Depending on which Roosevelt one starts the clock under, we are roughly a century or 70 years into comprehensive health-care reform, and we still don't know -- or, I should say, we refuse to accept -- how to cover all Americans.
This in itself is a remarkable achievement. The far larger balance of the civilized world stands back and stares, snickers, marvels and gapes at our democratic ineptitude; out of more than 300,000,000 Americans, nearly all of whom are in fundamental agreement on the goal of universal coverage, we can't find 60 -- a mere 60, mind you -- who can get together and say how.
Nevertheless, the U.S. Senate inched closer last night, however far the goalposts remain. Reported developments are, of course, imperfect, but we've lived with far worse imperfection for decades.
And with Americans talking and worrying exclusively about jobs -- not mandates and fiscal cost-curves -- I'd support virtually anything that will get this health-care bill off the Hill's plate, onto the president's desk, and out of the news. Its haunting presence and incubus-like suffocation of any potential jobs bill are, by this point, only inflating right-wing hopes of a horrifying comeback in 2010.
Plus, Harry Reid and his little gang's compromise on a compromise isn't half bad. True, a public option is out, but it was effectively out, anyway; the government would instead negotiate with private, not-for-profit insurance companies in the construction of a "national exchange"; stronger regulation of private insurance offerings would prevail; and better yet, the revised bill would narrow, by 10 years, Americans' vulnerability gap, in a Medicare "buy-in" scheme.
As initially conceived, the compromise would have also expanded Medicaid (encompassing those with incomes 150 percent -- up from 133 percent -- above the poverty line), but, naturally, Democratic conservatives swiftly nixed that idea, in political alliance with budget-strapped governors.
The Medicare buy-in idea, however -- which, reports the Politico, was "injected" into Senate negotiations by Howard Dean about two weeks ago -- has now heroically survived for ... what ... as of this writing, nearly 12 hours? Bravo, senators. Well done. A sturdy deal, indeed.
Particularly stunning -- in fact, intensely distressing -- was this observation, again, from the Politico: "The turning point in the debate occurred over the past few weeks, as some progressives began to question whether the public option had been watered down too much for it to even be effective."
I've reread that line maybe a half-dozen times, and each time my slow burn accelerated. The past few weeks -- valuable, critical time that was needlessly vaporized in rah-rah-siss-boom-bah political posturing; in many personal cases the Congressional left's monumental version of the shallowest of demagoguery.
Those "some progressives" in Congress knew -- they have known -- for indeed months that a feasible public option was doomed, yet in newspaper and cable-television interviews they visited America daily, assuring all that a vigorous public option there'd be.
I expect that bombastically deceitful behavior from the right; from the left, it's inexcusable.
But, that's politics, as well as irrefutable evidence that the left has no monopoly on political virtue, which in itself, I suppose, is at least a trifle oxymoronic.
So, onward ho with the revised bill and resurrected hope. Maybe. Or maybe not. Because Republican Senator Olympia Snowe has already voiced philosophical doubts about the Medicare buy-in; and from the otherwise 60th vote, the deeply unphilosophical and profoundly opportunistic Joe Lieberman, the word is playfully but ominously vague.
In addition, the usual suspects instantly produced their usual gripes: The Medicare proposal has "many of the same problems," said, for instance, Sen. Kent Conrad, that "I have with previous versions of the [robust] public option" -- meaning he fears, genuinely or not, for his state's hospital reimbursements.
That prompted this delightful response from Sen. Jay Rockefeller: "I am really very tired of hearing about that from him. It is always about North Dakota. It is never about any other parts of the country. That is what we are trying to do, the best thing for the country."
Well, perhaps not "the best," which would entail a profit-gutting, single-payer system. But, for now, the doable will do. Good luck, Jay.
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The Only "Do-able"...
... to emerge from this Congress will be the enhancement of the insurance industry's profit margin. But if one is unemployed, how is one to afford this mandated "benefit" graciously imposed upon us by the passive inactivity of an allegedly progressive President?
Over at the Hillbilly Report, RDemocrat draws the line in the sand that many of us will cross: "How much will be my fine, and where do I pay??" (http://www.hillbillyreport.org/diary/962/one-question-how-much) The problem is that being unemployed will preclude having the cash to make this payment, and thus the door to indentured servitude is again opened. We can work off our fines on insurance company chain gangs.
Our good friend PM has clearly had too much of the corporatist kool-aid to be considered as anything other than an apologist for the coming dismantling of the Constitution - such as it now remains. I sure miss the pre-corporatist Carpenter!
