So, if the MANDATE is challenged in court and is declared

[theophilus]

unconstitutional, what then? Wouldn't this allow Obama to tell the Insurance thugs, "Hey, we tried." Couldn't we then just provide single payer by opening Medicare for all?

I think the mandate idea might be the way out of the Insurance profit thingy.

Anyway, would the Insurance Companies let the Repukes challenge the mandate? Would the current Supreme Court rule against something so pro Insurance company?

It could get really interesting.

We might have Medicare for All before 2014. Cool.

[no limit]

1. Lol, I guess that's one way for you guys to put perfume on a giant pile of turd

[mikelgb]

2. yeah maybe if the Supreme Court doesn't side with the corporations

LOL

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Poll_Blind]

4. But couldn't the House and Senate still overrule the supreme court via legislation?

I'm no expert but I've thought about the point you bring up and...well, what's best-described as the "silver lining" of it: That the court rejects the mandate and somehow we all wind up with the public option.

Ok, I like the idea but I think the reality that it's going to go in that direction and turn out like that is very, very slim. I'd love to believe Obama is thinking 5 steps ahead of everyone else and this is all part of some masterwork plan...except I'd need two percocet and a swig of beer before I could genuinely believe, if only for a moment, that there's a real chance things are going to turn out like this.

I don't mean to be come off as rude- I'm rooting for the same thing you are. But I've taken it in the britches so many times it's hard to imagine that this time it'll be different.

PB

[theophilus]

5. You are not rude at all. You seem to have actually read the OP and

thought about these things. I am just wondering. Who would have predicted what has happened two years ago? Nobody knows. I do believe, however, that just about anything is POSSIBLE. We need to direct our actions toward the most desirable and not just sit around complaining about where we are. Things CAN change for the better. The "hopey/changey thing" can work well for us all.

[no limit]

7. If you learn one thing from this health care debate is that anything is not in fact possible

whats possible is what the corporations want. And public option they do not want, even if 70% of americans do.

[Poll_Blind]

8. I come out somewhere between your opinion of things and No Limit's:

Obama is a negotiator and he's willing to compromise but my opinion of him right now is he's compromising in a way, and on certain things, which I think jeopardize the spirit of his presumed political ideology.

I'm not laying it all at Obama's feet because that would be unfair- a big chunk of this is because of the shitty state that Democratic representatives are in and quite a bit of that can be laid at the feat of yours truly: All of us out there who elect representatives and don't hold their feet to the fire.

In some ways, though, the problems this bill has are good- it raises public awareness and hopefully that drives more people to action.

But I'm not necessarily going to hold my breath. Two words: Patriot Act.

PB

[theophilus]

9. It's an interesting subject. I don't think any of us have seen a pol quite like

Mr. Obama. The jury is out, and may be out for years to come. Interesting, though.

[Poll_Blind]

10. Yeah, that whole "Compromise means neither side are really, truely happy." is...

...nice and all but....I dunno. I need to see what actually gets signed into law (when it does), take a look at that and I'll be able, I hope, to make a better determination how I feel about things.

PB

[stray cat]

6. maybe the madate to treat uninsured patients would also get thrown out?

[kctim]

11. Time is not on your side

and after the next few elections, the numbers will not be either.