Rahm Emanuel Signals White House Is Willing To Compromise On Public Plan
Rahm Emanuel Signals White House Is Willing To Compromise On Public Plan
In his efforts to fashion a bipartisan compromise on health reform, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) has been trying to find alternatives to a robust public plan, which many Republicans refuse to consider. One of Baucus’s ideas has been to institute a public plan “trigger.” Under this proposal, the public plan would be created only if private insurance companies don’t make “meaningful, affordable coverage available to all Americans” within a certain period of time.
The Wall Street Journal reports that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is now lending Baucus his support for the public plan “trigger”:
Mr. Emanuel said one of several ways to meet President Barack Obama’s goals is a mechanism under which a public plan is introduced only if the marketplace fails to provide sufficient competition on its own. He noted that congressional Republicans crafted a similar trigger mechanism when they created a prescription-drug benefit for Medicare in 2003. In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect. […]
On Monday, Mr. Emanuel said the trigger mechanism would also accomplish the White House’s goals. Under this scenario, a public plan would kick in under certain circumstances when competition was judged to be lacking. Exactly what circumstances would trigger the option would have to be worked out.
The concept of a public plan “trigger” seems to be driven by a desire to protect the private insurance industry. As The Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky writes, “Why shouldn’t we require private industry to deliver on their promise to contain costs? Health reform isn’t about protecting private industry; it’s about adopting policies that are most likely to lower health care costs.” And as former Sen. Tom Daschle said, “I can’t think of a tool that more effectively controls costs than a public option.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has been pushing the Senate Finance Committee to adopt a public plan, said a “trigger” is unacceptable. On Face the Nation this past Sunday, he said a public plan “has to be available on the first day to everybody…so there shouldn’t be a trigger.”
I am pleased by the progress we're making on health care reform and still believe, as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest. I look forward to a final product that achieves these very important goals.
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So this is what having a majority means….
“meet the new boss, same as the old boss”
July 7th, 2009 at 10:04 amof course they are caving…..they have a majority now.
there’s a REASON this country is in a shit hole…..and it’s not JUST republicans.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:06 amIn his efforts to fashion a bipartisan compromise on health reform, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) has been trying to find alternatives to a robust public plan, which many Republicans refuse to consider.
This is, in a nutshell,is precisely why I do not understand why the Administration is so concerned with including the Republicans. They will never, ever vote for Health Care Reform – ever. Ignore them, and do the people’s work that you were sent to Washington to do.
The public plan is not optional to those of us who are people.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:09 amThat trigger has been pulled so many times. Time for the gun to be turned around.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:11 amIn concept, the idea of a “trigger” is appealing. If the existence of a public option would keep the private insurance industry honest, then the threat of initiating a public option if they don’t deliver should be equally effective.
There is much left to be done in crafting the legislation and implementing it but this is an encouraging development. After all, it’s the end that we want to achieve — not the means.
If private insurance can be moved to community rating, tiered coverage products and to drop underwriting procedures, we can get to where we want to be. This looks more like the French and Netherlands healthcare solution which would be better, less expensive and more palatable than the British or Canadian systems — and a vast improvement over the totally broken U.S. system that we have now.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:12 am“Rahm Emanuel Signals White House Is Willing To Compromise On Public Plan”
In other words, “They’re selling us out”.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:13 amRe: “In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect.”
Judged sufficient, by whose standards? Businesses’. Sure, a little competition is good for business — just make sure it’s not a lot. Virtual monopolies are easier to hide behind than actual ones.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:14 amNothing like selling out the American people, Rahm and Obama! I guess our “lobbying” for you last fall wasn’t as worthy as BigHealth’s lobbyists.
I guess with only 72% of Americans supporting the public option, they feel they can afford to alienate such a small segment of the electorate.
For fcuk’s sake!
PEACE
July 7th, 2009 at 10:14 am72% of Americans want it. About 65% want completely out of Iraq.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:15 amDo we live in a democracy or a corporatocracy?
This whole “health care” thing is just an elaborate dance. Neither party, including obama, never had any intention of making any real medical insurance reform except to make it more profitable for the insurance companies. obama has not, and will not, take any leadership position as rahmbo has indicated (no line in the sand). There is no clear cut “public option” on the table and whatever gets there will ruin any chance at real reform for at least another generation. That is the “change we can believe in.”
July 7th, 2009 at 10:16 amThis is a prime example of corporate citizenship outweighing personal citizenship.
We can talk forever about poor, sick or disabled people not affording health coverage…corporations DON’T care.
Corporations care about the profit margin. That’s it.
Yet Congress is listening carefully to corporate concerns because corporations fund congresscritter’s campaigns.
You’ll hear ‘we have to have competition in the marketplace’.
OK, where is that competition when Congress legislates NO NEGOTIATIONS ALLOWED for prescription drugs prices?
Sure, health care needs reform. Just as importantly, we need to stop allowing corporations to DICTATE the terms.
If you believe in the market, you also believe true competition weeds out incompetence. That’s the part of the market health corporations don’t want to acknowledge.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:17 amBlogger Herbert Calhoun, at OpEdNews, has called Obama’s style of governance “preemptive capitulation.”
July 7th, 2009 at 10:17 amThis is confusing. Emmanuel says one thing and President Obama says something different. See, when the President is away, the mice in the White House play stupid games.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:20 amThe only way Americans are going to get a decent health care system is to move to a country that actually has one.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:22 amThe purchase of all those congressmen and aids is working. We are toast.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:23 amWE NEED A SINGLE PAYER OR PUBLIC HEALTH CARE OPTION! WHAT PART OF THIS DON’T THESE POLITICIANS UNDERSTAND? I AM THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED WITH THESE WEAK KNEED DEMOCRATS WHO FOLD ON THIS, INCLUDING OBAMA! I AM A DIE-HARD DEMOCRAT BUT WILL REFUSE TO VOTE FOR ANYONE WHO DOES NOT BACK A PUBLIC PLAN. DISGUSTED IN CONNECTICUT
July 7th, 2009 at 10:24 amNo public plan, no better. We have to have a public plan. Health Care should not be for profit.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:25 amThe insurance company has had their “trigger”. When the Clinton’s tried to get health care, surely they were smart enough to figure out if they did not clean up their act, this would be revisited.
I’m a life-long, straight-ticket, yellow-dog Democrat, but I am done with this party if they cave on this.
Write, call, e-mail your reps.
Write Emanuel and tell him to STFU.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:26 amHere’s a plan for you:
76% of the public wants public health care and over 60% (I think) are happy to finance it with an increase in income taxes, understanding that the tax will be more than offset by the benefits ( a lower cost of health care).
