Sunday Roundup

The Democrats' handling of the health care battle continues to confound. This week brought us Rahm Emanuel floating the forget-the-public-option balloon. It landed with a thud -- and President Obama had to walk back his chief of staff's statement all the way from Russia (Sarah Palin could see the walk-back from her porch). We also saw Harry Reid telling health care roadblock Max Baucus to stop chasing GOP votes on health care -- and Baucus, whose office has been a breeding ground for health care industry lobbyists, ignoring him. The Congressional Budget Office recently scored the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee's health care plan, which includes a pubic option, and found that it would cover 97 percent of Americans and cost $600 billion over ten years. Add in the expansion of Medicaid needed to cover the poor and near poor, and the tab hits between $1 trillion and $1.3 trillion -- a small percentage of the $33 trillion it's predicted we'll be spending on health care over that time. So why aren't all 60 members of the Democratic caucus clamoring to support it? Elsewhere, 11-year-old Paris Michael Jackson delivered the quote of the week when she stepped to the memorial mic and declared: "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much."

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Comments

[Ochre]

They all have a personal interest in keeping things as they are. The millions of dollars contributed by Big Health to elected officials is pretty evenly split between Dems and Reps. It's not just health care that needs reform; it's the system by which we elect people to office. Until we get the big money out of elections, we won't get reform on anything significant. We need to realize that the term "public servant" has become a quaint anachronism.

[mikemassey]

not only do congresspeople have a "personal interest" in keeping things the way they are, their interests go far beyond the ideological. recent reporting says that 25% of congresspeople are active INVESTORS in the healthcare status quo, in the very types of insurance, pharmaceutical, and health-for-profit businesses that are causing all of the problems. why are the media not pursuing important investigative stories like this and showing congress for the hypocritical charlatans that they are?

michael massey
commerce, ga

[iskra]

As long as running for office is for the rich this is going to be the case. Either they're taking ocntributions or they have massive investments they're protecting.

What happened to having the most competent people running instead of the most wealthy?

[viflyer]

What's the big mistery?? They are on the take from the health care industry.

AND they don't care whether Dems or Republicans control the Congress. In fact, it was better for the crooked Dems when the Republicans controlled everything. Now, the high beam is shinning right on them and they don't like being called out as shills for the corporations.

TOO BAD FOR THEM!

[countryrds]

Because they want to protect the system as it is. At best , we can expect some changes that will in the long run benefit the insurance and medical business but not really improve health care in any real manner. Until and unless the public at large becomes angry enough for massive protests or to remove those senators and representatives who are simply obstructionists and are in the pocket of this industry nothing will really happen.

[lastams]

Wow Ariana.
You are the only one to point out the riff between Reid and Baucus over healthcare.
It demonstrates the divisions within the Democratic party between Congressmen actually pushing a progressive agenda, and those that are firmly in the pocket of special interests.
The Senate Finance Committee seems to have become the point men for the insurance lobby.
Grassly has agreed to buy the pig while Max gets the lipstick, and together they are going to sell this
bi-partisan co-opted pretense at reform whether the American people want it or not.
As Bill Mahers has said, the Democrats need to start acting like the Republicans; when one of their own leaves the reservation, they can expect serious consequences to follow.

[jacklambert]

Four months in ...........This isn't change I can believe in.
The Republican party has morphed into the Democratic party

[gregoriew]

and once elected evolve into the incumbent party

[marijam]

Why doesn't Harry Reid remove Baucus from his position as head of the committee turn over the committee to someone who isn't a roadblack?

[Oakland]

Because they too are owned by the insurance industry, and their isn't a dime's worth of difference between them and Republicans. It is time to drop the Dems on their ass. If they don't know what the heck to do with a mandate, they don't belong in office. It is really time we put Kucinich and Sanders at the helm of this rotting and sinking ship.

