Scottbrown2012
02-28-2010, 10:53 PM
“Showdown” in DC: What We feared, What We Expected
The media treated the event as a they would a championship fight–not important enough for networks to go live to of course–but as a possible source of drama and conflict. It wasn’t about who was right but who would be left and still standing after the hoped for bloodletting was over.
Plenty of Yak, Yak, No Agreement at Health Care Summit
Afterwards, the Hill reported: Obama eyes Democrats-only endgame at healthcare summit
President Barack Obama closed Wednesdays healthcare summit by stating his willingness to use controversial rules to pass healthcare with a simple majority vote. Pelosi said “We Have to Act.” The question: do they have the votes.
AP reported on what they call “the gamble.”
Delivering his closing argument at a 7-1/2-hour televised policy marathon Thursday, Obama told Republicans he welcomes their ideas — even ones Democrats don’t like — but they must fit into his framework for a broad health care remake that would cover tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
That’s the deal.
It’s a gamble for Obama and his party, and it’s far from certain that Democratic congressional leaders can rally their members to muscle a bill through on their own. At stake are Democrats’ political fortunes in the midterm elections and the fate of Obama’s domestic agenda pitted against emboldened Republicans.
“The truth of the matter is that politically speaking, there may not be any reason for Republicans to want to do anything,” Obama said, summing up. “I don’t need a poll to know that most Republican voters are opposed to this bill and might be opposed to the kind of compromise we could craft.
“And if we can’t,” he added, “I think we’ve got to go ahead and some make decisions, and then that’s what elections are for. ”
Bill Scher offered this analysis on OurFuture.org:
“Grand Obstructionist Oppressive Party” Makes The Case For Simple Majority Health Care Vote
During the lunch break of today’s health care summit, C-Span 3 took two calls from Republican voters appalled at what they saw from their own party’s congressional leaders.
One praised President Obama for trying to tackle a serious problem, while lamenting the congresspeople in his own party who clearly would not “meet the President halfway.”
The second was even angrier, saying he was “ashamed” of his party’s congresspeople and that the Republican Party acronym of G.O.P. should no longer mean “Grand Old Party” but “Grand Obstructionist Oppressive Party.” (G.O.O.P is kinda catchy.)
Literally no Republican attending the summit made the slightest attempt to seek common ground, despite repeated openings from the President.
And the obstructionist spectacle apparently is making even Republican voters wince.
If skittish Democrats were worried about passing health care using Senate budget rules that allow for a simple majority vote, they can now feel reassured that seeing conservative obstruction up close is far more revolting to the American public.
The summit has done its jobs. And the verdict is in. [More here →]
McClatchey: It wasn’t really about Health Care
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s nationally televised face-off Thursday with Republican lawmakers over health care is as much about politics as policy, more debate than negotiation.
Few think that Obama will be able to win Republican support for his proposals, especially for the new plan he brings with him that is larger and more expensive than the ones they rejected in the past.
Rather, he heads into the session hoping to transform the debate over health care from a referendum on Democrats’ proposals — which he’s been losing — into a choice between Democratic and Republican ideas over how to fix a system that both sides think needs fixing.
If he can win that debate in the eyes of the public, he could shore up support in Congress among nervous Democrats and perhaps push through some plan to extend coverage to more of the uninsured and try to rein in soaring costs. Moreover, he could change the dynamics of the coming elections for control of Congress and give his Democratic Party a better chance to ward off a tidal wave of anger that’s been building against them.
If he can’t dominate the debate, his prospects for passing comprehensive health care legislation — and Democrats’ prospects in the November elections — remain daunting.
Real Socialists Respond: From a statement by Socialist Party
February 25, 2010 - At the President’s Healthcare Summit today, the American people witnessed a debate between the bad proposal for healthcare reform and the even worse one. The Democrats House and Senate Bill’s fail to address the growing problems of for-profit healthcare. Instead, by mandating the purchase of healthcare, their plan will create a profitable market for private health insurance companies to exploit. The Republican’s counter-proposal, which seeks to allow consumers to buy insurance plans across state lines, would reverse decades of necessary reforms carried out at the state-level. This would give mega-healthcare corporations a free-hand to expand their already abusive practices.
While the two parties squabble about how to carry out the corporate restructuring of healthcare, the American people continue to suffer under a for-profit healthcare system. 50 million people are underinsured, another 20 million underinsured and nearly 50,000 people die each year from preventable illnesses. In response, millions of Americans have begun to avoid healthcare – a recent survey indicates that 6 out of 10 have either deferred or delayed necessary care in the last year.
Southern Exposure: Chris Kromm: Health insurers unleash big rate hikes despite record profits
Just as President Obama’s push for health reform was threatening to collapse, big insurance companies may have given Democrats just the ammunition they need to win — if they can capitalize on it.
In the wake of public outcry over WellPoint/Anthem Blue Cross of California’s plan to jack up premiums by 39% for over 1 million members — 10 times the rate of inflation — news is emerging of similar rate increases across the South and country, driving up costs to consumers as high as 70%.
http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2010/02/26/the-cspan-summit-no-beer-but-lots-of-bull-afghan-agony-dubai-killing/
The media treated the event as a they would a championship fight–not important enough for networks to go live to of course–but as a possible source of drama and conflict. It wasn’t about who was right but who would be left and still standing after the hoped for bloodletting was over.