Now, whilst we all could use affordable health-care NOW, the fact is we’ve all had to suffer without it for years.
THERE IS NO GODDAMN REASON TO COMPROMISE on PUBLIC HEALTH CARE.
All the Republicans (and DINOs) are doing is purring square wheels on the car and leaving out the gearbox.
All the actual Democratic supporters of the ‘public option ‘ have to do is DEMAND a ‘public option’ or NOTHING.
THEY will get re-elected in 2010, the opposition WON’Y–and that’s ALL anyone should campaign-on for 2010— and that will get rid of the obstuctionists, suporters will be voted in and THEN we can get a REAL functioning Affordable Health Care system.
Does that sound naive? Sure it does, but is it any more naive than to expect a compromise to do any damn good at all?
Politicans always talk about “fighting for YOU” but they rarely actually do it. REALLY fighting for public health care will guarantee re-election for those who DON’T COMPROMISE and will eliminate a whole bunch of obstructionists.
So not only would we get a better Health care plan, the Dems will increase their majorities and thus we can get OTHER vital policies passed more easily. A practical win, a political win, and with more wins more likely down the road.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:27 amtom Says:
In concept, the idea of a “trigger” is appealing. If the existence of a public option would keep the private insurance industry honest, then the threat of initiating a public option if they don’t deliver should be equally effective.
No, it is not appealing at all. It is a defense mechanism to maintain the system as it is and to protect the insurance companies. The existence of a public option would not “keep private insurance honest” — it would force private insurance to drastically alter its usury based methods or fail. “Honesty”, quite simply, does not even apply.
Threats are useless if they are toothless. But even ‘toothy’ threats are not necessarily worth anything — for example, there are many carreer criminals who are fully aware and experienced with the law, yet continue to be criminals. There are always businesses who knowingly break some law or another or regulations in order to make more profit. Threats will not have the same effect as an implemented option that is superior. Only an idiot would imagine that to be the case, particularly with the wealth of empirical evidence to the contrary. Commonsense.
There is much left to be done in crafting the legislation and implementing it but this is an encouraging development. After all, it’s the end that we want to achieve — not the means.
You take the stance here that the end justifies the means. This is not a morally defensible position. The means to any end is extremely important. For hyperbolic example — private healthcare costs would be reduced if there were less uninsured people not paying the emergency rooms — so if the uninsured were never allowed access to healthcare that would be a boon. Furthermore, if no one was allowed to ever sue a doctor or hospital, regardless of the circumstance, they could get rid of their malpractice insurance and lower the costs of their care drastically. The MEANS to the end IS extremely important.
If private insurance can be moved to community rating, tiered coverage products and to drop underwriting procedures, we can get to where we want to be.This looks more like the French and Netherlands healthcare solution which would be better, less expensive and more palatable than the British or Canadian systems — and a vast improvement over the totally broken U.S. system that we have now.
Wrong. Just, plain wrong.
Defense of anything other than a public option is defense of the current private insurance industry, which, at least in the case of healthcare, is an immoral business.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:27 amThe problem with our health care system IS the insurance industry. Any plan that has the taxpayer paying the current rates for insurance is a rip-off. Screw the insurance industry, and screw any politician that takes their side, and that includes President Obama.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:27 amMr. President,
Please fire your DLC drenched Chief of Staff. He is not serving you or our country at the moment. He continues to show his love of of half measures. He loves half measures because he’s always been about nothing but winning elections. But your party will lose huge NEXT YEAR if you don’t pass a public option.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:31 amWe have got to make sure we are bugging ever elected official we have about this. Repugs do it and thus appear to have more power than they really do. I will be first to campaign against Obama if he screws us on this.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:32 amIf a trigger would work the insurance companies would be bending over backwards to satisfy the customers they already have. My very pricey Blue Cross PPO denies benefits and makes new more onerous rules every day. Obviously they know what’s at risk and they don’t care because they have their politicians bought and paid for. Ethics investigations should start with Max Baucus.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:32 amThere is no justification for rejecting a public plan other than protecting the interests of the insurance companies.
None.
Anyone who rejects a public plan values the interests of the insurance industry over the interests of Americans.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:33 amOff Topic: Headline from MSN: Fewer Divorces In A Bad Economy
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/SuddenlySingle/fewer-divorces-in-a-bad-economy.aspx
Holy crap! Maybe there was a method to the republicans madness! They created our poor economy to save the sanctity of marriage?
July 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amoh look, I see my estimation of how voters will react to compromise, come the elections, appears to be on the mark, judging by some of the comments here before my #19 comment ( which I didn;t see until just now).
That doesn’t make me a genius, it just makes any politician who doesn’t grasp the majority’s desperate NEEDS, a complete MORON with a 2010 expiration date on their self-serving career.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amNote to Obstructionist Publicans:
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!
July 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amCoops are as good an idea as George Bush’s privatizing Social Security idea. Every coop would have administrators who could steal off the top. Then they’d have to invest their money somewhere just like the insurance companies do and then the next market crash the government would be bailing out thousands of coops.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amSen. Max Baucus (D-MT) has been trying to find alternatives to a robust public plan, which many Republicans refuse to consider.
Would somebody point out to Sam Baucus and the Republicans in Congress that their own health insurance is A PUBLIC OPTION!
Fricking selfish bastards.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amHealth care negotiates by offering a 100 billion dollar concession over 10 years tells me they expect business as usual They are spending 1.4 million a day lobbying against a public option. Where is that money coming from don’t tell me let me guess. my outrageous health care premiums that’s where. How in the name of Christ does this get the people who don’t have coverage in the tent????
July 7th, 2009 at 10:37 amI wonder if things would have been different if we had elected Hillary Clinton instead of Obama. President Clinton has been telling Obama not to compromise on health care.
Nobody worked harder for Universal Health Care than the Clintons.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:38 amDidn’t President Obama already extract a ‘promise’ from the health insurers to drive down costs and pass them along?
July 7th, 2009 at 10:38 amIf so, WTF is a trigger needed for???
I hope that MoveOn will target the Democrat senators who are obstructing the possibility of a public option.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:39 amI can understand the obstructionist publicans acting stupid, they’re morons. But if the obstructionist Democrats think they can get away with it they must be so greedy that the money they’re getting from business is melting their brains. They need to know we’re going to stand in the way of every one of them that screws us.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:39 amIt is past time to deal with this blight. Health insurances companies suck billions of dollars from our economy and do not put one useful thing back into it. If the President is really serious about turning the economy around, quit giving money to companies that just lap it up.
