Grinch stole the GOP's thunder in healthcare reform

Democrats strucked a deal with Sen. Ben Nelson in the healthcare reform bill exempting Nebraska from paying for its Medicaid expansion. Now, Sen. Sanders, who opposed healthcare reform bill if if didn't include public option, struck a deal.

Want Universal Health Care? Move to Vermont:
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders accomplished what no one else in Washington seems to be able to do: Providing his constituents with affordable universal health care coverage.
In exchange for his vote on the diluted Senate health care bill, Sanders asked for and received just what the doctor ordered — $10 billion to increase the number of community health care centers nationwide, including at least two more for Vermont. It means health care for 25 million Americans nationwide, if the bill passes.

The Green Mountain State already has eight of those centers, which provide primary care, dental and low-cost prescription drugs. Nobody is turned away, since the centers accept as payment Medicare, Medicaid or nothing at all from people who are uninsured. More than 100,000 Vermonters get their primary care at these health care centers.

Sanders, a self-described socialist who by virtue of the fragile Democratic coalition in the Senate finds himself with more clout than ever before, isn’t stopping there. Now he’s pushing to expand by 20,000 the ranks of doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical professionals who are part of the National Health Service Corps.

Sanders wants to thank those medical professionals for their commitment to providing Americans with quality, affordable health care by forgiving or reducing the obscene debts they face from the cost of attending college and medical school.
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As for the GOP Senators, they never looked at striking a deal with the Dems for benefits in their state. I wonder the constituents in the GOP state will think.