links for 2009-12-21

Michael S. Steele, Republican National Committee chairman, is using his title to market himself for paid appearances nationwide, personally profiting from speeches with fees of up to $20,000 at colleges, trade associations and other groups – an unusual practice criticized by a string of past party chairmen.

Mr. Steele, elected in January to the $223,500-a-year RNC post, is working with at least four outside agencies in Washington, New York, Boston and Nashville that book the speaking engagements. He charges between $8,000 and $20,000 for an address, plus first-class travel and lodging expenses.

Top 10 Reasons to Kill Senate Health Care Bill

1. Forces you to pay up to 8% of your income to private insurance corporations — whether you want to or not.
2. If you refuse to buy the insurance, you’ll have to pay penalties of up to 2% of your annual income to the IRS.
3. Many will be forced to buy poor-quality insurance they can’t afford to use, with $11,900 in annual out-of-pocket expenses over and above their annual premiums.
4. Massive restriction on a woman’s right to choose, designed to trigger a challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.
5. Paid for by taxes on the middle class insurance plan you have right now through your employer, causing them to cut back benefits and increase co-pays.
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Gee. just as if the same diatribe was written at Red State – Fancy that…..

So long, Rudy.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce Tuesday he is not running for U.S. Senate or anything else in 2010, effectively ending his storied – and often stormy – electoral career, The Daily News has learned.

The announcement, at which he'll also endorse Republican Rick Lazio for governor, marks the end of a year-long political dance by Giuliani, who mulled bids for governor and then Senate before backing away from both.

He had reason to weigh each run: surveys showed him a clear favorite to win primaries for either office, and as recently as last week a poll showed Giuliani crushing freshman Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand by 10 points.

But the former mayor has decided to stay in the private sector, where he will continue his work as a security consultant, a sometimes TV commentator and, increasingly, a celebrity draw on the GOP fund-raising circuit.
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Rudy has every right to enjoy life and elected office is just not for him.

Nebraska will receive $100 million in assistance for its state Medicaid program under provisions negotiated by Sen. Ben Nelson (D) in the Senate's healthcare reform bill.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) informed lawmakers on Sunday night that the section of the manager's amendment to the Senate's health bill would cost $1.2 billion over 10 years.

Nelson managed to win a share of the section of the manager's amendment on Equitable Support for Certain States, which will provide Nebraska, along with Massachusetts and Vermont, support in paying its share of additional costs to Medicaid in the health legislation.
The provision, which Republicans have derided as the "Cornhusker Kickback," actually provides Nebraska the least of the three states. Vermont will receive $600 million over 10 years, while Massachusetts will receive $500 million. The money to Nebraska had previously been reported to be $45 million.

Nelson defended the provision during an appearance on CNN on Sunday

As the Senate prepares for the dead-of-night cloture vote on its healthcare reform bill, lawmakers in both chambers have already begun jockeying over what the final bill should look like.

Starting with the dramatic announcement Saturday of an agreement between leaders and Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the last Democratic holdout, House members and senators began to lay the ground for negotiations between the two chambers when they enter conference, most likely next year.
“I think any bill is going to have to be very close to what the Senate has passed, because we're still going to have to get 60 votes,” Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said on "Fox News Sunday." “And anyone who has watched this process has seen how challenging it is to get 60 votes.”
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The LEFT in the House WILL roll over and pass Obamacare but the tax increases and deficits will sink the Dems in 2010

The healthcare reform bill that will go to the vote on the US Senate floor this week falls well short of Barack Obama’s original vision.

As the president took office at the beginning of this year, he laid out a plan for reform including a robust “public option” for a nationwide government-backed scheme that would inject a bolt of competition into the inefficient medical insurance market.
Instead, he is set next month to sign into law a bill that, while dramatically expanding healthcare insurance coverage, will largely leave insurance in the hands of private companies.

Still, Mr Obama has been at pains over the past week to stress that his administration is nevertheless on the “precipice” of improving the daily lives of millions of Americans.
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This bill is not reform but healthcare expansion with massive taxes, costs and redistribution.