They both should be fired from the office, they no longer represent Maine, but they do represent Kentucky and Senator NO! Mitch McConnell.

There Heart is In the House Bill

So I will Hold My Opinion

Until They have to Blend Both

For now I do Not See that Happening

So Light up the Puters AGAin AGain and AGAIN<

Until We Get What We Want for Me that Is A Single Payer as Usual

Merry Christmas to All<

May The Spirit Bite Us ALL<<

Too bad...other senators saw the handwriting on the wall and realized this bill's passage was imminent. They then reaped many millions of dollars for their respective states in exchange for their endorsement of the bill. What did our senators get for us??? Same as always...nothing. The bill praoably should have passed anyway. It at least gives us a starting point to overhaul thie current criminal healthcare system. Snowe, as usual, talks out of both sides of her mouth, and Collins blindly follows suit.

Yes, we need Senators that participate in more political cronyism and pork-barrell politics. That will make Obamacare all the better!!

Kudos to our two senators! They are far-sighted enough to see that what this is is "a piece of junk'! What it will cost us in taxes, insurance premiums, and that what we get in return is bad news. Oldboy3 ... what the other states got for being bribed is still going to cost all of us billions ... why add to it even more??!! I am glad that Snowe and Collins see the corruption and that they don't want any part of it!

I'm with Electra. Single Payer... eventually.

It is refreshing to see Maine's senator's have not completely lost touch with those they represent. Every poll, every single one, shows the people of this country do not want this apocalyptic fiasco.

Dirigo is a financial failure, govt run programs are financial failures, socialized healthcare would of course follow the same path of bankruptcy. History is the only proof needed to see this.

Writing into law a multi trillion dollar black hole that would collpase U.S. finances to provide free healtchacre to 30 million Americans & 40 million illegals is bad for the country.

Good job Senators Snowe & Collins. Perservere, we're counting on you to do what's best for us, to prevent higher taxes, to prevent poor medical services & to prevent the financial collapse of the U.S.

Congratulations to Senators Snowe & Collins!! At least they have a backbone & sense enough to see that this bill will add to the deficit, will raise insurance premiums, and decrease availability of care, especially for seniors and those on Medicaid. Be proud that they can't be bought. Not many leaders around today that don't have a price!

You would think that our two Senators would put politics aside and vote for something that could help the people of Maine. The Republicans and some Democrats are in the pockets of the Medical Ins. industry. For our Senators to say it was rushed to vote is bogus. We have needed this legislation since Teddy Roosevelt. They go down to Washington and not only do they forget where they come from but they forget the little guy. Anybody with half a brain knows that our medical Ins. coverage is terrible or non-existent. Wake up Senators, do something for us not just yourselves.

Finally, our Senators show some backbone by refusing to vote for this steaming load of a bill. Don't worry about the whiners here seeking expansion of our already bloated welfare state. This bill was not about health care, but about control. It will result in higher premiums, and creates an incentive to drop coverage. It required whoring on an unimaginable scale to pass.

There were few, if any, redeeming features to this odiferous legislation.

Hurricane: You & yours would be well served to view this:

http://video.foxnews.com/12771290/christmas-corruption?category_id=a438e1cadef5a5c9211932781b14d6587b08d851

The conservatives were in complete power for eight years.

Not once did Snowe or Collins bring up the subject of healthcare reform.

Not once.

None of them did.

The republican party is against healthcare reform of any kind.

period.

Im still puzzeled by the Right's rage against this bill.

This bill just streamlines Insurance and Pharmaceutical profits.

Instead of having the illusion of choice, Free Market, and competition,

The Democrats did away with all that, and created a Health Insurance Exchange Beer Bong.

Now, we all will pour all our hard earned incomes into a mandated Health Insurance Exchange Beer Bong,

And the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies will chug, chug, chug....and get wasted in mandated tax payer profits.

And after getting wasted in their obscene profits they will drive home, swerving with disregard,

and will accidentally run over four poor fellows walking across the street in that cold dark night,

the American Dream and Life ,Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.

I think more and more construction workers and workers in general will be working under the table to survive. and this will make it even more costlier for the companies that have to stay legit. (my company) what a fiasco. I'm ripped!

Congratulations to Senators Snowe & Collins!! At least they have a backbone & sense enough to see that this bill will add to the deficit, will raise insurance premiums, and decrease availability of care, especially for seniors and those on Medicaid. Be proud that they can't be bought. Not many leaders around today that don't have a price! Jan eng I couldn't have said it better myself

No surprise here... They get huge donations to their campaigns from the insurance industry.

