Political Hotsheet
By

Brian Montopoli /

CBS News/ December 21, 2009, 11:39 AM

John McCain Evokes Bernie Madoff in Health Care Bill Critique

(CBS)
Senate Republicans are united in their opposition to pending health care reform legislation, and criticisms lately have turned to how Democrats were able to get all 60 members of their caucus to agree to back the bill.

Republican Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, said in an interview with ABC News this morning that the "unsavory process" to get 60 votes – which included, he said, giveaways such as the "Cornhusker kickback," the "Louisiana purchase," the "Florida flim-flam" and "all of the other kinds of dealing that went on" – will be seen as "very distasteful" by the American people.

He went on to call the bill "one of the great Bernie Madoff gimmicks that I've ever seen, that anybody's ever seen."

"If the bill were signed by the president on the first of January, the taxes would kick in, and the Medicare cuts and other cuts would kick in, and it wouldn't be [until] four years later that any of the benefits begin to accrue," he said. "What is that? That's nutty stuff. It's unacceptable."

Special Report: Health Care Reform

The comments come as Republicans continue to rail against the bill even as it looks likely that the Senate will pass it by Christmas.

On CBS' "The Early Show" this morning, Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said the process by which Democratic senators have been moving toward passage has "lacked integrity."

"We've taken creative accounting to a level I never thought was imaginable," he said. "I think this bill has so many fundamental flaws. No doubt in a bill this long there are some good things in it, but the way this bill has been constructed as it relates to the accounting, the trickery and certainly some of the last-minute deals that were made, shouldn't make the American people feel very good about Congress and that's regretful."

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CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
77 Comments Add a Comment
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rockcutr says:
The only way to cure the health care thing is to remove the middle men. Pharmaceuticals and insurance.
Why do these companys/corporations even have a say in what happens anyway. The Gov is just protecting the doctors super inflated salarys. Don't worry the mad rush to Canada is still slow. Nobody should have to wait 3 hours at the boarder to get in. Unlike the retarded wait folks have to endure at airports across the land. The Gov is more worried about the tax loss of
rising unemployment takes away from the huge pile of money they take from the worker tax slaves than anything. Could really care less if folks work as long as the tax dollars keep rolling in. Ahh the Ghost in the Machine is Tax dollars.
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erb0087 says:
Health Care isn't a right ?

Two EMTs in New York apparently believed that.

They are about to lose their jobs, and might even face criminal charges.

"(AP) Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday blasted two emergency medical technicians accused of refusing to help a pregnant woman who had collapsed in the coffee shop where they were taking a break. The woman and her baby later died.

Bloomberg said refusing to help goes against human decency.

"There's no excuse whatsoever," he said.

The Fire Department is investigating the accusation, which centers on the Dec. 9 death of 25-year-old Eutisha Revee Rennix. The EMTs, who have not been identified, are accused of telling employees at the eatery in downtown Brooklyn to call 911 and then leaving when they were asked to help Rennix, an employee who had collapsed."
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erb0087 says:
by jschmidt27 December 21, 2009 5:29 PM EST
That's a pretty low blow.
==================================

Perhaps you're right.

But after the previous four years, during which Democrats always spoke of President Bush with the highest respect and civility, even when they were politely disagreeing with him, where does McCain get off, comparing the President of the United States to Bernie Madoff ?

He shouldn't have done that.
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jschmidt27 replies:
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LOL- Democrats spoke of Bush with the utmost respect? That hilarious. What TV station were you watching.
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erb0087 says:
"How many homes do you own, Senator McCain ?"

The question hits him like "Final Jeopardy"

This is hilarious.

No wonder he can't understand the health care debate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhuMgUkiVOY
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erb0087 says:
by jschmidt27 December 21, 2009 5:29 PM EST
That's a pretty low blow. He treated his first wife fairly in the divorce and she would not talk out against him during the campaign.
====================================

If John McCain gave me two houses and generous health care payments for the rest of my life, I wouldn't badmouth him either.

After hooking up with Rich Cindy, he could afford it.

(By the way, Bill Clinton is still married to his first wife.)

"The divorce settlement accorded Carol McCain full custody of their three children, alimony, child support including college tuition, houses in Virginia and Florida, and lifelong financial support for her ongoing medical treatments resulting from the 1969 automobile accident." - Wikipedia
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erb0087 replies:
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"...houses in Virginia and Florida..."

That still left John and Cindy McCain with so many houses he couldn't remember them all during the campaign.

