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STARFIRE TOR
FUTURE EVENT PRECOGNITION
TIME SHIFT TIME ARC BEGINS NOW
2010 FUTURE EVENT PREDICTIONS
© Researched and Written By Starfire Tor
Posted December 31, 2009
http://blogs.myspace.com/starfiretor
http://www.starfiretor.com/FEP/2010Predictions12-31-2009Report.htm
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2010 PREDICTION #2 Results
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Initial Report
Watch the health care bill battle very closely. You will see this battle unfold in some very mind boggling and troubling ways. Just when you think that the health care bill is down and out, it will suddenly be resurrected in ways that leave many people baffled, angry, and helpless. This includes the news media and political pundits. But the health care bill will pass no matter who or what is in its way. Because I know this, the health care bill situation is nothing more than scripted political theater with a known ending. To anyone paying attention, this dead again-alive again health care bill's passage in 2010 will look like what it was - a series of 'jump shot' 'what the ...' time line edits. This in no way implies that the Obama administration has anything to do with Time Shifts. What I can say, is that the Obama Administration health care bill agenda was met under the flag of a series of Time Shifts - whether the Obama administration knows it or not.
Results
Commentary
The 2010 Prediction # 2 has multiple hits. The current US healthcare and/or health reform bill efforts have created nothing less than political warfare, with the American people and the US at risk. Few if any politicians actually read the material, and because of a lack of transparency the American people were shut out of the nuts and bolts of potential legislation that would affect their lives – and for too many in the worst of ways. Because of all this, this so-called health reform legislation is more about political warfare than what legislation is actually the best for America and the American people.
2009 showed proof of the above, and by the end of 2009 the healthcare bill was stalled as only mostly democrats were behind it as the political war raged on. Both the House and the Senate missed deadlines. Since the Democrats were in political control, after President Obama was elected, what was eventually signed by democratic members of the Senate in December 2009 went nowhere.
But people who already had insurance, especially single people and families who pay their own way without help from a company alliance, saw their health insurance companies petition to raise their premiums to outrageous and unsustainable levels – as if premiums weren’t high enough already. This was nothing less than health insurance companies trying to get as much money as they can, from people who can’t afford it, before healthcare legislation kicks in – regardless of whether that legislation is sincerely helpful to the American people.
Healthcare reform efforts were also affected by dramatic changes in the political balance of power. Ted Kennedy was a big supporter of the healthcare bill, and his death in August 2009 lead the way to a political surprise that shocked democrats and put the passage of the healthcare bill in serious jeopardy. This is because Ted Kennedy was a democrat and the person that was elected afterward and who filled the empty seat was Scott Brown the republican. Brown's victory put a possibly insurmountable obstacle before a health care bill, that only days before was looking good after revised versions of it had passed both the House and the Senate.
Despite the political warfare, and the last minute obstacle that should have scuttled the healthcare bill, it did get passed and was signed into law on March 23, 2010. The machinations to get this passed and signed were astounding, but the problems it brings have not gone way. Republicans have not given up the war and still want to see the healthcare bill either totally gone or seriously revised.
2010 prediction # 2 interfaces with 2010 prediction # 3, so both predictions should be viewed as a continuation of the other.
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News Reports
http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=003712
History of the Passage of the March 2010 Health Care Reform Laws
During the 2008 US presidential election, then candidate Barack Obama (US Senator, D-IL) campaigned for the need to reform the American health care system, stating that the cost of health care was a "threat to our economy" and that health care should be a "right for every American." After assuming office in Nov. 2008, President Obama urged Congress to pass health care reform in weekly addresses, speeches, a nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress on Sep. 9, 2009, and his State of the Union addresses in 2009 and 2010.
On Dec. 24, 2009 the Senate approved similar health care reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) in a 60-39 party-line vote. No Republican Senator voted for the bill. Some Republicans argued that the bill was unconstitutional, socialistic, too costly, and would increase health insurance costs for those who are already insured. This bill was estimated to cost $871 billion over 10 years, would require most Americans to have health insurance, and would extend coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans. The CBO estimated that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over 2010-2019.
Negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate bills stalled in Congress after Scott Brown (R-MA) won late Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) vacant Senate seat in Jan. 2010, causing Senate Democrats to lose their Republican filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats. On Feb. 22, 2010 President Obama unveiled his own proposal bridging the Senate and House health care bills, placing pressure on the House to pass health care reform legislation. House Democrats advanced the their amendments to HR 3590 as a new budget reconciliation bill, which is a form of legislation that requires only a simple majority and not a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate to be approved.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aMVmhu4y4GP8
Health-Care Deadline Challenged as Republicans Stall (Update2)
Starfire: By Kristin Jensen and Laura Litvan - December 17, 2009Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Democrats, trying to round up 60 votes for health-care legislation, face new challenges to their goal of passing a bill by Christmas as they confront both Republican stalling tactics and other pressing business.
The Senate took up a $636 billion defense-spending measure that includes $128 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. That and Republican delays -- such as insisting that each amendment be read word for word -- mean work won’t resume on health care until the weekend. And the votes needed for passage aren’t yet assured, said Illinois Senator Dick Durbin.
“Members have expressed concern, indecision,” said Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, adding that talks with the chief party holdout, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, continue. “We won’t move forward without knowing we have” the 60 votes that will be needed for passage, Durbin said.
Durbin expressed confidence that Democrats would pass the health bill by Christmas, a goal set by Majority Leader Harry Reid. On the Senate floor, he urged Republicans to work with Democrats for quick approval of the military bill, already passed by the House, so lawmakers could return to health care.
The 10-year, $848 billion Senate health plan is designed to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and curb medical expenses. Like a measure passed Nov. 7 by the U.S. House, it would require Americans to get health coverage, offering expanded aid for the poor and creating online insurance- purchasing exchanges to help the uninsured buy policies.
Read Aloud
Partisan clashes over the legislation broke out on the floor yesterday. Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn demanded that a Senate clerk read aloud every word of a 767-page amendment by Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, that would have opened up government insurance to all Americans.
After almost three hours of reading, and as Durbin convened a news conference to complain about the Republican tactic, Sanders withdrew the amendment. Coburn’s attempt to object was overruled, and Sanders proceeded to give a fiery speech in favor of a single-payer, fully government-run insurance system.
Later, Reid and other Democrats took to the Senate floor, to show their support as Sanders demanded that the full Senate vote immediately to shelve a pending Republican amendment by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas that was designed to delay tax increases in the measure. Her proposal was defeated, 56-41, and signaled the potential for other Republican proposals to be shunted aside.
McConnell Protests
Republicans, who say the bill might crowd out private insurers, raise taxes and widen the federal budget deficit, left little doubt of their intentions to try to stop it.
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell took the floor to defend his party’s right to force a reading of amendments. He protested allowing Sanders to withdraw his amendment, saying “the plain language of Senate precedent” requires that all 100 senators agree before a lawmaker can withdraw a measure.
The Kentucky Republican said public opinion is moving in the opponents’ favor.
“The American people are saying, ‘Please don’t pass this bill,’” McConnell said at a news conference. He said the public is aware of the potential risks of higher insurance premiums and cuts to Medicare spending, which would finance half the legislation.
Public Opinion
McConnell pointed to a Washington Post-ABC News poll that found the public’s disapproval of President Barack Obama’s handling of health care is at a new high of 53 percent. The Dec. 10-13 poll was based on a survey of 1,003 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Some Democrats have been critical of the Senate measure, with former party chairman Howard Dean urging lawmakers to kill the bill because he said it has been weakened too much.
In response, former President Bill Clinton today warned that failure to get a bill now would be “a colossal blunder.” In a statement, he said, “This is a good bill: It increases the security of those who already have insurance and gives every American access to affordable coverage.”
Clinton, whose attempt at health-care reform collapsed in 1994, added, “Take it from someone who knows. These chances don’t come around every day.”
Lieberman
If the Senate passes its bill, the measure would have to be reconciled with a version approved by the House on Nov. 7.
Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent whose support is crucial because Republicans are united in opposition to the measure, said he is ready to back it after Democrats signaled they are poised to drop a proposed new government-run insurance program, as well as a plan to expand the Medicare program for the elderly to people as young as 55.
Nelson, who last week tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to include tough restrictions on abortion funding, rejected a compromise by Senator Robert Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who also opposes abortion.
