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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER
Week of March 26, 2010
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Bulletin Board:
Congressman Yarmuth Votes for Historic Legislation to Guarantee Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care for All Americans
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help 15,000 Louisville small businesses, end discrimination for pre-existing conditions, and improve Medicare for 117,000 Louisvillians
Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) issued the following
statement after voting in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act:
“During my three years in Congress, there has been no single issue that I have heard more about from Louisvillians than health care. To this day, the enormous majority have told me they want change that will guarantee access to health care, rein in skyrocketing costs, and give them more choice and control in the marketplace. I came to Congress largely to accomplish these goals on their behalf,” said Congressman Yarmuth. “This is a vote I did not cast for my party or for politics, but because it is the right thing for our country and the right thing for Louisville. This is a promise I made to my constituents. It is the most important vote I have cast as a Member of Congress, and it is the one about which I am most proud.”
As a result of the legislation that was passed:
· Coverage for every Louisvillian will be strengthened, ensuring everyone will be able to keep the coverage they have now even if they lose their job or get sick, and guaranteeing every one has access to quality, affordable coverage, regardless of pre-existing condition.
· 452,000 residents will find their employer-based coverage strengthened.
· 176,000 Louisvillians will get the help they need to afford quality health coverage.
· 15,700 small businesses will be eligible for tax credits to help reduce health care costs.
· Medicare will be improved for nearly 117,000 in our community as the prescription drug donut hole that eats away at their pocket book is closed for good, care is strengthened, and waste and abuse are cut out.
· 51,000 young adults will be able to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans
· 30,000 uninsured Louisvillians will finally have access to quality health care coverage.
· 9,000 residents with pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain coverage.
· Reduces the cost of uncompensated care for Louisville hospitals and health care providers by $130 million.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is also supported by hundreds of groups, including the AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, Small Business Majority, the NAACP, the Catholic Health Association, the Autism Society of America, and the Federation of American Hospitals.
What Will Matter In November? by Charlie Cook
There's Little Reason To Think Health Care Reform Will Make A Difference At This Stage Of The Game
Nearly everyone has a theory about how House passage of President Obama's health care reform package will affect the 2010 midterm elections.
For what it's worth, this health care fight has gone on so long and has been so vigorously debated that the public's battle lines are pretty much formed. The people who were in favor of the plan before the vote still feel that way, and those opposed won't change much either.
If the Congressional Budget Office were scoring the politics of what
happened Sunday night, I am not sure what the result would be. Sure, an
argument can be made that Obama and congressional Democrats now have a
major accomplishment that they can hang their hats on, that the
"incompetent" tag won't fit quite as well as before. Democrats
passionately hope, and many believe, this will be the case.
The pros and cons of the health care reform bill have already been baked into the cake.
On the other hand, when a party pushes through Congress a major and thoroughly discussed piece of legislation that voters say they don't like and don't want passed, that is hardly a way to ingratiate yourself with those who oppose it. Being perceived as wrong, as opposed to both wrong and incompetent, is not much progress.
Some argue that a few of the more tangible benefits of the bill will kick in before the Nov. 2 midterm election, for example the pre-existing conditions prohibition. But then again, any rate increase for health insurance premiums or claim payment refusal will be blamed on passage of this bill, even if they are completely unrelated.
So my money is on Sunday's vote not fundamentally changing the dynamics of the 2010 campaign. The pros and cons of this bill have already been baked into the cake. It's what happens over the next 7 1/2 months that could make things better -- or worse -- for Democrats.
I would ignore any polls conducted over the next week or two. Let the conversations at office water coolers, over backyard fences and in grocery store aisles take place for a while; let things settle before passing judgment on whether there is a lasting impact from this vote. And, as has been so clear in watching polls on this issue, the precise wording of poll questions can make, even inadvertently, a big difference in the results. If we are trying to ascertain whether the politics of 2010 have been altered by the health care vote, focus on the politics and not the issue.
Here, in a nutshell, are the indicators to watch for.
• First, do Congress' dismal job-approval ratings improve? That approval rating in the March 4-7 Gallup poll was 16 percent, 2 points above its record low, with an 80 percent disapproval. The survey was conducted among approximately 1,014 adults, with a 3-point error margin. In the March 11-14 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of 1,000 adults, 17 percent approved and 77 percent disapproved. That poll, too, had a 3-point error margin.
