Pelosi calls CBO report on Democrats' Health Plan a "Right Wing hit job"

Reacting to the CBO report released today concluding House Democrats' Health Care bill would pile $1 trillion onto the federal deficit over 10 years, many Democrats seemed less inclined to support the massive bill. Numerous fiscally-conservative Democrats joined Republicans in opposition to a plan the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said would not be "deficit neutral", because program savings would not offset the bills new costs.

Though the rank and file were, for the most part concerned by the report, House Democrat leadership dismissed the notion that the legislation would widen the deficit. Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman said he's "...never trusted the CBO, and I've been highly suspicious of the groups' funding and record keeping since its inception.

I've never trusted this organization, a group completely devoid of elected politicians--and the inherent wisdom we bring to bear on all matters of fiscal integrity.". Waxman indicated he may also hold a series of hearings to investigate the CBO, "...and at the very least, recommend President Obama appoint a CBO Czar to permanently oversee the organization".

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed Waxman's sentiments, slamming the CBO's report as "yet another Right-Wing hatchet job in a series of GOP and special interest attacks, lies and distortions. We are simply hearing more of the same Bush-era Talking Points, which lie and distort at any cost to block our attempts to give America what it so desperately wants--freedom from having to choose their own doctor and health insurance plan. Pelosi added "The CBO has nearly reached the level of bold-faced lying of the CIA."

When a reporter asked how Pelosi could dismiss the explicitly non-partisan CBO, Pelosi fired back, "Like I've said before, the CBO has refused to accept my motion to install Lanny Davis, Howard Wolfson and Paul Begala as permanent CBO staff to restore a modicum of credibility to this hopelessly partsian attack machine."

The 'Party of No" is not just Republicans, Pelosi continued, "it's also groups like the CBO, which anyone will tell you, conducts no objective research, quantitative analysis or long term cost prognostications.

The House Speaker concluded, "I like to refer to this cadre of right wing shills as the 'Conservative Bush Outfit', or "Completely Bought Off" by Fox News' Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes."