Almost a quarter of Republicans think Obama 'may be the Anti-Christ' as 14 states sue over healthcare reforms
By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 4:53 PM on 24th March 2010
President Barack Obama has stirred up emotions in the U.S. with his planned overhaul of the country's $2.5trillion healthcare system.
奧巴馬總統已經攪起在美國的情緒，以他的全國 $ 2.5兆億醫療制度大修計劃。
So much so that a poll taken at the height of the debate found that almost a quarter of Republicans think he 'may be the Antichrist'.
因此在辯論高峯時進行的投票，發現幾乎四分之一的共和黨人，認為他'可能是敵基督'。
Another 38 per cent of Republicans agreed Obama was 'doing many of the things that Hitler did'. 另外38%的共和黨人同意，奧巴馬在'做許多希特拉做過的事情'。
Just another boys' club: Barack Obama, centre on the phone, is surrounded by male aides at the White House as they plot healthcare reform this week in a new image released today. The President has been compared to the Anti-Christ
只是另一個男孩的俱樂部：奧巴馬在中心聽電話，圍繞住白宮的男性助手，當他們在本星期計謀醫療改革。這是今天發表的新影象，總統已被拿來與敵基督經相比
More than half of the Republicans quizzed by Harris Poll, 57 per cent, believed the president was secretly Muslim, something he has consistently denied.
And 67 per cent of Republicans who responded believed Obama was a socialist, despite his central leanings.
超過一半的共和黨人被哈里斯民意調查詢問，57%相信總統是秘密的穆斯林，他一直否認的某些事。
和67%回應的共和黨人相信，奧巴馬是社會主義者，儘管他的傾向中央。
The startling results came as lawyers representing 14 U.S. states filed lawsuits yesterday challenging an overhaul of the country's $2.5trillion healthcare system, minutes after President Barack Obama signed the landmark legislation.
One joint lawsuit by a dozen Republican attorneys general and a Democrat claims the sweeping reforms violate state-government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments.
Virginia went to court separately, while Missouri Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder said he would like to join the suit.
The joint suit, led by Florida, was filed with a federal court in Pensacola, according to the office of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.
In addition to McCollum, the Republican attorneys general from Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington joined the suit.
The lawsuit says the law - which expands government health plans for the poor, imposes new taxes on the wealthy and requires insurers to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions - violates the Constitution's commerce clause by requiring nearly all Americans to buy health insurance.
'A big f****** deal': Mr Biden (second left) gaffed as the president signed the historic healthcare reform
'一項大的f ******交易'：拜登先生（左二）义魚當總統簽署歷史性的醫療改革時
Mr McCollum said: 'It forces people to do something - in the sense of buying a healthcare policy or paying a penalty, a tax or a fine - that simply the Constitution does not allow Congress to do.'
Mr McCollum, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run for Florida governor, said the healthcare reforms would add $1.6billion to Florida's spending on the Medicaid health program for the poor.
The Justice Department, which is responsible for defending U.S. law in court, pledged to vigorously fight any challenges to the new healthcare law.
'We are confident that this statute is constitutional and we will prevail,' said Justice spokesman Charles Miller.
The White House agreed the suits would fail.
'There have been hearings about the constitutionality of the law, and I think there's pretty much widespread agreement that it is constitutional,' Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, said.
'I think we have governors who might be aiming for higher office who are starting to just send a message.'
The suits were filed just moments after Mr Obama signed the healthcare reforms into law.
But on the most historic occasion of his presidency so far, vice-president Joe Biden managed to put his foot in it.
Gaffe-prone Mr Biden inadvertently broadcast the F-word to America after he introduced the President to sign his much vaunted health reform bill into law yesterday.
After hugging Mr Obama at a a ceremony in the White House, Mr Biden leaned in and whispered in the President's ear: 'This is a big f****** deal.'
The remark was caught on microphones recording the event that was shown live across the country. By last night, the clip was being replayed all over the internet.
