New Haven Independent

Posted by: JoeMustGo | December 16, 2009 11:05 AM

Tell us about 2006, and how the Senate vote would be different today, Rosa.

Posted by: concernedwestvilleres | December 16, 2009 11:05 AM

Rosa DeLauro lives primarily in Washington with her pollster husband Stanley Greenberg. She only shows up in the district when she is up for re-election. Just because you disagree with someone is not a reason for a recall. Politicians frequently change their positions. Now how would the Medicare buy-in help this district? The hospitals, which are already struggling, would have more Medicare patients and continue to receive lower than market reimbursements pushing costs to the insured or resulting in greater losses and reductions in staff and services. Additionally doctors are dropping acceptance of Medicare patients as they can't make a living treating them as the reimbursement is less than the cost. Additionally harping on insurance companies can affect CT with a significant number of insurers residing in CT. Chase them away and revenues fall further resulting in greater cuts to valuable programs and municipalities. Additionally the phantom $500 billion in Medicare cuts will come from services to seniors which make up a number of her constituents. Ms. DeLauro is the ideologue here with no concern for her constituents. Maybe in 2010 they will see her for who she is and vote her out.

Posted by: iBloqWestHartford | December 16, 2009 11:20 AM

Taking a 20-second break from obsessive Lieber-bashing....

The real question is: "What exactly have Ms. DeLaura and the rest of our NON-Lieberman Congressional delegation done to help bring us real universal health care for all?"

Does she truly believe that the bills now in play in DC would make much, if any, dent in that number of 45,000 victims? Or in our skyrocketing premiums?

Is ALL of this Lieberman's fault? What happened to CT's progressive Congress-people? What have THEY stood for? And why aren't the state's progressives holding them accountable?

The CBO has told us that the "public option" being discussed would be available to fewer than 5% of the US population -- while the average premiums for the option would actually be HIGHER than for comparable private insurance plans.

And the subsidies that are being discussed are laughably inadequate.

As for the Medicare buy-in: it's an even bigger scam. Remember -- it would be available to ONLY that small percentage of Americans who qualify for the "Exchange." And even then, those people would have to pay the FULL cost of Medicare premiums - WAY out of reach for most Americans (AND they would get the beloved prescription "doughnut hole" as a BONUS!)

This so-called reform is actually a big Fib ("Federal Insurance Industry Bailout Bill").

Mr. Lieberman is clearly an obstructionist. Point made, over and over and over and.....

But will we also hold the rest of our elected officials accountable???

Posted by: Martha H | December 16, 2009 11:23 AM

well -

now -

Has the Democrats' scapegoating of Lieberman made some practitioners insane?

See: "Hartford Courant prepares for backlash created by today's blatantly anti-Semitic cartoon"

at: http://iblogwesthartford.blogspot.com/

Posted by: terrapin | December 16, 2009 11:29 AM

Thank you, Rosa for calling this weasel out.

Posted by: Pat | December 16, 2009 11:31 AM

How is it the U.S. easily spends billions for wars most of us don't want, but can't "afford" the health care we do?

The Democrats took no action against Lieberman for campaigning with John McCain, but let him enjoy his chairmanships as though nothing happened.

If the Democrats can't deliver on health care reform, despite a majority, what can they deliver on?

Posted by: The Count | December 16, 2009 11:42 AM

First things first: Send Chris Dodd home to stay.

Posted by: Walt | December 16, 2009 11:58 AM

I would prefer a recall of DeLauro, if we have a choice.

Posted by: cba | December 16, 2009 12:08 PM

Rosa DeLauro comment that Senator Lieberman should be recalled is indicative how far a party hack that she has become and her complete disdain of the Connecticut voters. Senator Lieberman won this State by a very comfortable margin and secured more votes than Rosa Delauro ever did. Because he disagrees on the health bill, she promotes his recall. Forget it Rosa, you and your little beltway clique will never undo the the election of Senator Lieberman. If I were you, I would be paying close attention to swarmy Dodd's predicament.

Posted by: John | December 16, 2009 12:40 PM

To put it politely, Lieberman is a very bad man.

