To reduce the deficit and save S.S., Medicaid and Medicare, we should make the ultimate sacrifice:

[pnwmom]

our beloved (to many) but wasteful private health care insurance system.

If the Rethugs were serious about budget cutting, they would know this is true.

[TheKentuckian]

1. but they aren't and never have been. They flip to "deficits don't matter" upon taking control

every single time.

Deficit reduction is all about rabble rousing an anti-spending, anti-tax bunch of yahoos to create artificial gravity against Democratic initiatives.

Giving these fucks even a shadow of the benefit of a doubt is the definition of insanity.

[pnwmom]

2. I know. They raised the debt ceiling 7 times under Bush

and 9 times under Reagan without blinking an eyelash.

[spin]

3. Unfortunately, the problem may be that many Democratic politicians

want to save our "beloved" private healthcare insurance system.

What’s the Matter with Democrats?
By David Sirota
Views » March 19, 2010

First, their leaders campaign on pledges to create a government insurer (a “public option”) that will compete with private health corporations. Once elected, though, Democrats propose simply subsidizing those corporations, which are (not coincidentally) filling Democratic coffers. Justifying the reversal, Democrats claim the subsidies will at least help some citizens try to afford the private insurance they’ll be forced to buy — all while insisting Congress suddenly lacks the votes for a public option.

Despite lawmakers’ refusal to hold votes verifying that assertion, liberal groups obediently follow orders to back the bill, their obsequious leaders fearing scorn from Democratic insiders and moneymen. Specifically, MoveOn, unions and “progressive” non-profits threaten retribution against lawmakers who consider voting against the bill because it doesn’t include a public option. The threats fly even though these congresspeople would be respecting their previous public-option ultimatums — ultimatums originally supported by many of the same groups now demanding retreat.

Soon it’s on to false choices. Democrats tell their base that any bill is better than no bill, even one making things worse, and that if this particular legislation doesn’t pass, Republicans will win the upcoming election — as if signing a blank check to insurance and drug companies couldn’t seal that fate. They tell everyone else that “realistically” this is the “last chance” for reform, expecting We the Sheeple to forget that those spewing the do-or-die warnings control the legislative calendar and could immediately try again.

***snip***

By design, pro-public-option outfits like Firedoglake and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee end up depicted as voices of the minority, even as they champion an initiative that polls show the majority of voters support. Meanwhile, telling questions hang: If this represents victory over special interests, why is Politico reporting that “drug industry lobbyists have huddled with Democratic staffers” to help pass the bill? How is the legislation a first step to reform, as proponents argue, if it financially and politically strengthens insurance and drug companies opposing true change? And what prevents those companies from continuing to increase prices?
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5710/whats_the_matter_with_democrats/

[Hydra]

7. They hopped on the Privitization wagon with the Repubs

And turned it into the gravy train.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended for getting rid of waste, redundancy and dysfunctional inefficiency.

Thanks for the thread, pnwmom.

[gkhouston]

5. K&R. n/t

[tcaudilllg]

6. I think the ultimate sacrifice may be something else but...

sure.