White House aides seemed to be unembarrassed, with press secretary Robert Gibbs later tweeting: 'Yes, Mr Vice-President, you're right.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1260195/U-S-healthcare-reform-14-rebel-states-sue.html
美國13州檢察長聯手發動“憲戰”控告醫改違憲
2010年03月24日05:39
來源：中國新聞社
中新社華盛頓3月23日電 (記者 吳慶才)在美國總統奧巴馬23日簽署醫改法案僅僅七分鐘之后，以共和黨人為主的美國十三個州的檢察長即聯手提起訴訟，以“侵犯州權”等為由控告該醫改法案違反憲法。
這項訴訟將美國衛生部、財政部、及勞工部列為被告。參與訴訟的十三個州包括：佛羅裡達州、南卡羅來納州、內布拉斯加州、得克薩斯州、密歇根州、猶他州、賓夕法尼亞州、阿拉巴馬州、南達科他、愛達荷、華盛頓、科羅拉多州和路易斯安那州，預計稍后會有更多州加入這項訴訟。
據美聯社報道，目前參與訴訟的所有檢察長除路易斯安那州是民主黨人外，其余均是共和黨籍。
檢察長們指控，醫改法案規定大部分國民及永久居民必須購買醫療保險，否則將被罰款的條款，違反美國憲法，他們認為美國國會沒有這種權利。檢察官們還擔心，聯邦政府不會提供足夠的支持，最終提供全面醫保的費用將最終轉嫁於州政府的肩上，而州政府無力承擔這些費用。
內布拉斯加州總檢察長喬恩·布魯寧在解釋為何加入訴訟行列時說：“這將是美國公民在歷史上第一次被迫購買某一商品或服務。”
佛羅裡達州總檢察長麥科勒姆是這項訴訟的發起和領導者，最近幾個星期他一直在推動這項訴訟。他指出，強迫民眾購買醫療保險違反憲法，並且將會帶來巨大的財政負擔。他指出，僅醫療補助項目一項，就將導致佛羅裡達州至少增加16億美元的花費。
還有一些州檢察長正在考慮獨自提起訴訟，維吉尼亞州檢察長古奇涅利在該州裡士滿的聯邦法院提出訴訟，他認為，國會沒有憲法權利控制州際商務，強迫居民購買保險。此外，醫改法案也與州法沖突，州法規定，不得強迫維吉尼亞居民購買保險。
對於上述訴訟，白宮發言人吉布斯22日曾回應說，他認為這些訴訟不會成功。美國媒體援引法律專家的話說，這些控告勝算不大，因為美國憲法規定聯邦法律凌駕於州法律之上。不過，這些控告將會使醫改問題備受關注，直至11月國會中期選舉來臨，屆時將改選全部眾議員、三分之一參議員及部分州長及州議員。
http://world.people.com.cn/BIG5/1029/42355/11207329.html
奧巴馬簽醫改法案 拜登粗口贈興 「他X的了不起大事」遭收音
(明報)2010年3月25日 星期四 05:10
【明報專訊】美國 民主黨 奮鬥一整年的醫保改革周二完成立法，副總統拜登在白宮舉行的法案簽署儀式上介紹總統奧巴馬 上台時，未意識到咪高峰還開著，興奮地用粗口與奧巴馬交談，事件令白宮尷尬。
拜登（Joseph Biden）在介紹奧巴馬上台後，與奧巴馬擁抱。可能是興奮過度，他一時未注意到咪高峰還開著，忘情地與奧巴馬「咬耳仔」說：「這真是他X的了不起大事」（This is a big f…… deal）。
白宮解嘲﹕副總統先生是對的
美國多個電視媒體之後不斷重播這一片段。白宮尷尬之餘，乾脆坦然面對。白宮發言人吉布斯（Robert Gibbs）在他的Twitter上留言說：「對幾千萬終於有了醫保的民眾而言，這真是偉大時刻……是的，副總統先生，您是對的。」
腦筋動得快的生意人更立即在網上兜售印有拜登這句話的T恤，每件叫價23.5美元 （約183港元）。
奧巴馬每天親閱10民眾來信
另一方面，一名癌症女病人的來信在關鍵時刻成為奧巴馬為醫保改革爭取支持的法寶，美聯社報道，原來奧巴馬每天都要求下屬從千萬計來自各地的信件中選取10封信給他親自閱讀，他還會親筆回覆3至4封。這些來函大部分是與醫保和經濟有關。
奧巴馬表示，最令人動容的是兒童寫的信，其中一封寫道：「我爸爸失去工作，祖母病了，但她不能負擔醫保（高昂的保費）」。他又笑說，相信下屬選出的信都有代表性，因為一半都罵他是笨蛋。
美聯社/法新社/中央社
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/100324/4/h6cd.html
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