I believe all reform comes in phases. Health care bill was a start not the finished product.

[dumpdabaggers]

The same goes for other things. The Democratic Party is not like the Republican Party. We have conservative Dems that might as well be Republican's and a lot of them. Republican's are in lock step with their president. This is why a Republican president can throw caution to the wind more than a Democratic one can.

When Clinton took office there were several defections to the Republican's by southern Democrats like Richard Shelby just to save their behinds.

I believe that health reform was the first step to wards single payer. Like with most things, this is going to take years.

[depakid]

1. It's a step AWAY from single payer!

and it will make mot people's coverage worse.

[dumpdabaggers]

2. Do yu really believe Obama would sign a bill that makes coverage "worse?"

He does want to be re-elected you know?

[zipplewrath]

3. Kinda depends upon who right?

It can make it worse for some people, little different for many, and better for some, and he can still ge re-elected now can't he? So the question is, for whom did it "hurt" and who did it "help"? And when will they notice. (Many aspects don't kick in for a few years).

[depakid]

5. The incentives will cause high deductible, high copay junk insurance to proliferate

[Oregone]

6. Politicians do that stuff all the time

Hey...I guess its all guess work now that the fake debate is over. But keep your eye on the rate of increase in per capita health costs and the average national actuarial value. The situation can definitely become worse

[zipplewrath]

4. How is it a first step?

It institutionalizes health insurance into our legal system as an obligation for each citizen. How is that a "first step" towards single payer? You do realize that this bill borrowed heavily from the 1993 bill that the GOP put together as a way to oppose nationalized healthcare under Clinton. It was specifically designed to AVOID a single payer system.

[dumpdabaggers]

7. Single payer had ZERO chance of passing.

What part of that did you fail to comprehend? If he could not get a mild public option through, how would he have ever gotten single payer? The American people simply do not trust the government to manage health care.