Lincoln says position unchanged on reconciliation vote
By The Associated Press
This article was originally published March 9, 2010 at 10:10 a.m. Updated March 9, 2010 at 12:42 p.m.
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A moderate Democrat insisted Tuesday she remained opposed to pushing a health care bill through the Senate with a simple majority vote, despite saying she wanted to see what was in the legislation.
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., who is facing a more liberal Democratic primary challenger as well as GOP opposition, said those comments didn’t represent a change of heart on her stance against the controversial majority-vote procedure known as “reconciliation.”
“I don’t support reconciliation! All I said was I want to see what’s in it,” Lincoln told reporters outside the Senate floor. She walked quickly into a senators-only area without elaborating.
Lincoln had earlier answered two questions on her position on reconciliation by saying she wanted to see what was in the legislation — without reiterating that she opposed the procedure.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which hopes to win Lincoln’s Senate seat this fall, had quickly seized on those remarks to contend that “Lincoln’s shifting positions and constant equivocations are completely politically motivated.”
Democratic leaders are looking at a two-step approach to pass President Barack Obama’s sweeping health care overhaul in the next several weeks. The House would approve the Senate-passed health bill from last year, despite House Democrats’ opposition to several of its provisions. Both houses then would follow by approving a companion measure to make changes to the Senate bill. The companion measure could pass under rules allowing for a simple majority vote in the Senate, thereby skirting Republican opposition — the process called “reconciliation.”
Weeks ago, Lincoln had issued a statement saying she opposed that approach. One of the more endangered incumbents, she recently drew a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in the state’s May 18 primary.
Halter has said he supports passing health care with a simple majority, a position he repeated through his campaign’s Twitter feed Tuesday, moments after Lincoln released a statement reiterating her opposition to the approach.
Eight Republicans are running for the party’s nomination for the Senate seat.
Comments on: Lincoln says position unchanged on reconciliation vote
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gcs11111 says... March 9, 2010 at 11:38 a.m.
Sen Lincoln like Obama are both losers. Nationally unemplyment has gone above 10%. Social Security has gone bankrupt 10 years quicker than any Economist thought possible. Gitmo is still open with terrorist being put on trial in downtown New York City. Race relations are in the toilet. With huge majorities in the House and Senate there is no healthcare reform except Death Panels and State Controlled Mammograms.
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ARAgitator says... March 9, 2010 at 12:18 p.m.
Sen Lincoln like gcs11111 are both losers. She has, through her pandering and selling out to the Corporate Party, managed to turn off both the Wingnuts (see gcs, above) AND progressives (me). GREAT JOB, Sen. Blank!!!!!!!!! In addition, gcs is a LIAR (or Moron, take your pick):
.Social Security is NOT bankrupt - the most recent projection, which hasn't changed in SEVERAL YEARS is 2042; that's NOT to say that it isn't in SERIOUS trouble, and you can blame BOTH parties, thanks!
.terrorists have been put on trial in federal court since the original WTC bombing (1993) - over 300 and counting, MOST in NYC, and the overwhelming majority CONVICTED!
.decrying "race relations" is Wingnut code for: EEEEK, the President is a BLACK GUY!!
."death panels" and "state controlled [whatever]" (another version of the BIG LIE: "government takeover") are so out-to-lunch they don't deserve a response.
We DO need to profusely THANK gcs and her/his ilk though, as they keep talking when they should STFU, revealing to people with over 3 functioning brain cells what TOTAL IDIOTS they are. OR if they actually can think for themselves, then they are simply LIARS.
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Bargesurfer says... March 9, 2010 at 12:46 p.m.
ARAgitator, kinda funny that there are several government sources that indicate in 2017 Social Security will begin paying out more than it receives in. In addition, the most recent government work has indicated that Social security would be bankrupt 4 years earlier than you are suggesting. When you add the funding needed to rescue it and medicare going forward, it becomes very obvious that the national deficit is becoming the most polarizing issue in the last 30 years for this country. That's real progressive! And when you want to progressively give more and more and create a larger government instead of making people be accountable for what they do, then failure is only a hop, skip and jump away. Because Senator Lincoln wants Health Care to pass in a way that is customary for bills to be passed makes her a loser??? I think most conservatives would sit back and admire your persuading arguments only to tell you they just don't agree with you. They tend to agree with American workers... Not that your an idiot or moron or liar...