The major reason the US can’t compete is because we are wasting money in bloated profits for health insurance companies while our work force is denied decent health care.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:41 amNO COMPROMISE
Enough is enough!
Call your Senators.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:41 amCall the White House.
Write to your newspapers.
I talked with an old friend last night who I forgot was republican. The topic turned to the economy and politics and I quickly discovered how absolutely clueless my friend was about the last eight years of Bush and six years of a republican majority.
He truly believes all that has gone wrong with the economy, etc, just magically happened over night after Obama became president. Allowing the Fox entertainment channel to continue it’s lies and alternate reality definitely has it’s consequences…the number of ignorant Americans is growing.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:42 amkonchster says, “Health care negotiates by offering a 100 billion dollar concession over 10 years”.
A $100 billion public health care plan over 10 years? That’s how much America spends every month to kill men, women, and children in Iraq, Afganistan, and Palestine.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:44 amSince Al Frankin will be seated in the Senate today, all Harry Reid has to do is tell Sam Baucus and the other few Democrats who aren’t on board that they can kiss their committee chairmanships goodbye if they vote to uphold any Republican filibusters. Then they don’t even have to vote for the public option bill. We will only need 50 votes, and we already have that many without those dipshits.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:44 amMany of these politicians just don’t care about the American people. They are more concerned with protecting the interests of those who line their pockets with money.
They aren’t worried about getting voted out because those who fight against a public option will be rewarded nicely for their efforts come election time.
We are also forgetting that many of these politicians have shares of stock in the health care and pharmaceutical industries, to pass a public option would also threaten their own personal investments.
Translation: We are so screwed.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:49 am“TRIGGER” – noun –
1) assurance that by the time the trigger conditions are stated and sufficient time is given to meet these condition, healthcare is at least a generation away
2) assurance that the insurance companies will do the bare minimum to **APPEAR** to meet the conditions ?
July 7th, 2009 at 10:50 amI swear, if the public plan is crap, I will not vote for a democrat next election in 2010. I 100% will not.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:50 amIf Obama does one thing in his 4yr term, this public plan better be it.
I can tolerate lots of bull, but I will not accept compromise on this.
And I HAVE written my representative.
thanks for the reminder ShayneDoodlebug
How’s this
RUCeriousMaggot! Says:
Note to Obstructionist Legislators (Yes, Dems, that means you!):
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES! So do the next ones!
July 7th, 2009 at 10:50 amthe headline alone got my blood pressure up… couldn’t finish reading…
i scroll down to open comments to post the following from me…
and then i see the president’s message in the UPDATE…
somewhat reassuring, but…
NO TRIGGER.
PUBLIC OPTION IS A MUST.
FOOK BIPARTISANSHIT.
!!!
July 7th, 2009 at 10:50 amSo I see that I am taking some heat for supporting the notion of a trigger. That’s fine. It will hopefully make for some discussion and debate here.
I am not suggesting that we achieve an end by any means. I do not support restricting lawsuits. What I am saying is that a public option is not an end in and of itself. Not if it increases cost and does not improve outcomes or quality. Let’s face it folks. Medicare has not delivered on any of those measures.
This is a complex and complicated industry made up of for-profits and not-for-profits and providers and insurers. It’s a huge battleship to turn around in a bathtub. I know. I ran HMO’s and hospitals during my professional career. There are huge obstacles to the kind of progress that we need to achieve.
The failure of the Clinton approach was that it ultimately came down to an all or nothing choice. In addition, it was poorly crafted and poorly communicated.
We are beyond the point where we can afford another all-or-nothing choice. I believe that the President understands that and his public option has always been a “stalking horse” for change.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:52 amLooks as if we really need a third party. A Peoples/Workers/NonCorporatist party.
Congrats, Democrats, you’ve shown your true corporatist colors for all to see. Bought and paid for by big Pharma and HIs.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:53 amThe trigger is a lot of BS. The insurance companies are going to do the minimum to prevent the public option and the co-ops are not going to resolve the health care problem. You can be sure the insurance companies will find new ways out of paying claims. Finally, this trigger will be a mathematical formula in the legislation and if the Republicans gain control of Congress they will tamper with the formula.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:54 amA trigger mechanism…?
Emanuel: We will hold a gun to the public’s head and they will accept health care reform without a public option because it will be a bipartisan plan.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:54 amMarie says, “Enough is enough! Call your Senators. Call the White House. Write to your newspapers.”
The Senators, the White House, the newspapers, and the health insurance industry are on the same team. Maybe we’ll have to wait until Obama is out of the White House.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:54 amIf Obama caves on this, he will be a one term President, and dems will pay a big price when 2010 elections come around. Obama and dems can kiss their base goodbye.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:56 amWhat good is calling your senators and congressmen/ women now aren’t they all on summer vacation until labor day??
July 7th, 2009 at 10:56 amI thought this was a given.
I want viable healthcare and healthcare options just in case the monopoly gets shitty.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:00 amI agree angels81! They may not be aware of this but the republicans are and they are playing the democrats like a drum on this issue. Oh well, I hate to say this but if the democrats don’t have the courage or back bone to lead and pass a good health care plan now when the republican party is down and out, maybe they are better off being the minority party of no spine.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:01 amangels81 says, “If Obama caves on this, he will be a one term President.”
I’m starting to think that President Obama is a 98 pound weakling. I don’t know if he’s a traitor or a coward. Maybe both?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:02 amProud Says: Trig might have a higher IQ, but you don’t.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:02 amMr. Emanuel said one of several ways to meet President Barack Obama’s goals is a mechanism under which a public plan is introduced only if the marketplace fails to provide sufficient competition on its own. He noted that congressional Republicans crafted a similar trigger mechanism when they created a prescription-drug benefit for Medicare in 2003. In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect. […]
One simple argument against this so-called “reasoning.” The existence of the “donut hole” in Medicare Part D. For very ill elderly Americans, that donut hole is reached within a few months each year. Their out-of-pocket costs, which they bear 100%, leads many to either stop taking their meds or cutting them drastically. The result is that many never get to the other side of the donut hole for that year. The bottom-line result is that the insurers continue to make their obscene profits, while paying out relatively little in benefits. Despite this fact, the “trigger” was never implemented. And neither would a so-called trigger be implemented for a public health care plan.
Seems to me that our politicians, on both sides, have been bought by the corporate world. The meme of “Bipartisanship” is merely the “beard” used to disguise that reality.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:02 amoh, and
NO CO-OP.