• Second, do the favorability ratings for the Democratic Party or the Democratic Congress rise or fall? In the three NBC/WSJ polls since the first of this year, 37-39 percent of all adults rated the Democratic Party positively, while 38-43 percent rated the party negatively.
• Third, does the president's job approval rating go up or down, even acknowledging that his name is not going to be on the ballot? Obama's job ratings in the Gallup poll have ranged from 46 percent to 53 percent since the first of the year, and were usually around 49 or 50 percent.
• Finally, watch the generic congressional ballot test, which theoretically measures the popular vote for the House. The national two-party popular vote for a party in the House averages within 2.5 percentage points of the share of seats that each party will win, but at this point, most public polling is measuring registered voters -- which translates into a turnout greater than in a presidential election, not that of an actual midterm election turnout, which typically runs about a third less.
Polling in recent months among registered voters averages about even, with neither side stretching an advantage beyond 3 points. Both the last Gallup and NBC/WSJ polls had Democrats up by 3 points in their registered voter samples. But among those voters most interested in the election, the NBC/WSJ poll had Republicans leading by 13 and 15 points in the two polls that tested the generic ballot test this year. Those are the people I would focus on until Gallup and others start applying their likely-voter screens.
Maybe this vote will tilt the scales one way or the other, maybe not, but let things settle before drawing a firm conclusion. This issue took 14 months to get to this point, and if there is a dramatic change in attitudes, it will only matter if it has legs -- that is, if that change lasts into the fall.
THINK FAST
"Republican lawyers" are already gearing up for a legal challenge against health care reform," conducting research and drafting arguments for lawsuits that could be filed within days or weeks, particularly if House leaders decide to go forward with a 'deem & pass' rule."
A federal grand jury yesterday subpoenaed documents from the National Republican Senatorial Committee as part of its investigation into what actions Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) undertook to cover up his affair. "The issuance of subpoenas by the U.S. Department of Justice in addition to the Senate Ethics Committee indicates a new phase in the investigations, casting further doubt on the political future of Ensign, who a year ago was a rising GOP star."
Because of tax credits included in last year's stimulus package, more Americans will claim a larger tax refund from the federal government this year. "The average income tax refund is up nearly 10% from a year ago," USA Today reports. "The Recovery Act is a major factor behind these larger, record refunds," IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman said.
President Obama "plans to hit the road this week to start aggressively selling the benefits of the health care overhaul and give nervous Democratic lawmakers some political cover across the country," CNN reports. "We're certainly going to be out there," said a Democratic official. "We think this is a tremendous step forward for individuals and small businesses. We want them to know what comes next."
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) said that the health care bill passed last night is "the best tribute" that his father, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), "could ever have." "I'm just proud to have been part of it," said Kennedy. He also praised House Speaker Pelosi, saying "her voice was heard loud and clear when the votes were on the board."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) whined that the "well has been poisoned" by the way the Democrats passed health care reform. Graham said he will "no longer work with the majority party on an immigration overhaul...because of the Democrats' tactics in passing the package," and may pull out of discussions on energy reform as well.
YOUR COMMENTS
Recent Senate Votes
Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act - Vote Agreed to
(68-29, 3 Not Voting)
On Wednesday the Senate passed this job creation bill, which would provide
tax relief to businesses hiring unemployed workers. The President signed it
into law the next day.
Sen. Mitch McConnell voted
NO
Sen. Jim Bunning voted
NO
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Vote Passed
(219-212)
On Sunday the House passed this bill that would overhaul the nation's health
insurance system and require most individuals to buy health insurance by
2014. The President is expected to sign the legislation into law on Tuesday.
Rep. Brett Guthrie voted
NO
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES
Reconciliation Act of 2010 - Vote Passed (220-211)
The House also passed this bill that would make changes to the health care
overhaul measure they just passed and revise student loan procedures. The
bill now goes to the Senate.
Rep. Brett Guthrie voted
NO
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES
RADICAL RIGHT -- GOP LAWMAKERS DEFEND TEA PARTY PROTESTERS' RACIAL,
HOMOPHOBIC SLURS:
Tea party activists protesting health care reform on Capitol Hill this
weekend
hurled racist and homophobic slurs at members of Congress who planned on
voting for the measure. Protesters
chanted "the N-word, 15 times" at Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), a hero of the
civil rights movement, and his colleague Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN).
