Video: “Why does Florida need a special exception?”
posted at 9:22 am on December 12, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Senator Mike Crapo answers that question, but before we get to it, Ellen Ratner and Nicole Sandler have already answered it … on Air America. While Democrats insist that $500 billion in cuts to Medicare (primarily targeting Medicare Advantage) won’t cut anyone’s benefits, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) insisted on language that exempted three heavily Democratic counties in his home state from the cuts. If those massive cuts to the program won’t hurt people on Medicare Advantage, why did Nelson fight to get exemptions for Palm Beach, Dade, and Broward counties? Hmmmmm…….
John McCain tried to get an amendment passed that would have given that exemption to every county in the US. Democrats killed it, of course.
Turns out there are two Americas. There’s one to which Democrats pander, and there’s the other that gets stuck with the bill.
Blowback
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How would a banana republic be any different?
the_nile on December 12, 2009 at 9:24 AM
GIANT FACE!
Robert_Paulson on December 12, 2009 at 9:26 AM
Because he is not the sharpest tool in the shed
MCW on December 12, 2009 at 9:29 AM
To quote the legendary Mr. Taggert (Slim Pickens):
Around 17% of the country is out of work and these idiots are trying to put a new engine is a vehicle that just needs a tune up.
kingsjester on December 12, 2009 at 9:30 AM
I think you’ll find that it is much the same wherever the Left hold power. It is certainly the case within Australian States. The best place to live is in a marginal seat – both sides try to outdo the other in bribing the voters.
OldEnglish on December 12, 2009 at 9:30 AM
is=in
oops
kingsjester on December 12, 2009 at 9:31 AM
And the lamestream media sleeps…
d1carter on December 12, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Time to upgrade to American Revolution 2.0.
Yoop on December 12, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Unequal protection under the law?
PrincipledPilgrim on December 12, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Well, well, well. For thee, but not for me.
SoulGlo on December 12, 2009 at 9:36 AM
I think that it is a travisty that anyone would even consider cutting, limiting, or rationing any type of medicare care to our seniors. These great men and women spent their lives working hard to make this country great. We as a nation owe them the best of medical care. Without them we would not be where we are today as a nation. Anyone who wants to deny them coverage or care needs to be slapped and removed from any form of power to make decisions like this.
milwife88 on December 12, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Those are the three most SE Florida counties in the state–essentially Miami up through Kennedy-compound territory. Sure, there are some conservative Cubans in Dade county, but those are three solidly liberal counties where a ton of Northeasterners have retired or go to retire.
Nice pimp on the Gulf Coast retirees–Naples north to, say, Sarasota–generally conservative and from the Midwest.
Unbelievable.
BuckeyeSam on December 12, 2009 at 9:37 AM
O/T: Rasmussen reports - 16
Key West Reader on December 12, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Will the Republicans ever figure out a way to get this message out? Time for the million old-man march on DC.
PatMac on December 12, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Self-evident.
Jaibones on December 12, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Time to dress up an O’Bozo effigy in a Panama- or Libya-style faux military uniform, replete with dozens of flashy medals and bangles, and march him through the streets of our major cities.
Then burn it.
This clown is the tall, skinny version of short, fat Hugo.
Jaibones on December 12, 2009 at 9:44 AM
FIFY.
TXUS on December 12, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Hope one of the other counties in FL files an equal protection lawsuit. Don’t know if it would succeed, but it would be fun to watch HHS try to defend this.
Wethal on December 12, 2009 at 9:49 AM
We don’t have the time to spend waiting on the GOP, so yeah, a March. Or anything BIG enough to make the MSM HAVE to cover it
JusDreamin on December 12, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Say goodbye to a once great nation . . . this present day banana republic is eating itself alive and will soon arrive at its ultimate destination . . . the garbage dump of communist/socialist countries. Of course all the crooked politicians will pack up their ill begotten gains and take refuge in some place far away from this putrid mess.
rplat on December 12, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Wait ’till Sarah hears about this!
lovingmyUSA on December 12, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Bill Nelson (with that stupid put-on “bad sportscaster” voice) is such a menace. Folks in Orlando know what a joke he is. He has to be thrown out with the rest of the garbage.
marklmail on December 12, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Exactly what i was thinking.
How is this even constitutional?
David2.0 on December 12, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Do you mean to tell me the voters can vote down gay marriage and it is just brought to the courts every time and something like this would not expected to be brought to a court??
