Pawlenty: If Dems Use Public Option As Trigger, They'll Shoot Themselves In The Foot

cnn.com:

Even as members of President Obama's fractured party appeared to warm to the notion of putting a so-called "trigger" on any public health insurance option in health care reform legislation, Minnesota's Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the approach was a bad idea. He said it would not help create the bipartisanship the White House and some Congressional Democrats "particularly those in the Senate" are looking for in order to pass a health care reform bill by the end of the year.

Read the whole story: cnn.com

Comments

[victormisrock]

Shoot themselves in the foot? How about the chest?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQE0vNEcb8k

[Rmath]

And who would know better about shooting oneself in the foot than governor do-nothing.

[Bluedog12]

Governor people only get shot when hunting with the former VP.

[graceland9]

Is this the same governor who said it was a bad idea to give a speech urging students to study hard in school?

[keepemhonest]

yes, the very same. The Republican governor, Pawlenty, said that the speech is "uninvited­."

[Alarmist]

I recall Pawlenty going on TV several months ago and saying that the GOP needs to support Obama, because we all need to work together.

[Martel]

Pawlenty is absolutely right, but not for the reason he wants everyone to believe.

He's right because a large percentage of those who voted for Democrats last November will just sit on our hands in 2010 if the Democrats don't have a REAL public option in this bill. Without it, costs will continue to rise 3 times faster than personal incomes and universal coverage will not be fiscally sustainable. Without it, Republicans will dominate Congress (and possibly the White House) again by 2012 and they'll pull the plug.

With that success under their belts, they'll begin dismantling Medicare and Medicaid as fiscally irresponsible programs - and they actually are since they both track the same unsustainable cost structure that corporate health insurance has created.

[greygrey]

Come on people we have to fight. I will be in Washinton September 13th. Five thoiusand marched in New York on Saturday August 29th. Call tyour friends and family. Let's put the teabaggers, deathers and birthers to shame. I am ready. i am so damn ready.

[Arrecho]

Show up!

September 13th, across the nation... March for a public option. If you live in DC - you *MUST* go!

http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/

Events across the nation:

http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/events

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118144661546#/group.php?gid=118144661546&ref=mf

Spread the word....

[iswideopen]

Look, Pawpaw, President Obama and us, the Democratic party need no advice from you "do nothing" party of "no" Republicans. If we "shoot ourselves in the foot", you care why? Isn't it the power of the white house and congress you are seeking to reclaim? You make no sense. The real truth is, you GOP'ers are scared shi#less that the healthcare reform train has left the station and you have been thrown off the train by your very own right wing fringe nut fanatics of hatered. No more begging, no more pleading; your "stalemate" is about to be "checkmated", Obama-style. Yes, some of his own party is indeed all "we wee'd" up, but not the rest of us who know how he operates. Man up or shut up.

[BlaineNelson]

Is Health Care reform 'trigger' option a bad idea?

http://youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=6095
.

[joebaggadonuts]

Democrats need advice from this loser Republican? No way. Better advice can be had in Minnesota. Ask Al Franken.

[Cogs]

Open enrollment for Medicare. End the wars and the Bush tax cuts. Reform corporate tax laws. No fuss. No muss.

[strut1702]

Sweet idea. Cram more people into a broke Medicare system that is trillions in debt.

[treetracker]

When you have younger, healthier people in Medicare, you will be spreading the risk. Their premium dollars will help pay for senior care, just as it does now in a private insurance plan. The healthy pay for the sick. It would put Medicare back in the black, if enough people were to opt in.

But I would also like to see those seniors who have the assets that they could pay their own premiums or pay higher than they pay now, do so.

And I also want to see bargaining for drugs with PhRMA. They get enough of our tax dollars in R&D and completely ignore the Bayh-Dole Act, so we end up paying twice. That MUST stop!

[lvogt]

America began as primarily widely scattered independent farmers. Most people live in interdependent cities now. Liberty is not anarchy it is the ability to make informed choices. Capitalism is wonderful at providing things. Make shoes profitable and you get more shoes. Free markets do some things badly like fire& police protection, bridges& defence. These require organized dedication to the public. If I have fire protection and my neighbor doesn't, my house burns with his. Supply and demand does not apply.

Healthcare is the same. Make sickeness profitable and you get more sickness. Supply and demand does not exist when the supplier has all the power and demand faces life or death. Insurance companies merely skim cash as it flows from the patient to the doctor. They only take. They add nothing The interests of insurance companies and patients are in direct opposition. For-profit health insurance must end.

The idea that public insurance is expensive is false. Every modern country provides healthcare for all its citizens at half what we spend and they are healthier and live longer. Stories of bad incidents are much worse here than in other countries. The rich may come here for a specialist but the citizens of any other modern country would not trade their system for ours.

You put everyone on Medicare and they will never let anyone take take it away, just like those that have it now. The corporations perpetuate a grossly predatory system and must be ended.

[thepoliticalcat]

Hear, hear.

[PhilipTaylor]

37 Trillion Reasons 0BAMA/AXELROD /GIBBS/ EMANUEL ARE WRONG

Support STRONGEST PUBLIC OPTION = Medicare for ALL WHO want it and OPT OUT for those who DON’T!

HEALTH CARE COSTS = $37 TRILLION / 10 YEARS

Calculations (see table): ($5+$2.4)/­2*10 = $37 Trillion

HEALTH CARE COSTS = THE #1 THREAT TO OUR FUTURE!

$2.4Trilli­on spent in 2008, 17% of OUR GDP
$3.1Trilli­on by 2012
$4.3Trilli­on by 2016
$5.0Trilli­on by 2018

And we are worried about $600 Billion, less than 2% or 1.6%! GIVE ME A BREAK!

The $1.3 Trillion in savings from non-emergency use of the ER will be saved by the States and Cities and therefore reduce funding from the Federal Government!
__________________
[CURRENT 2008 Costs for 47 million uninsured= $87Billion =10 yr cost $870 Billion
2007 Medical uninsured bad debt=$25.4­Billion, increased 9.5%/yr=10­yr cost $433Billn

Adding $870 Billion+$443 Billion=$1­.3 Trillion]
__________________

100,000,000 people to ??? people in Medicare can negotiate "FAIR PRICING" for Health Care Services! Stops the FOR-PROFIT GOUGING!

Make #1 MAY0 C1inic the N0RM instead of the Exception! #37 USA Cuba Care!

Create Incentive for ER Doctors to convert to Family Practice Doctors!

[BlackBuddha]

Facts plus Math!

Love it.

[strut1702]

how do you know the projections for the 10 year cost are correct? Like the projections made concerning the costs of Medicare which are 10 times more than projected? How about government success at projecting SS costs? How about immigration/US population growth? To speak the projections as fact is just proven wrong historically.

[mendelcrosses]

I have to admit,even I got confused with the maths and facts. So I hust worry about you trying to explain that to the media or worst still neocons and their nutters.

I mean,people who can shout out "Government hands off my medicare", do we expect them to understand facts like these?

[MyrtleJune]

"Even as members of President Obama's fractured party appeared to warm to the notion of putting a so-called "trigger" on any public health insurance option in health care reform legislatio­n,..."


WTF? WHO has "warmed" to this trigger business? I've not seen ONE positive on that hairbrained idea! NOT ONE!!!!

Trigger was a horse, not a health care policy!!!!

Stop lying or put up the names of those approving of such nonsense!