[northstar11]

the painful reality is democracy in america is a failure

people think they are electing folks to represent them

reality is they are only selecting which people will sell their services and influence to the corporate lobbyists

[UNCLEJOE]

The Health Plan in Congress obviously is a ploy to take National Health Care off the Table. There are no compromises to make; either America enters the modern age like Germany, England, Canada and all the Communist countries and accepts NATIONAL HEALTH CARE or we will continue to have millions of Middle Class worker get thrown into poverty because of one major illness in the family, and we will continue to be out-priced in the international market because our industries have the heavy added expense of paying for medical care for their employes.

The time for National Health Carre is NOW. We lost the bailout trillions down the Wall Street deep pockets, we are are once again in an Afghan Vietnam morass up to our ass; Obama has two strikes and we are only in the first inning. We lose our chance for the same health care our hired servants, our Congressmen get and we have to face the reality that our country belongs to that foreign company called the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK. Figure it out, they and their people always win and 99.5 %of Americans always lose.

You don't need Master's Degree in Economics to have Common Sense. Our leaders are lost, out of control or corrupt. either way we have to take a lesson from the courageous Iranian or lose it all to a foreign consortium, THE FEDERA RESERVE BANK. The FED MUST GO !.

[RepugsOut08]

With apologies to Lennon/McCartney

Obama was a man who told us he'd get health care
But he knew he'd compromise
All who voted for him thought they'd get their fair share
They're gettin' their fair share of liiiies!

Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged
Get back, Obama!

The inept Republican party, thought it was on the ropes
But it still has some friends, believe!
Lobbyists control both sides of the Congress
A friend in greed's a friend indeed!

Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged

Get back,Obama! Your lobbyist's waiting for ya!
Wearing his Gucci suit, and some Prada sneakers!

President Obama, I believe you want what's best for the people, but you'll never get it if you don't LEAD!
Schmoozing and playing nice never moved any important issue before, and it won't this time either.
You can be a Roosevelt, or a Carter. Make up your mind, so we progressives can stick with you, or start looking elsewhere for 2012.

[UNCLEJOE]

Dale
Chesapeake, VA When I lived in Canada, I went to ANY primary care doctor that I chose, no restrictions. I saw my doctor for annual physical examinations, follow ups, tests. When needed, I was referred and promptly seen by specialists including dermatologists, urologists, orthopedists, gynecologists and surgeons. I had operations when needed, no waiting. I visited emergency rooms with everything from a sore throat to a broken nose. I also had an aging mother with heart disease who received triple by-pass surgery performed at the Ottawa Heart Institute by world renowed surgeons, months of recovery care, special lifestyle programs for heart patients, in-home nursing follow-up care, and more. She passed away 10 years later, at age 78 after a 4 month stay in a hospital, visited by her family physician almost daily. I received special hospice counselling to cope with her impending death. I could not have asked for better care for her. Now, what do you think the price tag was for this? Zero. In Canada, our taxes are higher of course, the money comes from somewhere. The difference is, taxes are income-based, so those who can afford pay more, those who earn less, pay less. It is so unfair that people in this country lose everything if they become ill. Health care is not a luxury, it is a basic human right. America deserves better. Please support President Obama in creating better health care for all Americans! Sincerely, Dale Ward

[Trittydi]

I'll bet every one of those 60 dem senators had "I'VE GOT MINE" tattooed on their privileged @$$e$.

And they do.

They have a Gold Plated, Diamond Encrusted health care plan that AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE PAY FOR.

The Americans that pay for their health care are also losing their houses.

The Americans that pay for their health care are dying in droves because they don't HAVE health care.

Americans WITH health care can't even afford to use it.

My brother lost his job, his health care and now he is dying.

I passionately hate every single person that work to deny him the care that could have saved his life.
*

[RepugsOut08]

Bravo!
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, when asked why we can't have the same government health insurance he enjoys, said, "You can! Just get yourself a Federal job!"
Get a job, whiner! That's what he meant!
I got mine, you get yours!
Don't have health insurance? Sorry about your luck.
When are we the people gonna get fed up enough with watching the elite have all the breaks, and march on DC demanding justice? Until we do, we'll continue to be scolded with the insult, "Get a job!"