Posted by: Westville Mom | December 16, 2009 12:54 PM

Walt--Agreed.
Also---any health care "reform" without tort reform is a JOKE.
Why can't this intellectually elitist state produce a candidate like THIS? ....

Congressional Candidate Lieutenant Colonel Allen West (Florida)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M

Posted by: Seth P. | December 16, 2009 1:01 PM

Gone are the days of Joe Leib, the New Haven good ole boy. This is the new era of Joe Leib for Joseph Leiberman-the multipartisan politician.

Posted by: John | December 16, 2009 1:23 PM

@Ms. DeLauro is the ideologue here with no concern for her constituents.

Really? Scroll down to item 64:
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID=1395

Posted by: DeLauro/Dodd go away | December 16, 2009 1:32 PM

Here's a novel idea, how about the Dems draw a single Republican to their side and Liberman won't matter! Oh wait I forgot, Dems don't work well with others, so why attempt it.....

Posted by: Westville Mom | December 16, 2009 2:53 PM

For those who haven't been paying attention to the massively destructive "health" bill, here is an excerpt from an AP article (today) describing one little-advertised, but very important provision:

"Large companies would not face a requirement to cover their employees. But the government would impose CHARGES [my emphasis] if any of them did not do so and ANY [my emphasis] of their workers qualified for federal subsidies to help them afford private coverage."

As innocent as this may sound, you have to read the following explanation to even begin to understand the colossal, convoluted ramifications of this for businesses. It begins with a discussion between Ed Schultz and Ernest Istook:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2009/11/28/heritage-foundations-ernest-istook-runs-circles-around-testy-ed-schult

If I owned a business, I'd be terrified that this "health" bill would end up "killing" my business.

And if Joe Lieberman (not to mention Rosa DeLauro) REALLY cared about jobs and the economy, he (they) would tell Congress to scrap this whole nonsensical thing and start over with authentic cost controlling measures and common sense solutions that are not aimed at RE-DISTRIBUTING THE WEALTH.

Successful Americans----prepare to be punished.
...... And prepare to vote the incumbents OUT in 2010.

Posted by: Ron | December 16, 2009 3:04 PM

The only thing worse than predatory insurance companies are the politicians & gullible teabagging Rep's/Ind's who buy their lies. Topmost in the first group is Lieberman. Funny, how can a senator who keeps talking about voting his conscience actually do that, when anybody who has objectively watched his political career (and has half a brain) would see that he has none.. conscience that is. It was, is, and will always be that he votes his own best personal interests.. which are inseparable from those of big insurance in the area of health, and AIPAC in the area of foreign policy. It's lunacy to think he represents Connecticut citizens.
Rosa DeLauro is finally one Democrat that has the guts to call him out, even if figuratively. However at minimum he should be stripped of any chairmanship he holds. All this does is give him more power while the naive among us (Obama, Reid & company) believe he's beholding to them. Yeah, right, trust Joe... and then .. dream on.
The State should treat him like the pariah status he's earned.

Posted by: nfjanette | December 16, 2009 5:14 PM

Taking a 20-second break from obsessive Lieber-bashing....

And confuse people with facts? Good luck!

The real question is: "What exactly have Ms. DeLaura and the rest of our NON-Lieberman Congressional delegation done to help bring us real universal health care for all?"

It's important to focus and not distract left wingers from their mission to bring down Joe, regardless of the facts. Stay on target and fire the ad hominem missiles!

Posted by: Ellis Copeland | December 16, 2009 5:15 PM

LIEberman, Dodd, AND Rosa should all be thrown out. None of them has done one measurable thing for anyone in CT. ... It's WAY past time for real liberals to take back control of this country from the right wing nutzis and their bought and paid for lackeys.

Posted by: cap | December 16, 2009 8:00 PM

Who the hell is she to call for "recall" of Lieberman. He was elected by us and I voted for him precisely because he is not a dangerous left wing loon like Rosa. Recall Rosa - and take that weasel Dodd along with her.