Without further modification, it isn’t sufficient,” Nelson said in an interview with KLIN, a radio station in Lincoln, Nebraska. He said he has other concerns about the bill, including new taxes, and doesn’t want to be rushed.
“I’m less interested in a deadline than I am in getting it right,” Nelson told the radio station.
Sanders Unhappy
Sanders said he is still not behind the measure because the public option was dropped. Still, a pivotal Senate Democrat who expressed reservations in recent weeks -- Mary Landrieu of Louisiana -- said yesterday she will vote with Democrats “barring any significant changes” to the legislation.
The bill is “in the best shape it could be,” Landrieu told reporters.
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http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705346319/Orrin-Hatch-Bob-Bennett-oppose-health-bill.html
Orrin Hatch, Bob Bennett oppose health bill
Utah senators concerned with financial ramifications, abortion
By Arthur Raymond, Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009Utah Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch maintained their positions of staunch opposition to the Senate Democrats' proposal to retool national health care and joined 37 GOP colleagues Saturday night in voting against continuing debate on the issue — a stance overridden by a combined 60 votes from Senate Democrats and independents.
Following the much-anticipated reckoning, Bennett said the bill ignores the will of citizens and creates new financial stresses for individuals and state governments.
"I am outraged and discouraged that 60 members of Congress voted to proceed to this bill," Bennett said. "Those who voted to proceed to this bill voted to raise premiums, raise taxes, cut benefits to Medicare and inflate the national debt."
"This is a far cry from what Americans wanted, and I will work to defeat this bill so we can start anew with one that truly brings down costs and reforms our broken system."
Hatch took the Senate floor Saturday to critique the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on a number of issues, including abortion coverage and state liability for Medicaid coverage. Hatch stumped for new language in the bill that reflected the "pro-life" wording in the House's health-care package that passed two weeks ago. He also attacked the bill for proposed changes to mandated state contributions to Medicaid.
"The last thing we need right now is for Washington to impose more liability on states," Hatch said. "This alone should be a reason enough for every senator to stop and rethink their decision about letting this tax-and-spend bill move forward."
With the rule of cloture invoked by Saturday's 60-vote, three-fifths supermajority, the Senate moves to debate of the bill, likely following the Thanksgiving holiday.
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http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-10/politics/health.care_1_senate-democrats-public-option-health-care?_s=PM:POLITICS
Congress to miss health care deadline, key senator says
November 10, 2009Congress will miss President Obama's deadline to enact health care reform by the end of the year, a key Democratic senator said Tuesday.
Illinois' Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, said he hopes, at best, to pass the Senate's version of a health care bill by that time.
If the Senate manages to pass a bill, a congressional conference committee would need to merge the House and Senate proposals into a consensus version requiring final approval from each chamber before moving to Obama's desk to be signed into law.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE56M0HE20090723
Senate to miss healthcare August deadline
WASHINGTON | Thu Jul 23, 2009
By Donna Smith and Kim Dixon(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's healthcare reform drive suffered a setback on Thursday when Senate leaders said they would not pass it before a month-long August recess, but Obama urged lawmakers to keep working toward approval by the end of the year.
The day after Obama held a prime-time news conference to sell his top domestic priority, congressional leaders struggled to ease doubts about the healthcare plan and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said the full chamber would not take it up until September.
"I think that it's better to have a product that is one that's based on quality and thoughtfulness rather than trying to jam something through," Reid told reporters.
Obama conceded the bills would be delayed but said he still wanted to see the Democratic-controlled Congress make some progress.
"I want the bill to get out of the committees," he told a town hall meeting in Shaker Heights, Ohio. "I have no problem if people are really working through these difficult issues in making sure we get it right."
The reform package under construction in both chambers of Congress has been besieged from all sides by criticism of its more than $1 trillion price tag and its scope, with debates behind closed doors over how to pay for the program and rein in healthcare costs.
Obama had asked the Senate and House of Representatives to pass initial versions before leaving for the summer recess to help keep opposition from building over the break.
But his ultimate goal is to sign a final bill by the end of the year, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "more confident than ever" that Congress would meet that timetable.
She scoffed at the worries about waiting until after August.
"I am not afraid of August. It is a month," she told reporters. "We will take the bill to the floor when it is ready, and when it is ready we will have the votes to pass it."
