The smartest Democrats are siding with the insurance companies

[thunder rising]

Let's face it. The population of liberals and progressives is pretty much broke. We paid for the last 3 elections on our credit cards and now we are broke (actually worse, we are indebted) and unemployed. We threw Obama forward like a Hail Mary pass and all they have to do is tip the ball at the last second and the game is over. We lose, we're owned, 'nuf said.

[KittyWampus]

1. So you are calling Anthony Weiner of NY stupid?

[thunder rising]

3. I seem to be getting a little depressed, but we are still David before the strike of the stone

Yep, just some stupid kid with a sling shot begging to get killed.

[Deja Q]

2. My wiener has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R...

There probably IS a happy medium, but - and this is a new theory - having the President try to get big insurance to play "free market" along with everyone else... costs WILL go down.

[thunder rising]

4. They are monopolies at the state level. They can be forced to disjoin themselves, but the states

would still be owned by the few.

The insurance companies could be anti-trusted and fined (hugely) for cooperative pricing (aka non-competitive practices) It would have to be done down at the level that if "secret shopper" rate information was being discussed at a board meeting, fine them.

The problem is that with cooperating corporations the rates are fixed on what the market can bear. In a truly competitive market the rates reflect closely to what is required to provide the service.