I applaud Senators Snowe & Collins for not going along with this phoney health bill. If it's supposed to help the American public, why were so many sneaky clauses inserted in ways that cannot be explained? For instance, the bill is supposed to create "no lifetime limits" on health care, yet someone managed to insert a line that ok's "annual limits." If that isn't doing away with lifetime limits what does it mean for those who need care? How many other crooked deals were made that will have to be paid out of the American public's pockets? We can thank our wonderful "snake oil salesman" of a President, and all those Senators who sold out the public they were sworn to represent, for taking all kinds of bribes to rush this sham of a bill down our throats, without anyone really being able to fully read & comprehend what it will do to our nation, as well as the cost to our children.

Top recipients of PAC money from these industries (Accident & Health Insurance and HMO's) since 2004 are as follows:

Senator Cycles PAC $

Baucus (D-MT) 3.125 $141,250

McConnell (R-KY) 3.125 $110,750

Nelson (D-NE) 3.125 $106,123

Kyl (R-AZ) 3.125 $106,000

Gregg (R-NH) 3.125 $103,500

Grassley (R-IA) 3.125 $95,000

Lincoln (D-AR) 3.125 $91,000

Enzi (R-WY) 3.125 $87,000

Chambliss (R-GA) 3.125 $86,750

Ensign (R-NV) 3.125 $85,750

======================================

AVERAGE SENATOR $37,267

Source for my 12:12 PM post

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/special-interest-money-means-longer.html

You guys had nothing but praise for Collins and Snowe for jumping in on health care.

Now you guys poop all over them......

What's up with that?????

I would like to thank our senators for voting against this bill. Although we need reform this won't do anything but make things more expensive. Anyone who thinks that costs won't increase is sadly mistaken. The only way that this bill stays deficit neutral is by taxing people for four years before anyone gets any benefit from it. If $500 billion is cut from Medicare what doctors will still accept it? Most only accept a few patients with Medicare because they can't afford to not get full reimbursement or wait for 6 months to get any money from the government. People who are healthy will most likely choose to pay the $200 fine instead of buying insurance. If they get injured or sick they can sign up for health insurance then since it will now be legal to do so. We will pay higher premiums to pay for them until then. If this is such a great bill why is it that senators were asking to be exempted from parts of the bill just for their support? Doesn't sound to me like they are very optimistic about it.

Well, Snowe did it. Snowed a few people according to the comments. Enabled it to get out of committee and on the floor for votes knowing full well she could then vote against it knowing they had the votes to pass it. That's your slick politician at work. Now she can say she voted against it come re-election time. If it wasn't voted out of committee THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD HAVE DIED. If you buy this you deserve her.

Perhaps we need our governor to do what CT's governor is doing. This headline from the Hartford Courant tells the tale: "Rell Seeks Lawsuit Against Extra Medicaid Money For Nebraska."

Here is an excerpt of the article: "The inequity of this provision is astonishing," Rell said Wednesday in her letter to Blumenthal. "The doling out of favors for senators is appalling. The cost of this federal health care bill is beyond comprehension because of all the special provisions included to garner the 60 votes for passage."

"By the time Washington finishes with this proposal and drops it at the taxpayers' doorsteps, it will be monstrous," Rell said. "The Senate may get their votes, but the American taxpayer will get the bill. The best Christmas gift Congress could deliver to the American people would be to strip out every special consideration, every gift, every piece of pork and concentrate on the heart of the matter — real and affordable reform."

To read the article in full , go to: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-rell-sue-nebraska-1224.artdec24,0,1460413.story

blueskiesaboveme: Let's hope this can be fine-tuned in the future. There are different ways to look at this, but some see it as going in the right direction and getting healthcare reform going. Less families in this country will go to bed wondering how they will get healthcare for their children. Time will tell, but do you really think they could have passed a public option of some kind with the obstructionists?

So let's get this straight.....

1) The Great State of Nebraska is going to receive Millions of Dollars every year to "offset" what other states are losing in Medicare reimbursement. The Senator from Nebraska did a great job of selling his vote for the benefit of his state and at the expense of 49 other states.

2) We are going to be paying for something for FOUR YEARS that we do not benefit from while we are paying for it. Would you be as excited about paying for a car for FOUR YEARS without being able to drive it around? How about paying rent for an apartment for FOUR YEARS before you could move into it?

