Democrats are charging toward quick passage of a healthcare reform bill that will hike personal income taxes immediately, says political consultant and Newsmax columnist Dick Morris.
Morris is urging the bill’s opponents to speak out en masse within the next seven days to sway swing votes in the House. Democrats will force a vote on healthcare within the next week, Morris said during an interview with Newsmax.TV.
Editor's Note: See video of Dick Morris’ interview below.
The current version of reform is actually worse than the previous bills because it includes a 2.5-percentage-point increase in personal income taxes, Morris says. That’s on top of a five-point increase from repealing the Bush tax cuts and a 2.5-point increase in capital gains tax – both proposed in Obama’s budget.
“In the next week, our fate will be decided,” Morris says. The bill "is horrific in its consequences.”
Passage of the reform bill will be easy in the Senate, so Republicans and others concerned about the issues must focus on the House, Morris says. And what can opponents do at the grass-roots level?
“We need to pressure those Democrats who voted yes but could be induced to vote no,” Morris says.
The best way to do that is to donate to the League of American Voters, he adds. The league is running ads in 12 crucial congressional districts urging voters to let their representatives know that they oppose the reform bill.
Morris says the league’s fundraising is coming up short, so donors must give now. “This is the crucial time, the make or break day literally.”
Donations can be made at LeagueofAmericanVoters.com, through Newmax.com or through DickMorris.com, he says. “They need the money right now in these districts to pressure these Congressmen.”
A list of the 30 swing representatives, including their phone numbers, is listed on the Morris Web site. “Pick up the phone and call them. Jam the phone lines over the weekend,” he urges Newsmax readers.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggests she doesn’t yet have the votes to pass the bill. But “I think she’s lying in the weeds,” Morris says.
“I think she has the votes and isn’t publicizing it. The Republicans are fat and happy now,” thanks to the election of Scott Brown to the Senate.
“So now Obama is slipping this version through.”
Morris says it’s no lock that the 39 Democrats who joined Republicans in opposing the House bill last time will do so again.
“Many of those 39 casted their votes opportunistically because they knew they’re vulnerable and Pelosi said I don’t need your vote,” Morris says.
“Now if there are some defections among Democrats who voted yes last time, she will need some of those no votes back. That’s why it’s so crucial to keep up the pressure on these congressmen.”
Morris says President Obama is virtually bribing Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to support the bill. Matheson voted against the first bill, but now Obama has nominated his brother Scott to a federal judge appointment.
“He’s obviously trying to buy Jim Matheson’s vote,” Morris says. “It’s very close to a bribe.”
And it will work, Morris says. “Matheson will fold. … He deserves to be defeated.”
On a separate issue, Morris says he approves Brown’s proposal for stimulus funds to be directed to a tax cut that would reduce the Social Security tax for working Americans by $100 per month.
“That’s a great idea,” Morris says. “The reason the stimulus package doesn’t work is people know it will be a one-time thing.”
He says, “The problem is that Obama isn’t using this crisis to shrink the size of the government. He wants to use it to expand the size of the government. That’s why he puts it into spending and not tax cuts.”
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