Welcome to the New World Order.
Medicare Buy-In
Well, so we never really figured they would allow a "public option" and we knew the corporate paymasters would never allow a single-payer system. Now they throw out this Medicare buy-in .... sounds good, only thing is, the COST. First of all, people like me with an income of around $1300 on Social Security and currently paying over $428 per month for COBRA insurance coverage plus deductibles, co-pays, etc. are already paying out over 30% of monthly income for said "health care coverage". Under the Medicare buy-in proposals, they are talking about premiums in excess of $633 per month and up around $900, ( read that in one article). So tell me where we're going to be ahead??? Sounds like a whole lot of that Bush-style "fuzzy math", and just like the Bush Medicare Drug Prescription plan, it's a win-win situation for the insurance companies and government and the people get shafted with the mandated purchase of insurance.
It's beginning to be apparent that neither party has any brains or cares about Americans ... all they care about is that they get theirs and at our expense. They won't be happy until they take every last penny we've got, and that "ain't much" considering the job problems in America right now.
Kevin S
again with the macho, fascist-leading language
Stop your whining, little kid
So, when will you actually be 11 years old?
Carpenter is one of two
Carpenter is one of two reasons I no longer buy "premiums" from buzzflash and regret buying all those I purchased in the past.
The first reason, of course, is Buzzflash's waste of money developing the ridiculous new format. But Carpenter takes the cake. He's an ignorant asshole who is obviously shitting his pants in joy that the cowardly Democratic leadership refuse to go to budget reconciliation and pass true health care reform with 50 votes plus Biden.
Fuck you, Carpenter.
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How about F--- You David
How about F--- You David Lindorff while you're at it - you metioned ignorant, a--hole, obviously sh--, waste of money, ridiculous - applies to him with all his PFJ-style lies about the Public Option supposedly HAVING BEEN a terrible thing.
Enjoying the schoolyard mudpuddle, little kid?
When you resort to boorish behavior, that is a sure sign that you have nothing intelligent to say, little kid.
It's official, bend over and grab your ankles
The Demopublicans have just put a huge package under the pharmaceutical and insurance industry's Christmas tree. The public option and cost containment are dead. Older, more expensive to cover people will be sent to Medicare. The young healthy population will be forced to buy private insurance at whatever price is available. Medicare will still have to pay the highest price available for drugs.
Members of Congress got truck loads of bribe money for this monstrosity and we'll get left paying the tab.
I'm voting Green next year. The Demopublicans have betrayed us and don't deserve any votes now.
re "BAD-MOUTH" PM ..._OBSTRUCTING the will of the MAJORITY"!
In my earlier comment, I said "there is a clear __60%__ majority.... a SUPER-MAJORITY! of Americans who WANT some sort of "public option" health care, DIVORCED of bloodsucking "LET 'em DIE!" insurance profiteers....
and, that _60%_ majority was DESPITE ALL the BAD-MOUTHING from the Republicans, the corporate 'Democrats,' the Obama administration, AND of course the INSURANCE, BIG PHARMA, and HMO billion-dollar companies and their horde of vampire lobbyists.
Well, here's the stats - how Obama co. and the CORPORATE, OBSTRUCTIONISTS "Democrats" are JOINING Republicans and lobbyists, & OBSTRUCTING the WILL of the CLEAR MAJORITY of Americans -Obama and the Yellow Dogs are NOT ONLY KILLING 8 year olds who (as a caller on a talk show explained) MIGHT DIE of an ABCESS TOOTH or other "medical care DENIED until TOO LATE".....
THROW THE BUMS OUT!
The Green Party has backed Medicare-for-all from the beginning. The Democrats only pretend to represent citizens' interests. As many have pointed out, Democrats, in general, represent corporate interests.
They haven't stopped either (immensely profitable) war, they haven't prosecuted Bush Administration criminals for their crimes (including war crimes!). They have no plans to pull out of NAFTA. They're happy with the government continuing to tap the phones of, and read the emails of law-abiding US citizens. They support food corporations continuing to force-feed us genetically-modified frankenfoods. And they won't give us decent health care.
THROW THE BUMS OUT! VOTE GREEN!
SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!
What's the website for the Green Party?
Thanks
Website
www.gp.org.
Greens are Clean
of Ralph Nader - the connection is severed - I nominate Death Panel Grassley for the Bi-Partisan Blowjob Impeachment Committee Hearings Chairman in 2010.
Greens are less popular than the LaRouche Party
Greens are the party about nuttin!
Why nuttin?