.
also:
He noted that congressional Republicans crafted a similar trigger mechanism when they created a prescription-drug benefit for Medicare in 2003. In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect.
that’s bullshit, isn’t it?
plan/part(whatever) D was written by pharma in 05, not?
“judged sufficient” for WHOM???!!!
… jeezuz…
July 7th, 2009 at 11:03 amWhat worries me is that this might not just be rhetoric. Left to its own devices, the Finance committee would turn leadership over to the HMOs.
Realistically, single payer won’t work at this time. Obama realized that during the campaign…but a public option doesn’t necessarily mean single payer. Look at the House plan. Look at the plan coming out of the HELP committee. THAT is what will work for America. That is what we need.
(Yeah. I’d love to see single payer in the country some day, but it just can’t be done right now. Look at the countries with universal healthcare. I think the largest single payer country in the world is the UK [and, no, China doesn't count as single payer]. While that system is mighty effective, we also have well over 200m more people. Look at Germany, Brazil, Russia, Japan..all public\private systems.)
Point being, a public/private system is the best option for the foreseeable future.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:03 amThis would be less complicated if most of Congress was not bought and sold by big insurance companies.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:06 amProud Says:
——————————————————————————–
I can guarantee Trig Palin has a higher IQ than Biden.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Which means Trig’s IQ is nearly double that his empty-headed mom’s……….And yours.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:06 amBlind to our own will
July 7th, 2009 at 11:08 amNo imagination left
Such hopeless choices
interesting that this comes the day after we find out that MILLIONS PER DAY are being spent to maintain the status quo…
as mom says:
For fcuk’s sake!
PEACE
(that cracked me up)
July 7th, 2009 at 11:08 amPresident Obama can shave while he caves and he will still gather another landslide come next election.
I say President Obama is surpassing his long term agenda.
Bravo my man bravo!
July 7th, 2009 at 11:12 amWhy are so few angry that we, the taxpayer, are paying 2/3rds of the Senators, reps healthcare. This is per Debbie Wasserman of Florida. They pay 1200- 1500 a YEAR ! Because you and I are picking up the rest of the cost.
We are told talk to our representatives, but the lobbyists are writting the laws that favor the healthcare insurance, and the lobbyists are pouring tons of money into campaigns.
In Texas there are hundreds of healthcare insurance companies and it hasn’t brought the cost down one iota.
How difficult is it to add sales tax on everything from Starbucks to toothpaste for healthcare. That way it isn’t carried just by the rich.
It burns me that I have to buy a healthcare plan without knowing how much they pay the provider until I am locked in for a year. Those of you who feel the government will decide what care you get, do you think your insurance company isn’t doing that right now ?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:12 amAs an Obama supporter, he is still better than what we had for the last 8 years. Without the insane spending to Haliburton, the nine billion “lost” in Iraq the United States would have money for healthcare.
Those of you mad at Obama, where was your anger at bush/cheney for putting America in the toilet ?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:15 amtexaslady Says:
——————————————————————————–
Those of you mad at Obama, where was your anger at bush/cheney for putting America in the toilet ?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:15 am
They are at the various conservative (non)think-tanks , still trying to figure out where those non-existent WMD’s in Iraq went………..
July 7th, 2009 at 11:21 amdelafield Says:
“Rahm Emanuel Signals White House Is Willing To Compromise On Public Plan”
In other words, “They’re selling us out”.
“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Wouldn’t it be nice if these rat bastards would just be honest with us?
Emanuel: The American people need to understand, the private health care industry and the pharmaceutical companies interests trumps that of the American peoples interests. All the American people do is give us politicians their vote, the private health care industry and pharmaceutical companies give us boat loads of money. Do you really expect us to bite the hand that feeds us?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:23 amThis reform is MEANINGLESS without SINGLE PAYER.
WTF is going on here? 70% want it!
We have 60 votes now. What or who is in the way?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:24 amtexaslady, our anger was there loud and clear, and thats why we voted for Obama in the numbers we did, but I voted for the things Obama said he was going to do. I want him to fight for a public option, not cave. If he caves, then he was just bull shiting us voters and I don’t like being made a fool with my vote.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:24 amtexaslady Says:
Those of you who feel the government will decide what care you get, do you think your insurance company isn’t doing that right now ?
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Excellent comment texaslady! It needed repeating!
This is the message that needs to be made whenever the republicans use the fear tactic that the government will decide what care you get if we have a public option!
July 7th, 2009 at 11:28 amLooks as if we really need a third party. A Peoples/Workers/NonCorporatist party.
Congrats, Democrats, you’ve shown your true corporatist colors for all to see. Bought and paid for by big Pharma and HIs.
There is an option, a small party that takes no money from business, its called the Green Party and is truely of the people. We need a third party in play here, start voting on a local level and build from there, it wont happen over-night, but it can happen if we stop voting for the two parties that are beholden to corporate money.
Peace
July 7th, 2009 at 11:28 amDemocrats like Rahm and Max are more worried about placating Republicans than in addressing their campaign promises or serving the people they pretend to stand for.
And Obama wants us to back off?!?!? How cuold they possibly screw this up? Incredible.
I’ve been a loyal Democrat my entire life and am now dearly regretting that.
When’s the next Green Party meeting?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:29 amAre Rahm Emanuel and President Obama not communicating well?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:30 amRahm sets policy and he wants in on the take real bad.
Obama’s job is to cheer. And he does that real well.
My Democratic senator (Reed, RI) cheers well too. He is in on the take as well. And he is looking at the Co-op rather than the Option that America wants.
Money talks and BS walks. The Democrats are not with America, they are with the money.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:33 amangels – Just curious who you voted for in 2000 and 2004 ? I don’t believe Obama did lie. It took Jim Baker, the DON of the bush crowd 5 years to get a bill to make swimming pools change their filters. The filters that sucked the kids down and drowned them. His granddaughter was a victim.
But it took someone with all that power 5 YEARS ! So, here is Obama trying to clean up economic woes, per bush, repair diplomatic relations so countries will at least agree on issues that affect all of us, like nuclear weapons.
So, Obama, who has been office 7 months, is a liar because he hasn’t fulfilled all his promises ?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:35 amI want healthcare reform too, but you can’t change the looters, the liars, the lobbyists in the Washington crowd in 7 months.
