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The Democrats' Midterm Nightmare
Jose Luis Magana / AP Photo
As House leaders push to pass health-care reform, a major political headache looms: The bill’s impact won’t be felt until long after already anxious voters go to the polls in 2010.
Democrats are in a predictable panic after this week’s Republican conquest of statehouses in New Jersey and Virginia. But as the White House and congressional leaders look anxiously to 2010, they should realize their real problem is 2013. That’s the year the new insurance exchanges being established by health reform would actually open for business, accompanied by hefty subsidies to help folks buy coverage.
Almost nobody in the real world (let alone in the chattering class) has focused on the 2013 dilemma. Yet the political implications are striking. Say the stars align and Obama is able to sign major health reform into law before he gives his State of the Union address in late January. What happens next? 2010 comes and goes. 2012 comes and goes. And then millions of Americans who lack secure health coverage start to get it, in Obama’s second term. A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that most Americans think they’ll see tangible results from any health reform in the next year or so. This expectations gap is a looming disaster for Democrats.
In recent days Democratic euphoria at the prospect of major reform has been balanced by a growing awareness of this vulnerability. But the party’s early response isn’t convincing.
Why the delay? One senior official involved in the launch of the Massachusetts insurance exchange—the model for national reform—tells me you need at least two years to get this kind of new regime up and running (Massachusetts did it in about 18 months, which this official says was not ideal). Add in the unsurprising fact that White House guru David Axelrod will never allow a potentially chaotic open enrollment in the new exchanges to take place in the run-up to the 2012 vote. So 2013 it is.
The Democratic midterm nightmare thus takes shape. The economy, though back from the brink, remains anemic in October 2010, with few new jobs and unemployment hovering at 10 percent. Meanwhile, the one big thing Democrats say they’ve done—the supposedly “historic” reform they trumpet on the stump—has delivered nothing tangible yet to voters. Instead, what voters in fact experience in 2010 is a continued rise in what they’re paying for health care, via still-surging premiums and copays, as well as moves by employers to shift more of these costs to employees.
“Help is on the way” won’t pack much punch as a Democratic argument in 2010—that only works when you’re out of power. The likelier public sentiment, especially for critical independent voters who swung to the GOP in droves this week, is “This is what Democrats say they’ve accomplished?” The Republican ads write themselves.
• Michael Smerconish: Purged Moderate Dede Scozzafava SpeaksIn recent days, Democratic euphoria at the prospect of major reform has been balanced by a growing awareness of this vulnerability. But the party’s early response isn’t convincing. Nancy Pelosi’s office just put out a Letterman-style list of “Top 14 Provisions That Take Effect Immediately.” It includes a temporary high-risk pool to help sicker folks who’ve been denied coverage elsewhere; a ban on lifetime caps on coverage; a way for children to stay on their parents’ plans until age 27; and for displaced workers to keep their (very expensive) COBRA coverage until the exchanges open. It also features a $500 reduction in the “donut hole” for seniors’ prescription-drug coverage, as well as discounts on branded drugs. This last measure should be meaningful for seniors. But it’s pretty thin gruel for everyone else, relevant to relative handfuls of people. A hodge-podge like this may not add up to a potent message in the face of higher health costs and GOP attacks.
For now, the White House seems to think that because these near-term measures poll well, they’ll suffice. They shouldn’t be so complacent. As the final sausage-making proceeds, Democrats need to fix their 2013 problem before it makes a hash of all they’ve worked for.
Matt Miller is a management consultant, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and the host of public radio’s popular political week-in-review, Left, Right & Center. His new book is The Tyranny of Dead Ideas.
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Matt Miller is a management consultant, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and the host of public radio’s popular political week-in-review, Left, Right & Center. His new book is The Tyranny of Dead Ideas.
I have heard that some members of Congress (Democrats, naturally) have been talking about starting health care reform benefits in 2010. Makes sense, politically.
Did you read "One senior official involved in the launch of the Massachusetts insurance exchange-the model for national reform-tells me you need at least two years to get this kind of new regime up and running..." ?
