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President Snowe Says No To Medicare Buy-In

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:08:29 PM EST
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Heh:

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. [. . .] 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.

Now what? Hey, I have an idea, reconciliation.

Speaking for me only

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    President Snowe Says No To Medicare Buy-In | 15 comments (15 topical)

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    Snowe's developing a rather (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:38:38 PM EST
    royal tone with regard to Medicare and Medicaid; I notice she did not bother to address the "problematic" aspects of expansion.

    I think what we have here is conclusive enough proof that Queen Olympia and her consorts would prefer - be more inclined - to help no one but themselves, and those kind enough to pay regular monetary tribute to the royal coffers.

    All Hail The Queen!  I'm reconciling myself to what she intends to do with her sceptre...because if it's going in the direction it appears it is headed, we are all going to be supremely uncomfortable.

    "Problematic" (none / 0) (#9)
    by Democratic Cat on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:41:21 PM EST
    I think it's Sen. Snowe who is problematic.

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    I think she's just being perverse (none / 0) (#10)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 03:31:23 PM EST
    at this point.  I would be curious to know what she thinks is "problematic."

    As for money to the royal coffers-- honestly, her reelection expenses are pretty minimal up there in Maine, even if she had serious competition.  There's really no place to spend huge amounts of campaign cash there.  I don't really think that's got much to do with her motivation.

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    My reference to the Queen's consorts (none / 0) (#12)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 04:03:13 PM EST
    was meant to encompass all of those who are making health care reform about their own interests, which, for many of them is simply about keeping their jobs - and that, in turn, often depends on keeping their corporate contributors happy; for some, it's less important than it is for others, which may be the case with Snowe.

    If she can't be more specific than "problematic" and "concerning," she risks sounding like her position is  "fine for me, but not for thee."

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    I find her totally baffling (none / 0) (#14)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 06:10:24 PM EST
    Her continued positioning on this issue could hardly be more antithetical to the interests of the people in her state.  That's got to catch up with her at some point.

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    She IS baffling (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by christinep on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 06:42:03 PM EST
    Same here. I wonder if some of her position isn't more than coyness and all that. Perhaps, the question for this lontime yankee Republican is whether she becomes an Independent in a New England way. If she feels a fealty to the party of her life, she needs to win the primary. I keep remembering that recent poll (can't remember if it was PPP or ?) which showed Senator Snowe in trouble with her Republican constituency and, in this closed primary state, in a better position with Democrats. An interesting life choice, mayhaps?

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    I wish someone would explain to me (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Radiowalla on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:23:02 PM EST
    why the voters of Maine keep returning these women to the senate?
    They collaborated with Bush in all of his appointments, they caucus with a party that is virulently anti-choice, they aid and abet  conservative policies and obstruct moderate ones.

    I don't get it.

    "President " Snowe??? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by diogenes on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 05:24:04 PM EST
    Last I heard, the Dems controlled sixty senators, and the president is a Democrat.  Don't blame Snowe if Harry Reid can't hold his own caucus together.

    That's not NO, but it's pretty close (none / 0) (#1)
    by andgarden on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:13:10 PM EST
    What about Holy Joe? At least this has the virtue of not being called a "public option."

    I just got my insurance (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:49:58 PM EST
    renewal for next year. It's going up $113.00 per month. Queen Snowe obvioulsy doesn't have to pay a premium.

    Well, "we the people" (none / 0) (#16)
    by shoephone on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 07:53:04 PM EST
    are subsidizing 70% of her health care. So, she has the same "what, me worry?" attitude as the rest of the senate royalty.

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    One thought is to threaten the Nuclear option (none / 0) (#5)
    by andgarden on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:52:10 PM EST
    and then acquiesce to reconciliation.

    Use of the term "reconciliation" (none / 0) (#7)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:25:03 PM EST
    and advocating it as a strategy is making as little sense to me as the months-long constant whipping for a public option that had no definition.

    What is it that you want them to pass with 51 votes?  If whatever it is you want them to pass is not what the legislation looks like, calls for, or establishes, what the heck are you pushing it for?

    Fifty-one votes will not turn garbage to gold; it will just guarantee that we will be living with the odor for a long, long time.

    Not inclined. Have concerns. Problematic. (none / 0) (#8)
    by steviez314 on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:36:33 PM EST
    Those aren't "NO" words.

    Those are bargaining words.

    From somebody like (none / 0) (#11)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 03:34:38 PM EST
    Boehner or Sessions they would be, you're right.  I don't think that's usually the case with Snowe.  She's just compulsively polite and genteel.  My sense with her over the years has been that "problematic" and "concerns" almost always means she's not budging, she's just trying to look like she's being nice about it.

    Parent
    President Snowe Says No To Medicare Buy-In | 15 comments (15 topical)

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