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ARAgitator says... March 9, 2010 at 1:44 p.m.
I DO NOT want "bigger government," as you suggest. THIS is a perfect example of what's wrong with the political "discourse" in our country today - invalid assumptions about those who disagree with us. Having ONLY been a member of the Republican Party in my lifetime, I quit them because of THAT "big lie," when Ronnie Raygun GREW government substantially after campaigning to do the opposite. I am not now, and have NEVER been a Democrat.
I think that the overwhelming majority of thinking citizens would like to see COMPETENT government, but what I've witnessed since 2000 is INCOMPETENCE, and I'm just as mad about it as any "birther" "death paneler" "truther" or whomever - I just don't have to LIE about it: Darth GFY Cheney and his lap-puppet Bush Lite did more to ruin this country (and make government WAY less competent - see "Heckuva Job Brownie" and the "Christian/political litmus tests" used to fill CAREER positions) than any in modern history, and the "teabag" generation blames Obama!! THAT is what they apparently "learned" from the lying Imperialist Regime of Bush Lite - whose legacy will be "made ignorance acceptable in America."
You can quibble about 2042 vs 2038, but the ISSUE IS that the original poster made several statements as FACTS that are total BS. IF we could all become dedicated to the TRUTH, a lot of this gridlock would simply disappear! Opinions are one thing, FACTS are more useful, and "useful idiots" like gcs are the gullible tools of those who are out to destroy the middle class.
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HawgJockey says... March 9, 2010 at 2:18 p.m.
Tator,
What's with all the anger and name calling? You are short on facts and long on CAPS! SS is a pyramid scheme. How long do you expect it to last? It is inherently flawed. Too many people drawing and too few people working will cause this collaspe. The big LIE is OBAMA! He is an Alinsky socialist. What part of socialism favors small government? Remember the stimulus, GM and Chrysler? I guess you see medicaid, medicare and the VA as great success stories. Guess who rations medical care? Not the boogey man insurance industry. This is after one year of this president and three years of this congress. Where's the deficit?
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Ran2133 says... March 9, 2010 at 2:58 p.m.
So many people can't see the forest for the trees! It's really sad, sad!
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whydolibshatesomuch says... March 9, 2010 at 4:06 p.m.
Tator's post seems to be always angry in nature. I've tried to educate
tator and others of the similar misinformed, but with no avail.
I've had to correct several with the interpretation of the "facts".
I really think their just reluctant to admit when their wrong.
Others have excellent points!
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lazybar says... March 9, 2010 at 4:34 p.m.
tator its acorn employees like you who are out to destroy the middle class.either your on welfare and don`t work or never had to work.either way a person can tell you have no idea what your talking about.
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HopeChangeObey says... March 9, 2010 at 5:44 p.m.
Lets see, while the Health-Care bill was in comity Mike Ross voted for it, then he voted against it, whereas Blank Lincoln voted for it, then says she will vote against it under reconciliation???
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arkie says... March 9, 2010 at 9:56 p.m.
Some folks who claim to be progressive use awfully regressive tactics...
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ARAgitator says... March 10, 2010 at 10:13 a.m.
...at least LAZY has an apt handle... FYI I am 70, father of 4, was "unemployed" only once in my life (in my 60's for a few months), NEVER "on welfare" - now retired. And LAZY also uses ACORN as a whipping boy, even tho' 90% of the recent "poop" on them has been shown to be LIES, and the guy who "exposed" them is a criminal. NEVER been on welfare AND unlike you can spell and write in complete sentences. Hopefully you don't vote, and you're clearly just another ignorant racist looking for bogeymen!!! "acorn" and "welfare" and "don't work" charges are thinly veiled (code) accusations of being BLACK!! LOVE that so many Morons like you are willing to "out" themselves by PROVING their stupidity!
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BLKWISDOM says... March 10, 2010 at 1:46 p.m.