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) was spit on, and someone
yelled f----t at openly-gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) as he walked
through the Capitol complex on Saturday. Leaders of the Republican Party
spent Sunday
distancing themselves from from the outbursts. "Nobody condones that at
all. There were 30,000 people here in Washington yesterday. And, yes, there
were some very awful things said,"
stated Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) on ABC. But some Republican members of
Congress defended the protesters' behavior. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) said
Sunday that
the remarks were understandable in light of "totalitarian tactics" used
by Democrats that cause people to "begin to act crazy." Rep. Steve King
(R-IA), who was
the sole dissenting vote against recognizing the use of slave labor in
the construction of the U.S. Capitol, implied that
the homophobic and racial slurs were "no
big deal." "I just don't think it's anything," King said, adding that
focusing on the incidents obscures "something that is determined to
undermine the people." King also claimed that he faced the same
discrimination as the African-American and openly gay lawmakers. "There are
a lot of places in this country that I couldn't walk through," King told
Roll Call. "I
wouldn't live to get to the other end of it."
A HISTORY OF OBSTRUCTION:
Conservatives' childish obstruction tactics can best be summed up by
comments made by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on an Arizona radio show Monday:
"There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year. [Democrats] have
poisoned the well in what they've done and
how they've done it." (He later made an exception for "national
emergencies.") Unfortunately, conservatives' attitude of simply trying
to delay, obstruct, or kill legislation rather than constructively work
together is nothing new. At the start of the health care debate, Sen. Jim
DeMint (R-SC) summarized the right's attitude towards health care reform by
saying that, rather than working with their opponents to solve the nation's
health care problems, the right should make defeating health care reform
President Obama's "Waterloo"
and use it to "break him." The same senator also politicized the federal
nomination process by holding
up Transportation Security Administration nominee Erroll Southers
because of his support for labor rights and
held up State Department nominees until the Obama administration agreed
to end its insistence on reinstating ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- dubbed "Dr.
No" due to his obstructive tactics like
forcing a 12-hour long reading of Sen. Bernie Sander's (I-VT) single
payer amendment and
placing a hold on a veterans' benefits bill -- told an audience in
Oklahoma last month that he loves "gridlock," because when Congress is
"gridlocked...we're
not passing things." Another common obstruction tactic used by the
conservatives has been to abuse the filibuster. As liberal blogger David
Waldman noted in February 2010, there were "the same number of cloture
motions between January 2009 and today as between World War I and the moon
landing. It once took 50 years to get the same number of cloture votes as
we've had in just over one year
with this Republican minority." The use of filibusters and other
procedural tactics to delay legislation in the Senate has been so effective
that as of Feb. 23, 2010, the Senate had failed to act on
at least 290 bills that the House had passed. Taking aim at some of
these obstructive tactics, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) has introduced a
package of reforms that would end anonymous holds, require filibuster
supporters to be present and vote, and
eliminate filibusters at the beginning of debates.
BLOG WATCH
The right-wing playbook to
fight immigration reform.
Debating
the
leverage
progressives
had
during the health care debate.
How political donations correlate with occupation
President Obama's vote share in congressional districts
accurately predicted House Democrats' votes on health care.
After shutting down her state's children's health insurance
program, Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)
tells children to go to the emergency room
David Frum: "Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox."
DAILY GRILL
"There's no way [Democrats have the votes to pass health care]." -- Rep.
Eric Cantor (R-VA),
3/19/10
VERSUS
"House Democrats approved a far-reaching overhaul of the nation's health
system on Sunday." -- New York Times,
3/21/10
HUMOR
"According to Men's Health magazine, 21 percent of men surveyed would
rather have a sexier nurse than a more competent doctor when they're in the
hospital. I say, why not have both? The government's paying for it now. Who
cares?" –Jay Leno
"Sarah
Palin spoke out this week against the health care reform bill, saying,
'Elections have consequences.' Well, of course, elections have consequences.
