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The Medicare Scandals
Accusations of Bribery, Lying, Intimidation Cloud Bill’s Success
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/medicare_040325-1.html
....
On this issue, however, he said, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "openly strong-armed members. It's a gross violation of the normal role on the speaker."
Moreover, Hastert was joined on th floor of the House by Secretary Thompson. That Thompson was there "is just an enormous breach of the standards of the House," Ornstein said.
....
"This vote has now been held open longer than any vote I can remember," Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, fumed. "Democracy is about voting. But just as you cannot say on the Tuesday of Election Day, 'We'll keep the polls open for 15 more hours until we get the results we want,' we ought not be able to do it here."
"The three-hour vote will enter the realm of dark legend," Moffit said. "This was not good government's finest hour, shall we say."
Added Ornstein: "There is simply no question here that what Speaker Hastert did in the name of winning at all costs stained his speakership and stained the House of Representatives in a way that will last for a very long time."
...
Investigators are focusing on the tactics used against Rep. Nick Smith, R-Mich., who refused to buckle and voted no on the bill.
In December, Smith — who has largely kept away from the media since then — described the scene to a local Michigan radio station, WKZO-AM in Kalamazoo. "The arm-twisting was probably as strong as I've ever seen it," Smith said. "They threatened — here's what they did. They started out by offering the carrot." Smith is retiring this year, with his son Bradley running to replace him, "so the first offer was to give him $100,000-plus for his campaign and endorsement by national leadership. And I said no, I'm gonna stick to my guns on what I think is right for the constituents in my district."
The carrot having failed to work, Smith said, out came the stick. "They said, well, if you don't change your vote — this was about 4 a.m. Saturday morning — then some of us are going to work to make sure your son doesn't get to Congress." Smith says he "told them to get the heck out of there and I mighta used a different word besides heck."
Ornstein said "that, by any reasonable standard, is a bribe, and we're now in the middle of investigating it."
...
And as if these three fairly major controversies weren't enough, still others have appeared.
Medicare Administrator Scully received an ethics waiver so while he was negotiating the Medicare bill he was able to simultaneously negotiate with various companies for his next job — companies representing health-care interests that stand to make millions from the actual bill.
The Department of Health and Human Services has also been pilloried for using taxpayer dollars to fund a $9.5 million TV advertising campaign about the new law that the General Accounting Office
...
But right now, the aggressive steps used to pass this bill seem to have snatched a political defeat from the jaws of victory.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/medicare_040325-1.html
Accusations of Bribery, Lying, Intimidation Cloud Bill’s Success
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/medicare_040325-1.html
....
On this issue, however, he said, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "openly strong-armed members. It's a gross violation of the normal role on the speaker."
Moreover, Hastert was joined on th floor of the House by Secretary Thompson. That Thompson was there "is just an enormous breach of the standards of the House," Ornstein said.
....
"This vote has now been held open longer than any vote I can remember," Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, fumed. "Democracy is about voting. But just as you cannot say on the Tuesday of Election Day, 'We'll keep the polls open for 15 more hours until we get the results we want,' we ought not be able to do it here."
"The three-hour vote will enter the realm of dark legend," Moffit said. "This was not good government's finest hour, shall we say."
Added Ornstein: "There is simply no question here that what Speaker Hastert did in the name of winning at all costs stained his speakership and stained the House of Representatives in a way that will last for a very long time."
...
Investigators are focusing on the tactics used against Rep. Nick Smith, R-Mich., who refused to buckle and voted no on the bill.
In December, Smith — who has largely kept away from the media since then — described the scene to a local Michigan radio station, WKZO-AM in Kalamazoo. "The arm-twisting was probably as strong as I've ever seen it," Smith said. "They threatened — here's what they did. They started out by offering the carrot." Smith is retiring this year, with his son Bradley running to replace him, "so the first offer was to give him $100,000-plus for his campaign and endorsement by national leadership. And I said no, I'm gonna stick to my guns on what I think is right for the constituents in my district."
The carrot having failed to work, Smith said, out came the stick. "They said, well, if you don't change your vote — this was about 4 a.m. Saturday morning — then some of us are going to work to make sure your son doesn't get to Congress." Smith says he "told them to get the heck out of there and I mighta used a different word besides heck."
Ornstein said "that, by any reasonable standard, is a bribe, and we're now in the middle of investigating it."
...
And as if these three fairly major controversies weren't enough, still others have appeared.
Medicare Administrator Scully received an ethics waiver so while he was negotiating the Medicare bill he was able to simultaneously negotiate with various companies for his next job — companies representing health-care interests that stand to make millions from the actual bill.
The Department of Health and Human Services has also been pilloried for using taxpayer dollars to fund a $9.5 million TV advertising campaign about the new law that the General Accounting Office
...
But right now, the aggressive steps used to pass this bill seem to have snatched a political defeat from the jaws of victory.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/medicare_040325-1.html