You do realize that their are a many different kinds of benefits right?
penscott: You know, of course, that we already have government-run medical programs that have been operating for over 40 years and provides 60% of America's health insurance? I'm referring to Medicare, Medicaid, and VA health care.
I doubt it would take "at least two years" to expand these programs to cover the relatively few Americans that will be added by the health care reform bill, since most Americans under 65 will still be covered by their current private health insurance.
Hi AlanD2.
Your youth is showing. First, 40 million Americans are currently uninsured. Second, this reform is not so modeled on existing programs that you can think of it as simple extensions of this and/or that.
Consider HIPPA, the health insurance portability and accountability act. Passed in 1996, it mandated a common system for collecting and maintaining health records. To this day, 13 years later, only some 10% of American health providers are in compliance. It is not that the rest don't want to be, they all just invested in their own systems development and can't agree on whose is most adaptable for all.
You can hope for the best, sir, but I will be VERY much surprised if 2 years is enough.
JohnConnughton: You could be right. It will depend mostly on what types of benefits are phased in early and how many people get into the program.
By the way, I wish I had some youth to show. I'm retired.
They can't have the benefits kick in early and have it be deficit neutral. The costs actually start kicking in right away, it's just the benefits that don't.
You are like right, ThinkAgain.
Personally, I don't mind paying a bit more for saving the lives of 45,000 uninsured Americans each year.
Conservatives like you may not feel this way.
Oh thank God Alan, you dont mind paying for 45,000 uninsured americans each year, the problem Alan is, the rest of the middle class will be paying for these peoples insurance not just you, and right now a lot of them are out of work, not paying taxes and who know when they will be. So if you think its going to be cheap, I hope you are a millionare because you can pick up the tab for those in the middle class who dont share your dream.
diamondgirl: As I keep mentioning in these threads, if we implemented a good single-payer health care system - like those in every other industrialized country - we could insure all 50 million uninsured Americans (your 45,000 number is how many of these die each year that could have been saved).
We would also have about $1 trillion of savings left over. Wouldn't you like to save this kind of money? You are for fiscal savings, aren't you?
I think that would be great, it will be very fresh on the peoples mind, so when they go to vote in 2010 they will make sure not to vote for any Democrats...LOL The sooner the better...
I don't get this argument.
It's the same mindset of Republican constituents yelling "Listen to the people" or "You work for me!" when assailing Democrat members of congress.
The only change in vote 1 year later will be if democrats stay home for the lack of health reform.
benama, the Dems will be staying home because they don't have Obama on the ticket, with all that hope and change crap he fed us, which turned out not just because of health Care, it's because of BIG GOVERNMENT, the independents don't like BIG, GOVERNMENT, BIG SPENDING,BIG TAKE OVERS,BIG BAIL OUTS, BIG SOCIALISM,GOV HEALTHCARE.
The Progressives like this health care, don't fool yourselves thinking that's why they didn't come out on Tuesday, the Indy's voted Republican because they don't like the direction Obama is taking the country in. It's not about health care you losers. Although I hope you keep thinking that way, because for sure we will own the Congress in 2010.
Taxes will go up to pay for abortions and illegal alien healthcare. Wow that's a great vote getter.
If you really cared about taxes, Glenda, you would support a single-payer system like that in France, which has the world's best health care.
It would cut our annual health care costs from $2.2 trillion to $1 trillion.
By the way, abortion is a medical procedure, and it is legal. It should be covered in by any reasonable health care plan, as it is in 80% of private insurance plans.
As for illegal aliens, they are human just like you and me, and they should be covered if for no other reason that it is the moral thing to do.
France does not have a single-payer system.
There are six billion humans in the world. Is the moral thing to provide medical care for all of them?
penscott: You seem to be at least partially right. From the Healthcare Economist:
"About 99% of French residents are covered by the national health insurance scheme."
"However, France utilizes more market-based ideas than most people realized. Copayment rates for most services are 10%-40%. About 92% of French residents have complementary private health insurance."