Posted by: blue dog dem | December 16, 2009 10:05 PM

It absolutely amazes me when the Progressives scream about good ole Joe. They primary him out and then expect him to be loyal to their insane plot to redistribute other peoples' money. He won in a landslide in 2006 and he will win again, if he chooses to run. There are more sane voters in CT than progressives, so get used to losing. Dodd is out and Rosa will follow soon after. When you turn democracy on its head, ignoring the will of the people, then expect drastic response. For way too long the silent majority sat back and listened to the loud, obnoxious minority telling us that liberalism is the only way. The recent elections in NJ, VA, PA and KY show that moderates will retake the country away from progressives and socialists. Moderates won in overwhelming Democratic districts or states by 6 to 16 points. Enjoy the next 12 months because you won't have any form of majority again for at least a decade. The elections in 2010 are going to be a bloodbath for any incumbent who votes for Pelosi's agenda.

Posted by: Kate | December 16, 2009 10:18 PM

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a doctor, a patient, and Democrat. But I'm a moderate Dem and, I'm guessing, one of the few crazy people in the world who has been reading the proposed bills in the Senate as they've emerged over the past few months (http://help.senate.gov/ and http://finance.senate.gov/).

I'm not out to get Sen. Lieberman (I've even found myself defending a few of his views to my coworkers). But our health care system is truly broken, and he isn't offering any solutions.

Do you want to live in a world where insurance companies are free to _retroactively_ revoke your insurance once you get sick, because you didn't disclose that you had pollen allergies when you purchased the policy? This is already happening--and it scares me to death.(http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile.html)

And how many of you think it's right that health care is the only major purchase that I can think of where no one will tell you the price before you buy? (http://econrevival.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-we-need-health-care-reform-real.html) Who would buy a car or a house without knowing the price?

And those of us with insurance hope that we're not vulnerable, but in many hospitals different areas (like anesthesia) accept different insurance than the hospital itself. This means that you may be stuck with a bill from a doctor you never even met. A similar situation hit my family recently. We had authorization for a surgery, but we were subsequently billed by a secondary surgeon who we had never even met and who we weren't told would be there--and he didn't accept our health insurance.

And did you know that insurance on the individual market (not from an employer) costs 30-50% more for women than for men of the same age and health status? And that only TWO of 81 Connecticut plans on www.ehealthinsurance.com cover pregnancy, and both of those plans cost more than $400/month for just one person!

Even worse off are my patients who don't have insurance at all. Most of them work but simply can't afford it. When you look at the statewide statistics, something like 75% of the uninsured come from working families (http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileind.jsp?cat=3&sub=40&rgn=8).

As for premiums going up, that is happening regardless--over 100% in the past decade (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Aug/Employer-Sponsored-Health-Insurance-Premiums-Increase-119-Percent.aspx). And at present insurance companies are specifically trying to wrangle less and less actual patient care from each premium dollar--the current game is that we pay more to get less (see the PBS link above).

The health care reform bills are a starting place. They aren't perfect. But the status quo is even worse. People are truly suffering and insurance companies are truly exploiting us.

We need serious insurance regulatory reform, affordable coverage (regardless of gender, age, or pre-existing condition), and transparency in benefits and pricing. The Senate bill is our first serious attempt in a long time to tackle these issues.

If any of this hits home with you, please call Senator Lieberman's office (860.549.8463) and share your story.

And if this doesn't hit home, start asking your friends and family about their health care stories. In my case, I just scratched the surface and was shocked at how much I found.

Posted by: WillowStreet | December 16, 2009 10:59 PM

Joe Lieberman:

So very enthusiastic so spill the blood of Connecticut citizen's on foreign soil for an, at best, ill-conceived war. And spend much of our treasure in the effort.

But unwilling to care for the health and welfare of those same citizens (after all, he is number two on the list of those in the senate receiving donations from the health care insurance industry).

It's obscene. Honestly.

Posted by: strangerthanfiction | December 16, 2009 11:37 PM

Good for Rosa. Lieberman is a disgrace. He's not bipartisan or principled, he's just a bitter old egomaniac in need of his own Reality TV show. Haven't we all been fooled enough by Joe now to see what he stands for at his core -- Joe! He wanted the public option out. When that was out, he suddenly wanted removed the medicare buy-in provision that he has always backed. I believe he wants to destroy the Democratic Party that did not give him the presidency. Joe must go!

