Hey, no pressure, Mr. President. It’s not like your presidency, not to mention the health and welfare of the Republic, hangs in the balance.
OK, seriously. My theory is Obama has taken the best shot that anti-reform forces could muster (and it was quite a shot), and now things are going to start coming together for health care reform. It may not be as comprehensive as some wanted, it may not in the end include a public option, but there’s simply no option for failure for the Democrats. They have to pass health care reform. And they’re going to do whatever it takes to do it.
Something I’d like to hear tonight is a clear, concise attack on the “let’s start over” argument. Something along the lines of:
“Some on the Republican side say we should not rush into this. They say more time is needed, more discussion, more studies. Certainly, we should discuss this thoughtfully. We’ve been trying to.” (slight pause, just to let people remember the town halls) “But we cannot forget that health care has been a drain on our economy and a burden to millions of working Americans for decades. For eight years, Republicans controlled the White House. For six of those years, Republicans controlled Congress. And yet, aside from a well-intended but inefficient Medicare drug benefit, Republican leadership did nothing to address the health care crisis in America. They did nothing to reduce the number of the uninsured. They did nothing to end the insurance industry’s practice of dropping patients for pre-existing conditions. They did nothing to address the high copays and deductibles that make health care prohibitively expensive for millions. They did nothing to control the premium increases that are hamstringing small businesses and forcing them to drop coverage for employees.”
“They had six years. They did nothing. We cannot wait another six years. We cannot wait another 16 years, which is how long it’s been since the last president tried to reform health care. Let’s be clear: we have a plan before us that would address the biggest domestic problem that America faces. On the other hand, the Republican solution is to do nothing. I believe that is not an option.”
Too partisan? I dunno. Certainly is true, as far as I can see.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
That White House Janitor? Beck’s Doing a Three-Part Series on the “Mop Czar”
As this article points out, the “czar” controversy has in part been manufactured by people too lazy to look up the officials’ real titles.
“Here’s the problem: Some of the people whom conservatives and mainstream media voices alike have labeled “czars” have been confirmed by the Senate. Some of them, and others, hold jobs that were created by previous presidents.”
“Here’s the problem: Some of the people whom conservatives and mainstream media voices alike have labeled “czars” have been confirmed by the Senate. Some of them, and others, hold jobs that were created by previous presidents.”
Who would Jesus refuse health insurance to?
“Opposition to Health Care Reform Revives the Christian Right”
You know, I spent a lot of time with the Bible in my youth. I just can’t remember the part where Jesus said to refuse to help people who were less fortunate. I can’t remember the part where Jesus said that the sick and the poor were on their own. I guess I read a different Bible.
Part of the absolutely crazy, what-planet-am-I-on, quality of the health care debate is that some on the right say, “Oh, the Left criticized Bush and protested and held rallies, why is it wrong now that Obama’s in office???”
Well, one president was taking us into an unnecessary war that killed thousands of Americans and spent trillions. The other one wants to make sure you have access to health care.
Yeah, I can see how those two things are the same.
You know, I spent a lot of time with the Bible in my youth. I just can’t remember the part where Jesus said to refuse to help people who were less fortunate. I can’t remember the part where Jesus said that the sick and the poor were on their own. I guess I read a different Bible.
Part of the absolutely crazy, what-planet-am-I-on, quality of the health care debate is that some on the right say, “Oh, the Left criticized Bush and protested and held rallies, why is it wrong now that Obama’s in office???”
Well, one president was taking us into an unnecessary war that killed thousands of Americans and spent trillions. The other one wants to make sure you have access to health care.
Yeah, I can see how those two things are the same.
You Can’t Handle the Bill!
Politico makes a good point:
“…reading actual legislative text is often the least productive way to learn what’s actually in a bill.”
“…reading actual legislative text is often the least productive way to learn what’s actually in a bill.”
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Health Reform on the YouTubes
Well, I've been coming across a lot of videos on the tubes lately so I thought I'd share some. Here's a clever-yet-simple one about how (BOO!) Socialism (BOO! SCARY!) is indeed at the root of a public option.
Canada and Coburn: which vision do you prefer?
Again, with the socialists... Hey, we could listen to these guys talk about what the Canadian system is really like, or we could listen to Glenn Beck talk about Obama/Hitler some more.
And for a real slice of America; here's a weeping woman, desperate for her injured husband, pleading with Sen. Coburn to help. He says two things: 1)It's not the government's job to help you, and 2) Sure, my office will help you. Gives me a headache thinking about it and a heartache watching it.
And for a real slice of America; here's a weeping woman, desperate for her injured husband, pleading with Sen. Coburn to help. He says two things: 1)It's not the government's job to help you, and 2) Sure, my office will help you. Gives me a headache thinking about it and a heartache watching it.
