Steve Benen wrote: "... the individual mandate was a Republican idea ... they always seem to forget that."

Indeed, an individual mandate requiring all Americans to purchase health insurance from for-profit corporations has been a Republican idea for THIRTY YEARS.

Of course, the Republicans don't "forget" that -- they just lie about it. Which Steve, of course, knows -- he just enjoys his little jokes about viciously dishonest Republicans being "confused" and "forgetful".

It's unfortunate, however, that some Democrats forget that, and have attacked other commenters on this very blog for pointing out that the individual mandate in the ACA was a Republican idea that was specifically and explicitly opposed by progressives.

Also the existing Oregon Health Plan goes further than than Obama's insurance reform bill in covering low-income and at-risk groups (when its funded properly). Part of the reason for Wyden's proposal was to protect Oregon's more progessive system.

SA, if you're going to get universal care through insurance companies, you've got to have a mandate, otherwise you get nasty adverse selection. I recall reading that this has occurred in New York State, for some particular subset of the health insurance market, where rates have soared because people only sign up for insurance when they are sick. It's not conservative vs liberal, it just works that way.

There are other choices -- single payer, single provider -- but those also include an individual mandate, in that there is an individual mandate to pay income, property, sales, value-added, and excise taxes.

John Kitzhaber is not having surprising trouble.

Nothing worse than some uppity bitch in New York City (git a rope) telling me what's goin' on in my backyard. Chris Dudley, running on his "history" as a Portland basketball player, is a joke even within the joke that is the Oregon Republic Party, and unlike the rest of the "country" we don't elect clowns. Basketball = Harlem Globe trotters = Clown.

Ain't nothing east of The Rockies we need.

They DO understand and they lie because they think nothing else matters except power. Just like the early Christians who thought they could invent history and lie about Hellenism in order to make their religion look good, so many Republicans are doing the same thing.

Not only do we have yellow journalism, we have yellow politicians and columnists afraid to let the truth be known.

Meanwhile,

Boycott the Wall Street Journal

Just proving once again that Republican policies are unpopular.

(Except perhaps, tax cuts when that doesn't imply any reduction in government spending. After all, who could be against 'free'.)

Conservatives don't understand Ron Wyden? Hell, they don't even know what state he's from.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/fail-nrsc-says-wyden-has-lost-touch-with-voters-from-the-evergreen-state-hes-from-oregon.php?ref=fpblg

D'oh! Why do I even try to insert links?

I really wish the conservatives would just stay away from subjects they don't understand.- Benen

But they understand this just fine:

An easily spun lie is worth more than a long winded truth.

In a world of media and talking points, perception carries more weight than reality.

hell's littlest, did you mean this?

You're right, it's hilarious. Although, as the comments point out, it may be the case that the NRSC just can't bring themselves to say the word "Beaver".

The MSM meme is that the GOP are cut-throat politicians who know how to play take-no-prisoners hardball. And that the Dems are run in circles, scream and shout incompetents, who cannot wipe themselves without mommy's assistance.

It sells newspapers, even if untrue. . .

input this URL:
( http://www.fashiongoods.us )
you can find many cheap and fashion stuff
(jor dan s-h-o-e-s)
(NBA NFL NHL MLB j-e-r-s-e-y)
( lv h-a-n-d-b-a-g)
(cha nel w-a-l-l-e-t)
(D&G s-u-n-g-l-a-s-s-e-s)
(ed har dy j-a-c-k-e-t)
(UG G b-o-o-t)

WE ACCEPT PYAPAL PAYMENT
YOU MUST NOT MISS IT!!!

"John Kitzhaber is not having surprising trouble.

Nothing worse than some uppity bitch in New York City (git a rope) telling me what's goin' on in my backyard. Chris Dudley, running on his "history" as a Portland basketball player, is a joke even within the joke that is the Oregon Republic Party, and unlike the rest of the "country" we don't elect clowns. Basketball = Harlem Globe trotters = Clown.

Ain't nothing east of The Rockies we need."

Nothing worse than an ass clown pretending their preferred view of events was actually reality. Currently Kitzhaber is trailing Dudley in the polls (http://www.pollster.com/polls/or/10-or-gov-ge-dvk.php). He looks to have some momentum and he should win based on merit but right now he's losing.

"On the larger policy question, though, he's proving that "Obamacare" is all about moving the universal coverage ball down the field -- and universal coverage is popular."

BS. Obamacare was NEVER about universal coverage. How do we know that? Because Obama engaged in secret meeting with the insurance companies and promised them specifically that there would be no such thing. Then he went on to help push the eventual bill which codified and entrenched the insurance companies (the very same people who are preventing, and always will try to prevent, universal coverage).

Obamacare was 100% about payback to the insurance companies for campaign contributions. And it worked a treat. They're set to make tens of billions more every year thanks to that "reform." At the expense of people like you and me, naturally.

I like Wyden. I listened to him talk at my former work place and struck me as kind of a policy nerd, which is a good thing in a senator. I really hope he saw how things were shaking out and he added this escape clause to obamacare to try and salvage something from Obama clusterfuck.

It's not just The Weekly Standard and the WSJ editorial page, Huffington Post had a similar story but without the ridiculous hyperbole; though I was shocked nonetheless about their slant in coverage. It's funny how HuffPost was one of the main "liberal" outlets that was writing constantly about the misinformation about the healthcare bill and then they fell into a similar trap. I'm not saying that Sen. Wyden is head over hills about the healthcare bill because I'm sure he probably preferred his own, but it's quite odd that most people following this debate were well aware that he was the one that proposed the "DIY" option for the states and now he is....taking advantage of a section of the legislation that he in fact proposed. News at 11?

...the individual mandate in the ACA was a Republican idea that was specifically and explicitly opposed by progressives. -SA

It was also famously opposed by Barack Obama during the primary debates and cited as a striking contrast between his plan and Hilary's plan.