None of you are telling the whole truth. Some know it and some dont. This is simply a battle of the status quo investment class and those who want the unjust entities regulated and less powerful. Now if you have invested in one of these unjust companies i.e. insurance... then your deep pockets will soon become relatively shallower if thats a word. If you are a Christian, why in Gods name would you invest in an unjust company? Do your research for Gods sake. These companies are destroying lives everyday!!! These people know they will lose and some will lose big. This is the source of the passion. This is the source of the tea party hate. All the other people are simply redneck racists and the NEOCONs feed off these ignorant folks with issues they frankly care nothing about....abortion, religion, racism.
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HopeChangeObey says... March 10, 2010 at 3:10 p.m.
Hey! Congress or Obama have not been very truthful either.
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trouble06 says... March 10, 2010 at 6:18 p.m.
If the language isn't in the bill to keep insurance companies from still raising their rates. Guess what's going to happen? Their gonna do just what they do now. Because either way they aren't going to lose.
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trouble06 says... March 10, 2010 at 6:19 p.m.
If the language isn't in the bill to keep insurance companies from still raising their rates. Guess what's going to happen? Their gonna do just what they do now. Because either way they aren't going to lose.
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thuggetter says... March 10, 2010 at 6:20 p.m.
Ara, how in the world did you live so long being mad all the time?
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tommkatt says... March 10, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.
Down with both liberals Blanche and Halter boy!There are not any moderate democrats.Obama is a cancer on the US.Make the Dems pay for that chicago thug!
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ARAgitator says... March 11, 2010 at 11:42 a.m.
THUGGG: I'm not "mad all the time," I just have an extremely low tolerance of those who are committed to WILLFUL IGNORANCE! Examples: those who 'think' (I use the term lightly) their "religious" beliefs (otherwise known as the American Taliban) trump "Freedom and Justice for ALL," supporters of the failed - yet ever-popular "war" on drugs, and racists. The mind IS a terrible thing to waste ... like tommkatt, above, for example!!!
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ARAgitator says... March 11, 2010 at 11:42 a.m.
THUGGG: I'm not "mad all the time," I just have an extremely low tolerance of those who are committed to WILLFUL IGNORANCE! Examples: those who 'think' (I use the term lightly) their "religious" beliefs (otherwise known as the American Taliban) trump "Freedom and Justice for ALL," supporters of the failed - yet ever-popular "war" on drugs, and racists. The mind IS a terrible thing to waste ... like tommkatt, above, for example!!!
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ARAgitator says... March 11, 2010 at 11:42 a.m.
THUGGG: I'm not "mad all the time," I just have an extremely low tolerance of those who are committed to WILLFUL IGNORANCE! Examples: those who 'think' (I use the term lightly) their "religious" beliefs (otherwise known as the American Taliban) trump "Freedom and Justice for ALL," supporters of the failed - yet ever-popular "war" on drugs, and racists. The mind IS a terrible thing to waste ... like tommkatt, above, for example!!!
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lazybar says... March 11, 2010 at 12:20 p.m.
ARAgitator,you rant and rave calling everyone liars and morons.do you see anyone here that agrees with you?when in rome do as romans do!if you don`t like it here,move to france!and here you pulled out the race card on me,just because i said you didn`t work and if you did you worked for acorn.now who is the racist? if everything was a lie about acorn why is there so much mistrust from most of the american people
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dman says... March 11, 2010 at 2:43 p.m.
ARA, your posts are boring to read. You do seem angry. Every person who doesn't share your view gets called a name and every idea you don't share is intolerable. Bet you have high blood pressure. I like hearing other peoples' sides to issues here, but your posts are difficult to read and don't really say anything. Please remember, we live in America and we're still all entitled to our opinions. Cool it with the name-calling, please.
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twkmaster says... March 11, 2010 at 4:11 p.m.
So the AP sees ol' "blank stare" Lincoln as a moderate. Puleeeeeze.
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electrocoatings says... March 17, 2010 at 7:41 a.m.
I just love the ads she is putting out...."An independent voice for Arkansas"...got that right. She indepentently votes the way she wants or the way the Democratic party wants her to vote independently of what the people of the state want....WAY TO BE THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF ARKANSAS!!!
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