"In essence, the French system avoids widespread rationing because, unlike true single-payer systems, it employs market forces."
http://healthcare-economist.com/2008/04/14/health-care-around-the-world- france/
Regardless, it's not like ours, it's better than ours, it covers almost everybody, and it's a lot cheaper, too.
As for the morality of helping all people in the world, I would argue that we should start with all Americans first. But yes, I personally believe we have at least a partial moral obligation to help people outside the U.S. Which we have already been doing to some degree for many years.
Sure it will cut costs. This coming from the crowd that was off by several hundred percent THE FIRST YEAR in their projections of the cost of Medicare, thousands now!
France doesn't have our obesity problem. If you calculate their costs if they did they're no better than we are.
AlanD2 did someone drop you on your head as a child. We don't even know what is in this 1900 page healthcare takeover. Some things are surfacing, buy insurance or risk jail time. This is just the tip of osamacare.. Does this make sense to you. I need to stop here, I may say something that I should not. You can't see what is right in front of your nose, I pity people like you. Pity
lachica6: Personal attacks are no substitute for rational debate.
This is why conservatives / Republicans are in such a minority these days.
Alan, abortion is KILLING BABIES legal or not... I am not going to pay for anyone to kill a baby...
The only people I want to pay for is those who are disabled or too poor and cant work. Thats all anyone should have to pay for...
Alan, I think instead of you giving everyone advise Like Glenda above, here's little bit of advice from me to you... Since you like the single-payer system like that in France, you should move there, we don't believe in Socialism here in America. What is your pension running out or somthing?Do you really need a hand out that bad? You sound pathetic and anyone who so casually says since Abortion is a medical procedure and it's legal, should be covered is a PIN HEAD with on value on life.
diamondgirl: If I have to pay for your conservative wars that are killing American soldiers and innocent Iraqi and Afghan citizens, then you can suck it up and pay for legal abortions.
diamondgirl: Why is it that conservatives like you, who put such a high value on fetuses, are perfectly happy to have 45,000 uninsured Americans die each year because they can't afford life-saving medical treatment?
And you guys seem perfectly happy that tens of thousands of Americans have to declare bankruptcies each year due to illness, despite most of them having health insurance.
I guess anything goes as long as insurance companies can get their profits...
diamondgirl said: "... we don't believe in Socialism here in America."
I hate to say this, diamondgirl, but you don't speak for all Americans. You may not believe in socialism, but lots of other Americans do.
And if you really want to purify America from all traces of socialism, you're going to have to get rid of our military, the CIA, the FBI, all police, all fire departments, all public schools, and a host of other public institutions.
I get the feeling you really don't know what the heck you are talking about, diamondgirl.
As for me, I served in the Air Force during the Vietnam war, so if it comes to one of us moving out of the country, you'd better start packing.
Why all this talk about abortion when it was the restrictions on paying for it that got the bill passed? None of you, not even Diamond Girl, are going to be paying for abortions.
So you'd like to drive abortion business to the backyard sector, eh Glenda.
This debate is long over in the rest of the west, the sky hasn't fallen in and women are not subjected to unnecessary worry at an already difficult time in their lives.
Saying "No" doesn't work most of the time.
Even if you disagree, and i am undecided, you have to understand the viewpoint. If you consider the fetus a person, which they do, you must be able to see how they believe its murder. If you follow that chain, logically, yes, they don't care if you drive it into the backyard. Both arguments for and against abortion ARE logical, they just disagree on a basic premise, and thus go completely different places. Intolerance to either side gets us nowhere.
Listohan, if you are a women and have sex without prevention in this day and age, when it is very easy and cheap to get it, they should have kept their legs closed, there is no excuse unless its rape or incest...Killing babies because they are lose or not responsible is not anyone's fault but their own...and its definitely not the babies fault
Listohan, if you are a women and have sex without prevention in this day and age, when it is very easy and cheap to get it, they should have kept their legs closed, there is no excuse unless its rape or incest...Killing babies because they are lose or not responsible is not anyone's fault but their own...and its definitely not the babies fault
Alan, who says these are MY conservative wars, I don't like them either, not every conservative thinks the same, just like each moderate thinks the same. You my dear Socialist/comrade are a judgmental fool...And as for either one of us leaving this country, It sure as hell isn't going to me, you're the Socialist and don't like our countries policies you need to move somewhere where someone gives a dam what you think, because MOST Americans are NOT SOCIALISTS, or COMMUNISTS, and shame on you for bashing most Americans. As for serving in Viet Nam, I am sorry that you had to endure that experience,and I hope you are well but, and I hate all wars, but I still love the freedoms we have here and wouldn't want it any other way.
