Annihilate This...

[Bmichael]

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) warned fellow Republicans this week, saying President Barack Obama's inaugural address had convinced him that the president was undertaking an effort to "annihilate" the GOP.

Aw, c’mon John. Of course he is – that’s his job.

What’s your point?

[ProblemAgain]

so that's different than mitch mcconnell declaring the most important thing for the next four years is to make obama a one term president when obama had won the 2008 election...is it any wonder people consider these guys a full collection of sphincters?  or how bout this?  so much for penalties of law...yeah we'll fine you but allow you to gouge it back real quickly anyway...and by the by....the gop is doing a fricking great job on it's own annihilating itself....todd aiken...macconnell...etc etc...stupid is as stupid does...imagine bachman homeschooled her litters?

Editorial
Amgen Gets a Gift From Congress
Published: January 22, 2013


For a disheartening example of how intense lobbying and financial contributions can distort the legislative process in Washington, consider what happened to the “fiscal cliff” bill approved three weeks ago by Congress.


Senators who play a major role in federal health care financing were happy to help Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, evade Medicare cost-cutting controls by delaying price restraints on a class of drugs used by kidney dialysis patients, including Sensipar, a drug made by Amgen. That provision was inserted into the final fiscal bill by Senate aides. Many members of Congress did not know it was in the bill until just hours before it was approved.

Although other companies will benefit financially from that delay, Amgen, which has 74 lobbyists in Washington, was the only company to lobby aggressively for the provision. The delay will cost the Medicare program up to $500 million over a two-year period.


 The disturbing details were revealed in a report by Eric Lipton and Kevin Sack of The Times on Sunday. The maneuvering to exempt these drugs undercuts a five-year effort to change the incentives used to pay for kidney dialysis care. Previously, Medicare had paid providers separately for the drugs and for administering dialysis treatment, a system that often encouraged overprescribing.

But, in 2008, Congress reversed the incentives by requiring Medicare to pay a single, bundled rate for a patient’s dialysis treatment and related medications, starting in 2011. But certain oral drugs, including Sensipar, were given a two-year reprieve, to expire in 2014, from being included in that more cost-effective bundled system. The fiscal bill has now extended that exclusion for an additional two years.

Supporters of the delay — notably, Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat of Montana, who leads the Senate Finance Committee, and Orrin Hatch, of Utah, the ranking Republican on that committee — say it is needed to give the Medicare system and dialysis providers time to absorb other complicated changes in federal reimbursements for kidney care. But there is good reason to suspect other factors were involved as well. Both senators have political and financial ties to Amgen, as does Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, who exerted great influence over the fiscal negotiations and praised the Medicare provisions.

A top aide to Mr. Hatch, who was involved in negotiating the dialysis delay, previously worked as a health policy analyst for Amgen. The current lobbyists for Amgen include former chiefs of staff for both Mr. Baucus and Mr. McConnell. And the three senators have received substantial contributions from Amgen’s employees and its political action committee since 2007 — almost $68,000 to Senator Baucus, $59,000 to Senator Hatch, and $73,000 to Senator McConnell.

 Amgen’s strong influence prevailed even though it had pleaded guilty just weeks ago to marketing an anti-anemia drug illegally and agreed to pay criminal and civil penalties of $762 million, a record settlement for a biotechnology company.

This dreadful episode is a classic example of the power of special interests to shape legislation and shows how hard it may be to carry out the reforms needed to cut health care costs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/opinion/amgen-gets-a-gift-from-co...

[Lifesighs]

This is so disturbing to me, I hate these things that get tacked on to the end of bills about something entirely different. BAH! Both parties are guilty.

[ProblemAgain]

must be kind of hard to be the party that screams about cutting spending but votes for giving away money to large corporations....but they ARE asking what they can do to attract voters.....does 'eat shit and die' sound like a good answer? 

[The Dyslexic Dodger]

 I suspect President Obama is abuot done fooling with poeple who do not understand how to negociate.He knocked himself uot in his first term trying to colaberate on solutions. f*** em, take no prisoners (for a wile anyways). The Tea Party Republicans deserve annihilation- they have ben a cancer in the Republican Party.

 It is up to the sane Republicans to salvage their party. If they are to spineless to stand up to the TP , NRA etc. they are makeing their own bed. I hope hey do but they need a lot of cleaning huose and to show Americans that they are not all Radicle Conservitive Nuts before they regain respect. If they keep going down fruit cake road totaly oblivious to WHO Americans are and HOW Americans feel abuot all of the major issues..they deserve to be toast.

 

[LoveLife&Laughter]

I'm afraid he is not done, he is still suffering these fools.  He's  a bigger man then me gunga din.

[Woody Woods]

I wonder what the Repubs meant when they said after President Obama was elected the first....."we are determined to make him a one term president". We they talking about the 'annihilation' of the man or the party????

[P.A.]

I have come to the conclusion that republicans do not think. That is why they are republicans.

[LoveLife&Laughter]

That is strange because most of their "base" is penniless and can'd rub two nickels together on payday.

(welfare) 

[Dennis Barsten]

To collect that welfare you need a large Farm, or other business...