Obama and dems best not forget, that it was us little people who gave their hard earned money to get him and them elected. Most of the big money was with McCain and the repugs. If we little people stop giving come next election, dems will be out of power once again, and they will have nobody to blame but themseleves.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:37 amOnce more, all of you who are mad at Obama need to redirect that anger at your representatives. How about writting to Obama, somebody reads his mail. Get past the gate guards to let Obama know. A man who watched his mother die while arguing with an insurance company, President Obama, will not cave. He might do the best he can this year, but I believe before 4 years are gone a better Bill will happen.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:39 amtexaslady, what I’m saying is he had better fight for a public option not cave. I would rather see him go down in defeat fighting for whats right, instead of caving just to get something passed. If he fights and is defeated, then we will know who to blame, and then deal with them come the next election.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:41 amTell me again…..Exactly which of Obama’s campaign promises are being vigorously pursued? I realize he cannot fix the monumental mess he inherited in 5 months. However, one can tell a lot by what is being said and what is being fought for. So far, I’m underwhelmed.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:42 amSo, because of this one issue, all of you are taking your support away from Obama ? President Obama has done more in 7 months for our economy, the relations with other countries, (that we need) than bush did in 8 years ! And you all are ready to abandon him. Who of you could do better ?
July 7th, 2009 at 11:43 amThus demonstrating how seriously Prod takes his own guarantees…
July 7th, 2009 at 11:47 amproud says:
I can guarantee Trig Palin has a higher IQ than Biden.
I can guarantee you that Biden knows who his Father is…
July 7th, 2009 at 11:48 amtexaslady, this issue is critical to the nation’s future. There are serious and formidable forces lined up against the kind of health care reform that we need.
The only weapon we have as voters is our support for those in office.
If we refuse to withdraw that support when it fails to make a difference on something as critical as this reform, then we have no power at all. It’s all in the hands of the corporatists and lobbyists.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:51 amTexaslady:
For me it’s actually TWO issues, in this order:
1)Torturers being brought to justice (or not) 2)the implementation of a public plan for healthcare (or not)
My continued support is contingent on his performance on these two issues.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:52 amexit stage – From the world point of view, the United States is slowing regaining respect. Government departments that have had authority taken, are coming back, Bureau of Forestry for one. Social Security offices were losing employees are not able to rehire. Border Agents are being hired, not just pretended to be as with bush.
Our Military is being overhauled, slowly but still overhauled. Bush, destroyed every public project he touched, from his No Child Left Behind, that he was so proud of. Ask the teachers what they thought of that. The ones that left because of the ridiculous teaching to the tests, to hell with teaching what the kids needed.
Public land that bush/cheney wanted to drill and destroy is being saved. And on that issue, taxpayer money built the Alaskan pipeline, so how come the oil gets sold to other countries first ?
Just amazing that you give this man, alright 5 months, and you are ready to crucify him ! What did bush do the first 5 months, oh vacationed on his ranch. BY the way the ranch got all kinds of improvement, WHICH YOU PAID FOR, and he is now selling it.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:53 amAnyone who rejects a public plan values the interests of the insurance industry over the interests of Americans.
You are 1000% correct. Obama has stated that the medical insurance industry is 1/6 of the US economy! In other words, Americans MUST give it’s money to corporations instead of spreading the wealth through out the community. Example
As a Canadian, I have single payer, no deductables, no co-pays and through our tax system each person contributes based on what you earn….for me…approx $1500. Now, take an American who has to pay at least $5000 to $12,000 to medical Insurance(depending on coverage and how many people in a family are covered)to get medical attention.
That money that is saved ($4000- $12000)by our system an individual can spend within the community…ie …increase trade within the community, greater personal wealth. How many of you have averted spending money (going out to dinner, travel…etc.)becuase you MUST pay your health insurance?????
If Obama wants to solve the economic desaster, implemant a single payer system, that in itself provide at least $300billion in stimulas through out America.
Our corporations in Canada are NOT ALLOWED TO EAT UP ITS CITIZENS WEALTH…PERIOD!!! Especially when there are systems that are run cheaper and benifit ALL!!!
THIS WAR IS NOT ABOUT HEALTH CARE….IT’S ABOUT WHO GETS TO KEEP THE BILLIONS ….THE HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY OR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC?????
PS….EVERY TIME A POLITICAN SPEAKS AGAINST SINGLE PAYER OR PUBLIC PLAY…ASK THEM HOW MUCH STOCK DO THEY OWN IN MEDICAL INSURANCE INDUSTRY OR MEDICAL INDURSTRY ?????? Since John Kerry owns about 5million in stocks.
I can see why certain politicans speak one way and blow it out there asses another way.
GOOD LUCK with the battle to servive!!!
July 7th, 2009 at 11:53 amDude I am so sick of this Bipartisan Bullshit! We could be getting so many things done, but we can’t do any of it because Obama wants to reach out. I’m tired of it, we now have 60 Senators and Harry Reid still wants to come up with excuses. I hope that more and more republicans get voted out of office next year. Hopefully that way we’ll get some things done. I’ll be sure to vote against Arlen Specter since he’s my Senator.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:55 amtexaslady, its not just this one issue. He has been slow when it comes to the issues that progressives voted for. He’s been good when it comes to banks and wallstreet, and their pretty happy. He’s not willing to touch DADT, he has sided with bush when it comes to releasing documents concerning wiretapping, the war and torture. He caved on the stimulis package, which was to small, he’s spent to much time trying to make nice with the party of NO, and now is sending signels that he is maybe willing to drop a public option. Some of us are saying ENOUGH.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:58 amThe “trigger” was pulled years ago. No trigger. No co-ops.
No compromise on a strong, national, public option. There has already compromise on single payer, which everyone knows would work best.
You have to figure Emanual is Obama’s mouthpiece and point person in Congress, so what he says comes from Obama. It’s very worrisome that Obama would permit him to say this, while the President then issues a statement that seems to champion a strong public option.
The important thing is to keep the pressure on those wavering senators – Buacus, Nelson, Conrad, Landrieu, Lincoln, Pryor, Hagan, Feinstein, etc.
No compromise on a strong, national public option. No compromises just to call this bill bipartisan.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:59 amI fear that any trigger put in place will have a safety lock on it so it won’t get activated.
We have already been asking the private health insurance companies to come up with ways where people can afford health insurance. Their only response has ever been to offer a somewhat convoluted plan at a slight discount to young, healthy people an claim they are making insurance more “affordable”.
– We need insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.
– We need insurance for people who are self-employed.
– We need insurance for people who have lost their jobs.
– We need insurance for people who have lost their insured spouses.
– We need insurance for the people none of the private companies want to insure.
– We need insurance that won’t bankrupt the insured — either by sky-high premiums or by insufficient coverage if they actually get sick.
– We need insurance that will pay for doctor visits and lab tests to keep a person healthy instead of waiting until a patient is sick enough to land in the emergency room.