Glenda is another one of those republics that so dense she'll vote against her own best interests and those of others just to satisfy her 'party'. Stupid is as stupid does....and I'm sure Forrest was a whole helluva lot smarter than Glenda.
You're one of those dense liberal lemmings who buys everything your nuts tell you just because you want it to be true. Some people care about more than just their self interests, they care about the long term health of the country too. .
You liberals have NEVER been even close on your cost projections with these big boondoggle programs but you're just dense enough to suggest this one will be different?!
Name calling is a sure sign of a weak immature mind.
Great, thinkagain - dense liberal lemming is NOT name calling.
You're just pissy about your party and their lack of message other than NO.
Why don't you stop stalking me here at DB, study and post some suggestions of your own to some of these issues we face.
Contrary to the Republican Dictionary, there is a difference between "Best Interests" and "Self-Interests". I've also noticed an alarming delusion about their perception of "Self-Interest".
Japan (the worlds second largest economy, but with a lower Median Income) provides Universal Coverage at a cost of 8% of GDP. The average Japanese patient consumes 3 times the health-care as an average US patient. The Japanese have a lifespan half a decade longer than in the US. You would never see homeless dropped on the sidewalk right after surgery, AND not a single Japanese person goes bankrupt and/or looses their home over health-care cost. They have a much lower rate of disablity, and preventable death.
When you look out your window while driving through the city, take a moment to look at the empty homes, that were emptied for health-care profit. Ask the next disabled person you see if they were disabled over lack of health-care ( I was)... Think about the blight and lowered quality of life you see in the US, much of it due to the desire to profit from illness and death.
Is this in your "Self-Interest"?
Personally, I'd rather live in a country that has some record of human decency, and has a few less "wannabees" wishing to be one of the top 1% that takes the income of 25 families for themselves.
Geed is a disgusting character trait that is not in the true self-interest of anyone.
The Republican "Party" model is to suck up to business for kick-backs. Through K-Street lobbies, they have been able (until recently) to get more money this way than by governing for the people. They just hated when Obama was able to out fund them through $5 donations from the public.
The stench from this "Fiscal Conservative" line is so strong, it makes you want to wretch.
GWB doubled the national debt. The left behind a $1.2 Trillion deficit. According to them, apparently, this was fine since the debt came from handing Hundreds of $Billions to the Uber - Wealthy. Debt and Deficit are fine, if they are for Tax-Breaks to the Oil Companies, the War Machine or the Top 1%... who take the money to out-source jobs by building slave factories in third world countries.
There are 3 type of Republicans: The Ultra-Wealthy (a very small group).. the emotionally damaged (the haters.. If your skin.. religion or dress is different than mine, we'll squash you...).... and the single issue idiots without a clue about anything else (e.g. abortion, guns, illegals).
SO: if you are looking for your next greedy score... or if you really hate those brown people next door... or if you think your religious views should be jammed down everybodys throat... by all means, vote Republican..Their tents open for you!
I don't get the drama over abortions. It is not a medically necessity. Breast implants are a legal medical procedure. I don't expect them to be covered. Its not the insurance company's, nor the government's job to pay for your screw up.
And what happened to the 72 hr window to view the bill? Nancy is full of sh%$.
What are you full of, Glenda?
has this been going on for the last 5 months you are full of it
The bill has been available.
If this were about health care coverage and cost, the Democrats would want it to take effect ASAP. They would also avail themselves of a rather low-hanging $50B from tort reform. They would promote interstate policy transactions.
If it were about universal coverage, it would be MUCH cheaper to merely subsidize coverage for everyone unable to pay.