Posted by: TO WESTVILLE MOM | December 17, 2009 1:32 AM

If you owned a business, what makes you think it would be a "large" business? How can a thrifty minded Mom object to the government recouping the costs it incurs when spending our tax money to provide healthcare to the underpaid/underbenefitted employees of "large" business -- which presumably pay their "large" officed executives quite well. But fear not, assessments on "large" companies who do not provide healthcare will be dropped as not necessary, if Single Payer Healthcare, the truly progressive plan, passes.

Posted by: The Professor | December 17, 2009 5:22 AM

Well, good to see that DeLauro came around three years late. This opportunism is getting ridiculous. It's like our "leaders" in DC wait until everybody else realizes something, then come out and say it themselves. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Posted by: joejoejoe | December 17, 2009 6:39 AM

Rosa DeLauro probably has the best constituent service offices in all of Congress. She's got office hours at 4 locations in her district while Dodd and Lieberman have one office for the entire state!

OT: That would be a good topic for a New Haven Independent story - what level of constituent services (really customer service) are provided in each CT Congressional office? I know when it comes to locations Dodd and Lieberman are tied for the worst in all of Congress with one office each. Senators from Delaware and RI have more!

Posted by: Ira Rosofsky | December 17, 2009 9:23 AM

I like the "he's not that smart" theory from Gail Collins of NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/opinion/17collins.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

my favorite explanation comes from Jonathan Chait of The New Republic, who theorized that Lieberman was able to go from Guy Who Wants to Expand Medicare to Guy Who Would Rather Kill Health Care Than Expand Medicare because he “isn’t actually all that smart.”

It’s certainly easier to leap from one position to its total opposite if you never understood your original stance in the first place, and I am thinking Chait’s theory could get some traction. “When I sat next to him in the State Senate, he always surprised me by how little he’d learned about the bill at the time of the vote,” said Bill Curry, a former Connecticut comptroller and Democratic gubernatorial nominee.

I really like the not-that-bright theory, in part because it’s as good an explanation as any, and in part because it will definitely drive Lieberman nuts.

*********************

She goes on to conclude:

I used to cover Lieberman when he was the majority leader of the State Senate in Connecticut. We got along very well, except for one interview, during which he talked about working for J.F.K., and how he kept a Mass card from Robert Kennedy’s funeral to remind him of the principles to which he had dedicated his career. Showing me the card, he remarked casually that he hadn’t looked at it for some time.

I wrote an article using the neglected Kennedy card as a metaphor for Lieberman’s fall from his old ideals into the pragmatic politics of a party leader. He was outraged and wounded, and I believe I apologized.

Taking back the apology now.

Posted by: Bill Kamens | December 17, 2009 9:26 AM

I object to the Mr. Bass's assertion in this article that Sen. Lieberman "has been wreaking revenge on Democrats" since his 2006 campaign.

Unless you have evidence that Sen. Lieberman is acting in bad faith solely for "revenge," you ought to choose your words more carefully. "frustrating democrats" would have been more appropriate-- and certainly appears to describe Sen. Lieberman's effect on Mr. Bass.

Please save the editorializing for an editorial. Does the "Independent" find it hard to believe that anyone besides democrats who cling blindly to their party's positions can act in good faith in accordance with their own values?

[Bass responds: Good point. Thank you.]

Posted by: mea | December 17, 2009 9:44 AM

Atleast Joe has the fortitude to vote for what he thinks is best for the people. Rosa votes the party line. She only has self preservation in mind.

Posted by: James D | December 17, 2009 10:38 AM

Do tell:

If meaningfully health care reform really is such a priority for Senate leadership and for the President, then why haven’t they threatened to remove Joe Lieberman's Homeland Security Chairmanship if he does not stop sabotaging their reform agenda?

Isn’t that what Lyndon Johnson would have done – in a heartbeat?

Isn’t that why Rahm Emanuel was hired?

Hmmm….