Plenty of Yak, Yak, No Agreement at Health Care Summit
Afterwards, the Hill reported: Obama eyes Democrats-only endgame at healthcare summit
President Barack Obama closed Wednesdays healthcare summit by stating his willingness to use controversial rules to pass healthcare with a simple majority vote. Pelosi said “We Have to Act.” The question: do they have the votes.
AP reported on what they call “the gamble.”
Delivering his closing argument at a 7-1/2-hour televised policy marathon Thursday, Obama told Republicans he welcomes their ideas — even ones Democrats don’t like — but they must fit into his framework for a broad health care remake that would cover tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
That’s the deal.
It’s a gamble for Obama and his party, and it’s far from certain that Democratic congressional leaders can rally their members to muscle a bill through on their own. At stake are Democrats’ political fortunes in the midterm elections and the fate of Obama’s domestic agenda pitted against emboldened Republicans.
“The truth of the matter is that politically speaking, there may not be any reason for Republicans to want to do anything,” Obama said, summing up. “I don’t need a poll to know that most Republican voters are opposed to this bill and might be opposed to the kind of compromise we could craft.
“And if we can’t,” he added, “I think we’ve got to go ahead and some make decisions, and then that’s what elections are for. ”
Bill Scher offered this analysis on OurFuture.org:
“Grand Obstructionist Oppressive Party” Makes The Case For Simple Majority Health Care Vote
During the lunch break of today’s health care summit, C-Span 3 took two calls from Republican voters appalled at what they saw from their own party’s congressional leaders.
One praised President Obama for trying to tackle a serious problem, while lamenting the congresspeople in his own party who clearly would not “meet the President halfway.”
The second was even angrier, saying he was “ashamed” of his party’s congresspeople and that the Republican Party acronym of G.O.P. should no longer mean “Grand Old Party” but “Grand Obstructionist Oppressive Party.” (G.O.O.P is kinda catchy.)
Literally no Republican attending the summit made the slightest attempt to seek common ground, despite repeated openings from the President.
And the obstructionist spectacle apparently is making even Republican voters wince.
If skittish Democrats were worried about passing health care using Senate budget rules that allow for a simple majority vote, they can now feel reassured that seeing conservative obstruction up close is far more revolting to the American public.
The summit has done its jobs. And the verdict is in. [More here →]
McClatchey: It wasn’t really about Health Care
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s nationally televised face-off Thursday with Republican lawmakers over health care is as much about politics as policy, more debate than negotiation.
Few think that Obama will be able to win Republican support for his proposals, especially for the new plan he brings with him that is larger and more expensive than the ones they rejected in the past.
Rather, he heads into the session hoping to transform the debate over health care from a referendum on Democrats’ proposals — which he’s been losing — into a choice between Democratic and Republican ideas over how to fix a system that both sides think needs fixing.
If he can win that debate in the eyes of the public, he could shore up support in Congress among nervous Democrats and perhaps push through some plan to extend coverage to more of the uninsured and try to rein in soaring costs. Moreover, he could change the dynamics of the coming elections for control of Congress and give his Democratic Party a better chance to ward off a tidal wave of anger that’s been building against them.
If he can’t dominate the debate, his prospects for passing comprehensive health care legislation — and Democrats’ prospects in the November elections — remain daunting.
Real Socialists Respond: From a statement by Socialist Party
February 25, 2010 - At the President’s Healthcare Summit today, the American people witnessed a debate between the bad proposal for healthcare reform and the even worse one. The Democrats House and Senate Bill’s fail to address the growing problems of for-profit healthcare. Instead, by mandating the purchase of healthcare, their plan will create a profitable market for private health insurance companies to exploit. The Republican’s counter-proposal, which seeks to allow consumers to buy insurance plans across state lines, would reverse decades of necessary reforms carried out at the state-level. This would give mega-healthcare corporations a free-hand to expand their already abusive practices.
While the two parties squabble about how to carry out the corporate restructuring of healthcare, the American people continue to suffer under a for-profit healthcare system. 50 million people are underinsured, another 20 million underinsured and nearly 50,000 people die each year from preventable illnesses. In response, millions of Americans have begun to avoid healthcare – a recent survey indicates that 6 out of 10 have either deferred or delayed necessary care in the last year.
Southern Exposure: Chris Kromm: Health insurers unleash big rate hikes despite record profits
Just as President Obama’s push for health reform was threatening to collapse, big insurance companies may have given Democrats just the ammunition they need to win — if they can capitalize on it.
In the wake of public outcry over WellPoint/Anthem Blue Cross of California’s plan to jack up premiums by 39% for over 1 million members — 10 times the rate of inflation — news is emerging of similar rate increases across the South and country, driving up costs to consumers as high as 70%.
http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2010/02/26/the-cspan-summit-no-beer-but-lots-of-bull-afghan-agony-dubai-killing/