But this is about a transfer of wealth from those who can provide for themselves to those who can't or won't. With the idea that they will thence be reliable democrat voters for life.
In short, it is an utter fraud. It will damage this country gravely, but Democrats do not worry themselves over much about that.
Decline and dependency means more voters hooked on government largesse. Which is precisely the goal...
The real problem is that health care as a percentage of the economy will go from 16% to 21% crwoding out any job creation. Add to this the Democratic cap and trade proposal we are looking at massively high unemployment for years to come.
The Republicans may be known as the party of "no," but the Dems will be known as the "party of no jobs." Which would you rather be?
are they some crazy looking people or what
i just have a problem with the so called lawmakers that are supposed to be lawmakers for this country that want to have healthcare for illegal immigrants "crimminals" it seems to me these people are not working to help people in this country and the people in their states need to take a hard look at that , and these two people that keep talking about abortion have another agenda all you need to say in the bill is noone will be allowed to use federal money for abortions there are other agendas going on here and the pres need to turn his back on some of these so called american lawmakers
You don't know what you're talking about. Honestly. First, I never saw a germ that could tell who had a green card and who didn't. You don't want to innoculate undocumented workers against TB? Fine. Just watch disease spread like wildfire.
Nikkya, by taking care of illegal immigrants the Democrats hope to win Hispanic votes, those of Hispanic citizens and of illegal immigrants they manage to get registered to vote.
What you forgot nikkya is one only reason there are illegal immigrants is because they are been hired by Americans who want to make a extra Buck.
If Americans did not hire ,they would not come.
Most civilized countries have Health Care as a basic Human Right, i thought as a nation that claims God loves it ( more than anyone else ) It would be the Christian thing to do?
Most other countries that abortion is legal it is still a private matter & needs to be paid for ( rape victims can usually get it done free )
Apart for that i am not aware of it been given away for nothing ?
You think Women will just drop by for a free abortion , just because they can?
Their viewpoint tends to be:
free abortion> i don't have to pay for condoms or birth control.
so, usually, yes, so they think.
You think people aren't smart enough to figure out that it's going to take a little time to instate a new health coverage system? Here's what I think - I think there's still stimulus money left in the pipeline that will be released in time to create direct improvement to voter quality of life.
If England could do it coming out of WWII i am sure America will have no problem at all. Billions are spent on NASA over the years, nobody really complains about that?
i think you are right .
I wonder what's in that 1900 page bill. Does anyone know outside a dozen or so Congressional Democrats? I know it covers illegal immigrants, cuts Medicare for seniors, raises the premiums for private insurance, penalizes people who don't buy insurance, raises the costs of struggling small businesses, and so forth.
But those thiings are only a small part of the 1900 pages.
I'm really curious what else is in there.
Boring. Another perennial phony thumbsucker story that comes out every two years.
The only thing that could be different this time is ideologue idiots like Glenda1976 sabotaging the party out of power and preventing it from getting any benefit from the cycle.
Let's see, we have record unemployment and what do the Dems do?
1. Implement a huge entitlement with over $500 billion in new taxes
We have record deficits, and what do the Dems do?
1. Implement a new entitlement that will explode the deficit to astonomical proportions.
This is the most irresponsible government that I have seen in my entire life as a voter.
neverlate: You're right as of right now. And it's gonna get a lot worse. If Pelosi gets this health plan through God only knows what's gonna happen. I saw a portion of the plan last night. If anybody does not get insurance there is a provision in the plan to send them to jail AND fine them from $2500,00 up to $250,000.00 depending on the circumstance and income. Now before one of you democrats jump on me let me assure you this is a hard case FACT!!!
You must have been asleep for the past 8 years.
Bush's "borrow and spend "wars, with tax cuts for the super-rich almost broke our economy for good.
So why are the current congress and administration still headed down the wrong path?
Liberals running Congress is like the inmates running the asylum.
Throughout the developed world, countries supply Universal NON-PROFIT health-care.
We spend twice as much (on a broken system) as the average developed nation spends for a Universal Coverage system.
