Max Baucus

Looks like ole’ Max Baucus might be in a little trouble:

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus’ office confirmed late Friday night that the Montana Democrat was carrying on an affair with his state office director, Melodee Hanes, when he nominated her to be U.S. attorney in Montana.

According to a source familiar with their relationship, Hanes and Baucus began their relationship in the summer of 2008 – nearly a year before Baucus and his wife, Wanda, divorced in April 2009. The Senator had informally separated from his wife in March 2008 and they were living apart when he began dating Hanes, according to Baucus' office.

Hanes ended her employment with Baucus in the spring of this year.

Really this story shouldn’t shock anyone. We know Baucus likes screwing people. Hell – he’s been screwing the entire nation when it comes to healthcare reform.

From Think Progress:

The Baucus bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I've seen in 30 years. In fact, it's a $60 billion giveaway to the health insurance industry every year. It was written by healthcare lobbyists, so that's not a surprise. It's an outrage.

Now those are some harsh words, and I mean that in a great sense. Usually politicians try to pussy foot around something when its their own party screwing it up, but Howard Dean isn’t. He just let it rip. Way to go Dr. Dean!

Honestly, I think that Max Baucus should get Joe Wilsoned on this. His bill is so outrageous that he should be forced to take to the floor and apologize to the people of this country for acting like he is working for us. Since that won’t happen, then we need a grass root push to get him out of office. Hell I don’t care if Baucus doesn’t get a primary challenger. It would really say something if some progressive groups backed a Republican just to get Baucus out of office, plus it will send a message to the other Democrats out there who put corporate/lobbyist interests above the interests of the people.

It seems that Max Baucus decided to distribute his plan to special interests groups before he even let the White House see it. This man isn’t working for the American people, he is working for his own financial gain. The Democrats should fully remove him from the health care talks. If he is allowed to continue his reign over it, then we will end up with something worse than we have now.

Max Baucus, lap lizard for the insurance industry, has come up with his own plan:

Just as auto coverage is now mandatory, so would a requirement that all Americans get health insurance. Penalties for failing to get insurance would start at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families. Households making more than three times the federal poverty level — about $66,000 for a family of four — would face the maximum fines. For families, it would be $3,800, and for individuals, $950.

If this some how passes through Congress then President Obama must veto it. He campaigned against mandates, and that is exactly what Baucus wants. This plan doesn’t fix health care for the public, it just gives the insurance companies a very huge Christmas present.

It looks like some members of Senate aren't wasting any time to get one of Obama's key campaign promises out there:

Two of the Senate's most influential leaders are working separately behind the scenes on legislation that would dramatically alter the way Americans get health care, hoping their early efforts -- including the release today of a position paper -- will push President-elect Barack Obama to move rapidly on the issue and spare the incoming administration some of the missteps that killed Bill Clinton's health reform initiative in 1994.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is unveiling a 104-page blueprint today that serves as the opening move in a fierce competition in the Senate to frame the debate. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling a life-threatening brain cancer, has directed aides over the past several months to convene negotiating sessions with a diverse group of stakeholders, including physicians, patient advocates, small-business owners and insurers. He intends to have legislation drafted by Inauguration Day.

A healthy America is key to a good economy. When workers are sick they can't perform. When insurance premiums keep skyrocketing, employers profits start shrinking and salaries go down. This is something very basic that Republicans can't seem to grasp. Paul Krugman is even calling this "very big news".