Business-World Divisions May Ease Path to Plan

Biz groups lavish $24M in last month on derailing Dem bill

(AP) - Business foes of health care overhaul legislation are outspending supporters at a rate of 2-to-1 for TV ads as they grow increasingly nervous over a final bill. Led by the US Chamber of Commerce, opponents of the Democratic health care drive have dropped $24 million on TV commercials over the past month—compared to the $12 million spent by labor unions and other backers. That's an abrupt reversal from the vast spending advantage supporters enjoyed most of this year, say political ad trackers. More»

Foes look for an expert to prove that Obamacare kills jobs

(NEWSER) - Pro-business groups opposed to the president's health care reform are raising funds to hire a "respected economist" to study the impact of the reform—and find that it is a threat to jobs and the economy. In an email obtained by the Washington Post , a top official at the Chamber of Commerce writes: "The economist will then circulate a sign-on letter to hundreds of other economists saying that the bill will kill jobs and hurt the economy. More»

Eyes turn to Susan Collins as Dems ramp up courtship

(NEWSER) - Last week Sen. Olympia Snowe was the center of attention of Capitol Hill as she bucked the GOP line to support health care reform, but now Maine's other Republican senator, Susan Collins, is the one to watch. Both women voted for President Obama's stimulus package in February, and Democrats and the media are following Collins everywhere, trying to ferret out her intentions. No dice—up in Bangor recently, she said, "I really haven't made up my mind yet." More»

(NEWSER) - The Blue Dogs—the 52 fiscally conservative Democrats who have been fighting to kill health care reform proposals the industry doesn’t like—receive far more money from that industry than their non-coalition-member counterparts, the Washington Post reports. The reform push has been a boon for the lawmakers' ledgers; the group has set a record fundraising pace this year, beating all other congressional leadership PACs. More»

Kennedy leads meetings with industry

(NEWSER) - A series of unprecedented back-room meetings among the biggest players in health care is close to a consensus: Any new legislation will require that every American have insurance, the New York Times reports. The next part, of course, is trickier: figuring out how to enforce it, how to make it affordable, and whether to put the onus on employers. One idea floated: a tax penalty on individuals who choose to go without even if they can afford it. More»