The average cost for care in the 30 top developed nations (excluding the US) is 8.1% of GDP
We spend 16% of our GDP on a system that leaves millions without care, has a 3rd world infant mortality rate and a lower lifespan than nearly every other system. We accomplish this feat while bankrupting large portions of our middle class each year with huge health-care profits.
Nations with BETTER care, at much lower costs include:
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Denmark
Austria
Iceland
Ireland
Sweden
Norway
Japan
France
Germany
Finland
New Zealand
and many more.
The life expectancy is LONGER in each of these countries.
In Ireland: Universal Coverage is supplied for 7.5% of their GDP. The US spends 16%
On our $14 Trillion GDP, this is a difference of $1,190 BILLION per YEAR or $4,000 for every man woman and child (Aliens included).
There are two outstanding differences between our system and the others.
1.) We alone do NOT provide Universal Care.
2.) We alone have a FOR-Profit system.
This FOR-Profit private system keeps costs high throughout the entire system. This is bankrupting our Medicare System.
Switzerland was the last country to give up our for-profit system, in 1995, due to skyrocketing costs and non-universal coverage.
You forgot Slovenia.
Hey people go live there if thats what you want, we dont do Socialism in America..
Daimongirl, you're clueless. We do Socialism in America very well. Social Security, Medicare, Medicate, Public Education, Police, and Fire departments.
I do have to say comparison is difficult in this case due to the rampant obesity and all the health problems that brings. You probably won't go to the Netherlands and see people in the grocery store on scooters because they are so fat.
I'm through supporting Obama. It's been a year and the man has done precious little other than pour hundreds of billions of our money into failing banks, only to see them still refuse to lend money, still giving huge bonuses, and being left completely unaccountable for their fiduciary failures. Now we get Queen Nancy's "Protect Insurance Company Profits" health care plan that is hollow, empty, and not even effective until years later. This is useless legilsation that does nothing to help people today who struggle with joblesness and a lack of medical care and coverage. Meanwhile, the vanity wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue so President Obama can protect oil company profits and the opium trade while Americans are slaughtered on the streets. Name one thing that Obama has done to help the average person. Well, Michelle has shown her impressive arms. So I guess that's something. And Obama did have a beer with a cop. We pay more and get less for our medical dollars than any other industrial nation. That's way Nancy and Obama want it. Massive cost for the least impact.
Obama was elected a year ago but was sworn in in February. He hasn't been in office for a year so unless your calendar runs by 9 month-years you are just a little off. And as for putting money into "failing banks," a lot of that money has actually been paid back, with interest, so it hasn't been a loss. I can see by the rest of your posting that you are very anti-Democrat so I won't go into how factually incorrect they are since you probably wouldn't be interested. You might give Obama at least the 3 more months that make up an actual year before you say it has been a year and then throw in the towel.
Magoo, If all that money has been paid back why arent the banks lending and why is Obama still holding on to them. Where is that money and who is getting it? The worse mistake he made was the Porkulus bill, it was supposed to create JOBS, the R's didnt vote for it because they knew it wouldnt stimulate anything. Thats whats going to kill them in the 2010 elections, cant wait, I know it going to be as fun as last weeks elections, when we got
Corzine out and Christie in... Obama is pissed and so are the Unions
In case you've forgotten, the bank (and financial) failures started in March 2008. When Paulson allowed Bear-Stearns to collapse, the rest was inevitable. When the Democrats have tried to limit bonuses, the Republicans and Wall-Street scream "Socialism". When Congress writes laws to keep the credit card companies from ripping off the public, but are decent enough to allow them time to adjust, the banks just do all the thieving before the law takes effect. The fact is, Wall-Street is full of thieving scum. Apparently they need to be treated like the criminals they are. When they haul a few off to jail, and kick the corporations in the groin when they steal, then maybe they'll get new management. Until they do, they need to be regulated. As far as the Democrats working to "Keep Insurance Company Profits", you're pointing at the wrong team.
We should be able to carve out nearly $1 Trillion per year from health-care costs. The ONLY way to do this is to take the 45% of the market in FOR-Profit hands, and convert it to some method of NON-Profit delivery, AND deal with the profit gouging of health-care products.
