A Disaster That Didn’t Happen
The Democrats celebrated an overtime victory in the health care Super Bowl in subdued fashion–no champagne corks popped in the Oval Office, no one dumped Gatorade on Nancy Pelosi–a suitable response to winning by not losing.
When the cry of “baby killer” at Bart Stupak had faded and the last vote was counted, the significance of a year-long struggle was that Republicans had failed to bring down the Obama Administration with a crushing defeat.
In our cut-your-losses age, this is no small matter, but passing a convoluted package of “reforms,” most of which won’t kick in for years, is hardly the equivalent of bringing Americans Social Security and Medicare, as Democratic leaders claim.
The bill, says a New York Times editorial, “represents a national commitment to reform the worst elements of the current system…Our hope and belief is that this reform will in the end accomplish its great objectives. Right now, the good news for all Americans is that despite all the politics and the obstructionism, the process has finally begun.”
There is much to be said for “hope and belief,” but as with the economic stimulus and jobs bill, this Obama accomplishment will be a long time in putting bread on American dinner tables.
15 Responses to “A Disaster That Didn’t Happen”
Actually, Social Security wasn't available to most Americans for years after 1935 either. In fact, the original bill exempted agricultural workers from it entirely (to appease the Dixiecrats).
I love how when saying 'Democrats' would impinge on the meme of Republicans historically being the ones against all social reform programs, the Left throws out 'Dixiecrats' as a euphemism.
They were DEMOCRATS, in 1935 and in 1965, not Republicans and not 'Dixiecrats'.
The Dems got back on their feet (or got out of HUA mode, for a Change [tm]), while the GOP “opposition” dwindled to nothing.
This is no stupid “historic” [sic] event [snicker], just cause for relief, that the Dems actually got legislation passed, and actually came to some kind of (hastily and wildly contrived) agreement on getting it passed.
We're waiting to see what happens next. Will we see the Dems go crazy now? Will they “blame” the GOP for the mess that they created themselves that they broke out of, and “punish” the GOP by overreaching more than ever, the lay-waste policy, rushing even more frantically to pass the worst possible legislation, as much as they can before November? Crazier and more repellent than ever that is?
Or will they try to stay non-HUA and back off the idiocy and far-left levels enough to prevent another disaster?
(It's not as if they are going to neglect rushing to accomodate extreme entitlement demands for amnesty or E-Z Citizenship, and sign up as many immigrants as they can to vote Democratic this November. No, they can't neglect that…)
Last night was nothing short of a total victory for the GOP. I've gotta hand it to them, they're good at what they do…walking the dems right into a pungee trap. Strategy is the GOP's forte'. Dems are still wet behind the ears. When a noob goes against a master, the master always wins..
See my post here..
http://themoderatevoice.com/66913/the-good-news…
I don't call a new tax on life a GOP victory by any means.
Ah Schade
Dixiecrats are as much Democrats as John Birchers are Republicans.
The great thing about this article is that all of them now have access to health insurance regardless of pre-existing conditions or exhausting artificial coverage ceilings. Isn't it a great country or what!
According to the Left, ALL Republicans are John Birchers, either openly or in secret!
And yes, everyone will now have ever decreasing availability of access to ever decreasing quality of care. It is true equality – everyone eventually gets equally shitty health care, only for more money! (just like my earlier post about credit card reform said – get less, pay more, or as StockBoy said, pay more, get less! The choice is obvious).
Except Congress, of course, who for some truly unfathomable reason exempted themselves from this utterly fantastic new system. Why oh why would they do that, give the greatness of the Brave New Health Care World they just created?
It is Animal Farm-style HCR. Everyone is equal, just some are more equal than others. Go figure.
Schade
“According to the Left, ALL Republicans are John Birchers, either openly or in secret!”
Paranoid much? It's good to know that you have the deep insightful vision of what the Left thinks.
As to the bill, it sure could hae used some effort from the right. You know, it's not like the healthcare problem in the US is an illusion. Too bad the Republicans insisted upon blockage instead of putting out substantive ideas backed by CBO estimates.
Your grandiose estimation of “a brave new health care world” lacks effort on your part. it also lacks facts or solutions.
Somebody needs to explain the so-called victory over pre-existing conditions……I've been getting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions for about 25 years now………on an individual policy basis immediately and on a group basis after 6 months. My own policy has no aggregate cap either. I'm glad everyone is so happy, but I'm not exactly sure why that is……I'm am sure they'll take the additional morbidity risk for an appropriate additional premium just like they always did.
I'm feeling a little DLS'ey today, so I'll add a second post………..
Since we now have 35 million more insured patients and 0 million new doctors, I suspect we ought to start directing unspent stimulus funds to training the unemployed folks as nurse practitioners and PA's. They sure won't have similar access to MD's.
Obama is going to take the campaign on the road again. It seems he has something still to work on.
“Opinion polls show the public, by a margin of 49 percent to 40 percent, opposed the legislation”
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62L0I0201…
One, I put a smiley after the Bircher comment, meaning it as a joke. Sorry if that was too subtle for you to understand.
Second, I notice you don't address the actual point of the second part of my reply. If this is such a damn good idea and reform, why is Congress itself not included?
And as for the pack of lies that is the financials of this bill and the subsequent CBO report (which by law MUST believe or at least pretend to believe, whatever BS assumptions are used in the bill itself), try reading this: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21hol…
You think that's bad…….check out the MSN front page…..65 to 21 with over 500,000 votes……that's one thousand times the number of Redstaters out there…so I don't know who is bad mouthing this historic piece of legislation.
“check out the MSN front page…..65 to 21 with over 500,000 votes”
What has been remarkable to me lately is the Left, and the far lefties may be the ones that may create a surprise this November. (Coffee Party is superficial but is not a fluke at this time.)
I wonder what their expectations are now that the Dems have resumed passing legislation.
Schade
Nothing says subtle like a smiley face.
As to the bill, I said more than a few times I don't particularly like it. I see it as written for the Insurance industry by the Insurance industry. I've also stated that the only way to get reform is if both sides would work toward solving the health care problems and not play political football. Of course, both sides millions of lobbyist dollars to not do that very thing.
The Repubs consistently refused to work with real ideas or to accept the fact that they were the party out of power. The Dems let those who receive te most bucks drive the debate and write the bill.
My comment was simple, people now have access to insurance that eludes pre-existing conditions and cancellations in time of need. If you don't see that as enough, I agree. Too bad the Repubs don't want to work with Obama to solve this.
Name me some Republican statesmen and we may get somewhere. Name me some statesmen in the Democratic party besides Obama, and we may even get further.