Michaud is the main one that HAS to go. He is a socialist scab thats time is way past due for removal from office. His willingness to not listen to the majority and his willingness to trun his back on us and vote party lines is more than enough reason to have him removed RIGHT NOW>

Less we forget take the Headlines from today a put the on your fridge. They all need to go next time up for office. We need New Blood and NOT Lifers that have become dictators

Re-read 'Sledman'

Snowe is going to try and work to make changes and adjustments.....it is not law yet so perhaps she will still be able to influence the outcome....in postive ways.

It speaks here of small businesses. It is really too bad that it got to this point.....that businesses with 5 employees or less would not have provided health insurance coverage before!!! Maybe the owners of the company could have taken a cut in pay (or at least not increases) so as to have provided healthcare for so few employees!

At least 2 senators weren't bought by harry. When Johnson did medicare, it was a bipartisan vote and deal. When Bush did the drug plan it was a bipartisan vote and deal. This was nothing but a takeover and the beginning of the road to single payer which those who think is so great either haven't read enough about it and think they have or don't really care who is going to pay for all this. It was done the only way possible, Chicago style, bought and bribed. Some who have posted here admit they don't have insurance must feel this will be their way to get it for free or for someone else footing the bill. Now you same people who don't want to pay for nothing will be supporting cap and trade as long as it don't come out of your pocket. Next will be immigration so the illegals can now get a free ride. None of you evidently care that the cost of medicaid will be going up higher but you will be footing the bill for other states who were bought to vote for this takeover.

I never thought i would ever say this, but I am voting republican even if Donald Duck is the candidate. This country is getting a great insight as to what it means to have one party in total, fiibuster proof, control. It is getting a great insight to what the socialist liberal philospohy is and before long we will be listening to how we must be run globally. Thank you Pelosi and Reid for pulling Bama's strings. He has no clue but his socialist marxist cronies know how to steer him.

This bill does NOTHING TO LOWER THE COST OF HEALTHCARE, it just adds 31,000,000 more to the system, paid by increased taxes, heavier burden to businesses, paid by job eliminations, cuts to Medicare paid by the elderly and a increased burden on healthcare providers. resulting in less services. Its another Obama fallacy, like the trillion dollar stimulus to get the economy booming, creating 3 million jobs, while restraining unemployment to under 8%. HOw's THAT WORKING FOR YOU? SOCIALISM DOES NOT WORK!

Congrats to Sen. Snowe and Collins. Both of you are on the right track. Forcing people to pay for insurance who cannot afford insurance amounts to more gov't control on people's lives. I would not vote for it either. Raiding Medicare at the expense of the elderly is an abomination. Cut the pork in all programs and lets have competition from across state lines to buy insurance.

Olympia and Susan had a choice between their corporate insurance backers and their constituents. THey chose the former. Money doesn't talk, it swears.

Fausta and Hurricaine, please read the actual bill then reconsider your statements. I know its hugely long (easier to confuse people that way), but you might learn just how this bill would harm most of the residents of Maine. I work in healthcare and see just how awful this bill will be. Higher prices for insurance, generally worse insurance than people already have (that have it), higher consumer goods costs to cover employers' additional costs (which will make Maine even WORSE for businesses), reduced payments to providers that already don't get paid what is owed them, and huge tax increases which the supporters try to hide by showing how much 6 years of coverage will cost but by hiding the fact that it is based on 10 years of payments (tax increases). After the first 10 (only 6 of coverage) years, it is seriously downhill from there financially. Oh and dont forget increasing costs/decreasing coverage issues for retirees and seniors. The more you read of the actual bill, the worse it gets.

How many senators were bribed to vote yes?

Some have wrote that insurance premiums will increase and availability of health care will decrease.....last I checked....my

rates went up across the board (including my house and auto?) and I still had to wait 3 months or more

to see a specialist. If we had Snowe and Collins healthcare plan....we would feel differently....but instead we

are fed "fear" to fill the pockets of those who want to keep their "secrets hidden"....while they get rich off the backs of those on

Medicare. Remember, Walgreens opened over 500 new stores in 2007 after Part D was passed...must mean there is some money

in insurance and drugs...

The PORK in this bill was humungous........

Maybe thats why they didnt vote for it....

Olyve Oyl and Susie Robot are back on Santa's good list.

This bill was (and is) a POS.

They're just toying with you.. it's theater.. after the bills are merged.. they will BOTH vote FOR it. They always vote with the domocrats on big issues.

Only in Maine would we celebrate two politicians who have spent virtual their entire adult lives in DC and where 99 % of the voters cannot name three things each has done to improve the lives of people on Main St. And so they voted to do nothing on healthcare which neither has done a dam thing about in the 5o plus total years of their so called public service to Maine ?

If they are so concerned about a public option, please then let them each give up thier premium, platinum, public option congressional healthcare plans that WE pay for and have paid for during their lack luster political careers,. See both were elected this past time with over 70 % of out of state cash. Get the picture? Mike Michaud was elected with 70 % Mainers money, the President won with average campaign contributions, lower than these two as well .

And news flash, which neither, Collins nor Snowe's nor any of their GOP brethren will do either, which is to hold a news conference about the current 'fix' they both voted for championed the the past President;

"...As many as 4,000 Mainers who receive Medicare through PRIVATE insurers could face disruption to their coverage if they don't act in the coming weeks. That's because a handful of health insurance companies that provide so-called "Medicare Advantage" plans to these seniors are dropping those plans...." Yes the current, private healthcare plans is sure timely the President and Mike Michaud are t least looking out for us in Maine.

AND 4 million US wide will also fell the same pain, mostly in the poorest states.

So much for letting the private healthcare market run the show still, huh. AND the insurance companies WROTE this legislation and now are pulling out where the folks die easily or are too sick to cover, talk about the original death panels and rationing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And for the record this is NOT part of the President's plan except in Lush-limp-Boob-Land. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/twenty-six-lies-about-hr-3200/

I dont know cher,

Even with all the trigger happy fillibusters on the Republican side, it was the hands of a few Conservative Democrats that watered down this legislation the most. It almost seems better off to kill the bill, and role the dice in 2010, and hope to elect a few more progressive Democrats and replace a few conservative ones and then try healthcare reform again.

I do like the consumer protections that the Senate bill will offer,

but I think they could have passed those same consumer protections without mandating that we all buy private for profit Health Insurance.

And if they are going to mandate that we all buy Health Insurance,

A Public Option or a Medicare Buy-in for All should be an option too.

Im not convinced that the Government can regulate the Insurance Companies to do right for the American public.

Either they should take out the mandate to buy private Health Insurance and include the consumer protections,

Or mandate everyone to buy Health Insurance with a choice of a Public Option.

fredrogers, not sure where you got your facts on terms of office for our Senators but you are slightly off (at least with Susan Collins anyway).

Susan Collins is 57 years old and has a total of 12 (almost 13) years of service in the Senate.

Olympia Snowe is 62 years old and has a total of 30 years of service (14 years in the Senate and 16 years in the House of Representatives).

Oh, the last time I checked 30 + 13 = 43 total years. Just a bit off your "5o plus total years of their so called public service to Maine" claim.

This is not what the people of the US wants. It 's a mess. We need to reform health insurance and make it affordable so everyone can afford to buy it. Hopefully if this passes it will be found unconstitutional and thrown out.

First I voted for it, then I voted against it. Sound familiar?

blueskiesaboveme: I am very skeptical re the health insurance companies and have said that before. They have had plenty of time to get it right, but did not.

A very Merry Christmas to you and your family.

The Democrats are as crooked as a snake. Its a shame that the people of Maine just don't seem to get it. The health insurance program passed by the house and senate are a shame, and will not do a thing except raise all of our taxes. So disgusting so sad

Maineboy, there are so many unconstitutional laws on the books now that do us more harm then good. They didn't get thrown out nor will this one. Inacse you haven't figured it out yet... This government only does what is in "it's" best interest not what's best for it's citizens. And they ONLY pass laws, bills etc. that make this government money. They no more care about your right or what's best for you then you care about whether your alarm clock was 1 minute early or late going off. Kudos to the senators for not jumping on board with this " one step closer to total control of the people" bill. It's nice to see atleast they can't be baught AND they are smart enough to know this bill will result in disaster for you and I and all americans. The day draws closer to a one world currency ( the euro) And the total control of the people. Our constitution has been hacked to pieces and every day we loose a little more of what this country was first founded for. After this bills gets put into law what's next? I'll tell you, Little chips under the skin that have all your personal information on it. It's already being tested in the real world so get ready, "Fredom" as you believe the word to mean will totaly have gone out the window and the world as you know it will cease to exsist. health care for everyone? yes, but without the governments involvement...