The Pharma Industry are a criminal cabal. They generate Poison, lie about the side effects and the effectiveness, hide the deaths associated with drugs, bribe generic drug makers to not produce and pull constant scams to extend patents. They steal from Medicare, give pay-offs to Doctors for for prescribing and the FDA for approvals. When Bush gave the Pharma industry their last $1 Trillion from the Treasury, it came with a law saying the American people could not bargain of lower prices. In a 5-4 decision , along Party lines, the Supreme Court said that if the FDA approved a product, you couldn't sue for damages if the product maimed or killed you, even if the maker LIED about the product. the FDA is controlled by Pharma and the Medical device makers.
Running our health-care as a FOR-Profit industry is insane. There are areas where capitalism and the profit motive are definitely the best way to go. This industry is not one. This industry shows the worst of capitalism at work. The entire industry is rife with crime and disgusting levels greed. This might be acceptable in an area where lives were not at stake.
Here, greed and corruption come at the cost of death, disability and financial ruin for millions.
Every other developed nation has, long ago, abandoned this type of for-profit health-care model.
If this was a dictatorship, or if the Senate was not under attack by those threatening any Senator who would take away the industry golden egg, then we'd have health-care for the US Patient, not the US thieves.
There are plenty of models that ALL work much better than ours. To adopt them, you have to take away a $Trillion from the industry. They'll spend half that to keep you from taking it all.
Granted, this health-care bill is lacking. Still, it is 1000% better than what we would have gotten from the Republicans.
The Republicans side track with "Tort Reform" and "Selling across state lines". This is garbage. Tort reform MIGHT make a difference of $5 Billion in a $2,600 Billion industry. Selling across state lines is just another way to replicate the failed financial system. The Republicans want to create a few HUGE, FOR-Profit insurance companies that will strangle the US Patient, and will be impossible to govern. No thanks.
Essentially, we have the choice between "Better, but not great" and "Just another Republican Scam".
Your posts are great. You manage to convey the thoughts of a lot of us who lean toward the Democrat's view on social policies. If you don't have a blog, you should start one...seriously.
This article is about the inability of congress and the potus to give the people what they want and need.
The complexities are sickening as the system is flawed to say the least.
Not to mention the rightie harpies that jump up at every turn to obstruct, mostly out of fear and hate, based on a FAILED ideology. Free market, low taxes... as if the current depression has nothing to do with their miserable failure.
If current HCR is short of helpful, it's painfully clear that American politics is woefully more adept at keeping the status quo; private interest control of Washington, than the "people" part of the deocracy equation.
All we can do is keep fighting as progressives for change.
So far we were told the public option was dead; well it's not, and that is a sign that the grass roots can effect change.
We must Make Obama Do It.
F**k the right wing wacks and their mouth breathers.
I agree, ukeman, but avoid personal attacks if you can - they are not very helpful.
ukeman, you mean Barny,Dodd,Walters, Obama had nothing to do with this mess? You are so dumb, there are no words, they gave away this country to every shlub who didn't have a home and couldn't afford one until this country blew up... Fannie and Freddie are their making and for you to blame everything on the R's is bull Sh..t. Ukeman...You can spew your crap all day long and it won't mean a dam thing to anyone, who has a brain. The R"s spent too much money and got involved in two wars, that the Dems voted on too. But the Dems caused this housing crisis and they are continuing it with the the Porkulus bill, and Pork filled budget, takeover of Wall street,banks,GM,AIG,Fannie/Freddie, and God knows what... Socialism and now Health Care, more socialism, that's ok, because we will just vote all the Dems out in 2010 like we just did to NJ &VA...LOL Oh I forgot to ask Where are the Friggin Jobs your Messiah said were in the Stimulus Bill? All BS, we have caught on, that's why last weeks elections went Republican, Independents voted to the Right...the very same one who voted for Obama just one year ago...
["....they gave away this country to every shlub who didn't have a home and couldn't afford one until this country blew up... Fannie and Freddie are their making and for you to blame everything on the R's is bull Sh..t...."]