[LeftCoastLarry]

It's important not to let emotions dictate the battle. Every one of those 60 dem senators do not have "I've got mine" tattooed on some body part. There are good ones out there who are fighting very hard to do the right thing.
Now is the time to stand behind the good ones, identify the bad ones, and work to defeat the bad ones in the next primary.
Bauchus is at the top of my list.

[USBrit]

Very sorry to hear about your brother. My family, British in origin (I was brought forth in the county of Gloucestershire) have been trying to tell the massive number of dolts in this country for decades that 99% of what they hear about the NHS is 100% drivel. It works, it is rated the most cost effective system in the world, the French system is rated the best medical care system overall, while the system here ranks about 34th in terms of overall delivery and is falling ever lower. Additionally, the system here is massively rewarding the insurance industry, which has been working arduously and largely successfully to drive down the level of actual medical payments they make while driving up the premiums they receive. And putting into law a requirement that everyone must buy health insurance will really set the cats loose amongst the pigeons. For an insider's view of this watch the following PBS article. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html

[tlgeiger62]

Absolutely 100% with you. May God be kind to your brother and help ease his pain ... and yours. The bitterness being sowed by those blocking healthcare reform will come back to these people tenfold.

[PhilipTaylor]

Thank you for displaying the Washington-Corporate Links that prevent a TRUE Democracy in America!

The ability to "BUY" Votes through Legalized Political channels is MIND-BOGGLING!

Clearly, the CBO gave a GREEN LIGHT to the Public Option, but NOW the CBO needs to run two more scenarios to get all the Evidence we need to make smart decisions:

1. Cost of the Single-Payer Expanded Medicare with its 2.1% Administrative Fees Option

2. Cost of "DO NOTHING" Option

We need these two baselines to allow full comparisons.

The DO NOTHING Option should be used as the Upper BASELINE for all other options. Every opyion should cost less than this one.

The Single Payer Option is probably the Optimal Cost Option and provides a lower Baseline for all other options.

Then the CBO could prepare a BAR GRAPH of all the options to date and as more options are explored.

It is good to see the CBO is NOT as influenced by Corporate Interests as Congress is.

[USBrit]

You are absolutely correct, however I have reached the conclusion that with a Congress awash in lobbyist re-election funding and influence we would still very likely get the same result. We await being forced to contribute to the profits of the insurance companies via an insurance mandate, I expect premiums will no doubt plunge right after that - and Elvis will be found alive and it will be learned he has spent the last several decades working with M.J. on a new album. Looking forward to listening to that.

[PhilipTaylor]

FACTS DO NOT HURT no matter the outcome!

It is time to F1GHT ill-gotten FUNDS TO CONGRESS with "FACTS and other absurdities!"

[dtghope]

Please do everything possible, to inform the American public, that a public insurance plan can be extremely efficient, fair and equitable. Take the profit motive out of providing a basic need --- health care. If it is good enough for every other first world country in the world, it surely is the right path for America!

[Trittydi]

Single Payer and a Public Plan are NOT comparable.

They want to pawn the less desirable "public plan" off on us.

While the people WE sent to DC are desperately trying to deny us even the POS public plan.

All this while THEY have health care fit for a King that WE pay for.

All this while Americans are dying for lack of care and/or losing their homes because of the expense of it.
*

[bighat]

Just who will be the employees in this no profit health care plan. Will the govt start paying malpractice premiums or stop lawsuits against doctors and hospitals.

regarldess I believe doctors want to make a decent income today and more tomorrow. Are we going to set pay limits for doctors?

Will this attitude stifle the number of applicants going to med school

Do we believe doctors are like tv shows. They are only in the business to help people and money is not a consideration

What will tomorrow bring. One type of doctor in the non profit and another type in the for profit.
Which will be the better doctor.

[mirza]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2009/02/25/LI2009022502075.html