– We need insurance that’s REALLY affordable for everyone. Premiums costing $1,000 a month for someone who only takes home $1,600 a month isn’t affordable.
If the private insurance companies were in any way willing to give up some of their profits and do this, they would. But they would rather spend upwards of $1.4 million a day for lobbyists to protect their gravy train than spend that money on any kind of meaningful reform. It’s not too hard to see where their priorities lie.
All a trigger will do is buy them some time while they figure out some other way to avoid the inevititable. Such a trigger will never go off, and everybody knows it.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:08 pmTexaslady:
July 7th, 2009 at 12:08 pmI said my “continued” support was contingent on his performance on the two issues I stated. I would hardly call it crucifying the man. My enthusiasm for his presidency is waning, as is my confidence he will man-up on issues that are important to me. HE has to earn my vote in 2012, he doesn’t have a “right” to it. No torture investigations/prosecutions,no public healthcare option, no repeal of DADT, etc., I will sit it it out in 2012.
“He’s better than bush” just isn’t good enough for me.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:10 pmEveryone on the hill has a personal agenda, how fast do you think the new person can move with his agendas ? I wish he would just say this is the way it is take or leave it. But, then what about the other Bills he needs to get passed ? And didn’t we just have the dictator bush who denied children’s health insurance and veterans benefits? Nobody fussed much over that.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:16 pmDON’T DO IT. DON’T DO IT.
Look at the numerous times you have already weakened bills / compromised under the repub promise of gaining bipartisan support – only to have the repubs vote against it anyway.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:16 pmI am incensed about this trigger. This is the ultimate sell out of the people. If the health care plan does not have a public option without a trigger I will no longer vote for the Dems that assist in this watered down legislation. I have emailed the White House, Sen. Baucus, Durbin, Burris and Schumer. If Baucus forces this trigger I will make the max campaign contribution to whoever runs against him. Then he go snuggle up to the insurance companies.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:16 pmHere’s an idea…ANY SYSTEM THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED MUST BE PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT!!!!INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT!!!
ENOUGHT OF THE SPECIAL TREATMENT…IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT…LEAVE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT BECUASE IM SURE THERE ARE MILLIONS WHO WANT A JOB!!!!
July 7th, 2009 at 12:18 pmHere we go again. The Obama adm. starts with DLC and works backwards to find something appealing to both sides of the the Republican party, who controls all the corporate funding he so desperately wants. For Sale signs are popping up like dandelions all over the White House lawn. Plutocracy we are us.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:20 pmIam curious on what basis Proud came to this gaurantee deal. Is it more likely Proud just made it up. Shit do we really need Jeffboste to figure this one out?
July 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pmWhy is Obama trying to appease the GNOP? As I recall, part of the mandate that he won in November was to reform the horror story that is Health Care in this Country. I don’t remember anything about kissing GNOP ass to get it either.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pmI truly believe that President Obama is using Emmanuel and others to float this idea to get the public to contact their legislators and to raise a ruckus. I am disappointed in him, though, that he doesn’t draw a line in the sand and use his political capital to make a public option happen. He has 72% of Americans at his back, why is he not going for broke?
July 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pmI’m not giving up on Obama, but I have given up on Harry Reid. He needs to be replaced, and soon. A sixty-forty majority can’t get the job done? I suspect he’d act the same way if he had a ninety-nine to one majority. Bipartisanship, you know.
Meanwhile, on the health care issue, isn’t it interesting that from Republicans we ALWAYS hear the tried and tired tome that private enterprise is the ONLY solution, the ONLY way to keep costs down while still delivering an exquisite product? But now, if a public plan is put in place to help lower costs and make coverage available to all, the loudest wails out there are from insurance companies and their Washington (mostly Republican) whores who are in effect admitting that a government-sponsored plan will whip the private sector’s butt, and to the benefit of people across the board.
Bipartisanship: bah, humbug. Stuff the idea because if left in place the dilution of appropriate agenda will turn it all into useless mush. Besides, who in their right mind gives a crap these days what the Party of NO has to say about anything at all? We already “NO” what their answer is to any prospect of progressive legislation, well in advance.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:25 pmtexaslady, I still support Obama, and hope he does the right thing. What I didn’t do is vote for King or a God. When a politician does things that I don’t like Im going to say so. It doesn’t mean I,m going over to the dark side, it means that I expect him to fight for whats right, and when he seems to not being doing that, he will get my anger.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pmSorry, but true healthcare reform is unaffordable. Period. There are lots of reasons why:
First, we already have an enormous and crippling national debt. $11.5 trillion.
Second, we’re about to have to come up with another economic stimulus package that will grow our debt even further in the near term: the first package was too small and too slowly implemented to get us out out of this long recession. And make no mistake, we neeed to get out of this recession first. If we don’t get out of the recession, mortgage defaults and foreclosures will go thru the roof, property values will plummet further, and the wealth of our nation’s homeowning families will evaporate. And, rising unemployment is causing Medicaid rolls to explode. A vicious circle.
Third, the federal government is surely going to have to bail out the states (California, with a $26B budget deficit, is now paying its vendors with IOUs instead of cash!). States’ balance sheets are awful. We could have states defaulting on debt this year.
It would be nice, but we simply don’t have the money to expand federally-provided healthcare.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:29 pmwow ! exit stage – Your attitude is one of the problems wrong with today’s society. As long as Obama satisfys “your” agenda. How about what is good for the United States ? Perhaps the long term objective will work better than just what you deem important ? What a selfish attitude.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:36 pmNeed anymore proof that those millions of dollars spent by Insurance Companies on lobbyist hasn’t bought the politicians who are SUPPOSED to represent us?
Nope, not at all…what a bunch of sellouts.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:39 pmtoo much money against public option.
money rules wash
must drain the swamp
hope was a nice first try but hope will not change the money control of wash
1.4 million per day will overwhelm congress
they seek money daily for reelection
get over it america until we drain the entire swamp nothing much will change but lots of words
wash no longer represents the people congress must go for the money their reelection depends on it
those within the system and have been successful getting reelected within that system are not about to change the system.
change must come from outside the system. look how obama is changing his tune since elected.
iran discovered that their system does not represent them just this last week.
it will take decades before americans understand what I am stating. but it will happen karma demands it.
capitalism must self destruct it is based on profits not people. ie 1.4 million a day spent to stop a program to help all americans. ie money first for wealth of the few that is the way of capitalism.
capitalism by its very nature will create a society of haves and have nots. only the temporal fix of borrowed money and printed money is preventing most americans from slipping from middle class to lower class.
few will understand my words. very few.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:44 pmfiscalrealist Says:
Sorry, but true healthcare reform is unaffordable. Period.
