Big Fat Story
To the Democrats, the numbers out from the Congressional Budget Office signal that the health-reform plan is fiscally sound policy. With a price tag exceeding $849 billion over 10 years, it falls beneath the number held as a ceiling by the president, and more importantly, will reduce federal deficits by $127 billion. But the Republicans view a program of this size as a gross expansion of federal powers—an intrusion of the public sector into a marketplace better operated by private forces. New taxes will be required to meet the bill.
Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo
Congressional Hispanics have threatened to oppose the final health-care bill because it may tighten the immigration restrictions originally set out by the House. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus told President Obama that the provision preventing illegal immigrants from accessing the government-run public option had to be dropped. The revolt of 37 Hispanic Democrats in the House could leave the bill dead in the water. Conservative Democrats have said they that will oppose the reform effort if it loosens its restrictions on access to illegal immigrants. “I have to be able to reassure my constituents that those who are here illegally cannot avail themselves of the provisions provided in this health-care bill,” Rep. Gerry Connolly, Democrat of Virginia, told The Hill this month. “The Senate language may tighten that up a bit.”
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
One of the latest attack lines to emerge from the Republican Party is the idea that the Democratic plan will place an unwanted burden on the country’s youth to foot the health-care bill for America’s seniors. Matt Miller writes in The Daily Beast that this bait-and-switch is said to be further proof of Barack Obama’s “radical tendencies.” Of course, the model of the young footing the bill for the old is old hat, Miller writes. It happens at every major corporation through regular health-care coverage.
Photo: Getty Images
How Obamacare Could Still Fail
The Senate on Wednesday put forward its health-care bill. The Daily Beast looks at the six major obstacles to reform.
According to Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post, fallacies surrounding the abortion debate, coming from both sides, have conspired to block health-care reform. Fallacy No. 1: The pro-life camp has said that the Stupak amendment is necessary to maintain the status quo of having no federal dollars support abortion. No. 2: Public and private funds are always kept separate when it comes to abortion. No. 3: The Stupak amendment is an “intolerable intrusion on the rights of women to choose,” Marcus writes. “Of course, nuanced and abortion don't generally occupy the same sentence,” she says—but Marcus tries to show why the overheated rhetoric around abortion misses the realities of legislation and obscures the need for reform.
Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images
Just last week, Sen. Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, was telling ABC News that he couldn’t vote for the health-care bill in its current form. On Wednesday, the Senate Majority Leader invited the moderate holdouts—Nelson, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana—for a meeting. Reid’s spokesman said the senator was “walking them through the particulars of the bill.” Observers saw the meeting as a sign that their support might be forthcoming. Nelson said in a statement that he might join Reid in order to “commence debate and… to make changes.”
Photo: AP Photo
The upcoming 2010 midterm elections have also proved a potential obstacle to health-care reform, as the Republican Party wagers that opposition to legislation could prove popular to voters. "All the anxiety's on the other side," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week. "The hand-wringing, the agonizing, the how-do-I-explain this-to-my-constituents is on the other side." As Dan Balz of The Washington Post points out, with more than half of independents polled saying they oppose health care reform, playing the Party of No could well be smart politics. For Democrats, the delay has been “excruciatingly, painfully slow.” That pain comes, in part, from a fear that having the health-care debate drag on into an election year could be a downer for the Dems.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
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If this bill leaves out even one person it is a failure !! Demand single payer NOW !!
I agree. How do they justify the 4% they leave out? I think if they left out Congress, people could go along with it.
Apparantly you didn't get the memo -- or perhaps one of the Obama text messages from the campaign. This complete disaster of a bill is merely the opening hand to single payer. Its guaranteed failure and cost overuns are the rallying cry for a single payer system in the future. Single Payer is merely a bridge too far right now. You libs better get on board the slow train to socialism rather than hoping for the express train that's not coming right now.
I hope this increase in premium and taxes bill FAILS for all Americans who pay their own insurance..As for those who really need to be insured, If the two parties could actually agree on anything they should start over and try to help these poor people out.
The government cant afford this Health Care Bill anyway, and when Obama comes back with the bad news from China, I think their may be a change in plans...
The worst Bill ever devised by Congress, and that is saying a lot. Both intellectually indefensible (it is quite literally, impossible, to add 30 million people to the market for anything and have the cost start going down) and also ethically indefensible (since Congress is lying about the cost). Congress is using 10 years of revenues (the taxes start immediately and the program isn't fully implemented for four years) against six years of cost, in order to make the 10 years scoring that the CBO just released. It is thus stupid and immoral. But you know what, "as long as it passes", that is the mantra of the left. They quite literally do not care how this gets sold, as long as it gets sold. Because once it's in, it will be impossible for any future Congress to repeal, and both sides know that.
That's the winning hand of socialism/liberalism -- once a Government Program is put in place it is impossible to remove regardless of how ineffective and/or detrimental. Conservatives can defeat a bill seeking to expand the role of government 1000 times throughout the course of the Republic, but if it somehow passes on the 1001 time then it is in place forever never to be removed. That's why it is the natural order of things for liberty to gradually give way to the tyranny of government.
