US public healthcare option takes a blow from Senate panel

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/health/policy/30health.html?bl

 

The Senate Finance committee has rejected two amendments which include a public option. Committee chair Senator Max Baucus cites his fears that such legislation would fail to get the 60 votes necessary to bypass an inevitable Republican filibuster.

 

Oddly enough, the main issue with the public option doesn't seem to be cost. In fact, the CBO estimates the public option would actually save $50 billion over Max Baucus's current bill, which would spend $774 billion over a period of 10 years (i.e $77.4 billion / year)

 

Republicans are fearful that the program wouldn't be fair to private insurers and could eventually grow into a single-payer system:

 

“a Trojan horse for a single-payer system”

 

“Government is not a fair competitor, it’s a predator.... a government plan will ultimatey force private insurers out of business”

 

“Does anybody believe Congress would let this public plan go away once it has a constituency? No way. Once it’s started, you will never get rid of it. Congress will subsidize it more and more, allow it to grow and grow.”

 

I agree with their concerns, except I see them as positives rather than negatives. Such is the political bizzaro world we live in.

 

What's deeply unsettling though is that the key concern that the bill was rejected over was that it would not get the filibuster-proof 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. That means there are Democrats as well who would only support a more expensive bill without a public option. I really wish I knew who they were. They are assholes and should be called out on it.

 

I guess this is what happens when the majority of the members of the "liberal" political party in our country would be considered conservatives in pretty much any other developed nation.

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It would seem the Democrats responsible are: Conrad, Lincoln, Nelson, Carper.

 

Also I've learned that the House bill would save $150 billion over 10 years.

 

Le sigh.

Edited September 30, 2009 by bascule
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I'm surprised no one has responded to this thread. Maybe I should've given it a more provocative title like "Democrats bungle healthcare".

 

Jon Stewart tore the Democrats a new one the other night:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/01/stewart-destroys-dems-for_n_305948.html

 

"Democrats couldn't get laid in a house [where people's] sole purpose is to have consequence and disease-free sex with legislators on finance committees."

[Dudde]

I find it pretty distasteful that conservatives are being so predictable and don't care about it. Really the only defense that I've heard against a public option is because the conservatives thing the government is trying to take over the country - and while sounding stupid coming from the guys who've made pretty significant steps in that direction, it also limits the number of choices we have to try to fix something that the entire world knows is broken.

 

Maybe I wouldn't be annoyed as much if they'd use some thought and come up with a feasible plan for everyone, but I haven't seen that effort yet.

 

Edit: that video was pretty hilarious, and I can't help but partially agree with the guy. Maybe one of the mods could rename the thread to

 

"Democrats couldn't get laid in a house [where people's] sole purpose is to have consequence and disease-free sex with legislators on finance committees."

[Mr Skeptic]

My opinion? It shows that they are not a herd of dickheaded sheep. Do we elect people, or teams to represent us?

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My opinion? It shows that they are not a herd of dickheaded sheep.

 

I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Are you suggesting that if the Democrats pursued the public option, they'd be dickheaded sheep?

[padren]

My opinion? It shows that they are not a herd of dickheaded sheep. Do we elect people, or teams to represent us?

 

If I hear what you are saying, you are basically making the statement "at least they don't march like a bunch of partisan automatons to the tune of one Glorious Leader with a single set of talking points... which worked out so well in the past."

 

If so, then I do agree - but I think they've gotten too excessive on the other side. Every time the Republicans start beating the drums Democrats get scared and confused and start jumping into nets. I find it really sad. It's not individual integrity that is running their show, it's confusion, uncertainty, selfish pork hording and blatant lobbyist pandering.

 

We have the music going and they are all being a bunch of wall flowers afraid that people will think they look stupid if they get out on the floor. I wish we had more alcoholics in the Democrat ranks, I don't care if it comes from liquid or a sense of urgency these people need some courage already.

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I'm surprised no one has responded to this thread. Maybe I should've given it a more provocative title like "Democrats bungle healthcare".

 

Honestly I don't have a lot to say because I'm spit'n angry at these guys including Obama. Sometimes I wonder if politics is like jumping in and swimming the rapids - easy to call from the shore but seriously disorienting once you jump in the thick of it. I'd like to understand just how they could be so useless because I'd like to have some idea of what they can do to get their act together. At the same time I am sick of it and don't care what their excuses are... they are right on track to building the most powerful and useless and unproductive political bloc in US history (that I can recall).

 

I just hope they start acting with some urgency as they near the "midlife crisis" of their trifecta and elections start to get closer on the horizon. They need a sense of mortality to kick them into gear.

[bascule]

Honestly I don't have a lot to say because I'm spit'n angry at these guys including Obama. Sometimes I wonder if politics is like jumping in and swimming the rapids - easy to call from the shore but seriously disorienting once you jump in the thick of it.

 

My suspicion is that the insurance companies are behind this.

[iNow]

My suspicion is that the insurance companies are behind this.

 

Incredibly likely:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/01/lobbyists-millions-obama-healthcare-reform