Sen. Russ Feingold just said of health care reform stripped of the public option and the Medicare buy-in: “This bill appears to be legislation that the President wanted in the first place, so I don’t think focusing it on Lieberman really hits the truth."

Can get one thinking…

Posted by: blue dog dem | December 17, 2009 11:11 AM

Maybe this is why Lieberman is waivering

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574599961696425696.html

Posted by: mikepc45 | December 17, 2009 1:44 PM

Rosa wants to recall Joe L. and she supports a two thousand page health care bill that she and not one other American citizen can ever hope to understand. Tell Rosa that I will donate my time and money to recall Joe if she can explain this bills consequences and true costs. Neverminding that most Americans do not want it.

Posted by: TheVin | December 17, 2009 3:59 PM

Many comments on here just blistering Joe L...However if one tries to express just the slightest disapointment in Rosa the Independent scrubs it. That my friends is the marxism you lefty people propose most without realizing it.

Posted by: Kevin Buterbaugh | December 18, 2009 12:35 PM

While the current bill is not the best bill - it will reduce overall costs for the vast majority of us. The high cost of insurance has much to do with the lack of universality. If not all people are covered than premiums rise - and as premiums rise the healthy leave the system - thus leading to even higher premiums which leads more to drop coverage etc. It is a vicious circle.

Lieberman has decided that the world revolves around him. Democracy works on majorities not super majorities. Those opposed to health care should get out of the way of the majority. If the reform fails - the opponents can than offer their own set of reforms and we can remove from office those who created the program that failed.

The Democratic leadership should remove Lieberman from his chairmanship of committees and his committee assignments. He is not a Democrat and committees are assigned by the parties. If the Republicans want to give him a committee than so be it. But why should the Democrats when Lieberman has now clearly shown that he is not one.

Posted by: Mom of 2 year old | December 18, 2009 1:56 PM

Since when has government been able to control costs??? What makes people think that just because it's healthcare that government will magically become better at cost control. I've got one word for you people - medicare! And can we talk about the massive amount of fraud that runs unchecked, costing tax payers billions?? And you think a government option will be better? This health care bill is a travesty and I can't do that to my daughter or her children.

I've never been a Lieberman fan but I'm becoming one fast. He's my last hope for preventing the worst mistake this country can make by screwing up the health care system. My family history is full of cancer, I need all the screenings I can get. It is a matter of life and death for me. I can't wait until 50 for annual mammograms! And I need yearly pap smears too.

I don't live in Bella Vista, so I've never personally ever seen DeLauro in Connecticut myself. Talk about a sheep....

I'm proud to say I've never voted for her, never will. If satan ran against DeLauro, you'd see horns and a pitch fork on my lawn in November.

Chunk the issues up and pass legislation slowly and deliberately. We're all seen how useless rushed legislation is - aka the Stimulus bill. I'm still not stimulated and that's why unemployment is staying the same or getting worse. There's been no improvement.

Posted by: Consti2amend | December 19, 2009 1:16 AM

So, Rosa, where in the Constitution does it state Health care is a RIGHT? You neglect the 2nd Amendment,which IS a right, guaranteed by the Constitution, What is going on in LIBERAL THINKING {or lack thereof}?
Remember people,
Dump Dodd, Murphy, Delauro, ET AL! If you vote FOR ANY FORM of a "public option", you should be voted OUT!
Don't take away MY MONEY, so some "lackey's" can get a "new benefit"!

Maybe we should go back to how voting was originally done in this country? Only land/property owners could VOTE! Why was this? Does anyone out there remember?
It was because they were the ones to lose ANYTHING, by the voting process! People who do not contribute, COULD NOT VOTE FOR THEIR OWN BENEFITS TO GO UP! LIKE WELFARE!! So now YOU Liberals want to take what little we, the hard working people have left over, so you can get reelected by BUYING VOTES form the ones who {MOSTLY} do NOT contribute to their own survival!
GO FIGURE!

By the way, why do a greater number of polls show the "average American" does NOT want the "public option" of ANY KIND, but YOU Liberal DEMS don't seem to hear US!! What Is YOUR agenda??