Marcus on December 12, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Just like the $300 million bribe to Senator Landreiu that was hidden in cryptic language, this bribe to Senator Nelson of Florida is also hidden.
Here is the language from page 894 of the Reid bill:
***************
(g) GRANDFATHERING SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS
FOR CURRENT ENROLLEES AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
COMPETITIVE BIDDING.—Section 1853 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–23), as amended by subsection (f), is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(o) GRANDFATHERING SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS
FOR CURRENT ENROLLES AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
COMPETITIVE BIDDING.—
‘‘(1) IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS.—The Secretary shall identify MA local areas in which, with respect to 2009, average bids submitted by an MA
organization under section 1854(a) for MA local plans in the area are not greater than 75 percent of the adjusted average per capita cost for the year involved, determined under section 1876(a)(4), for the area for individuals who are not enrolled in an MA plan under this part for the year, but adjusted to exclude costs attributable to payments under section 1848(o), 1886(n), and 1886(h).
****************************
It looks like the Reid bill has as many hidden manipulations and “cooks” as the global warming computer programs.
This is why the bill is 2000 pages long. So Democrats can hide the worst parts.
bribe – money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust
You decide.
4thQTR on December 12, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Hmmmm…. need a commercial in FLORIDA, pointing out that this Senator is only representing the Democrat counties…
Wonder if Florida has a recall provision for Senators…
Romeo13 on December 12, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Florida and Nebraska have two things in common and it sure ain’t the weather. Both states need to get the B. Nelsons voted out of the Senate!!!!!
yoda on December 12, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Aren’t those the same counties (plus a fourth, I believe) that Al Gore tried to get recounted during 2000? I guess there was a reason he wanted only those counties recounted.
Kafir on December 12, 2009 at 10:08 AM
I seem to have this vague memory of democrats screaming about how the evil republicans were going to cut medicare, and now those same democrats are bragging about doing it themselves?
Give me another hit on that big fatty, I can still remember *stuff*.
Skandia Recluse on December 12, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Boy, wait till the old bags in St. Petersburg hear about this!!! Heh.
ex Dem from Miami on December 12, 2009 at 10:12 AM
FIFY
Del Dolemonte on December 12, 2009 at 10:13 AM
This guy isn’t doing anything new. NancyP got an exemption from the minimum wage increase, two increases ago, for American Somoa which is where her hubby’s company cans tuna. Perhaps there is some card-sharking going on. “I’ll bet you Palm Beach, raise you Biscayne Bay”. Wonder who’ll be at the table? Tomorrow’s news………
Robert17 on December 12, 2009 at 10:13 AM
You know that the left would just scream that it’s racist…
And at this point, I don’t care anymore. If disagreeing vehemently with the policies espoused by a president who happens to be black means I’m a racist, then so be it. (I suppose disagreeing with Nancy Pelosi means that, even though I’m a woman, I’m sexist also?)
LibraryGryffon on December 12, 2009 at 10:14 AM
I think it’s time for the red states as a whole to get a “special exemption”.
Secession, and a new nation founded under the pre-progressive Constitution and laws.
Rebar on December 12, 2009 at 10:14 AM
I don’t think that many want to. To start pointing out things like that would have them advocating what the Tea party people have been focusing on, and that isn’t what many want.
Wheres the obvious call to READ THE BILLS before making “we the people” obligated to the folly included in them??
No one is rubbing on that, because too many don’t actually want to change what they’re comfortable with, and the welfare of the people be damned.
There are a lot of things happening in politics right now that are very unsavory, yet none are being brought to the attention of the public.
If it wasn’t for the efforts of people like Michelle, Rush, Beck, Steyn, Hannity, etc, we would already be lining up for our one way tickets to Marxist hell.
Itchee Dryback on December 12, 2009 at 10:15 AM
I also noticed that one of the states in white (presumably no medicare cuts) is Montana. Who is writing the bill in the Senate? Max Baucus. What state is he from? Montana. Uh-huh.
Kafir on December 12, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Hey, I wanted to move to Texas anyway. (Or someplace warmer and/or drier.) It’s not like the weather in CT is helping the arthritis.
My sister keeps telling me that the blue states give more in taxes than they recieve, but if there were a red state succession, I suspect that a lot of the rich who pay the majority of those taxes in the blue states would suddenly find a reason to move.
Of course we’d have to ensure that they didn’t bring their blue state socialist ideas with them.
LibraryGryffon on December 12, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Well you see… there is no waste going on in those 3 counties. Only the waste is getting cut from the other 3,137 counties in the U.S.
