Obama finally defined his plan. And while it is bare minimum, I support it.

[Political Heretic]

Democrats and the administration have already been through countless compromises in draft committee legislation, and I understand compromise. I'm not a political novice. But this is as far as I can bend. There is always a point where a good compromise becomes a bad capitulation. There's a point where further compromise sets the bigger picture of healthe reform back.

So, It's not even close to what American people really deserve, but it is something that will make dramatic difference in the lives of many Americans right now, including my own mother and father, with the opportunity to expand on it in the future. And while there are many examples where something insufficient passed in the short run was never built on, there are also some big examples where something insufficient was built on later - like Social Security. I can't and wouldn't ignore that.

What comes next, however, is a tough fight. Obama's interest in changing the political tone and rhetoric in Washington has seemed to trump his tenacity at times. Obama needs a little more Harry Truman or Lyndon Johnson (on health care, where he brow-beat congressmen and fought tough and nasty to get medicare passed) and a little less Buddha :)

I'm sure some see the administrations (and the Democratic Party's) efforts in this health reform debate as brilliant and tactical. But I don't agree. I think they have looked shockingly amateur and tragically naive in reaching across the isle in "good faith" to lying, manipulating, racist who are driven by hate of this president and the interest of their wealthy white friends - and expecting not to get burned. It's idiotic.

It's time to accept that something we've been trying to do for a century is obviously A FIGHT - its not a pleasant chit chat on a Sunday afternoon among friends.

As I eluded to earlier, my mother and father watched this speech tonight with desperate hopes that reform would allow my very ill mother to afford health insurance. While other's who are more "pure" than me can simply trash anything that isn't everything - I think about these issues with their faces, and the faces of other real Americans who need a solution right now - in mind.

I hope he can stick with it, and continue to come out swinging. Because what he's outlined tonight is about the bare minimum we could call "reform" of any stripe.

[John Q. Citizen]

1. It will make insurance companies far richer. i'm sure of that.

[Political Heretic]

4. That's not necessarily my chief concern right now.

Whether they make more money or not is secondary in my mind to what we can pass, and that what we can pass be something that bans denying coverage based on preexisting conditions or dropping coverage due to new conditions, that caps out of pocket spending, and that provides a subsidy or tax credit on a need based system for those who can't afford insurance.

Those are the things that will make a difference to my mother, and a lot of other people in my community and family.

So... :shrug:

[John Q. Citizen]

10. They are cutting benefits in MA, where the insurance companies got richer. Only so much dough

to go around, after all.

Soon your mom and everyone will have insurance that covers aspirin, and they won't be able to drop us because of a per-existing condition.

We will just have to pay for the rest out of pocket though, just like in MA.

There is only so much money.

When more goes to insurance, less pays for doctors, nurses, medicine, etc.

You don't believe that resources are infinite, do you?

[Political Heretic]

16. One fight at a time.

[bain_sidhe]

2. An unrec already?

I can support it too. It's not everything I wanted, but like you, there are people I love whose lives will be made much better, just from this "minimum."

[Political Heretic]

Some people unrec me on spec.

I feel flattered actually. :)

[The Magistrate]

3. Indeed, Sir: This Is the Minimum, And As Such, Can Be And Should Be Supported

It is certainly past time to avoid the 'bogs of bi-partisanship': you cannot compromise with someone who has no interest in the very idea of compromise, and views it as simply weakness.

"There must be blood."

[pundaint]

11. By all means

Getting the least we can stand, now that's change I do believe in. Any good corporation knows that giving the people the least results in the most left over for campaign contributions.

And those wonderful drug companies, sigh, they have been so helpful.

That little thing about health care costs putting the american manufacturing worker at risk, well soon there wont be any left so there's no point in addressing that issue now, is there.

It was a good speech, but it's shit legislation. If this passes Obama gets a minimal pass. Anything less and he flunks. Working against him now, is that has lost all good effort points for strongly advocating an approach that protects us from the ongoing manipulation and deceit of the insurance and drug industries.

He may be willing to negotiate from this far right of center compromise, but for me it is the absolute minimum.

Very nice speechifying, by the way.

[The Magistrate]

12. You Seem To Be Under the Impression We Disagree Sir....

My personal preference would be simply to extend Medicare eligibility to birth, and fund it by removing the cap on the F.I.C.A. levy, and imposing a one percent levy on all sales of financial instruments, with the proviso that accepting Medicare patients was a requirement of holding a license to practice medicine.

[sharesunited]

5. It's as though a careful study had been made of what the bare minimum is.

And the negotiations are to begin from there!

My touchstones are Howard Dean and Anthony Weiner, and those guys are apparently keeping quiet post-speech so as not to rain on the President's parade.

They must be TICKED OFF.

[Political Heretic]

8. How about you let them wait and speak for themselves instead of reading tea leaves?

I'll wait to hear them speak for themselves.

[tsuki]

6. In FL, at one time, we had insurance for those that could not purchase

insurance through the state. We had co-ops that allowed small businesses like mine to band together and negotiate prices for business health insurance.

The idiots here voted in Jeb Bush and the Republicons, and within two years everything had disappeared. Legislated away because the insurance companies whined. Now, it is even illegal to third party negotiate in FL for your business.

That is my fear. Here today, gone tomorrow.

[DJ13]

7. I do too, so long as its not watered down any further

[Sukie]

9. The President brought it on tonight.

He let the repubs know, in no uncertain terms, that he will not stand for anymore of their standing in the way of getting health care reform done. After nearly a century of bickering about this issue, we are closer than we have ever been to getting a truly comprehensive bill passed. We might not get the entirety of everything we wanted, but it is pretty damn close.

[mmonk]

13. I support a robust public option available to anyone who wants it

or single payer. I won't change my position over a speech. I do support the preexisting condition part of it. But not the mandate because I think there is a flaw in the logic that for profit insurance costs will go down if you just happen to subsidize it. It smells and appears as throwing money at a broken system.

[HughMoran]

14. Well, color me surprised

This seems out of character for you. Good post though.

[Political Heretic]

17. It's not out of character if you pay more than drive-by attention :)

:hi:

[HughMoran]

19. Well, maybe

I've read a lot of posts from you here and at circumference/diameter, so it's not like I am oblivious to what your opinions are and your basic attitudes.

[Political Heretic]

20. Then describe them for me.

That would be comical, I can almost promise. :)

[HughMoran]

22. I wouldn't do that

I've never responded to a request like that and I never will. Go battle it out with clamor (Orwellian_Ghost) for a while - I'm not into that banter.

[Political Heretic]

23. Fair enough.

[deaniac21]

15. Some defination.

[Political Heretic]

18. "Defination?"

[scheming daemons]

21. Good post, PH

Especially coming from such a vocal critic of the President.

[redqueen]

24. "It's time to accept that something we've been trying to do for a century is obviously A FIGHT"

Indeed.

With billions in profits at stake, we knew this would be an uphill battle, to put it very mildly.