Pray You Don’t Get Sick
Michelle Bachmann, who is on TV once every nine days(!) calls for prayer and fasting to stop Americans from getting a better health care system. Alrighty then.
From MinnPost:
“Bachmann repeated the myth, adopted early by Sarah Palin, that the health-care plans being debated in Congress would set up “death panels” to determine which old folks are entitled to health care. “Thank God that Sarah Palin said that,” she told the callers. ‘These are true.’
“But it was Bachmann’s fervent call to utilize prayer and fasting to beat back health-care reform efforts that was the true highlight of the call.
“That’s really where this battle will be won — on our knees in prayer and fasting,” she told the listeners. “Remember: faith without works is dead. So we’re asking you to do all of it: pray, fast, believe, trust the Lord, but also act.”
An oldie but a goodie:
“We get to choose, we get to choose…”
From MinnPost:
“Bachmann repeated the myth, adopted early by Sarah Palin, that the health-care plans being debated in Congress would set up “death panels” to determine which old folks are entitled to health care. “Thank God that Sarah Palin said that,” she told the callers. ‘These are true.’
“But it was Bachmann’s fervent call to utilize prayer and fasting to beat back health-care reform efforts that was the true highlight of the call.
“That’s really where this battle will be won — on our knees in prayer and fasting,” she told the listeners. “Remember: faith without works is dead. So we’re asking you to do all of it: pray, fast, believe, trust the Lord, but also act.”
An oldie but a goodie:
“We get to choose, we get to choose…”
“Both Parties Are Responsible for Not Dealing With Health Care…”
A recent Tim Walz town hall had the usual circus atmosphere, signs of Obama as Hitler, cranks who think the Constitution doesn’t allow Congress to pass health care reform, and I think, maybe, I even hear someone talking about lap dances…
I like Walz a lot. He comes from a more conservative area, and he’s slightly in the Blue Dog camp; but he’s honest, passionate, and smart. I think even the “town hollers” here ended up respecting him at least a little.
I like Walz a lot. He comes from a more conservative area, and he’s slightly in the Blue Dog camp; but he’s honest, passionate, and smart. I think even the “town hollers” here ended up respecting him at least a little.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Market Concentration: It sounds sort of like a game, doesn’t it?
Did you know, that for large sections of the United States, a single-payer health care system is already in place?
“There are nine states where a single insurer covers 70 percent or more of the people. In Hawaii, one insurer covers 78 percent. In Alabama, it’s 83 percent. And in at least 17 other states one insurer covers at least half the population.”
Isn’t it funny how some of these town hall protesters are from rural areas and actually have the least choice at all under the current system? And by “funny” I mean “not funny.”
The article also points out how some of the Senators most opposed to reform are from the states with the most insurance plan market concentration (i.e., fewest consumer options). I wonder how much health insurance industry money they get for campaign contributions?
“There are nine states where a single insurer covers 70 percent or more of the people. In Hawaii, one insurer covers 78 percent. In Alabama, it’s 83 percent. And in at least 17 other states one insurer covers at least half the population.”
Isn’t it funny how some of these town hall protesters are from rural areas and actually have the least choice at all under the current system? And by “funny” I mean “not funny.”
The article also points out how some of the Senators most opposed to reform are from the states with the most insurance plan market concentration (i.e., fewest consumer options). I wonder how much health insurance industry money they get for campaign contributions?
Do results count?
As data begins to show how the stimulus plan is working, along with the jobs being reclaimed by the “cash for clunkers” program, it’s beginning to look like the Obama Administration might have known what they were doing, after all. Maybe those successes will convince some on the right to reconsider health care reform? Yeah, I’m not holding my breath.
Will the Screamers Win?
This article shows that, while throwing a 20-year hissy fit about liberal media bias, the conservative movement has actually built up a right-wing noise machine that has successfully hijacked the health care reform debate, and made it about killing grandmas and how Obama is Hitler. Pretty sad state of affairs.
“It’s not entirely Obama’s fault that support for the public health insurance option has dropped from three-quarters of the American people to not even a plurality, according to the latest NBC News poll. The Right’s propagandists – via radio, TV, print and the Internet – have successfully demonized reform.
The Right also has used psy-war arguments about government “death panels” and other lies to frighten gullible Americans into opposition. In the NBC poll, 45 percent think Obama’s reform would let the government stop medical care for sick old people, though the legislation wouldn’t do that.
The poll found that majorities now believe the Democratic plans would give health insurance to illegal immigrants, use taxpayer dollars for women to have abortions, and lead to a government takeover of the health system – claims that fact-checkers say simply aren’t true.