============================================
This is a typical slow-witted mistake. You are confusing cause and effect.
The UNREGULATED, PRIVATE part of Financial System (Lehman Brothers, Bear-Stearns, AIG, etc.) blew up over Ponzi schemes of mortgage backed securities and derivatives scams..
When they collapsed the mortgage industry, they started a cascade that naturally caught Fannie and Freddy in their wake.
Check your dates... the industries that SHOULD have been investigated and controlled by the law enforcement branch of the government (the GWB gang) such as Lehman Brothers, Bear-Stearns, collapsed FIRST.
Before their collapse, Fannie and Freddie were fine.
Your revisionist history (or simple lack of knowledge) doesn't work with those who care enough to find the truth.
["....they gave away this country to every shlub who didn't have a home and couldn't afford one until this country blew up... Fannie and Freddie are their making and for you to blame everything on the R's is bull Sh..t...."]
============================================
This is a typical slow-witted mistake. You are confusing cause and effect.
The UNREGULATED, PRIVATE part of Financial System (Lehman Brothers, Bear-Stearns, AIG, etc.) blew up over Ponzi schemes of mortgage backed securities and derivatives scams..
When they collapsed the mortgage industry, they started a cascade that naturally caught Fannie and Freddy in their wake.
Check your dates... the industries that SHOULD have been investigated and controlled by the law enforcement branch of the government (the GWB gang) such as Lehman Brothers, Bear-Stearns, collapsed FIRST.
Before their collapse, Fannie and Freddie were fine.
Your revisionist history (or simple lack of knowledge) doesn't work with those who care enough to find the truth.
JusstinTyme,you got it all confused, this wouldnt have happened if the mortgages that were packaged and sold wern't crap and worth nothing, thats why everyone went belly up you unknowing blow hard. This was the cause and the effect was the Meltdown of the Financial system...because the stuf they sold was worthless, that you can blame on Wall Street, and Barny and Dodd and Obama were in on the deregulating just as much as the rest of those who voted on it..
diamondgirl: Conservatives are the great deregulators. I don't know why you are trying to shift the blame to Democrats.
It may well be that the Administration does not want the impact of this legislation to be felt until after the election. And maybe they are right.
But they can count on the fact that every single clause and word will be digested by people intent on casting the legislation in the worst possible light. And it may well be that the reality of its "horrors" to some people will be overshadowed by the illusion of even worse "horrors" conjured up from the day that the final legislation hits the street.
Two thousand pages of legislation is by its very nature a fertile field for selectively taking this wording or that wording either in context or not and painting any picture one wants. And it is the nature of all of us (Republicans, Independents and Democrats) to place extra credence in the worst possible interpretation of everything.
This issue will not go away with the passage of the legislation. At the very least, we can rest assured that everyone over 65 will quickly devote their extensive free time to understand what really happened. And they WILL separate the facts from the spin -- or worse.
OMG look at all the crazy racists in that photo!!1!
Yep, definitely racists, bigots and misogynists. Scum of the earth.
Rescuedog, I dont know what you are talking about? I see people with health care signs and nothing Racist about them.
You must be the RACIST then...
misterdon &Rescuedog- Two Racist Pin Heads
I am so confused and bored by this. Everyone knows that the fastest & cheapest way to do healthcare is single-payer. They should have started with that because all these lunatics opposing this weak "reform" are acting like the sky is faling anyway.
If a Republican proposed single-payer, we'd have it.
Conservatives are in denial, bryanlevi. They don't want to save money if it means "socialism".
Besides, the Republican party is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big business, and the health insurance industry is calling the tune now.
My first reaction to to the photo wasn't "Look at those racists!", it was "Wow, those are some professionally prepared looking signs!". But enough about astro-turf.
I'm more curious to see the health insurance companies reaction to the passage of any significant health reform. This reaction will be seen way before 2013.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
The insurance industry will have old people believing that Obama will be personnaly sneaking into their homes to steal their Viagra. If it works, that's fine with me.
Thank you.
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