by bartleby the scrivener | A bipartisan group of senators, led by Max Baucus, is all set to exclude "a government-run insurance option from the committee’s draft legislation that could be marked up next week." (The Hill) For some reason, Baucus et al. are more worried about attracting Republican support than coming together with their fellow Dems to give US taxpayers the cheaper health care we urgently need. Why is that, hmmmm? Why is that?
The Washington Post points out that the final product of this bipartisan cabal will shed many of Obama's priorities and make hash of many of his promises. (WaPo)
The finance panel's legislation is expected to include incentives for employers to provide health insurance for their workers, rather than a more punitive coverage mandate. The committee is also likely to endorse narrowly targeted tax increases, rejecting a controversial tax surcharge on wealthy households that the House adopted and limits on deductions for upper-income taxpayers that Obama is seeking.
GOP negotiators rejected from the outset the kind of government-run insurance plan that Obama and most Democrats are pushing for in an attempt to inject the health-insurance market with pricing competition. Instead, the committee would create coverage cooperatives modeled after rural electricity providers....
Obama has encouraged the finance panel's effort, praising it as the potential foundation for the bipartisan outcome he is seeking. But he flashed his discontent with the process during a question-and-answer session sponsored by AARP. "Sometimes I get a little frustrated, because this is one of those situations where it's so obvious that the system we have isn't working well for too many people, and that we could be doing better," Obama said Tuesday.(WaPo)
Frankly, I'd rather have nothing at all than a crappy compromise plan. Let's muddle on without a health care plan for a bit longer or until the moment when even the staunchest decriers of "socialized medicine" are marching in the streets because they have to choose between their mortgate payment and their root canal.
Deb's pretty much summed up the bullshit arguments of public option opponents here, here, and here. Read her and weep for the obliviousness of the typical American taxpayer, who doesn't know enough to know how we're being sold out by our representatives.
In the House, Maxine Waters (D-Calif) wondered if perhaps the Blue Dogs might be cutting their own political throats.
But she added: “There may be people out there listening and observing all of this who may get motivated based on what they’re seeing and throw their hat into the ring.” (The Hill)
She also pointed out Rahm Emanuel's part in bringing all this about through recruiting conservative Dems back in the day. ""Now, she said, “The chickens are coming home to roost.”" (The Hill)
Yes, that's right. Emanuel and his ilk did their part to bring all this about. But never mind that now. Let's just hope that the Blue Dogs' puppies come home to bite them in the tail.
Meanwhile, Obama's love of bipartisanship for its own sake means he can't or won't oppose the undermining of one big and crucial capital C Change he promised us.
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