No wonder McCain has trouble empathizing with an elderly couple who've lost their home due to crushing medical bills.
jschmidt27 replies:
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Wow Marriage is sacred to you guys but abortions ok. Great morality you got going there guys.
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Nodeb8 says:
Look, this is a CBS board. I trust most posting here have grasp and common sense. This isnt about arguing and name calling, because in the end, were all in the soup together. This is our country, our home. It is a great gift left to us by a group of very great and insightful men. Men who knew the threat to bring us down would never go away. Compared to most of the world, we all have great lives still, but unless the guidlines our forfathers entitled us to are recognized, and adhered to, we will lose it for our children, and maybe ourselves. There are so many things going on, all at once, that will affect out nations future, its hard to keep up. And each news cycle blunts that last, making it that much harder.
This is no accident.
Anyone heard of ACORN lately?
Even many democrats were pissed about that one.
Anyone seen a headline lately? My point isnt about ACORN, its about focusing on protecting a great gift that many have died for. A great country that is rapidly becoming less great.
You all feel it, dont you.
The security of being an American just doesnt feel as safe as it once did, does it? Do we even know who we are anymore?
The title "American", used to carry great pride. Do you notice how it seems to have lost its luster somehow?
Its sometimes hard to realize exactly why it feels this way, but it does. There is no denying it. We all feel it; The future is all but sure.
TOO MUCH Government is exploiting this condition! This mass insecurity and lack of identity, a condition they created, by the way, in order to be exploited.
Why?
Power.
Its very simple.
We are all losing our freedoms one law at time, one program at a time, one new "Politicaly Correct" push at time.
If this bill does nothing to lower costs, and is making insurance companies more money, then what good is it?
Do you know congress, last week, shot down a bill to allow prescription drugs to be purchased from Canada to save Americans moeny?
Did you know that? Shot it down, dead on the house floor. Why?
Because they want to enrich our lives with higher drug costs?
All I'm sayin' is, we have this gift called America, and its our duty as Americans to protect it. And when I see legislation that will only benefit government and big business while it costs me, a working stiff barely making it, more, well, thats just simply NOT good, and something I DONT want.
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jschmidt27 says:
Funny- no one making fun of the great former Klansman Robert Bird? He's older than McCain. Oh But he is a Democrat. Seems like the Republicans are the only ones that are concerned about bankrupting the country with this bill. Increasing the deficit, inflation, not controlling costs, and giveaways to the unions and trial laywers, as well as certain paybacks to Democrat controlled states, is not good for the long term health of the economy. But the Dems never met a tax they didn't like. The voters don't want this bill but the Dems just told them where they can go.
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Nodeb8 says:
And all these shots at Mcains age is out of line.
Lets all imagine how America would function if we had a bunch of twenty somethings running it. It would the current debacle time a hundred thousand.
And Madoff is a lifelong registered democrat, and long time party contributer. I dont say that to insult, perhaps all you mudslingers need to open your eyes, lest your Ipods and Blackberry's gel your brains to the point where you are truly slaves to the rising empire you unwittingly support.
Serioulsy
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erb0087 says:
"What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can't make the vote tonight"

Tom Coburn might have been referring the the blizzard that was raging at the time. That certain Senators might be snowed in.

Just to give him the benefit of the doubt.
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Nodeb8 says:
When nearly 70% of those poled say no, what do democrats do? They work to speed up the process. Even for registered democrats, (which I used to be when the party was peopled with truly intelligent, principled democrats and not hack and people filled with vengeance and resent), this should raise warning flags. This is not meaningfull healthcare reform that will lower costs. It is a sham thats being rammed down our throats. I know the passionate discourse between the two parties in regard to avergae people, you and I, has reached levels not seen since the abolishment of slavery was proposed, (Abolished by republicans, by the way), but when it comes to this top heavy legislation, democrats need to come up for air, and take a good long look. I pay my family healthcare, part of it is 1K a year tax that I will see double. That is not reform. Do you all know that Health provider stock rallied today? Why is that? It only happens when investors see a business set to grow and make profits. I thought this was about stopping all the "BIG insurance profits" out of Obama's mouth, to my ears.
This is a farce, and the republicans know it. Oh, and by the way, the war effort was a Bi-Partison one, because we were attcked. I personally dont want to pay more. BUt with this bill, I will. You know who wont? State and federal employee's, and big corporate, thats who. You people really need to get your heads straight and look at this for what it is.
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