Nonsense. Reduce the “Defense” budget by, say, a half-trillion a year, give or take, and fiscal stability suddenly reappears. The US needs to get it through its thick skull that it is NOT the global hegemonic entity it sees itself as being. Get out of Afghanistan, of Iraq; close foreign military bases; close domestic military bases; reduce, reduce, reduce, the arms budget.
I suggest splitting “Defense” into two separate entities, the departments of Defense and War, then get rid of the war department once and for all. We who spend what, more per year than the next twenty nations combined on military crapola can’t find our way out of the war-mongering business? That’s pure baloney.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:46 pmfiscal – Your comment is so old, heard from Nixon days on. So, you like bigger welfare rolls ? You like overworked nurses caring for your loved ones, so that hospitals keep the profits high ? You like having health insurance and STILL going into debt when a serious illness strikes your family ? You think it is right that insurance companies collect premiums for years and then cancel when an employee gets seriously ill.
United States has fallen behind in education, manufacturing, transportation and definitely healthcare. So which is more important to spend money on ? Well, we need healthy teachers, workers, people who can see ahead.
Try to think outside your tunnel vision for a change.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:46 pmRUCeriousMaggot! Says:
Note to Obstructionist Publicans:
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!
Democrats need to head this warning as well. If a public option is not provided in the legislation, I will not be voting for any Democratic candidate. It will be time for my votes to go to 3rd party candidates, and if that means people like Sarah Palin get elected, then so be it. Maybe then the politicians will wake up and listen to the people.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:47 pmHaven’t had opportunity to read this thread so far, so I hope I’m not repeating what any one else has said, but:
THE PUBLIC OPTION IS THE COMPROMISE!
July 7th, 2009 at 12:47 pmmisscoleopteramolly ————–health care not health insurance. Completely different.
texaslady—————-now add up what obama HAS done to further bush policies.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:49 pmMany of us know the problem, now to get media attention. Saw the Ed show first time yesterday. He promises to keep the focus on healthcare. Surprise, surprise but Chris Mathews is for healthcare. I say, contact these people to let them know we want more focus on healthcare. Don’t tell me no one listens. And the other sheeple media like CNN will follow after you hit them in the head.
Wouldn’t a quarter of attention given to Michael Jackson from the media be nice to have on healthcare.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:50 pmbonzo – health care and health insurance are interchangeable. Everyone needs to contribute to health insurance for healthcare.
Obviously you have never been a new Manager, you don’t immediately clean out the dead wood til you see what can be salvaged.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pmThe Republicans opposed the New Deal because it was too expensive. They opposed the peace corp because it was too expensive. They initially opposed Medicare because it was too expensive. They opposed health care reform under Clinton and now Obama because it is too expensive. The Republicans have never proposed a large scaled domestic program since FDR and before. If FDR had waited to get a consensus we would not have Social Security today.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:59 pmTexaslady: You sure sound like a self-righteous blowhard. Tell me how not prosecuting torturers, not providing a public healthcare option, not supporting DADT, allowing wireless wiretapping to continue, etc. is better for the country than doing the opposite or doing nothing? You seem to think YOUR opinions are more worthy than mine because YOU agree with Obama’s waffling and backpedaling on what I consider to be very important issues. I am NOT a ditto-head democrat. Apparently, whatever Obama does (or doesn’t do) is fine with you because bush was worse.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pmOh yea….thanks you for being the self-appointed, lone barometer of what we on the left should be thinking or posting.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:03 pmI have already given several issues that Obama has changed since being in office for FIVE months. President Obama is much better than Mccain would have been just by judging Mccain’s choice of V.P. . My opinion is just that, NO ONE can change Washington in 5 months. Again, why is the bar being held higher for President Obama than slacker bush ?
July 7th, 2009 at 1:24 pmAs one post said, Obama is using Emanuel to see what will fly with the American public. Hopefully the fallout of indignation from citizens will be loud and forceful.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:34 pmexit stage – You are most welcome – if only I had such power.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:35 pmPressure the Whitehouse by going to ‘firedoglake’ and telling your Congress member to take the PLEDGE!
July 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pmhttp://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/publicoption
They need to Take the Pledge to vote against any health care bill that doesn’t have a public plan which is:
available nationwide
on day one
and accountable to Congress and the voters
If they haven’t taken the Pledge, CALL THEM!!
Apart from the reason that HMO’s have been like a bigger family, to many families, and for a long time, it is the doctors, themselves, who should be reigned in; for it seems that when politics has failed to protect people, that job is shifted to doctors-and they may be grossly abusing their powers by overstepping various individual privacy rights, rights to family security and wellness, (various)rights to cultural integrity, our right to enjoy aggregate social institutional benefits, and to our rights to age-old civil morality(?)!
July 7th, 2009 at 2:04 pmsesli sohbet, sesli chat, seslisohbet, seslichatsesli sohbetsesli chat
July 7th, 2009 at 2:11 pmWow, just wow and Thank you one and all for the many good post’s….Now for my spin..Do any here remember the fiasco of the medicare bill.? What they left us with is a nightmare of paper work and little to no help with prescription drug benefits that we were made to sign on to or else…Yah! donut hole at the behest of the reich winger’s, tom delay, and much ralling by the huge insurance industry AARP…I watched and screamed as a lousy 1400 page bill was passed and on a Friday night tom delay slipped in another 200 pages that were not even noticed on the following Tuesday vote that was passed…At a later hearing John Kerry admitted a staff member had read maybe 40 pages and was calling foul after the fact..Crap..Now we out here in medicare land pay an extra fee per month to another insurance, pharmacy group or else….Jeebos…
I will say once again, yes I did vote for Obama, yes I knew he was a right leaning centerest and like all the many others who voted for him I tried to hope he might bring “change” for the better, not more of the same…I’m with exit stage left and many others here, to say I am disappointed is not even close to my feelings…..It’s not like we had much choice..Big money and big business sold the Obama brand to the public.Anyone that think’s it’s not a true statement isn’t paying attetion…I was for Kucinich, still am…Few true patriots and constitutionalists are back in DC…Most are merely mouth pieces for big business and or political whores…That includes both sides since they are all so much alike..
By his choices and lack of prosacuting, in fact obstructing the investigations of the past administration and buying into much of bull shit bushs bad deeds make him as liable, as guilty and points to the 2 side’s of the same coin cenario..I am trying to be objective here but this administration has made it impossible…I don’t see us as better off at all…With the exception that Obama can speek well…He is after all an attorney and do’s know better and still doing nothing..