Because that's how many votes they always get, NUTTIN!
And that's how much brains their supporters have, NUTTIN!
Howard Dean has the good ideas.
Dean's concept of early buy-in on Medicare will only work if ALL 55 to 64 year old citizens are allowed into the system. As with the other 'public' options talked about in the last few weeks, the healthy cannot be allowed to remain with the private carriers to enhance insurance company profits. That money is needed in Medicare.
I would prefer to see the age dropped to 40. At this lower age most citizens are concerned about having coverage but are relatively healthy. Medicare and medicaid already cover the majority of the very sick in this younger age group anyway. Premiums collected from this younger age group will help protect the Medicare trust fund because the younger group would probably have fewer claims.
Doctors who deal with end of life care will tell you the last illness, along with the demand for heroic treatments, is what costs the most and bankrupts the system. We need to get back to having patients provide directives as to what treatments they want and how they want to die.
The Carpy's shockingly irresponsible move
The responsible move we all want to see is to move Carpy off of Buzzflash's writing staff!
"The far larger balance of the civilized world stands back and stares, snickers, marvels and gapes at our democratic ineptitude"
But there in front of them all is Carpy rooting for failure!
Carpy, it is not "democratic ineptitude" that makes this country disfunctional, it is the K Street lobbyists who pay off our representatives so they will vote for the upper 1% fascist plutocracy over the best interests of WE THE PEOPLE.
"I expect that bombastically deceitful behavior from the right; from the left, it's inexcusable."
I agree Carpy. So what's your excuse for your "bombastically deceitful behavior"?
Oh, that's right, "it's inexcusable."
That's why we don't want to read another word of it from you. We just want you to go away!
The King of Carp Strikes Again
Carp, you are really quite the piece-of-work. I bet you'd leave your wife at a rest stop if you felt that was the practical thing to do at the time and could get you "moving." You really have no discernable set of values. You would crucify your so-called progressive pragmatism upon a cross of status quo corporationism and rhetorical flim-flammery in a NY minute.
Not a pretty sight. Or a pretty read. Or a pretty human being.
The devil is in the details of this devil's bargain in the senate, of course. I have already read that the 55-64 y.o. pool available for the Medicare buy-in would be restricted in much the same way the PO was to be restricted.
Not. Fucking. Acceptable.
What will the cost controls be? The subsidies? No one knows yet because we have not seen any details of this senate monstrosity. For good reason, I imagine, as the liberal blogs and their activist members already know the fix is in. Well, I should say that some of the--shall we say--more trusting--are just now beginning to know, and the newly-minted anger at Reid--and yes, even Obama--is beginning to simmer. No rolling boil just yet, but I imagine when the full scope of the betrayal is realized you'll have more than a few people throwing up their hands and dropping out of the process. And I would remind you, Mr. Carp, that this is Obama's prime demographic of support.
Anyway, maybe Harry will surprise us all and craft a decent compromise. I'm not holding my breath.
But as for tomorrow, I'll be waiting with bated breath as Carp once again excoriates liberals for everything under the sun while exonerating Obama for the very same things. A predictable, stomach-churning, miasmic tome of putrid decay.
By P.M. "picture of Dorian Gray" Carpenter.
Watch, as his ugly, ever-deteriorating corporate soul is slowly laid bare before humanity in all its horror. Oh, the horror...the horror.
The Great Experiment To End (2012 version)
By the time Barack Obama completes his only term as US president, he will have presided over the complete corporate takeover of what used to be the United States of America. The John Roberts Supreme Court is primed to declare that employees of a corporation are the property of the corporation, to be used (and abused) as the directors of said corporation see fit. There will then be no need for health care, safety standards, civil rights, education, retirement, representative governance, nor any of the other things that group once known as We, the People considered necessities. Look at all the money that Obama will have saved corporate interests! Based on how well he benefitted these false entities, he will forever be enshrined in the Corporate Chattel Hall of Fame - along with all of the Congress.
Bi-Partisanship is Betrayal
Ignore the left, Ignore the left, appease the Conservatives, appease the Conservatives. Lets all get along and come together but screw the left. Screw Americans. Democrats want to get along so we can't play hardball with the Conservatives, but we will against the Liberals because we can just ignore them. This Compromise, we'll know what it is when we see it, I'll be completely surprised if it's any good - and guess what. FU-- this Pro-Rahm bi-partisan f---ing BU--SH--, a bad bill will get you your ass kicked in 2010, blowjob impeachment hearings, maybe even lose 2012, could have been a generational shift. A BAD BILL IS NOT LEADERSHIP - FIGHTING PASSIONATELY FOR AMERICANS IS LEADERSHIP. IF YOU CAN'T WIN YOU YOU F-- BI-PARTISAN BETRAYER PIECES OF SH--, IF YOU CAN'T WIN SUCKERS AT LEAST YOU COULD FIGHT HARD FOR US. "FIGHT" "HARD" AND i WANT TO EMPHASIZE "FOR", "US". F--- the Democrats in 2010.
