What's left standing that could pass Congress?  Great, she says she's for single-payer.  I'm for world peace, unicorns, and naked Fridays.  At some point tho, you have to step back into reality.

And I don't think it's just debunking '1 or 2 things' that she got wrong.  The heart of the article is a lie.

Btw, OT, but here's a good substance video from today w/ Ezra v. Ratigan (the end on costs is p'bly the best part of it).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id /21134540/vp/35953913#35953 913

My website: History By Day
Follow my on twitter @historyday.

by HistoryByDay on 03/19/2010 08:25:36 PM EST

[ Parent ]

if the heart is that this is a corporate gift that masks rising costs with bloated subsidies.

I agree about Single Payer, but as I've said, the fact that the Dems didn't start with that as the opening offer was a political failure of epic proportions. At any rate, a Medicare-Buy-In was entirely possible (and still could be in the future if the current effort fails, but it won't).

Obama disastrously pressured Kucinich, not the Ben Nelsons and Joe Liebermans. If he'd pressured right people, right now I'd be supporting this bill, a bill with an actual chance to provide real competition and a bill that could actually lay a solid foundation to improve upon.

by Tom Hanc on 03/19/2010 08:35:48 PM EST

[ Parent ]
that up until recently the Obama led effort has been executed pretty poorly.  I don't think the votes for a Medicare-Buy-In (which wouldn't work anyways without a mandate, but maybe that's for another time) were ever there, but none-the-less this hasn't been the smoothest year on HCR.

I disagree on the overall tune on subsidies.  The subsidies are essentially one big progressive tax.  I mean, lets just be blunt about this.  It's taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor - for the most part.  Half the spending goes to Medicaid/Chip, the other half to the exchange.  Most of the money raised to pay for that comes from taxing the wealthy and eliminating Medicare Adavantage.

My website: History By Day
Follow my on twitter @historyday.

by HistoryByDay on 03/19/2010 08:58:12 PM EST

[ Parent ]
You hold Unicorns and Single Payer systems in the same category?
Says a lot about some progressives and how truly progressive they are, left and right is broken in this country. I think that’s why we see such weak leftists.

by Alloy on 03/19/2010 08:44:40 PM EST

[ Parent ]
in the U.S. has to go through the Legislative Branch.  I think you're about as likely to look out the back window and see a unicorn as you would to see the Legislative Branch pass single-payer.  I'm not sure you'd get 125 votes of the 216 needed, not to mention the Senate.

My website: History By Day
Follow my on twitter @historyday.

by HistoryByDay on 03/19/2010 09:03:44 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Bill, if Obama got behind that or a similar bill from the start we could just expand Medicare to cover all since its foundation is already built. Just massively tweak it and expand rates for doctors and hospitals as well. I never said it has to be a new Single Payer system.

by Alloy on 03/19/2010 09:57:45 PM EST

[ Parent ]

supports passing this bill.

But just now I heard him say that Hamsher's points are overall correct.

 

by Tom Hanc on 03/19/2010 08:54:55 PM EST

[ Parent ]