Regarding emanuel, this part make’s me ill…His will cost us the best solution to the health care problem…Dr Howard Dean..We are not going to get anything even close to what we need as long as emanuel and others are doing their will at our expense…Insane.
Next we come to the war problem’s that are sucking the life out of our country…Once again I remind you all, this administration is not going to reign in Israel since our own government is doing the same thing..So on we go with huge amounts of your tax dollers going to support 4 war’s and starve, bomb and kill men, women and children…..Agree or disagree, unless you all are willing to get off your butt’s and computers and do like we did during Viet Nam there will be no change….Nada, zipp, nothing but more flowery word’s while bombs fall and people of the earth die at the hand’s of war hawks and war business….Peace, Blessings & Justice. or we have nothing….Please forgive the errors and length…
July 7th, 2009 at 2:12 pmCo-ops: Setting the important rules
So much depends on the rules established to govern a co-op and how they compare to the rules governing other members of the healthcare system. Learn more at http://www.healthcaretownhall.com/?p=1288#more-1288
July 7th, 2009 at 3:23 pmDid Rahm’s brother, the one advising Peter Orzag, advise and consent on this?
http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/05/value-added-tax-on-table-for-health.html
Fortuitous picture choice for Max’s bait & switch?
http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/06/max-kents-cool-bait-switch-co-op.html
July 7th, 2009 at 4:18 pmI have written a simple message to the White House.
July 7th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Thank you State for the link’s…Blessings
July 7th, 2009 at 4:43 pmI have been tuned in listening about this story since it broke and have only heard one point, weak, that makes any sense.
- The dems want as many GOP signed on so if it doesn’t work they can say well, you voted for it too.
Also, lobbyists are spending 1 million per day to fight a public health care plan. As those invested in insurance, Big Pharma are also invested in media, defense is it too big of a stretch to say the media is going to distract and drag out M Jackson as much as possible?
Sen. Merkley and Sen. Shumer are both saying the momentum in the senate for a public health plan is growing and they believe the votes are there for an up and down vote.
July 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pmWhy would the Dems believe that the Republicans would vote for health care reform after the stimulus and bailout bills? The Republicans intend to dictate the terms of the bill and then proceed to vote against it. The Dems need to proceed without them and when the Republicans realize the Dems will draft and pass the bill without their input they will be more amenable to compromise.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:10 pmBluesChanteuse Says:
I have written a simple message to the White House.
Failure to insist upon a a public option:
This is the straw on the camel’s back.
IMO, single payer was the way to go. The “Public option” IS the compromise. Cop out on that, and you lose my support. Enough is enough.
you have my vote.
This will be the straw.
Go back to the sand and draw that line Obama…. be firm and stand by 3/4 of the American people.
With the mounting disappointments we have already been thru, if we get no support for a public health option and it goes down in flames – I will never be able to carry the water for Obama again.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:10 pmIt is time for the President to reconsider his choice of Chief of Staff. Unless he agrees with this bozo which would mean he should consider his next job.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:44 pmCampaign finance and real lobbyist reform or you will get the Emannuel /DLC/Republican health plan.
The blogger that said it is not only the Republicans was partially correct.
Republicans encompass not only those that admit to being Republican, but those in the Democratic Party that lie to you about what they are.
Anyone associated with Slick Willy is a Republican, plain and simple. Anyone that voted for NAFTA (Nancy Pelosi) is a Republican, period.
Stop letting the “Democrats” get your hopes up. The only people who will benefit from anything the “Democrats” pass will be the same top 1% that bribes them.
Let me repeat. Campaign finance and real lobbyist reform.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:41 pmWitch1, you are most welcome. Blessings in return…
July 7th, 2009 at 7:02 pmShame on Rahm Emanuel. Make every member of Congress and every member of the Obama administration watch the movie “Sicko”. Make dancer-boy watch it twice. Here’s the deal: A single-payer, universal healthcare system is the only thing that will get us out of our current healthcare crisis. Anything less is doomed to failure. We can either do the right thing now, or address this problem again when whatever Band-Aid plan our Congress comes up with fails and millions more have either died or gone bankrupt. What do we have to do to convince our elected representatives that they must act in our best interests? Here’s an idea: Deny each and every member of Congress their health coverage until they come up with a plan that covers all of us. Only when that happens will they receive health benefits, and those benefits will be exactly what each of us gets; no more, no less. Will any member of Congress come out publicly and claim that they deserve healthcare benefits any more than any other American?
July 8th, 2009 at 2:12 amWhen we hear republicans and conservative democrats decrying the evils of ‘socialized medicine’, the hypocrisy is overwhelming. The fact is we have socialized medicine in America right now. Those health benefits that our elected representatives enjoy are paid for and administered by the government through taxpayer dollars; that’s the dictionary definition of socialized medicine. Representative Tom Price of Georgia tells us that government funded healthcare is, “a right to get in line”. Even if that were true, how would that be any different than what we’re experiencing now? Try to schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist today and you’ll find that they’re booked out two months. Try making an appointment with a dermatologist and a two month wait will look good. If the insurance company administering your coverage has anything to say about it, you won’t even get the chance to wait in line. I think it appropriate that Tom Price discloses just how much he has accepted in campaign donations from the healthcare industry, (including big Pharma), and its lobbyists.
I have relatives in Canada and friends in England who receive health coverage through government run programs. They’ll complain about the system from time to time, but try to take away their government health cards & you’ll have a real fight on your hands. To the person, when they come to the US and get a taste of our healthcare system, they’re astonished at how pathetic it is and how overpriced. They think we’re crazy to have allowed such a system to exist. To those who have been scared by the specter of government coming between us and our physicians, would you rather have an insurance company doing just that? We must remember that through our elected representatives, we are the government! Remember too that the laws governing how corporations are run compels them to act in the best interests of the corporation, not in our best interests. In other words, corporations providing healthcare insurance are legally bound to do what must be done to maximize profits, not to provide us with adequate healthcare. It shouldn’t surprise us that the insurance companies have entire departments set up whose only task is to figure out how to deny their customers coverage.
We’re at a unique place right now regarding American healthcare. We have the opportunity to examine the many models of government run healthcare systems and pick and choose the best elements of each for our own. We could build a shining example of a healthcare system that meets the needs of its people for the world to imitate, or instead continue to be its laughing stock.
They have created an alternate reality. He came right out and told Fox News viewers that Fox was lying to them. Film izle film izle .online ilm seyretFox went to court in order to be able to legally lie, and call it “news”. So, it is no secret to the wingnuts, yet they continue to consume the lies spilling forth from their TV sets and radios.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:37 am