rssThe Waiting Room
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 at 5:04 pm
- 9 Comments
Here’s a quick wrap-up of today’s health care news.
President Obama will deliver his major health care speech to Congress at 8 p.m. tonight — and the GOP has already begun its spin. The Republican leadership in Congress is blasting the reform effort, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticizing the size of the 1,000-page House bill and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) predicting that Obama would “try to put lipstick on this pig and call it something else.” Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) laid out his expectations for the speech, portraying it as a test of the president’s ability to persuade Americans they stand to gain from greater government involvement in health care. Following the speech, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), a little-known Congressman and a former heart surgeon, will deliver the Republican rebuttal.
Democrats continue to fight over the public option ahead of the speech. Progressive Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) says he won’t vote for a bill that doesn’t include a public option, but Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the key Finance Committee, insists that a bill containing a public option won’t pass the Senate. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), continuing his swing to the left in the face of a primary challenge, tweets, “This United States senator is going to tell him (the president) emphatically that we need the public option.”
And Obama himself? Marc Ambinder speculates that his target audience tonight is the 100 or so members of Congress who have threatened to oppose a bill that doesn’t contain a public option. The White House talking points don’t shed much light on the speech, but they do single out Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for her op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal:
On Gov. Palin’s Attacks
Every non-partisan organization that has looked at her claims say they are false. And the ideas in her op-ed are both scary and risky. Eliminating Medicare and giving our seniors vouchers instead is a bad idea that we shouldn’t adopt.
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9 Comments
Comment posted September 10, 2009 @ 2:29 am
The Republican rebuttal was sorry. It was hilarious when Boustany mentioned jobless recovery especially since the jobless “recovery” is a direct result of the free-trade policies that have been rammed up our arses over the last 30 years.
Whatever, a public health care plan is the way to real reform. You can tell this is true because Republicans are so adamantly against it.
Malpractice reform will not solve the problem. It will deny citizens the opportunity to seek redress for injury in a court of law. This will result in vigilantism.
Allowing insurance to be purchased across state lines will only make possible the formation of a nationwide health-insurance monopoly. Fundamentally, this is a free trade argument which means that in addition to the possibility of a national health-insurance monopoly, insurance companies in states with poor labor standards will be able to out-compete insurance companies operating in states with more civilized labor standards. This will result in a further loss of good jobs in our country and will continue the “race to the bottom” that persists in eroding working-class living standards.
There's no getting around the reality that a public plan is the only thing that will solve the health care problem.
Comment posted September 10, 2009 @ 2:31 am
How many pages was the thickest Harry Potter book? Oh that's right our kids received Good Reader points for reading, while our whiny politicians only get great pay, great health care, bribes and sex on the side so they can't possibly be willing to make time to read this monumental iceberg of a bill. Whah, Whah, Whah. I hope that our school kids aren't watching these jokers, why should they read a dumb school book when our politicians won't evern read this instrumental document? OMG, I can feel the flames of hell already!
Comment posted September 10, 2009 @ 2:42 am
Educate me. In California we can only choose among about 6 insurance carriers. We have the poorest labor standards… Pelosi's illegals are to be thanked for that! How does open competition create a monopoly? Seems contradictive?!
Here's the REAL DEAL, build a border that works. Support your own first, then help others. Have you ever had a free-loading relative in the house or known of one? They don't move out on their own… you have to kick them out with Hard LOVE! Yes it is LOVE, teach them to fish. That $5.00 bag of tomatoes is actually costing US $50.00, when you consider that the poor Amigo has two wives, one in Mexico and one here in the USA, she does not report him on her welfare papers, she is illegal too, but she gets confidentiality but the 6 kids get FREE everything! Meanwhile I see my neighbors going off to war, the wife and kids have empty cupboards no guaranteed education… yes immigrant kids have guaranteed education… as long as they stay on welfare or close to it… no INCENTIVE and then Pelosi can have them subsidized by You to work in her vineyards!!!
Comment posted September 10, 2009 @ 2:47 am
THIS IS A NOTE FROM A NEW SETTLER IN CALIFORNIA…
You know this economy sucks and to be honest with you doesn't seem to be getting much better. I agree with you though about your views on what's going on in this area. I've been here for about two years and it is really quite a depressed part of CA. Actually all of California but especially this neck of the woods. It doesn't make much sense to me either.
I too drove by the exact spot on M this evening on my way to the post office and saw the same thing. Wierd. I don't know if I could've handled it like you have off and on since 1985, wow. I guess you are just a glutton for punishment? (Just kidding).
Backatya, steve
Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
Monopolies are a naturally occurring phenomenon in free-trade capitalism. Over time, competitors are driven out of business or become merged with stronger entities until only one or two firms remain. I said “monopoly”, but just as likely, a cartel would emerge. Eventually strong players realize it's not in their self interest to “compete”.
Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 11:36 pm
Thank you! Shows how much I need to learn. Thanks for taking your time to explain.
Comment posted June 4, 2010 @ 4:33 am
What you are vomiting is Marxist theory. There are no perfect health care systems. Brits buy private insurance if they are able, or pay out of pocket to get decent care. Thousands die each year because they cannot get anti-cancer meds that are easily available here in the US. Canada so lacks modern scanning equipment, they resemble a 3rd world country. They have 3 of the new PET Scan machines, where we have 100. How many modern drugs are developed by the Greeks? French? Brazilians? Venezuelans? Brits? Belgians? Without the American Pharmaceutical companies, not many new drugs would get developed. We are about freedom and allowing humans to achieve. Not government thievery of our property. Do you believe in private property? Do people actually own the money they earn at their jobs, or does it all belong to the government?
Comment posted June 4, 2010 @ 4:39 am
Predatory attorneys in malpractice cases have decimated the doctor/medical business. Care to count the number of OB/GYN doctors still doing business, especially in John Edwards' state? That adds a HUGE cost to health insurance. And since when has total government control among a developed people promoted a higher standard of living?
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