Do you think this was the best we could get?

[rug]

[Doctor_J]

1. If so, we're screwn

It's basically useless except that the poor will have a different option than the Medicaid that they already have. THose of us who get our coverage from our employers are going to get absolutely clobbered

[SWr]

10. exactly

Ive posted that several times but some at DU dont get it.

Premiums are going to increase on those who already have coverage and can not select the PO as an option.

Were going to get corralled, cornered and roasted by the Ins. Co's

[polichick]

2. Might be the best we could get from a bunch of politicians in bed with corporate interests...

...unless we ran a lot more ads exposing conflicts of interest.

[Barack_America]

3. What did we get?

:shrug:

[rug]

5. I'll put you down as a No.

[Barack_America]

8. Not necessarily.

I'm going to wait until there is at least a bill in the Senate until I judge the legislation.

[rug]

9. And if the legislation reflects the speech?

[Barack_America]

12. You can put me down as a "no".

But I'll take it so long as we keep pushing forward.

[JuniperLea]

13. Seriously!

I'm starting to freak out here a little... what the hell is going on? Why can't we wait for a consolidated single bill before we rip it apart? This makes no sense at all... what a waste of time and grey matter.

[msongs]

4. it's what obama is willing to settle for. all will be negotiated DOWN from that point. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

7. The Spelunker

He loves to cave

[mmonk]

6. Depends on what you mean. What do the elected Democrats want?

I think some want the cover of a Republican vote so they can vote like a conservative and use the bi-partisan line.

[rug]

11. I'm more interested in what we want, not what the officals want.

[stray cat]

14. So far Dennis K has not come close to winning the presidency.

and Nebraska and SD have yet to elect strong progressives.

[Kali]

15. no, but I am remaining hopeful that it will be the wedge for something more.

It probably won't do me, personally any good before I am elible for medicare, but I am not the most important thing in this scenario.

[TBF]

16. No, democrats are horrible negotiators. Start in the middle and you can only

move right. This should've started with free health care for all - and then we bargain from there. Republican assholes are much better at this game unfortunately.

[kelly1mm]

18. "Free health care for all" really? I thought Drs and Rns liked eating? nt

[TBF]

25. Lobbying for doctors? Why am I not surprised?

Guess what - the government has the power of taxation and maybe we should use it. You'll get nowhere with me standing up for the elites. Fuck the wealthy.

[kelly1mm]

31. Taxation would be a funding source = not "free" as your post suggested.

This would be a single payer system which is something to consider. Progressives just play into RW hans when we call for "free health care" Not much in life is free. As for Lobbying for doctors I suppose you can say that I believe they should be compensated for their services. What about nurses that I also said should be paid? Or are they part of the "fuck the wealthy" you suggest?

[TBF]

33. That's fine - you are for capitalism and I am against it. Just so we're clear.

As for "playing into right wing hands" you're already there. When you start your negotiations in the middle you have nowhere to go but right. That is just common sense. I am not against any particular job title, what I am against is just a small percentile of people in this world holding all the wealth (no matter whether they think they've obtained it "fairly" or not) while others starve in the street. You can call it whatever you like, it's not right.

[kelly1mm]

35. I think we agree on the outcome we want but not how to get there

your point "what I am against is just a small percentile of people in this world holding all the wealth (no matter whether they think they've obtained it "fairly" or not) while others starve in the street. You can call it whatever you like, it's not right." is a good one and I wholehartedly agree!

Have a great weekend!

[TBF]

37. I get that response alot -

but that's cool. Take care.

[kelly1mm]

36. Duplicate post - self delete. nt

[justinaforjustice]

19. Obama Could Have Won Medicare for All, But....

He took it off the table before the debate even started. He is ready to jettison the so-called "Public Option" as well. Despite all his wonderful rhetoric, he is a corporatist who "doesn't want to put the private insurers out of business", just like he didn't want to let the Big Banks (and big banksters) collapse from their derivative gambling losses. He put trillions of dollars into bailing out the big banks, but won't sign a health care bill that increases the deficit caused, in part, by bailing out the big banks.

Obama speaks words of gold, but unfortunately, it is fool's gold, and we are the fools. We need to put a Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich in power if we want any real change in the U.S.

[TBF]

26. You're right - he came into office with a mandate and he has blown

it in my view. He could've been the next FDR (which isn't great, but at least more people would be working and living), instead he's turning into Herbert Hoover. It's very disappointing.

[TexasObserver]

17. No

[Flabbergasted]

20. Yes. nt

[newtothegame]

21. Obama or this healthcare bill? n/t

[johnaries]

22. Considering we still may not get it?

We've still got a long row to hoe before such questions are appropriate.

[Greyhound]

23. Not even close. n/t

[TheKentuckian]

24. Sadly,pretty damn close

I've always believed a robust public option was totally pushing the envelope. People greatly underestimate how fucked and profit first up we are and its not just the pols because the general population is just as bad. As a people we have a strong streak of what I call vicarious and preemptive greed that makes us trip all over our own feet.

[pampango]

27. Other than electing me as president, I think Obama is about the best we could get.

:)

[Shrek]

28. Hard to say at this point

She's been an active member of the Court for only a few days now.

But I think she has the potential to be a great Justice.

[OneBlueSky]

29. it's almost tantamount to getting nothing . . .

jiggling the current system around while leaving healthcare in the hands of for-profit entities is just adjusting a broken system . . . until healthcare is taken out of the hands of corporations (that need 30% up front for shareholder profits, executive salaries and bonuses, advertising and marketing, and administration and overhead), we will never have universal and affordable healthcare . . . it's simply not possible when that percentage of our healthcare dollar is eaten up by things that have nothing to do with providing healthcare . . .

and the most infuriating aspect of the whole fiasco is that everyone involved knows this! . . . yet they are so afraid of losing their campaign contributions that they refuse to do anything to take healthcare out of the hand of the corporations that must milk it to continually increase shareholder value -- which they are required to do by law . . . they are not required to provide quality healthcare, or universal healthcare, or affordable healthcare -- they are just required to make money . . . and in the massive healthcare system, they've found a goose that will continue to provide golden eggs as long as Congress and the president allow it to continue . . .

single payer is the ONLY reform that makes any kind of real sense . . . that Congress and the president are so afraid of the corporations that they won't even allow discussion of single payer speaks volumes about the state of our government in the 21st century . . .

[quiller4]

30. It also happens to be what I and most of my neighbors want most.

[slipslidingaway]

32. Not at all, even some registered Republicans I know are in favor

of a universal, not for profit system.

[DailyGrind51]

34. We would have done better with President Dennis Kucinich!

Vice President Bernie Sanders