That's why right now, instead of being vice president of the United States,
she's trying to get a reality show on the Animal Planet." –Jay Leno
"They're now looking into whether cosmic rays from outer space could be
responsible for causing Priuses to accelerate. What, is Toyota blaming
Klingons now?" –Jay Leno
"Here's something amazing: A North Carolina jury, this week, awarded $9
million to a jilted wife, from the other woman. The other woman has to pay
$9 million to the wife for breaking up her marriage. Wait, do you realize
how historic this is? Guys, for the first time in history, women are
agreeing it's not the guy's fault. It's her fault! This is what men have
been saying for years. Poor
John Edwards. He was tricked." –Jay Leno
"Oh, hey, are you ready for the 2010 census? It's going to be complicated
this year. So the government should have patience. Here's part of the
problem: Most Americans count as two." –David Letterman
"Have you filled out a census form? Here's the deal: 10 questions in 10
minutes. That's what they're saying. Coincidentally, that is how John McCain
chose his running mate." –David Letterman
"You got to count everybody in your household for the census. Right now,
Angelina Jolie is going through the place with one of those clickers."
–David Letterman
"Jersey Shore' is premiering in 30 different countries this week. It will be
shown in France, except in France it's called 'Another Reason to Hate
America.'" –Jimmy Fallon
"James Cameron, who directed 'Avatar,' is in a feud with
Glenn Beck, because Cameron called him a mad man. The two are very
different. One makes millions creating fictional stories, and the other is
James Cameron." –Craig Ferguson
"The rising sea levels in the Indian Ocean have caused an island to vanish.
Yesterday, Ben and Jerry were giving away free ice cream and today,
global warming causes an island to disappear. It's a terrible
rollercoaster week for
Al
Gore — so happy, but so alarmed." –Craig Ferguson
"Former Presidents
Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush traveled to
Haiti this week to talk about the country's long-term recovery plan. It
was a departure for President Bush. It's unusual for him to visit a disaster
of this scope and magnitude that wasn't his fault." –Jimmy Kimmel
"An entire day has passed since the healthcare reform was enacted, and the
country has not been destroyed. You really can't trust politicians." –Jimmy
Kimmel
"I was reading today that the whole healthcare fight took a big toll on
Nancy Pelosi's popularity. Her favorability rating is down to 11
percent, making her the most disliked woman in America with less than eight
kids." ''' –Jimmy Fallon
INTERESTING
Top Republicans: ‘Be Politically Honest,’ Health Care Reform Repeal Campaign Is Merely ‘A Symbol’
Throughout the week, many Republicans have said that repealing the Affordable Care Act should be part of the Party’s campaign platform for this year’s midterm elections. Yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said “repeal and replace will be the slogan for the fall.” Congressional Republicans such as Reps. Pete Hoekstra (MI), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Zach Wamp (TN) and Sens. John McCain (AZ) and Jim DeMint (SC) have signed on to the cause as well.
But other Republicans are candidly acknowledging that the GOP’s new big agenda is mere political gamesmanship:
– Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ): “Our view is that we should repeal and replace the bill with the solutions that we think actually work. Obviously, the president will not sign a repeal bill that the Congress passes, so that’s more of a symbol. … Barack Obama is president. He would never sign a repeal law. We don’t have the votes to get it passed right now. We’re not going to waste our time on that.”
– Newt Gingrich: “What you have to do is be politically honest. If the Republicans win a majority in the House and Senate next year, they will not be able to repeal the bill. The president would veto it.”
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) proclaimed yesterday that the GOP should “repeal this bill,” yet seconds later, even he acknowledged that with Obama as President, “it’s going to be very difficult to repeal this bill outright.” Watch the compilation:
Republicans whined about repealing the bill before it passed but even then, National Republican Senatorial Committee head Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) noted that the repeal effort would likely go nowhere “because obviously we don’t have the White House, we don’t have 60 votes in the Senate.”
As TPM noted, even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “which spent millions trying to defeat the legislation, said this week they won’t spend a penny supporting repeal efforts.”
A number of state attorneys general are also filing lawsuits in a separate repeal effort. Yet, like their GOP colleagues in Congress, it appears their motivations may be political as well. As the Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky noted, “At least 4 of the 13 AGs are running for higher office (either Governor or Senator) and the rest are up for re-election. Their suits are designed to rally political support, not lay down new legal doctrine.”
Today, President Obama called the GOP’s bluff. “This is the reform that some folks in Washington are still hollering about. And now that it’s passed, they’re already promising to repeal it,” Obama said. “They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November. Well I say go for it.”
Buy American Mention of the Week, By Roger Simmermaker
NONE THIS WEEK
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Roger Simmermaker is the author of How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism and writes "Buy American Mention of the Week" articles for WorldNetDaily.com and his website www.howtobuyamerican.com. Roger is a member of the Machinists Union and National Writers Union, has been a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has been quoted in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Business Week among many other publications.
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