God only knows how y'all are going to react if the Dems grow up and slow down, much less if they [gasp] concede to reality (and propriety) and compromise, even muzzle the out-of-control lib Dems.

He probably knows he has to get something done and that in the annals of history, the public option will probably be forgotten. The original Social Security program but much weaker when it was passed than it is today, but who remembers or cares? These programs always grow over time, which is probably why no virtually no Republicans will vote for it.

I'm sorry to hear you're tired and resentful; it must really be difficult to take the time and spout your TRUTH.

So, one more time, profits of the top ten privates have gone up over 400% and the cost of insurance has risen almost as sharply. Meanwhile, the number of insured has gone down. If the public option will not be effective, why are you afraid it will destroy private insurance companies. If it is useless like the right is s fond of saying, why are you so opposed?

The right's position is classic double speak. It's ineffective and yet devastating. Your logic fails here.

The public option or any other incremental (or complete) federal takeover is not needed to reform the ills (which are not due to “monopoly”) currently found in “insurance”-based health care. Numerous reforms have been listed by me on a number of occasions, for example, and this fact is obvious to others, too.

“so tiresome”

Actually, I'm tired of the poor conduct and pathologies on the Pro- side that have happened here (which leads to resentment when some of us, with facts behind us, push back) as well as elsewhere. It's not my fault if others have missed the facts because they are prejudicial and insist on their “conclusions,” no matter what the reality is. As it is, I've already calmed town from earlier frustrations — it's impractical to persist in remedial (and deservedly harsh) efforts upon those who insist on being irremediable. [shrug] I can only guess (and roll my eyes) on what the reaction will be if the public option, which obviously and deservedly is endangered, is discarded in lieu of “mere” actual reform of some kind.

DLS, your repeated insults of everyone who disagrees with you are so tiresome. You never learned to have a fact-based discussion, did you?

I know at least one person flirting with mental illness here. I know it goes against razor sharp insight, but the public option is required to break the monopolistic stranglehold that private health insurance companies have upon this “market.”

They have no reason to reduce costs because as the total bill goes up, their profits similarly rise. You may pontificate as much as you wish, but the economic fact remains that a public option that constrains the unfettered rise in costs is the only solution currently available.

If you have the secret method to reduce costs and enhance coverage to all
Americans, by all means proceed.

I heard on NPR this morning (which may have included Dionne) a few such desperate people removed still from reality (and from the mainstream, beyond critical mass already in its wiser opposition to, and offense about the latest lunacy as well as this year's previous, “progressive” pattern).

For example, they dishonestly claimed a false “middle ground” for the “public option” in a dishonestly portrayed context (involving their childish and excessive demands), that purport the public option to be a (generous, remarkably concessionary, and other false descriptions that embellish the dishonesty) compromise between whatever else may happen in lieu of lib Dem legislation and “single-payer” [sic; prompt 100% federal takeover of health care, which typically is seen as the Medicare model encompassing everybody]. “We've compromised enough already with the public option [sic] …”

They were (as is typical currently) incoherent, not even agreeing on what the other side of this false pair of opposing positions constitutes. (Given it's obvious they should have been able to describe their false depiction, it's incompetent as well.)

The obvious truth, in addition to the Blue Dogs and GOP being more than willing to seek reform, is that reform in no way requires, nor has ever required, the public option, the truth that these people are flirting with mental illness in their motivation as well as in their disreputable behavior, to evade or to conceal deliberately (which makes their dishonesty about the positions the two sides hold and the context, unsurprising).

The Pro side is still desperate — and dishonest, when not deranged (and already disgusting).

No compromise. No compromise. No compromise. Obama should play the tape of his inaugeration for a pep talk over and over and over. We elected him for radical change on health issues. We want socialized medicine. There I said it. We've got the military, roads, police, fire and farm subsidies. The keystone in that arch is public health care for those who want that option.