If the HCR bill is so crappy, then why

[Pryderi]

do the Republicans so adamantly oppose it?

[Zynx]

1. And why do Paul Krugman and Bernie Sanders support it?

Good question.

[Mari333]

4. hoping for a public option someday

hoping....hoping....hoping....

lalalalala

[tridim]

13. Sanders is PLANNING on single payer in the future

That's why he planted so many seeds in the bill.

Please read the bill. When you do, you'll understand this.

[Mari333]

2. They would oppose anything that any Dem did...its theater

they have to look like they are god fearing anti 'libruls' to garner whatever votes they can from their constituents. In the meantime, I would love to know how many of them called their stockbrokers and bought health insurance stocks whilst they were complaining. It's all a big game, and they are actually all pretty talented actors with wonderful propaganda (scripts). On both sides of the aisle.

[dkf]

3. Because they don't want anything that could be spun as a victory for obama.

They are playing political games.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Just like all teabagger supporters.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. Well, I think this has been explained already but, here goes:

This HCR bill is a POS. The American people think (or will think) it's a POS because of the mandate with no public option. The Republicans were against it all along. Now, do the math.

[zeemike]

7. Were you looking for the real answer?

And that is so they can say "see did we not tell you the Dems were evil?
They passed this bill even though we put all kinds of poison pills in there.
That is the GOP plan for a return to power.

[Wardoc]

8. I hear Republicans eat chocolate and drink water. We should oppose those things too!

Or, we could just, you know, think for ourselves and look at each issue seperately and not care if Republicans supported or opposed it.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. And THAT, my friend, is the $1,000,000 question the handful of whiners refuse to answer

They just enjoy whining. Maybe it helps their respiratory system.

[KharmaTrain]

10. Failure...They're Strategy

This is bloodsport. Even if this bill gave everything the insurance companies wanted times 10 the GOOP would oppose it strictly so they can make this President look weak. Their election strategy for 2010 is to make Obama look lame and to do everything in their power to obstruct and distort issues. They've got nothing to loose...and by all the frustrations and confusion on healthcare, it sure seems to be working.

[Edweird]

11. I don't believe for one second that they actually are. This is stuff they fantasize about.

Half a billion in cuts to Medicare and privatization on a scale so massive as to be unprecedented. You can't get any more RW than that. And the best part is that not only do they get their wildest dreams realized, but THEY GET TO CAMPAIGN ON HOW THEY TRIED TO SAVE MEDICARE FROM THE DEMS. I don't know what kind of 'chessmaster' came up with that, but if he plays for money I wanna meet him.

[elocs]

12. And why did my Senator Feingold and the other progressive senators refuse to kill it?

:shrug:

As far as the Republicans go, their path is easy. Whatever the Democrats want or support, they are against it. With the HCR bill they were hoping there were those in the Democratic caucus who would do their dirty work for them.

[Little Star]

14. Its simple if you think about it........

They oppose it for very different reasons than progressives who oppose it do. They want smaller government and they do not want anything that they think can lead to socialized medicine. Progressives who oppose it want more government involvement with less insurance company abuse and want to see the bill eventually lead to socialized/universal healthcare for all.

In reality it has nothing to do with Obama for either group.

Republicans would hate this bill no matter who tried to pass it. Progressives/Democrats who oppose it would not care who the president was that tried to pass this bill. They feel it hurts to many and helps to few. They feel it needs to be fixed BEFORE it becomes law not HOPE to fix it after.

[sendero]

15. Because THEY are the ones playing 3 dimensional chess..

... they are going to campaign against this bill hard. And since the left hates it, the right hates it and the center is lukewarm at best, politically they can't lose.

The only way this bill is going to be a political win is if the majority of Americans think it is is good. I'm thinking Obama better start selling hard if he wants that to happen.

IMHO, Obama got it in his head that passing ANY health care reform would be a win for him. I think he forgot that the legislation has to ACTUALLY BE A NET GAIN FOR AMERICANS, NOT CORPORATIONS.

[area51]

20. +1 (n/t)

[terrell9584]

16. Maybe because they know

How politically unpopular all the shit in the bill will be in practice and how advantageous it will be for them in 2010 to have that party line vote as it went down as well as the vote that DeMint got.


However, just because its politics doesn't mean the bill should be passed. It's a bad bill. It will fuck up the situation even more. And, most damagingly, this bill has helped bring back the GOP from oblivion into being competitive again.

[Toots]

17. They don't in reality

They oppose Obama and the Democrats. It wouldn't matter what was on the table the Republicans would oppose it. Their entire Agenda is to oppose this Democratic President. They are doing virtually everything within their power to cause him/us to fail..Their hatred for a black man is far stronger than any desire to help America.

[Ozymanithrax]

18. Republicans and health care companies don't want us to know they support it.

It is called reverse psychology. If we think they hate it, every liberal would oppose the bill. People like Norquist and the entire, Conservative establishment think progressives are all dim bulbs who fall automatically for childish, idiotic, attempts at reverse psychology. It is the same with the right hating Obama. Actually Conservatives and the KKK think Obama is the epitome of the sly white guy. They realize that if we think they are racists, we would have opposed Obama and McCain and Palin would have been elected. All conservatvies hate Palin.
:sarcasm:

[Skittles]

19. this is one giant stupid fucking question

THEY OPPOSE EVERYTHING OBAMA DOES

[MadHound]

21. Let's see, their opposition so far has netted them many things,

The public option has been jettisoned, along with women's rights, and they've gotten a mandated monopoly for their corporate masters. Why not continue the opposition and see what they get? Anything they get at this point is just gravy.