Snowe says the bill was rushed. She knew what was in the bill and knew Maine needed it, but she wants Democrats to fail more than she wants to help Mainers. As for Collins, she's just hopeless, 100%. She is just thinking of herself as usual, her political future in the GOP. Why don't we elect people who care about us? Are we just plain stupid? I often think so. I also suspect that the Republican posters on here in some cases are paid lobbyists trying to build support for the party just as they do on the ads on TV that either lie or are full of innuendos. Merry Christmas to all those who need health insurance. You're one step closer.

I loath you parasites that think making others pay for every bloated welfare program that comes down the pike is "improving the lives of people".

This will not pass because the bills will not be reconciled, the dem's in the house want to include free abortions for everyone. They will be starting over again into the new year. This is just the start of one world order of socialisum (sp). Vote out all these lifelong politicians and start over. Oboma will be a one term president like his hero Jimmy Carter.

I would rather pay higher taxes and have health insurance....rather than pay higher insurance premiums (like I do every year) with higher deductibles and co-pays and wait for the denial letter to arrive...

I added in, "After working for 12 years on the Capitol Hill staff of Maine Senator William Cohen, ..." to her DC experiences. http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorCollins.Biography&CFID=30425798&CFTOKEN=75503075

Snowe and Collins FINALLY did the right thing to vote against this socialist government takeover of our economy with it's onerous hidden taxes and restrictions FORCING people to buy insurance. What country is this???? China? Vietnam? Russia?

I live in an Asian communist country and it sure sounds familiar. America is NOT a socialist communist country. I hope they throw these gangsters ALL out of office in 2010. I am heartbroken to think that my grandchildren will never know the America I have grown up in and lived, but instead a dictatorial country where only the government is right and where they will be saddled with higher burdensome taxes far, far into the future.

Go to: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/senatereformbill/ and see just what the health reform bill will do as it stands now. It still has to be worked out with the House of course. Some of you are off track on the substance of the bill, some of you way off track.

I am tired of the GOP whining about this issue and their holier than thou crap. They controlled the the presidency, house, and senate with majorities for 10 years and introduced nothing that would help working americans get health care. They have no moral ground to stand on and snowe and collins should do the honorable thing and resign. But they won't. So much for term limits no-more-than-two-terms susan collins.

Thank you Senators! We have two hugh underfunded government programs to deal with already; Social Security and Medicare; we can not (our children and grandchildren can not) afford this "healthcare reform" bill. People accross the country should be made aware of some of the particulars tucked away in the fine print. I am a legal, taxpaying citizen, and I am mad as hell!!!

Social Security is and has always had enough funding to make itself run in the black. Care to know why it doesn't?

They don't want free abortions. They want mandatory abortions. It's the sacrament of the Democrat Party.

Thanks for nothing ladies. My health insurance just increased by 30%, the deductible went up as did co-payments. It disappointing that we have 2 Senators who are more worried about drug companies, insurance company profits and ree-lection funds to actually do anything to solve the problem.

good for the Senators, they have my support. the other two Lap Dog Congressmen

are just tax & spend Liberals that are Socializing and bankrupting America.

Damn you Mainers have definitely forgotten Independence and self sufficiency. Must be all those flatlandes from Mass telling you don't have to do anything to get anything. With that attitude Little Round Top would have fallen and you would be slaves. OOPS Sorry the party of slavery has just done it to you again. Use to be proud from Maine no more. They did the right thing for once Little Suzie red dress must have stop smoking pot long enought to remember what she was doing and Jock must have not got to Oly quick enough. Once out of a hard times.

BOTH SHOULD BE IMPEACHED...!!!

IF THERE WAS ONE MORE VOTE FOR THE BILL,

"DIRTY JOE" LIEBERMAN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE

TO STOP THE PUBLIC OPTION.....

Nice to see Olympia and Susan represent the taxpayers for a change instead of the freeloading gimme gimme crowd so prevalent on these pages. These parasites just want someone else to pick up their medical bills.

Snowe and Collins don't care about Mainers health. They have their free government health care. Why should the Maine low lives have free government care too. Seems free government health care is for the political elite.

