more concessions to conservatives on health care

Obama appeals for health care votes

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama made a last-minute personal appeal to Democrats to pass landmark health care legislation Saturday as the House opened debate on a bill to expand coverage to millions of the uninsured.

Emerging from a closed-door meeting with the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted passage of the bill later in the day, adding, "We will pass health care reform."

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Obama made his trip to the Capitol complex as abortion rights lawmakers voiced anger at a last-minute concession granted to foes of the procedure, who were given a vote on their proposal for stronger restrictions on abortion coverage.

"There is a risk" that some in the Pro-Choice Caucus would vote against the legislation if the stricter curbs are adopted, said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

The bill would cost $1.2 trillion over the next decade. It would provide health coverage to tens of millions of Americans who don't have it now, require most employers to offer it to their workers and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person's medical history.

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Republicans were united in their opposition to the bill.

"The American people need to understand this is about a government takeover of the whole health care system," said Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga.

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No matter what happens, the repugs are going to oppose this bill, but they (and conservative Dems) are going to water down the bill so much that it won't be nearly as effective as anyone had planned, so the repugs can later say that the bill didn't do as much as was initially claimed. And, of course, at that time, no one in the media will point out that the bill isn't as effective because the repugs opposed everything every step of the way and they will just echo the repugs' talking points and say that the repugs could've done a better job and no one will mention that the repugs didn't try to create a health care plan and life will go on as usual in America...

Damn, politics are disillusioning...

I wonder if we'll even get this weak, so-called "reform" passed...I have no faith in anyone anymore...