Sen. Graham: " Sleazy" Deal Made to Get 60 Votes

Today, December 20,Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) said that a "sleazy" deal was made to get the 60th vote in the Senate to pass the health reform bill. Mr. Graham also described the estimates and accounting methods in the bill as "Enron" accounting.

Graham spoke during a Senate session with Senators John Cornyn (R. -Tx.), Saxy Chambliss (R.-Ga.) and Johnny Isakson (R.-Ga.).He was referring to the "backroom" arrangement made by the Senate Democratic leadership with Sen. Ben Nelson (D.-NE.) to get his vote for the reform bill.

Mr. Nelson was able to get more Medicaid funding for his state of Nebraska. This is necessary because the pending bill lowers the Medicaid eligibility. States will have to pay more for Medicaid which will include more people.Or as Mr. Graham said, "Every state except one" meaning Nebraska.

Sen. Nelson also obtained an exemption from the insurance tax for his home states insurance giant, Mutual of Omaha.

All the senators expressed their outrage how this deal - and other deals - such as the "Louisiana purchase" of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D.-La.) and the federal money, given to the self-appointed spokesman for the average person, Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders, for his vote.

They noted how it was the polar opposite of what President Obama and the Congressional Democrat leadership promised when they said there would be transparency in government.