/s
Hog Wild on December 12, 2009 at 10:20 AM
They didn’t cover the 1 million people on the mall on 9/12, what makes you think they will cover anything that doesn’t promote the agenda of the scum bags they protect every day. The press is complicit in the current state of the govt.
thomasaur on December 12, 2009 at 10:24 AM
You guys should see the emails this clown sends out. He loves health care reform and loves the public option. No meetings with his constituents. Interesting also that Palm Beach is in the mix, I would think that the incomes of the majority of those folks will guarantee that they get whatever health care that they want.
Cindy Munford on December 12, 2009 at 10:40 AM
The GOP doesn’t have the votes to stop Obamacare. The fact remains that America gave us a radical left POTUS, a filibuster proof leftist senate and a house lead by radical leftists. Is it so difficult to envision a massive groundswell urging America to change course and unseat legislators with a “Repeal Obamacare” rallying cry — including recall petitions for senators not up for election in 2010. Obamacare doesn’t just screw up our health care, by 2013 it shreds the private health insurance industry, thereby burning the bridge to go back to what we had before.
Mark30339 on December 12, 2009 at 10:42 AM
I called my Secretary of State and Nebraska can’t recall a Senator, but there are other states that can. You are right….recall them!!!
yoda on December 12, 2009 at 10:51 AM
That is the long and short of it…about all that remains to stop them is their own incompetence, and even with Democrats, that will only last so long.
Dark-Star on December 12, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Some animals are more equal than others.
GarandFan on December 12, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Cheaper bananas…
karl9000 on December 12, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Sanctuary counties for Medicare?
Dr. ZhivBlago on December 12, 2009 at 11:03 AM
My neighbor has written Nelson so many times about Obamacare(about once every 10 days) that he received a response NOT TO WRITE HIM ANY MORE! Seriously! He was told that Sen Nelson will ONLY accept ONE letter PER ISSUE from his constituents now!
Caunotaucarius on December 12, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Bill Nelson is on C Span2 now. Very funny. Box of rocks.
d1carter on December 12, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Actually, vote fraud and crooked courts gave us Frankin…
JIMV on December 12, 2009 at 11:40 AM
This is so ridiculous. You would think these people would be ashamed of themselves for trying to pull stunts like this.
Terrye on December 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM
PattyJ on December 12, 2009 at 11:55 AM
I suspect that by design this is almost certain to be stricken down as unconstitutional. The question is whether that would leave the rest of the bill standing and, when the dust has settled, Nelson can claim to have done his best to protect a key constituency while Obamacare remains otherwise intact.
SWLiP on December 12, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Lies and the lying liars that tell them……..
JoeinTX on December 12, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Thank you for highlighting this because I’m from Florida and I didn’t know it. I don’t live in one of the “special” counties and neither do the older folks in my family.
why did Nelson fight to get exemptions for Palm Beach, Dade, and Broward counties?
is right. Nelson wouldn’t win re-election without those counties. They are the Democrat strongholds that wreck Florida. (Think also 2000. These are the counties with the big controversies in the election. Hanging chads, butterfly ballots and recounts.)
I call Nelson–I don’t bother to write. I’ll have to reiterate again which county I live in and ask his staff why????
INC on December 12, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Target! Bingo.
This sums up the entire Dhimmicrat party leadership’s raison d’être. Just keep spending until you run out of other people’s money, then either retire from office or die. Perfect.
Mojave Mark on December 12, 2009 at 1:29 PM
I’m only shocked that he didn’t include Pinellas County. It is traditionally a retiree-strong county (we used to call it “God’s Waiting Room”) that has trended toward a Bluish direction in recent national election cycles.
SWLiP on December 12, 2009 at 1:31 PM
First Louisiana, now special counties in Florida, American needs to wake up.
WoosterOh on December 12, 2009 at 1:32 PM
These are the three ‘recount counties’ from 2000:
Dade is Corrupt Democrat but with a Cuban-American population which tends to vote Republican; Palm Beach is upper-middle class Democrat and marginally corrupt, with lota ‘independents’ who trend Democrat.
Broward is more blue-collar and Totally Corrupt Democrat; they’re the one’s who almost stole the 2000 election with hundred of votes here, hundreds more there, etc
Nearly every elected official in Broward should be in federal prison rather than sucking down taxpayers dollars
Janos Hunyadi on December 12, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Wait… he didn’t even protect his entire state? Just the Democratic counties?!?!
What kind of Senator is that!
