Don’t Surrender to Senator Joe
Vote “No” on the health care joke
By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / December 16, 2009
It looks like the United States Senate is going to cave in and surrender to Joe Lieberman. They first dumped the most important part of health care reform — the public option. This was the part of the reform bill that would offer inexpensive and decent health care insurance to Americans, and would force the private insurance companies to lower their prices to compete. But Traitor Joe didn’t like it, so it’s gone.
But that wasn’t enough. The Senate then tossed out a compromise idea — the creation of a private non-profit insurance program that would be overseen by a federal government agency. Although not as good as a true public option, this would have also caused some downward pressure on insurance premiums and saved consumers a ton of money. But Traitor Joe didn’t like it, so it’s gone.
Still, that wasn’t enough. Now the Senate is willing to toss out an expansion of Medicare to those between 55 and 64. At age 55, people are entering the years where they are much more prone to medical problems than younger Americans. This would have guaranteed they would be covered by a government insurance program that has been proven to work efficiently and effectively (just ask someone over 65 if they would give up their Medicare). But Traitor Joe didn’t like it, so it’s gone.
I’m beginning to think if Lieberman wanted Senate Democrats to kiss his scrawny ass, most of them would line up, get on their knees and pucker up. Are there any real Democrats left? Do any of them have even a remnant of a spine? Where are the progressives who promised us real health care reform?
All we are left with now is a bill that would force ordinary Americans to give the large private insurance companies a gigantic payday. And they would be forced to do it without getting lower costs or better health care. This bill would still leave medical decisions in the hands of insurance companies rather than doctors. Personally, I am appalled.
I think any Senate progressive with a functioning brain and a fully-developed conscience should vote against this travesty of a bill that is empty of any real health care reform. And it looks like Howard Dean agrees with me. He told Vermont Public Radio the following:
This is essentially the collapse of health care reform in the United States Senate. Honestly the best thing to do right now is kill the Senate bill, go back to the House, start the reconciliation process where you only need 51 votes and it would be a much simpler bill.
I urge any remaining progressive senators — don’t check your conscience at the door to the Senate chamber. Vote against this bill. Kill it, then start over and do it right.
[Rag Blog contributor Ted McLaughlin also posts at jobsanger.]
and to think that a decade + or so ago, I sorta, kinda admired Lieberman
They are all jerks to me. Lieberman is despicable, but who of them isn’t?
If Obama doesn’t veto it, I’m no longer on this wagon.
This precious bill includes a mandate that will cost my daughter (or me) around $5,000 a year.
I hear them, including Obama, pontificate that the mandate is like having a driver’s license…but that is a LIE.
BECAUSE I don’t have a freaking car. I can decide not to have one, because I CANNOT AFFORD IT! Without a car, I don’t risk anything by not having a license, or if I have one, if I never drive I don’t need it as I cannot be penalized for it or lack of it.
Most of the single working mothers I know, and we make up most of the impoverished in this nation, do not have a car.
We cannot, however, decide not to have health care.
Democrats better wake up.
From the same AP article. Talk about nonsensical spewing
1) Obama repeated his demand for action, telling ABC News “the federal government will go bankrupt” if the health care bill fails. He said Medicare and Medicaid are on an “unsustainable” path if no action is taken.
2) From Socialist Bernie Sanders, in the SAME article. Sanders, an independent and socialist, said his approach [sic, single payer or government run healthcare] is the only one “which eliminates the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste, administrative costs, bureaucracy and profiteering that is engendered by the private insurance companies.”
So Sanders wants to have healthcare run by the same group and in the same way that Obama says is bankrupting America. Sanders complains about Insurance waste while doing nothing about decades of Medicare waste that is according to our President, “bankrupting our nation”.
And bloggers here wonder why the public and many thoughtful politicians resent and resist liberal HCR plans? The unabashed hypocrisy is so appalling that it stinks.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/17/liberals-dream-single-payer-health-dies/
Medicare may have a fraud problem that needs to be taken care of, and that can be done. But it is still more efficient than private insurance, especially as regards to less overhead and a larger share of the money dedicated toward patient care. Government may have its problems (no doubt of that), but I still trust my government more than the for-profit private insurance companies.
And you do your argument no good by providing a link to Fox News, who are even bigger liars and less trustworthy than the insurance companies.