We are broke. We are in one of the worst depressions of our time. This bill is nothing but taxes on all classes and a hugh expense (the estimates don't do it justice). If the bill passes with will be socialized and the econmony with tank. If you want to reform the insurance companies, then fix the economy first and start with small steps.
Thankfully, for the American people, this health care takeover plan will NOT pass the Senate. It would be an absolute disaster for the US economy and currently 85% of American's are satisified with their coverage and healthcare. Do something for only those who are not and cap the limits for trial lawyers.
That would only be a minor step in the right direction. Unfortunately this idiotic, intellectually ridiculous piece of crap will pass in some form, no matter what it takes. Numbers don't lie, and if it takes reconciliation to do it (only needing 51 votes and thus avoiding the need for 60 votes to bring to the floor) that is what will happen. They have made this the centerpiece of Obama's entire first term, it is too important to his power and to his far left backers for it to fail.
This push for a $1.2 trillion entitlement while we have unprecedented deficit levels is the height of irresponsibility. Obama said that health care at 16% of the economy is way too high. How can he promote a Democratic Bill that will lead to health care being over 20% of the economy and choking off job creation? This is beyond ludicrous and approaching the criminal!
AH...............if only America had no DEBT and had not been broken by the irresponsible deregulation philosophy of FREE Market and of the Conservative era of the last 30 years !!!
if only we had $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
There may be many true believers...but Obama wants THIS healthcare bill for SEIU and for other union concerns. True healthcare reform that preserves innovation, decent access and price competition is not going to happen without true free market principals. Of course, government has a role to play but it doesn't have to be this mess. Kill this bill and start over with some real innovative thinking...not just bigger government. Time to think outside the box...more government programs are not the solutions...when will we learn?
It's all so complicated... I went to a link for an explanation ,,, I feel a lil better after looking at all the info presented.... It was spelled out so even a 10 year old can understand what's been going on.
http://twitpic.com/q1ljq
One way health care reform could fail is to keep referring to it as "Obamacare," like the Republicans dubbed the last Democratic effort to fix our broken system "Hillarycare."
=This bill isn't some personal ego trip for the President.
Unless you're a complete cynic (see "fox news.com"),
it's about reforming a disgraceful health care system that
makes billions for the pharmaceutical/insurance cartel even as
thousands of Americans suffer and die every every because of
inadequate, or non-existent, medical care.
Sorry.........but the MANDATE is a gift of about 30,000,000 new customers for th health insurers..........plus the fact that they are already hiking up their premiums.
There are 3 good things in the bill....................but since there is NO REALLY strong public option and only a few can choose it..............this is not going to solve problems either for the GOV or the middle class.
It does nothing to reform the system. It simply expands coverage to a unreformed and broken system. Making it impossible to ever achieve true reform. This is purely a macho play by the Democrats to push something threw for their base and not look like wimps. This Bill is a total fraud!
Boy, I didn't know there were so many health care experts, as well as ardent readers, on this post. I wonder how many of the rednecks screaming against the Bill have actually read all 2,000 pages of it? And how many of them actually know anything about the health care system to offer their opinions in such eloquent ways? I wonder why the major organizations involved in providing and/or supervising health care in this country, such as the AMA, ANA and AARP have endorsed this "horrible" bill? Why is it that the nation's care givers, the doctors and nurses who deal first-hand with this disgraceful health care system, want to see it reformed? How many people dying or going bankrupt because of health care in this country are acceptable to you folks? Since you're such avid readers, having read all 2,000 pages of the Bill, and such experts on social policy, why don't you take a look at Nicholas Kristof's article in the New York Times today, when he quotes Republican arguments from the 1930's against social security and from the 1960's against Medicare--exact, word for word replicas of the right wing talking points against health care today. And I suggest if you want to put your money where your mouths are, right wingers, privatize your social security, and get granny and grandpa off their Medicare. Let's see how far that gets you.
Why does the AMA support it?
Because, as I am sure you know, they have been payed off with the "Doctor Fix." Also, you forgot to mention Big Pharma and the deal they struck. Why don't you explain in some detail how this Bill is going to reduce the percentage of the economy dedicated to health care and how it is NOT going to raise people premiums?
As far as Social Security is concerned, give me my money back and I will gladly opt out of the system. And while you're at it, maybe you can explain why it is that Liberals can't put together an argument that consist of nothing more than unoriginal ad hominem attacks.
Signed
Red Neck from New Your - you moron!
As it turns out the AMA trustees were the only ones who gave their support to the bill and that was after they were literally paid off. The members called an emergency meeting and reversed the endorsement.
melssamsza
good attitude ................and good argument
Liberalism = crony capitalism
Progressives = court jesters of George Soros ( Check his portfolio lately?)
Neverlate
how would you describe CoNSerVATIVeS ??
Why it will fail and should:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyrmEGWxayU
Obamacare and his so-call "Transparency" act was all "Behind closed doors". After 20 years with Rev. Wright which "he didn't hear anything", it all fits into place.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took a page right out of Nancy Pelosi's playbook. He drafted his latest ObamaCare bill behind closed doors, out of sight from the American people.
Thank you.
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