Two committees in the House and one in the Senate have passed versions of the bill, but another House panel and a Senate panel have bogged down in talks over how to pay for the plan and how broadly it will reshape the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry.
The final bills are expected to include some form of public insurance plan to compete with private insurers and help cover mo
CRITICS ON BOTH SIDES
Conservative House Democrats have criticized the bill for not reining in costs enough and raising taxes on the wealthy. Republicans, sensing a shot at a huge political victory over Obama, have criticized the proposed tax hikes, price tag and heavy government involvement.
Obama had left the writing of the bill to Congress but stepped up his lobbying in the past week, meeting with recalcitrant lawmakers and making public appearances to plug the effort. Nine freshman senators sent Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus a letter on Thursday urging him to continue his bipartisan negotiations, declaring "the current situation is unsustainable in the long term."
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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5110850-503544.html
Will Congress Read Healthcare Bills Before Voting?
June 24, 2009Last month, when Republicans tried to stall energy legislation with hundreds of amendments, Democrats hired a speed reader to get through them all. Now, with Democratic leadership barreling through its hefty agenda this summer, it looks as if the speed reader's services may be needed once more.
Various grassroots organizations are blasting Congress for not taking the time to properly consider the energy bill or health care reform -- two very significant pieces of legislation.
Let Freedom Ring, a non-profit, grassroots organization that supports a conservative agenda, announced an initiative today urging members of Congress to sign a pledge to read and give citizens the opportunity to read any health care reform legislation before voting on it.
"For something as significant as health care reform, which influences 16 percent to 17 percent of GDP, I think it is important for legislators to know what they're voting on, and not have lobbyists and staff members be the only ones who know what's in there," said Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring president.
The pledge was distributed to members of Congress on Tuesday, and Hanna has so far received signatures from Senators James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Certainly, Hanna said, it would be in the members' best interests to sign it.
"I can assure you, legislators will be held accountable if there are parts in there their constituents find objectionable," he said.
Meanwhile, the Sunlight Foundation, a non-profit with the goal of increasing government transparency, is raising similar concerns about the energy bill that the House of Representatives is slated to vote on Friday.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/TedKennedy/story?id=6692022
Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77
'Liberal Lion' of the Senate Led Storied Political Family After Deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
Aug. 26, 2009Sen. Ted Kennedy died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77. The man known as the "liberal lion of the Senate" had fought a more than year-long battle with brain cancer, and according to his son had lived longer with the disease than his doctors expected him to. Kennedy championed health care reform.
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http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1954980,00.html
Does Brown's Senate Win Mean the End of Health Reform?
By Karen Tumulty / Boston Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010A little-known Republican state senator on Tuesday night pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in modern political history, potentially dealing a crippling blow to President Obama's agenda. As Scott Brown claimed victory in his bid to become the first GOP Senator to represent Massachusetts in nearly four decades, he told his ecstatic supporters that they had sent a message that is likely to shake Democrats across the nation at the onset of the congressional midterm election season. "What happened here can happen all over America," Brown declared. The Democrats, he predicted, "will be challenged again and again across this country. When there's trouble in Massachusetts, there's trouble everywhere — and now they know it."
Brown campaigned against his opponent, state attorney general Martha Coakley, on a promise to be the "41st Senator" — the one whose vote would give the Republicans the power to block Obama's health care bill with a filibuster. And yet, the ironies were deep. Brown won in a special election to fill an opening created by the death in August of Edward Kennedy, who had often described universal health coverage as "the cause of my life." And his victory came at the hands of voters whose state has come closer than any other to achieving that goal, thanks to a 2006 law that was championed by Republican Governor Mitt Romney.
Brown's victory has put a possibly insurmountable obstacle before a health care bill that only days ago was looking all but inevitable, after versions of it had passed both the House and the Senate. At this point, Democratic strategists in Washington say, the only hope may be to persuade a reluctant House to pass the Senate version intact. But the shock waves rippling from Massachusetts have made that a questionable prospect. Even if House liberals can be persuaded to accept the Senate bill's more conservative provisions, the larger concern is that Brown's victory could set off a stampede of moderate and conservative Democrats away from the legislation.
Initial 2010 Prediction Report
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