Jack & Jill Politics

from DailyKos:

Pelosi to Blue Dogs: No Deal
by mcjoan
Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 03:46:04 PM PDT

Ask, and ye shall receive. Yesterday the co-chairs of the House CPC wrote to Pelosi, reiterating their support for a robust public option and resolving to oppose the Blue Dog weakened bill.

Today, Nancy Pelosi nixed the Blue Dog deal.

Pelosi’s decision to abandon the agreement that was made with a group of Blue Dogs to get the bill out of committee would steer the healthcare legislation back to the left as she prepares for a floor vote.

Pelosi is planning to include a government-run public option in the House version of the healthcare bill. She wants to model it on Medicare, with providers getting reimbursed on a scale pegged to Medicare rates.

“The speaker is full-steam-ahead,” said a senior Democratic aide….

Pelosi has also told her fellow leaders she still wants an income surtax on the wealthy, rather than a tax on “Cadillac” health plans, as a means to help pay the $1 trillion cost of the bill. The rest is to be made up with savings in Medicare by eliminating wasteful spending.

I’m thinking that Mike Ross probably won’t be leading the fight for the Blue Dogs in this round.

I hope Harry Reid and the rest of the Senate leadership is paying attention to this. The House is looking more unmoveable on a true, comprehensive bill by the day

More on Blue Dog Mike Ross and further evidence of his ass being a SUPREME SELLOUT down below.

From Firedoglake:

Mike Ross’s Lucrative Deal With Large Pharmacy Chain Raises Cash, Eyebrows
By: Jon Walker Tuesday September 22, 2009 8:45 am

The Politico is reporting that Mike Ross sold his pharmacy business in 2007, while a member of Congress. USA Drug, a large pharmacy chain with an important stake in health care reform, overpaid for the property by roughly $160,000.

Ross sold Holly’s Health Mart in Prescott, Ark., to USA Drug for $420,000 — an eye-popping price for real estate in a tiny train and lumber town about 100 miles southwest of Little Rock.

“You can buy half the town for $420,000,” said Adam Guthrie, chairman of the county Board of Equalization and the only licensed real estate appraiser in Prescott.

Mike Ross is the Chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition’s task force on health care. He was the lead Blue Dog negotiator in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He held up the bill in committee for two weeks. As NPR reports:

So far this year, the Blue Dogs’ political action committee has received $301,500 from health care and health insurance PACs. Ross, the coalition’s lead negotiator, has received $100,600 for his campaign committee and a PAC that he operates.

Mike Ross now opposes the public option despite the fact that a plurality of his district favors the public option.