A Trigger Is An Affront To The American People

[babylonsister]

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/27/a-trigger-is-an-affront-the-american-people/

A Trigger Is An Affront To The American People
By: Jon Walker Sunday September 27, 2009 5:52 am


With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now saying he thinks a trigger is a “pretty doggone good idea,” it is important to know what supporting a trigger says to the American people. To support the trigger idea you first need to already accept most of the arguments for a public option. You must believe that it could bring down costs, provide competition, and/or prevent unethical practices. If one simply doesn't think a public option would be able to work one should oppose it in any configuration, including as a possible trigger.

To support the trigger idea you must also believe that even after the new regulated marketplace is put in place there is still a distinct possibility that insurance companies will continue to rapidly increase premiums and treat customers badly. You must believe that it is possible that our new health insurance marketplace could turn out to have many problems because of the lack of a public option.

When a politician says he supports the trigger idea, he is telling his constituents, "I know insurance companies treat their clients badly and charge way too much for their products. I know there is a way the government could create a public option that would help millions of Americans with these problems, but helping people is not my top priority. I think it is much more important to give large for-profit corporations another chance to screw over the American people."

Of course, most politicians who claim to support the trigger idea are really opposed to the whole idea of a public option. They support a public option because they are cowards unwilling to be honest with the American people and say they are against the public option. Their goal is a trigger that will never be used, so they can trick their constituents into believing they stand with the vast majority of the country which supports a public option.

Supporting the trigger idea is an affront to the American people. It is infinitely worse than opposing the public option. If a member of Congress honestly opposes the public option for philosophical reasons or because she thinks that it would be an unworkable policy, she should make her argument and let her constituents decide. The voters will eventually judge her for her stance.

Supporting a trigger is telling your constituents that there is this great idea which could help millions of Americans get more affordable health care, but I think it is more important to give the large for-profit health insurance corporations another chance to play nice before providing regular people with relief. To support a trigger is to stand proudly with the health insurance industry against the middle class Americans.

[Captain Hilts]

1. The last sentence you quote here is great. nt

[LuvNewcastle]

2. Harry Reid likes the trigger idea because

it allows him to "support" health care reform without actually taking a stand. By all accounts, his career is almost over and I won't be sorry to see him go. He represents all that is wrong with the Democratic Party right now.

[babylonsister]

3. He claims he prefers the public option, but is deferring to Snowe,

seems like. WHY? Oh yea, he lost his spine years ago and has a tough reelection to deal with. His supporting of the trigger won't help him, I'm afraid, and I won't be sorry to see him go either.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6634139&mesg_id=6634139

Harry Reid: Trigger Happy

[midnight]

4. To indicate that a trigger is a pretty doggone good idea, is to

be absolutley amiss to the reason for why change in how Americans access their medical care is needed. If elected officials offer the trigger in any form is a signal that they have theirs and don't care about those who don't. We don't need tricle down health care via the insurance panels.

[depakid]

5. Nice framing

:thumbsup: