Before reform proponents get too discouraged about watering down a watered down idea...

Homeopathically speaking, the public option is only getting stronger.

Hasn't Landrieu already proven to be completely illiterate on this subject?
If she's now driving these negotiations, then I'm not very optimistic.

i have a moderate idea, cobbled together in some spirit with what several Repugnants (like Lugar) have spoken to in the last few days.

But instead of delaying and starting all over from scratch, why don't we hold on to the House Bill (okay, we can delete Stupak) as is...and find ourselves another goddam US Senate to deliberate and pass the bill...

let's say any senate since roosevelt (teddy) but only up to ronnie rayguns' last term of office, might do it. so lets savor them like vintages and pick one.

i know, i know, the fact that many or all of these senators are dead might slow down the process of actually passing a health care reform bill, but i think we are as likely to have a bill with some dead senators who are serious as we are with the current group of clowns...

and i know we'd come out with a better health care reform bill with the dead senators...

Triggered Co-ops. And a bill that won't do anything but funnel billions into the insurance industry.

I'll almost be as happy when the Democrats lose congress as I was when the Republicans did. We need real parties and not the Haliburton Party and the Goldman-Sachs Party.

how about they call it a "zeegoblat".

As long as it is government run, is available to large numbers of people, and is in direct competition with the health care insurance providers they can call it whatever they want.

Oh, and throw in repeal of insurance company antitrust exemption. Then and only then will democrats have delivered anything worth having.
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Wouldn't it be more productive if we started talking about finding a new place for Republicans to live?

The beneficial side effect of the debate on health care legislation is that since the topic is slightly more complex than voting for tax cuts or wars, a significant number of Senators have revealed themselves to be amazingly stupid people.
Ideology aside, is it better to have a dim Democrat represent Louisiana? What good does it do to have a caucus run by its nitwits?

My thought on this is that we should relieve the senate and the house from their government run health care. Clearly we should treat these public servants better. This would let them join the free market health care system. They'd crack in seconds.

A competitive community option is.......a public option

soullite: I'll almost be as happy when the Democrats lose congress as I was when the Republicans did. We need real parties and not the Haliburton Party and the Goldman-Sachs Party.

And you know just how to build them, don't you, you stunningly competent and irrepressibly hardworking little activist?

My thought on this is that we should relieve the senate and the house from their government run health care. Clearly we should treat these public servants better. This would let them join the free market health care system. They'd crack in seconds.

I think not. About 100 of the 535 -- an incredible percentage, when you think of it -- are millionaires. The rest are not wondering where their next hot meal is coming from. In other words, they can afford to buy private insurance.

how about they call it a "zeegoblat".

whoah, you just gave me an idea, let's call it a fetus--Repubs will never vote to kill a fetus, they care more about one of those than 50 million uninsured.
we'll get over 90 votes for the "fetus"--problem solved!

It sounds to me like she's trying to make a distinction between "public" (meaning nationwide) and "community" (meaning less-than-national). Which sounds like the Conrad co-op stuff all over again.

While Lieberman continues to be a flat out whore I thought the votes on the following amendments are more than indicative of the broad bipartisan support and the realization that the health industry is milking us dry, and that reform is a MUST.

The laws regarding the health industry as they have been gamed by the health lobbyist and their “whores” on Capital Hill has to be undone. The monopoly the health industry has cobbled together since the 1940’s has to be terminated with prejudice. It is a major factor in the collapse of the United States Economy across a broad spectrum of markets.

The fact remains that big insurance by refusing care to patients and reimbursement to doctors over typos has ticked everyone off. They have a monopoly over the whole process and a well financed lobby team (including Lieberman’s wife) and representatives on both sides of the isle.

A friend of mine recently laid off just he and his spouse is paying $2,500.00 dollars a month for his COBRA. Health insurance costs more than his mortgage. Anyone taking up the insurance industry’s cause doesn’t know what they are talking about.

If you think the insurance companies are going to voluntarily lower their cost while having a monopoly over the process – you are being disingenuous …Over 60% of all US bankruptcies are attributable to medical problems. Most victims are middle class, well educated and have health insurance – (The American Journal of Medicine)

The insurance companies and their representatives in Congress would love to perpetuate a business model that is crippling our overall economy – a bunch of great Americans aren’t they?

90% of the wealth concentrated in 1% of the population is no way to run a country but a heck of a way to establish a royalty ruling class. Yacht sales can not sustain 350 million people. I’m for the public option, competition and a level playing field or break up the big insurers like we did AT&T.

A slavish focus on profit margin might be good for the individual or a business, but it is one helluva lousy way to “govern” a Country. The GOP being a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate America has a hard time with that concept.

Paul Burke
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