Correction
A correction to your statement, "... nearly all of whom are in fundamental agreement on the goal of universal coverage, we can't find 60 -- a mere 60, mind you -- who can get together and say how."
No, we cannot find 60 senators who will allow a vote on a proposed plan. And we are only at this juncture after completing one of the labors of Heracles - getting 60 senators to agree to allow themselves to talk about the proposed plan.
There goes PM, siding with- Rahm Emanuel, & Golddamn-Sachs again
< Those "some progressives" in Congress knew -- they have known -- for indeed months that a feasible public option was doomed...>
PM, I must again insist that it is YOU who are being (your word) "DECEITFUL" - you FAIL to aknowledge that the reason that a genuine "Public Option" health care program - like the rest of the entire industrialized world has! - is "DOOMED" is because of RIGHT-WING OBSTRUCTION. You are BASHING those who have held out for a Public Option, (you are) IN FAVOR of THE OBSTRUCTIONISTS who take their orders from industry and lobbyists, that is, YOU ARE SUPPORTING the BOUGHT & BRIBED OBSTRUCTION of the Nelson, Baucus, Lincoln, Landrieu crew!
What a BUM! Can you point to ANY TIME, in the past dozen months, when President Obama has FOUGHT FOR a Public Option, and USED the POWER OF HIS BULLY PULPIT to BROWBEAT the bought-and-paid-for OBSTRUCTIONISTS? (and, yes, we CAN find Mr. Obama making THROW-AWAY comments IN FAVOR of the public option, usually, especially, when he is in front of the UNION audiences whose ground-pounding won him his primaries and general election wins.)
Of course you can't - you can NOT point to Mr. Obama FIGHTING FOR a Public Option over the past dozen months.. it is HE, NOT those of us who want REAL health care reform DIVORCED FROM the insurance "GO AHEAD AND DIE!" bloodsuckers, who has WASTED (you own words here) "VALUABLE, CRITICAL TIME" !!! Obama-Emanuel co. have WASTED the PAST DOZEN MONTHS, to make a good argument for Public Option reform!
And your own comment PROVES this case! Yes, PM, just look at your rancid writing, you note that the ONE real bone in this "toss a bone and call it reform" sham is... the option to BUY IN to MEDICARE.... which wasn't even in consideration over 2 weeks ago!
< The Medicare buy-in idea, however -- which, reports the Politico, was "injected" into Senate negotiations by Howard Dean about two weeks ago -- has now heroically survived for ... what ... as of this writing, nearly 12 hours? Bravo, senators. Well done. A sturdy deal, indeed. >
I remind you, PM, that a lot of senators did NOT run for re-election in 2008.... Health Care Reform, and "CHANGE!" in the current system, was ONE OF CANDIDATE OBAMA's SIGNATURE, CORE issues.
Yet YOUR OWN COMMENT acknowledges that THE ONE SIGNIFICANT element of this "reform" sham, was PUT IN AT THE LAST SECOND, by HOWARD DEAN, who the Emanuel/GolddamnSachs/Obama crew have SIDELINED and put out to pasture from day one, despite DNC Chairman Dean's "FIFTY STATE STRATEGY" having been OVERWHELMINGLY VINDICATED against DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel's "ignore the rural red states, pour all our money into blue states" DCCC strategy.
Wow, PM, every one of your demeaning, sneering comments - "bombastically deceitful behavior," "demagoguery" - reflect RIGHT BACK ON YOU.
FIRE CARPENTER FROM BUZZFLASH!!!
That is the only logical conclusion one can make after reading so many comments refuting conservative Carpy's cynical, depressing, always pergorative attitude towards progressives, liberals and Democrats.
We have enough MSM stenographers in the U.S. as it is who have sold their souls to the upper 1% fascist plutocrats trying to take over this country and shred what is left of the Constitution. We don't need another one of them writing fascist propaganda for Buzzflash!
Buzzflash, you are not Politico, which means, you don't need a dishonest, backward, propaganda parrot pretending to be an enlightened progressive on your writing staff!
FIRE CARPENTER TODAY!!!