you want FAKE NEWS … about this garbage on “voter fraud” – news from the experts at NYU who track this closely. An eye-opener for sure – at least for level-headed, rational people who are not stone-deaf GOPer right-wingers bent on “voter suppression” and not fraud per se.

Example of the “fake facts in the fake news” that the Kobach Commission uses: 

[Click image for larger view]

Hard to dispute the facts, isn’t it – but leave it the Trumpeters and the fake phony Kris Kobach voter fraud commission to dispute the facts anyway possible that favor their narrow view about voting rights.

In the end, I say not only no, but hell no. Stand up to this total pile of horseshit and ask them just like in the movie: “How do you get the shit back in the horse?” (Quote from “Olaf Andersen” here in a very funny movie).

Thanks from stopping by and help stamp out this as Trump likes to say: “Witch hunt” in short – there is NOT voter fraud and the numbers prove that true.

The Brennan Center at NYU is top-notch in their research … check them out here.

And, come again.

Trump v. Kim: Two Madmen Play “The Madman Game” = End of Mankind

When Empty Heads Clash: Kaboom

Introduction: “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood ... War is hell.”  — Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

Updated after Original Post (which follows):

A serious need to get to the table with North Korea is in order ASAP.

UN Conference Table in Panmunjom (the DMZ)

We have dealt with and more or less contained and restrained both Russia (old USSR) and China and guess what: That helped get them in the mindset of economic growth and taking care of their people were best for everyone all around and not more sustained war or nuclear threats. We need that approach and strategy with North Korea and the sooner the better.

My greatest concern is that this administration in DC is incapable and unwilling to get to that table, let alone even know what a table and serious negotiations are.

I assure anyone who knows anyone about North Korea that trying to out shine them in the PR arena, or show them off has not and will not work.

Talking never hurts, war does, and nukes would be the end for mankind.... this is not hype - just the raw truth. 

The Original Post From Here

This story from US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT in part here:

This should concern everyone in America, indeed in the free world, and especially our Congress ... since if Trump and Trump alone says “launch the nukes” – that order cannot be over ridden and the launch takes only 4 minutes. No one can stop them once the order is given and they are airborne.

As of today, those two “so-called leaders” (Donald J. Trump and Kim, Jung-un) are playing the so-called “Madman Game” that Richard Nixon tried to master as various times.

Both Trump and Kim are impulsive, unpredictable, and willing to defy the norms of international behavior. Both are acting in a threatening and bellicose way, raising fears that each would use nuclear weapons against the other and that would trigger Armageddon.

I say this in all honesty since there is no such thing as a “limited nuclear” war – 

Every country with nukes would get nervous and start throwing their nukes at their enemies far and wide. That would result in one giant fireball and the end of planet Earth – gone in minutes.

Thanks for stopping by and keep holding out hope for some kind of talk to end this utter madness.