links for 2009-12-08

In his inaugural address, President Obama declared his intention to "restore science to its rightful place." But instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante. He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a "deal." Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people. What Obama really hopes to bring home from Copenhagen is more pressure to pass the Democrats' cap-and-tax proposal. This is a political move. The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs — particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science.

Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says a Medicare buy-in approach will be a hard sell with her. She told reporters this afternoon that she's not inclined to support the idea, currently being discussed by liberal and conservative Democrats seeking a compromise on the public option.

"We looked at it…we evaluated that, because it's an attractive approach. This has appeal…but we examined that issue this summer and a number of issues cropped up."

She's expressed her doubts to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "I told him I have concerns," she said. "The Medicare buy in is problematic."

A reporter asked if that meant she's not inclined to support the idea. "Correct," she said.

An astute Fixista flagged a fascinating interview that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave to conservative talk radio host Lars Larson last Friday in which she appears to leave the door open to a third party bid for president in 2012. Asked by Larson whether she would consider running as a third party candidate, Palin said: "That depends on how things go in the next couple of years." Larson told the 2008 vice presidential nominee that answer "sounds like a yes" to which she responded: "If the Republican party gets back to that [conservative] base, I think our party is going to be stronger and there's not going to be a need for a third party, but I'll play that by ear in these coming months, coming years." Which, to the Fix's delicate ears, sounds like Palin leaving the door wide open. As we have written before, Palin is not — and never will be — a candidate of the Republican establishment.

In a remarkable statement on the floor of the Senate yesterday, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) accused opponents of taxpayer funded abortions – including a number of her own Democrat Senate colleagues – of showing "a lack of respect for women." To watch Boxer's statement, click here.

Boxer's accusation was in reaction to an amendment to the Senate health care bill that places restrictions on federal funds going toward abortion services – an amendment that was offered by Boxer's fellow Democrat colleague, U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE).

Last year, nine Democrat Senators – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and current Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (D-CO) – voted for an amendment similar to Nelson's provision aimed at prohibiting taxpayer-funded abortions in the Indian Health Service bill.

The group of 10 progressive and moderate Democratic senators negotiating a deal on the public option may be close to a deal. The group is meeting this morning and will be throughout the day, according to senators in the group.
The likely deal will involve a package of fixes. The most talked about — but not solidified — include the establishment of a national healthcare plan administered by the government, but run by private insurance companies. It will be similar to the plans offered to members of Congress and their staff.

The other two often discussed programs would be expanding Medicaid to those whose incomes are within 150% of poverty and allowing more people to buy into Medicare, starting a 55 years of age.

In return for concessions on their proposal for a new government-run health insurance plan, liberal Democratic senators pushed Monday for expansion of Medicare and Medicaid and more stringent federal regulation of the insurance industry.
Liberal and centrist Democrats are trying to work out a deal on the proposal for a public option, which has become the most divisive issue in the debate over President Obama’s effort to offer affordable health insurance to all Americans.

Under a possible compromise, the federal Office of Personnel Management would negotiate with insurance companies to offer national health plans to individuals, families and small businesses. The personnel office has decades of experience arranging health benefits for federal employees, including members of Congress.

A potential deal took shape Monday that could eliminate the public option from the Senate health reform bill, as Democrats weighed big expansions of both Medicare and Medicaid in a bid to break an impasse over the government insurance plan.

But negotiators were still struggling to craft a compromise that could satisfy moderates worried about the too-heavy hand of government — and liberals who would be giving up on their cherished goal of a federal health insurance safety net.

After five days of intensive talks among five moderates and five liberals, the outlines of a compromise aimed at appeasing both ends of the Democratic political spectrum were emerging: a plan designed to expand insurance coverage without creating a new government-run program.