Krugman on Obamacare

[MBS]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/opinion/paul-krugman-democrats-against-health-care-reform.html?ref=opinion

It’s easy to understand why Republicans wish health reform had never happened, and are now hoping that the Supreme Court will abandon its principles and undermine the law. But it’s more puzzling — and disturbing — when Democrats like Charles Schumer, senator from New York, declare that the Obama administration’s signature achievement was a mistake. .
. .. {Schumer} calls health reform a mistake because it only benefits a minority of Americans, and that’s not enough to win elections. What President Obama should have done, claims Mr. Schumer, was focus on improving the economy as a whole.

This is deeply wrongheaded in at least three ways.First, while it’s true that most Americans have insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, and employment-based coverage, that doesn’t mean that only the current uninsured benefit from a program that guarantees affordable care. Maybe you have good coverage now, but what happens if you’re fired, or your employer goes bust, or it cancels its insurance program? What if you want to change jobs for whatever reason, but can’t find a new job that comes with insurance?The point is that the pre-Obamacare system put many Americans at the constant risk of going without insurance, many more than the number of uninsured at any given time, and limited freedom of employment for millions more. So health reform helps a much larger share of the population than those currently uninsured — and those beneficiaries have relatives and friends. This is not a policy targeted on a small minority.

Second, whenever someone says that Mr. Obama should have focused on the economy, my question is, what do you mean by that? Should he have tried for a bigger stimulus? I’d say yes, but that fight took place in the very first months of his administration, before the push for health reform got underway. After that, and especially after 2010, scorched-earth Republican opposition killed just about every economic policy he proposed. Do you think this would have been different without health reform? Seriously?

Finally, we need to ask, what is the purpose of winning elections? The answer, I hope, is to do good — not simply to set yourself up to win the next election. In 2009-10, Democrats had their first chance in a generation to do what we should have done three generations ago, and ensure adequate health care for all of our citizens. . . Democrats should be celebrating the fact that they did the right thing.
. . . If more Democrats had been willing to defend the best thing they’ve done in decades, rather than run away from their own achievement and implicitly concede that the smears against health reform were right, the politics of the issue might look very different today.

[TheNutcracker]

1. He's correct on Schumer and hard to believe he would even say such a thing re

What wins elections. Such arrogance comes from someone who has mostly received tax payer healthcare.

[TheNutcracker]

2. Want to drive out voters? Put them all on the same healthcare!

[TheNutcracker]

3. ps. want to drive out more voters? Put up they lose lifetime full pensions.

These officials are the biggest teet suckers at the trough! Yet to work for the people gets them into trouble because good work for a few does not energize enough people? Schumer is acting superior and this is the continued behavior that makes others stay home. We the people need to reform THEIR working conditions. After all what's good for us is just as good for them.

One more item is social security. As they gear up with rhetoric on this topic on how we must cut it back, we and democrats in office must be louder AND willing to be put into the same system as the people. Soc Sec for elected feds instead of full pay pensions is how it should. They never explains why they deserve much more than those they serve! This is what drives voters to stay home.

I'd like to.see a dem stand up and write a bill making them equal to the people. SAME PROGRAMS for them! That is an issue that will drive out voters.

Their lives are most protected while they leave their constituents most vulnerable. Maybe this is why they want to serve forever? Maybe this is why they take the special interest money in gobs, so they don't have to live a real AMERICAN life??? Make their jobs like everyone else's!

How about using the trend of "right to work"??? Let's make them contract workers paying all of their own taxes! After all their job is actually a two year contract with the voters.

You want to see a turnout????? Reform yourselves, senators and house reps. Reform yourselves.