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News & ArtsWednesday, July 29, 2009
Health / Politics Today in Health Care
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Huffington Post is reporting "progress" on health care in D.C.
Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., head of the Blue Dogs health care task force, appeared pleased with the agreement, saying: "It cuts the cost of the bill significantly by over $100 billion. It protects small businesses and it saves our rural hospitals and ensures that if there is a public option, it will be just that. It will be an option providing consumers more choices. It will not be mandated on anyone. And it now will clearly be on a level playing field."
As I said yesterday, I'm still learning about this health care situation, but I can tell you that if a Blue Dog Democrat says progress is being made, it's probably the wrong kind of progress.
1
Big insurance and big pharma are trying to plant poison pills in this reform. We need to know the details before they make things worse.
3
This "reform" is just what the GOP needs to gain both houses back in 2010 and win the White House in 2012 in a landslide.
Anything less than a full public option and fuck the insurance companies is going to fuck huge swaths of the population over. And THAT is the key to GOP victory. Make the Democrats the reason Health Care Reform was mediocre and fucked up.
If the Democrats had balls and guts they would use the 60 votes they have and just pass universal health care.
Anything less than a full public option and fuck the insurance companies is going to fuck huge swaths of the population over. And THAT is the key to GOP victory. Make the Democrats the reason Health Care Reform was mediocre and fucked up.
If the Democrats had balls and guts they would use the 60 votes they have and just pass universal health care.
4
"if a Blue Dog Democrat says..."
That's irrelevant. Shooting the messenger.
Is Blue Dog Democrat the new Republican?
That's irrelevant. Shooting the messenger.
Is Blue Dog Democrat the new Republican?
5
@3 I couldn't have said it better, and I'll add this -- people should be sharpening their pitchforks for revolt. It's pure sell-out by the people we elected to bring us universal coverage. They're lining their pockets with health lobby money and selling us out as they are told to do by their corporate masters.
6
Would we accept the 37th best military while paying twice as much as any other country in the world? Our socialist military has put competitors like Blackwater out of business! Where is our choice in armed response to a national existential crisis?
7
if a Blue Dog Democrat says progress is being made, it's probably the wrong kind of progress
The Congressional Budget Office scored the current house plan and concluded that it would increase rather than decrease medical inflation, was not currently deficit neutral, and would become even more cash-flow-negative in the future. Given that the plan was basically to offer never-deny-anything insurance to everyone, and subsidize those who couldn't afford it, that assessment shouldn't surprise anyone.
The blue dogs are demanding that a plan that actually reduces costs and actually funds itself. Obama keeps making these same points in speeches, but no one in Congress has the guts to do what it takes to make that happen. (For example: tax health insurance benefits.)
The Congressional Budget Office scored the current house plan and concluded that it would increase rather than decrease medical inflation, was not currently deficit neutral, and would become even more cash-flow-negative in the future. Given that the plan was basically to offer never-deny-anything insurance to everyone, and subsidize those who couldn't afford it, that assessment shouldn't surprise anyone.
The blue dogs are demanding that a plan that actually reduces costs and actually funds itself. Obama keeps making these same points in speeches, but no one in Congress has the guts to do what it takes to make that happen. (For example: tax health insurance benefits.)
8
@4, take it from a spy living deep in Red State Southland:
They're basically Republicans, they just can't change party affiliation because Pappy & Grandpappy were Democrats. And something to do with Lincoln in some distant century, I'm afraid.
See early years of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zell_Miller…
And maybe read up on Lester Maddox.
Most such folks fled to the GOP in the past 2 gen'ns, but not all. Also, uh, Toby Keith claims to be " "a conservative Democrat who is sometimes embarrassed for his party." And he endorsed W. in 2004.
I'm still trying to figure it all out.
They're basically Republicans, they just can't change party affiliation because Pappy & Grandpappy were Democrats. And something to do with Lincoln in some distant century, I'm afraid.
See early years of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zell_Miller…
And maybe read up on Lester Maddox.
Most such folks fled to the GOP in the past 2 gen'ns, but not all. Also, uh, Toby Keith claims to be " "a conservative Democrat who is sometimes embarrassed for his party." And he endorsed W. in 2004.
I'm still trying to figure it all out.
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