WHAT HAS EITHER SNOWE OR COLLINS EVER DONE FOR THE STATE OF MAINE EXCEPT SIT ON THEIR A@@ AND DRAW A FAT CHECK AND THE BEST OF INSURANCE FOR DOING NOTHING !! SNOWE IS A FLIP FLOP AND COLLINS GOES ALONG LIKE A PUPPY DOG ON A STRING. GOOD OR BAD BILL WOULD MAKE NO DIFFERENCE THEY BOTH VOTE NO ON EVERYTHING IF THEIR PARTY TELLS THEM TO DO SO.GET RID OF THEM AND GET SOMEONE THAT CAN THINK FOR THEM SELF OR MAINE WILL NEVER NEVER GET ANYTHING DONE AND JUST KEEP GOING DOWN DOWN DOWN HILL LIKE IT HAS BEEN SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE. WAKE UP FOLKS AND SMELL THE COFFEE , GET SOME NEW BLOOD IN WASHINGTON THAT CAN VOTE FOR SOMETHING FOR MAINE. AMEN

Merry Christmas to all!

As for this liberal partnership with Big Insurance, I hope our Senators will join with the growing movement to prove how it actually violates our rights under the U.S. Constitution. If not, perhaps a good old fashioned revolution will do the trick.

OH, ONE MORE THING , SNOWE SAID HEALTH CARE REFORM NEEDED BUT RUSHED , HELLO , THEY HAD 8 YEARS IN POWER AND WHAT DID THEY DO ? NOTHING !! IF YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING IN 8 YEARS THEN TELL ME HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ? TRY TO DO NOTHING ON YOUR JOB FOR 8 YEARS AND SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU , OUT THE DOOR LONG BEFORE THAT ( I BET.) WHAT A BUNCH OF BULL S@@T.

Knightscross nothing in life is Free. Their is no such thing as "free healthcare". Four years worth of paying for something before you can take advantage of it is far from "free".

They pushed this piece of garbage along this far, just to figure out that the democrat written bill would include unfair taxes and penalties? If only they listened to FOX News, they could have heard about these injustices proposed to (what is left of) the tax-payers in this country, long ago, and stopped the bill from getting this far.

Neither of them are opposed to the government takeover of our health, just a couple provisions of it.

Senators, where can I find the language in our constitution, that states the government will control the peoples healthcare, because it is our right?

READ the constitution, and uphold it as it is written, which you swore an oath to do, or GET OUT!!!

READ THIS "TINY TIM 2010" STORY FROM THE

N.Y. TIMES, IT EXPLAINS THE NEW CARE BILL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/opinion/25krugman.html?th&emc=th

Thank you JD, I was going to say the same.

Taxpayers are paying for this, nothings free.

Free for the no loads maybe.

Thanks to Senator Snow for letting this bill get out of committee. Great representation there.

RoundPonder "Tidings of Comfort" By PAUL KRUGMAN is one person OPINION of what the healthcare reform bill is. It is NOT a news story but an OP-ED piece and is very one sided to say the least.

The leaders of our great country all have one thing in common GREED. Both sides are out of control and need to be voted out of office and let some real people with morals and decency run this country. Can you say term limits?

Why is it so hard to figure out how to pay for heathcare or balance the budget? Its easy, do away with personal and business Income tax and just charge a flat sales tax on everything sold in the country including real estate, business equipment, etc. No deductions, tax credits, complicated tax forms, or loop holes for businesses. Everyone can make and spend as much money as they choose and everyone pays a fair share. MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

I am proud of both Senators for voting against this corrupt heath care bill. Health care is not in the bill of rights, this should have required a constitutional amendment. Anyone who thinks Collins and Snowe are poor Senators is an idiot. They are the only elected officials we have actually benefiting anyone in the state. I hope Paxil is covered because I am now very depressed.

Sure, our senators have their generous salaries which also become their pensions when they retire and move on to their spouses if they crash and burn, didn't have to vote themselves an $8,000+ pay increase recently (it just slid in on another bill) and have a health care plan that all of us would love to have. We have created a Royal Class, something about which our Founding Fathers probably whirl in their graves ... and their attitude about us is "Let them eat cake!" II's probably time for another American Revolution ...

