Ad Highlights Wicker's Votes With Insurance Against Patients

The ad focuses on his votes for HMO's at the expense of doctors and patients.

This ad isn't particularly good (as is the tradition with political advertising), but it is true.

I don't know which markets it is airing in.

Childers Helps Congress Override Bush's Pointless Veto

This bill passed both houses with enough votes to override President Bush's veto mere days ago.

Today it passed by an even larger margin: 383 - 41

Gene Taylor, Travis Childers, Bennie Thompson and Chip Pickering all voted for the bill.

He vetoed the bill, not because he thought it'd do any good, but because he just wanted to muck things up.

From a press release:

The House of Representatives overrode the President’s veto of legislation that would prevent reimbursement rate cuts for doctors who treat Medicare patients, Congressman Travis Childers (D-MS) announced today.

“There are 471,110 Medicare beneficiaries in Mississippi. This year, physicians and many specialists were faced with a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rate for treating seniors covered by Medicare. Doctors who provide service for Medicare patients should not be at a financial disadvantage,” said Congressman Childers. “Insufficient reimbursement rates are a threat to the accessibility of care for senior citizens. I am proud to support important legislation to stop these rate cuts and ensure that Medicare patients receive the care they need.”

The Senate previously passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331), which won House approval in June by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 355-59. Congressman Childers voted for the original passage of the bill on June 24.

H.R. 6331 provides a payment freeze for medical caregivers in 2008, and 1.1 percent increase for 2009. The measure also calls for improvements and extensions of payments to doctors, ambulances, and small hospitals in rural areas.

Musgrove hits Wicker on Medicare vote

It looks like the Senate race is about to heat up. We are patiently waiting on the second quarter finance reports. Meanwhile this just came in from Jackson based WLBT 3.

Musgrove accused Wicker of siding with the insurance industry in a vote Wednesday in the Senate on a measure that would have cut doctor's fees by 10 per cent for Medicare patients.

Musgrove, touring the Jackson Medical Mall, said "this vote by Roger Wicker highlights the need for change. Mississippi needs leaders who will take on the powerful insiders, and who share our values."

Charlie Ross Supported By Extremist Republican Economic Group

The Club for Growth has been most recently in the news for purchasing advertising against Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. In their advertising they lead off with attacking him for even being open to an increase in the tobacco tax. Perhaps that is a reason why they find Ross to be their man in the race for District 3.

Their Press Release:

Today, the Club for Growth PAC endorsed Republican State Senator Charlie Ross in Mississippi’s Third Congressional District, left open by Rep. Chip Pickering’s retirement.

Over the eleven years that Charlie Ross has served in the Mississippi Legislature, he has been a champion of pro-growth legislation and economic freedom, serving as a key leader in passing meaningful tort reform. He even won three national awards for his efforts on this important issue. Ross has been a vocal defender of private property, opposing eminent domain powers and an eager supporter of tax cuts, urging the governor to call a special legislative session in 1999 for the sole purpose of cutting income taxes.

Ross also has a history of voting against tax increases and supporting decreased government spending, arguing in 2003 that “the rate of growth in state government is not sustainable. I think it shows that we’re spending too much.” Overall, Ross is a strong believer in the principles of limited government and economic freedom with a proven track record of fighting to achieve those principles.

“It is clear from Charlie Ross’s record that he appreciates the importance of pro-growth, limited government policies,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “If elected, we are confident Charlie Ross will be a committed defender of taxpayers in the House of Representatives just as he was in the Mississippi Legislature. The U.S. Congress could use a pro-growth champion like Charlie Ross.”

The Club for Growth is known for its extremism including targeting what few Republican moderates were left in the Congress.

Here are two quotes they've earned from moderate Republicans:

"It's unfortunate that they keep going after moderate Republicans. We thought it was time to stop them."
–Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, Republican Main Street Partnership

Rep. Jim Greenwood (R-PA) calls Club for Growth “cannibals” for its attacks on moderate Republicans.
–Wall Street Journal, 3/16/2000

Here's what former Club for Growth President Stephen Moore had to say about seniors:

“I can say this because I'm not an elected official: the most selfish group in America today is senior citizens. Their demands on Washington are: 'Give us more and more and more.' They have become the new welfare state, and given the size and political clout of this constituency, it's very dangerous. One of the biggest myths in politics today is this idea that grandparents care about their grandkids. What they really care about is that that Social Security check and those Medicare payments are made on a timely basis.”

They were one of the most enthusiastic groups supporting placing Social Security in the stock market which should also come as no surprise due to its membership being dominated by wealthy Wall Street financiers and executives.

They demand 100% agreement from those that they help and they get it or else.