08 December 2009

Senate Dems Cave on Public Option

It's not like Harry Reid and Barack "Status Quo O" Obama were ever really interested in change, so the Senate killing the public option is hardly a surprise, though it is a bummer.

What did they get in response? Well it appears that they got the ability for people aged 55-65 to who are making not more than 150% of poverty buy into Medicare, at an cost per individual around $625/month.

That's pretty weak tea.

Well, at least the Dems told Ben Nelson to pound sand on his abortion restrictions, and killed his amendment.

My expectation is that this will get a lot worse as time goes on, and it will get a lot worse in conference committee, and Barack Obama will be able to sign his piece of toilet paper.
Posted by Matthew Saroff at 11:08 PM
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2 comments :

Tom Degan said...

The public option is obviously as dead as a doornail. My advice to the progressives is to take what they can get now.

I don't know what kind of health care reform will come out of this session, but I strongly suspect it won't be much. There is, however a silver lining behind this very dark cloud. I am reminded of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Don't be embarrassed if you've never heard of it, there really isn't a hell of a lot to remember about it; a mere pittance, really - a scrap of leftovers tossed out to "American Negros" (in the parlance of the age) in order to appease them. But it made the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - the one we remember - all the more easier seven years later.

We'll live to fight another day.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan

09 December, 2009 10:49
Matthew G. Saroff said...

People wipe their feet on anything marked welcome.

The Blue Dogs and their ilk sabotage the Democratic party at every step, and they get offered bigger bribes.

Barack Obama and immediately started running against the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, see What a Whiny Bitch.

This bill is a political disaster, it pays off pharma and the insurance companies in 2010, and makes the taxpayer pay for these overpriced bloated process for the vague possibility of something better in 2013.

Win or lose, the Dems take a hit on this, but it will be the Blue Dogs who have the most to lose, see the 1994 election.

The Liberal Democrats need to draw a line in the sand and make it stick.

09 December, 2009 21:18

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