Sackett on December 12, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Can Florida recall/remove him? I mean, those 2 Senators are suppose to act in the best interest of the WHOLE state of Florida and this clearly isn’t doing that.
journeyintothewhirlwind on December 12, 2009 at 2:48 PM
This is EXACTLY the kind of petty actions by supposed statesmen that can end this country.
There is simply too much money in Washington.
We need to repeal ALL FEDERAL tax LAWS!
Freddy on December 12, 2009 at 2:58 PM
One would think that such special protections would violate the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment…
The Fed has to treat us all equally.
wildcat84 on December 12, 2009 at 3:15 PM
How the hell is this fair at all?
This entire HC BS is a scandal from front to end.
FireBlogger on December 12, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Oh Florida is not special, after all doesn’t Nevada, Louisiana and Congress all get special treatment. If this becomes law can we fight it in court since there is unequal application of the rules. I thought this was one nation with equality for all, or was.
Release on December 12, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I can’t believe this guy was an astronaut. Did he lose his mind on a space mission or something?
gatorfanatic on December 12, 2009 at 6:09 PM
I live in Broward County Florida and STILL KNOW BILL NELSON IS A COMMUNIST POS!
Jayrae on December 12, 2009 at 7:14 PM
MARCO!
“Let’s Roll”
On Watch on December 12, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Actually NASA listed Bill Nelson as a mission specialist … in reality he was just a paperweight on the mission; him and Senator Jake Garn. I think Abbey at NASA was responsible for making the arrangements to get them a seat on a shuttle flight.
Jammer on December 12, 2009 at 9:21 PM
Crapo is my guy. So far he’s pretty good.
csdeven on December 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM
I think these representatives who have stated they will not return are now kamikaze pilots (I know, Nelson is not one of them). I think we will see more state they are leaving and not running for re-election. I think the WH and it’s resident idiots have put so much pressure on them that they would rather leave their positions than represent “WE, the PEOPLE”.
SHAME on those of us (not me!) who did not pay attention prior to the election. SHAME on our “quote REPRESENTATIVES end quote” for not listening to us. SHAME on this administration for circumnavigating the system by which we’ve governed for 200 plus years.
I never wished that someone rot in hell. Today is a first.
Yellowdog12 on December 12, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Equality? Law? Where have you been?
Well, first we had Indentured Servants, then Jim Crow laws, then we had separate but equal, then minorities started playing the system so we had the Civil Rights of 1964, then we found out about Affirmative Action..the EEOC…and a couple of hundred million for Louisiana for a Senator’s Obamacare vote..and why not? We gave half of the state free flood insurance (after the flood) and total family support for years after Katrina and then a bunch of lefty morons still couldn’t stop complaining.
By the way, I had a car stolen a few years back when I had only liability on it..Now what were you talking about with the 14th? We have tossed out contract law, economics, heck, we tossed out English Common Law!
IlikedAUH2O on December 12, 2009 at 10:21 PM
On the subject of expecting laws to constrain these people..Ok, brothers and sisters, who said this and He couldn’t be an elected official, could HE?
But, the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it’s been interpreted, and the Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf.
And that hasn’t shifted and one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was because the civil rights movement became so court-focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change. In some ways we still suffer from that.
IlikedAUH2O on December 12, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Two facts really frightened me about that comment:
1) He is upset about the limits of governmental power created by our Founding fathers.
2) Nobody cared.
And I ain’t uneducated in this area.
IlikedAUH2O on December 12, 2009 at 10:32 PM
I am talking to my mom about suing if this thing passes. She lives in Bay County on the Florida Panhandle, along with thousands of other elderly Medicare Advantage participants who are just as deserving as those who live in South Florida. This is absolutely a 14th Amendment violation in my opinion.
rockmom on December 13, 2009 at 9:37 AM
GOSH.
And the media is so hypocritical enough in allowing Obama and the Democrats to continue their lies on ObamaDeathCare:
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL??????????????????????
If Democrats can’t make it “across the board” on whatever they want regarding OBAMACARE, how will they handle the ObamaDCare’s proposed (in effect – total ) HEALTH CARE takeover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lies! Lies! Just Lies of the Fascist Government of Obama.
Sen. Nelson, it’s about time for you to GO independent.
TheAlamos on December 13, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Rectified.
TheAlamos on December 13, 2009 at 10:26 AM
= BLUE COUNTIES
= RED COUNTIES
Red State State of Mind on December 13, 2009 at 11:18 AM