While spreading this disinformation, the Right also has promoted pistol-toting swagger and disruptive tactics as popular ways to confront Democrats and rally opposition to health reform.”
Also, Krugman has it right, again.
“At this point, all that stands in the way of universal health care in America are the greed of the medical-industrial complex, the lies of the right-wing propaganda machine, and the gullibility of voters who believe those lies.”
“It’s not entirely Obama’s fault that support for the public health insurance option has dropped from three-quarters of the American people to not even a plurality, according to the latest NBC News poll. The Right’s propagandists – via radio, TV, print and the Internet – have successfully demonized reform.
The Right also has used psy-war arguments about government “death panels” and other lies to frighten gullible Americans into opposition. In the NBC poll, 45 percent think Obama’s reform would let the government stop medical care for sick old people, though the legislation wouldn’t do that.
The poll found that majorities now believe the Democratic plans would give health insurance to illegal immigrants, use taxpayer dollars for women to have abortions, and lead to a government takeover of the health system – claims that fact-checkers say simply aren’t true.
While spreading this disinformation, the Right also has promoted pistol-toting swagger and disruptive tactics as popular ways to confront Democrats and rally opposition to health reform.”
Also, Krugman has it right, again.
“At this point, all that stands in the way of universal health care in America are the greed of the medical-industrial complex, the lies of the right-wing propaganda machine, and the gullibility of voters who believe those lies.”
The Grand Illusion
Flow charts, like the words of politicians, can be manipulated to say anything. Here’s the Republican vision of what the current health care reform proposals would look like
And here’s the Democratic version:
What does it all mean? Beware of partisans bearing visual props.
And here’s the Democratic version:
What does it all mean? Beware of partisans bearing visual props.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sincerely Wrong
I’ve been hearing the media debate whether the Town Hall protests are genuine or Astroturf. I think they’re pretty genuine. People are really upset and scared. But they’re operating from a set of lies that they’ve been told by the conservative media; Fox News and Limbaugh in particular. So yes, they’re sincere, and yes, they’re being manipulated. I would feel sorry for them if they weren’t doing so much damage to our country’s future.
ABC nails it.
One of the clearest, most concise explanations of current health reform controversies I’ve seen. And of course ABC makes it impossible to embed and difficult to find. Hopefully this will get you there. (You will have to sit through a short commercial.)
And while were on the subject of health care myths:
“Here is the real bottom line: The current state of health care is unethical. It is neither just nor fair. There is no morally defensible reason why some Americans get excellent medical care at costs they can afford and other Americans lose their homes or go into bankruptcy attempting to secure treatment for a seriously ill loved one. The current proposals being debated in Congress all go a long way towards making health care in America more just. At the same time, there is nothing in the current proposals that threatens a patient’s right to choose, a critical feature of an ethically acceptable health care system.” - Association of Bioethics Program Directors
And while were on the subject of health care myths:
“Here is the real bottom line: The current state of health care is unethical. It is neither just nor fair. There is no morally defensible reason why some Americans get excellent medical care at costs they can afford and other Americans lose their homes or go into bankruptcy attempting to secure treatment for a seriously ill loved one. The current proposals being debated in Congress all go a long way towards making health care in America more just. At the same time, there is nothing in the current proposals that threatens a patient’s right to choose, a critical feature of an ethically acceptable health care system.” - Association of Bioethics Program Directors
The Empire Strikes Back
The British are getting tired of us slagging their health care system.
TPM has been running some good stories from Americans overseas and the horrors they experienced in socialist health care systems.
TPM also notes that conservatives are making progress in killing some of the provisions of the health care bill that would actually be of great help to millions of Americans. Good work, people.
Also, IBD still sucks.
TPM has been running some good stories from Americans overseas and the horrors they experienced in socialist health care systems.
TPM also notes that conservatives are making progress in killing some of the provisions of the health care bill that would actually be of great help to millions of Americans. Good work, people.
Also, IBD still sucks.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Obama in Portsmouth
Some people have read the health care bill(s). Most of us have heard endless debate on them, usually by people who really don't know what they're talking about (hello, IBD). But how many people will spend an hour or so watching Obama explain his proposals and answer questions about it?
Here's your chance.
(for some reason cspan doesn't give you the option to embed video...)
Here's your chance.
(for some reason cspan doesn't give you the option to embed video...)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
About taxes...
No one on the right seems capable of processing the fact that Obama has cut taxes more than raised them...
"Obama Has Cut Taxes for 98.6 Percent of working Households"
"Obama Has Cut Taxes for 98.6 Percent of working Households"
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