Thank you to Snowe and Collins--we do need some forn of health care just not this OBAMA FREE TO DEADBEATS AND ILLEGAL ALIEN HEALTH CARE paid for by the few of us WORKING PEOPLE. I dont have health care, cant afford it and neither do the few employees i have (at least i dont provide it for them anyway) I would rather be able to stay in the construction business give my clients a well done project at a fair price and provide a few jobs than have to close my doors and get rid of people because of some of the "A" hole democrats we have in the government along with the idiot that wants to change things. People if you want this health care then partition your democratics and ask them to give up what they have and agree to exactly what we will have!!! NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM WILL- i am a democrat and i have asked a few including PINGREE they are not willing to do what they expect us to do. The minority in this country has changed, it is not what it was even 10 years ago it is now the working class of people be them women or men, black or colored or white, gay or straight the minority is now a days the WORKING CLASS CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA so help me GOD!

Good for them. I guess they do have guts after all.

I’ll repeat what I said yesterday. The insurance companies are laughing up their sleeves every time some "free market GOP" idiot makes a loud mouthed remark about how anti-American it is to have a nationalized single payer healthcare system. BCBS and the others love these people. You can't pay for public relations like that. Sadly this Limbaugh crap that the uninformed parrot encourages the insurance companies to continue to take advantage. Our insurance went up 20% last year and the deductible went from $1000 to $2500. This year it went up another 24%. Yikes. Hey GOP guys, want to complain about hidden taxes? We're paying $12,000 a year now for 2 people. GIve me a single payer system and raise my taxes $5000. I'll still save money!

They might have guts but no brains.....like others have posted the Republicans have had many chances over the past 8 years hell 40 years to get something going on health care but they even vetoed health care for children, these republican a holes care more about unborn children then everyone else, its pathetic that they are so deeply involved with the insurance and pharm companies they cant even see straight. Why dont they if they believe it is so wrong give up THEIR insurance and see what is like for most Americans. Time to get the RED dresses out of office and bring someone in with a new Idea and hairstyle! All you who dissagree answer me this one question? Why are we the only country that profits from health care??????

First I would venture to ask if Meg Haskell is presenting a news article or an opinion/editorial ???

... having stated and described this as a: "landmark health care bill that could usher in near-universal medical coverage" ...

For instance, anyone who cares to check the "NEWS" presented by Senator Snow's office can learn that a primary reason for the Senator's "no" vote is that there simply is not time to read and cross reference the issues within this very complex 2,000 page bill within the time period allowed within the confines of this (insurance money) rush-rush, campaign, even if our legislators had NOTHING else to work on during the period allowed ... which in my opinion is part of standard procedure nowadays - almost as bad as the Patriot Act that NOBODY read between the 5am printing of the bill and the 11am vote on it -- like, DUH.

... and THANK you "spalumni" for pointing out an endgame maneuver there ...

Since this whole insurance funding campaign (NOT "health" and "care" issues at all), being desperately SHOVED through the legislature by our (Council-On-Foreign-Relations PUPPET of a) presidential farce, with mainstream media obediently the key instrument of public programming (as usual), there is presented this deliberate, concentrated effort to PREVENT the careful and responsible construction of a beneficial and functional health CARE system - akin to the quality of all the other "modern" nations of the planet Earth -- for the American people.

This is not about "helping people" at all, it's about another handout to the corporate pigs who are ever-squeezing their greedy fingers around the throats of the American people. Take heed people - get your faces unstuck from the electronic altar of mind control (mainstream media: television).

Perhaps I'm just pissing into the wind here - hoping that the people can - or will - wake up and see that our nation has become drained away by these corporate pirates - and that our awareness of and our will to stand up for our sovereignty has become forfeit to the lies and the constant programming of mainstream media.

There's lots of great responses here - clearly many are awake to the absurdity of this game - AND this, yet another, DIVERSION from our national bankruptcy and other (imperialistic) manipulation.

Perhaps our legislators should have THEIR heath care (and retirement) "benfits" suspended UNTIL they begin to work for the people instead of the money changers - but then we could HAVE a democratic republic to live in - oh sorry for my absurdity, lol

The senators objections to the bill do not make sense to me. There is a good feature in the NYTimes that simplifies the Senate and House versions of the bill. "Comparing the Health Plans-Interactive Graphic"

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/19/us/politics/1119-plan-comparison.html#tab=0

What a bunch of welfare whiners crying about a lost freebee. I bet the whole lot of you together don't pay enough taxes to cover a free prostate exam, which is exactly what this bill was.

hankwilliams and ElectraGlide both want single-payer health insurance. We ALMOST have that now in Maine. By LAW, only TWO insurance companies are permitted to operate in Maine. Residents may not buy insurance offered from companies in other states. This has created a monopoly of sorts. Both insurance companies operating in Maine have conspired to keep premiums high and coverage low, and they are laughing themselves silly because "where else ya gonna go?" So, gentlemen, with just TWO insurance companies operating in this state, what do you think will happen when ONLY ONE can operate?

When are Americans going to wake up and smell the coffee. These plans are the slow descent towards socialism. When has more government involvement in business resulted in anything positive? Lets open up the competition among insurance companies across the U.S. and let the free market work its wonders.

they need to raise taxes on everything to bail thier BUTTS out,cuz they spend the tax payer's money on BS..........they go up on health insurance premiums then people can't pay it and they'll be knocking on mainecare's door asking for help cuz we can no long afford the insurance we had. our goverment has been been screwing our state for years (they all do)

I applaud Collins and Snowe for listening to the people on this one. I might have to vote for them again.

With respect to Sen. Snowe, it is sad that so many of her supporters don't see how she played both ends on this issue, and tried to play all Mainers for fools.

"Look at me," she can say, "I voted for the bill in committee. Aren't I reasonable?" That vote got her a lot of national attention. "Yes," all the commentators said, "she's so reasonable and level headed--a great bipartisan!"

But, did anyone really believe she'd vote on in on the floor when it really counted?

That's the oldest Congressional dodge in the books. THAT'S what's so disheartening about her vote: she thinks all of her constituency is so unsophisticated that they don't see through these two-faced tactics.

With respect to Sen, Collins, what do you expect from someone who is so eager to have her photo taken with Sen Lieberman, a man who has proven time and again that he has no "convictions," a word he uses over and over again.

I commend senators Snow and Collins for voting the people's choice on this bill, senator Snow voted yes on the original bill to get it out for discussion so the BS could be pulled from it and an actual health bill that would help the American taxpayer and yes I suppose even you parasites now living off the back of the taxpayers, the problem here is that didn't happen, the dems in Washington AND Maine I would say by a lot of the comments posted here, mistakenly took that original vote as a weakness on her part to hop over to there side of the isle and run of to Obama with the piece of sh#t they were calling an historical health care reform bill without any further opposition from her, in my opinion she did exactly what she should have, to move health care along she voted for it, but the democrats don't want to play the game if they couldn't make up the rules, so she stood her ground and for this one thing alone she gets my support in the upcoming elections.

I've lived in Germany, and occasionally attend conferences in Europe and Canada. Many of my colleagues are citizens of western European countries, Canada, and the Australia/New Zealand area. Speaking as a 10th generation WASP Yankee, whose family has always owned guns and at least a bit of woodland since the 1600s, I'd trade my American health insurance for any of theirs. America's exceptionalism is increasingly the exceptionalism of the children on the short bus. We need a universal, government-supervised, legislatively-tuned single-payer health insurance system NOW! Then we in America can compete with, for instance, Canada and Japan, who buy our stumpage, and improve the logs back home where their lumberyards and factories don't have to pay absurd health insurance premiums in order to keep a batch of multi-millionaire insurance executives and their Congressional Monica Lewinskys in gravy.

See the senators were too busy to work on healthcare because they working creating "Green jobs". Huh?

Man this should turn the Maine economy?

Except 40,000 Mainers can't afford, oil to heat their homes, so won't need, "..locally developed energy-saving and conservation programs..." as they pipes freeze and while too 4,000 Mainers could lose their Medicare advantage, but we can create a job for us with a green job that should start up in maybe 10 years..

These two are soooo amazing.

Four Maine counties are getting $1.4 million in energy conservation grants.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said Thursday that the Department of Energy has awarded the stimulus funds to Cumberland, Kennebec, Oxford and Somerset counties.

The money will be used for locally developed energy-saving and conservation programs.

Funds are awarded to help communities improve their energy efficiency, reduce their energy use and fossil fuel emissions and create green jobs.

IT WAS SAFE FOR THEM TO VOTE THE WAY THEY DID. THEY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED AND BLINDSIDED THE PEOPLE AT HOME.

Both of these Senators are total Losers. When was the last time they ever did any thing for the people of Maine. Never.

THANKS TO THE RECENT NATIONAL POLLS GOING AROUND....... they can no longer say we didn't get your message!!!!!!!!! they have voted in everything we 'the people' were against!!! get things correct the first time...... too much mediocre in legislature....