Tuesday, September 29, 2009

BARF Public Option Vote Today

That’s right.  Today the Senate Finance committee is scheduled to debate and vote on adding the Public Option to BARF.  The rabid right is running new ads that are particularly dysfunctional.  Here’s an example, cleverly edited by a pro reform activist.
 
Hat-Tip: Huffington Post
Whatever happened to do no HAARM?
And is the Nevada Leg-Hound, a title earned for his habit of humping the GOP leg instead of leading, is Harry Reid fighting for the American People?
Reid The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, has secured a special deal protecting his state against the costs of expanding Medicaid under one of the major health care bills moving through Congress.
Mr. Reid, a Democrat, complained about the impact on Nevada when the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, unveiled his bill on Sept. 16.
Now Mr. Baucus has modified the bill to spare Nevada and three other states, and Mr. Reid, who faces a potentially difficult race for re-election next year, is taking credit for getting a “major increase” in federal money for his state.
The Senate bill, like a companion measure in the House, would expand Medicaid to cover childless adults, parents and other people with incomes less than 133 percent of the poverty level, or $29,327 for a family of four. The federal government would pay most of the new costs — anywhere from 77 percent to 95 percent, with a higher share in poorer states, in the first five years.
Under Mr. Baucus’s [sic] original proposal, the federal government would have paid 87 percent of the new costs in Nevada. Under the modified version, the federal government would pay 100 percent of the new costs for the first five years. Severe financial problems have prompted Nevada and other states to cut spending and furlough workers, and some states have even considered releasing prison inmates to save money… [emphasis added]
inserted from <NY Times>
No, he didn’t lead.  Instead of humping a GOP leg, he humped Max Baucus’ leg and got preferential treatment for Nevada.  I don’t think Baucus would have done this unless Reid sold us out to get the special deal.
Some of the best thinking I’ve heard on this came from Countdown, even in the absence of Keith Olbermann.  For one thing, Blue Dog DINOs are getting pressure from the left to either support the Public Option or face primary challenges to their reelection, a move I support.


I particularly like Dean’s idea.  If we can’t get the public option, we’re left with a massive welfare package for the insurance industry with no way to contain costs.  In it’s present form, BARF will bankrupt the nation, because these greedy corporate leeches will take advantage of the mandate and raise rates.  It’s better to strip the mandates from the bill and the funding for everything except expanding Medicaid to cover the people up to 133% of the poverty level.  Otherwise, keep only the regulations on big insurance, such as forbidding them to discriminate people with preexisting conditions, to drop the coverage of clients who become ill, and to refuse to pay valid claims.
Republican Senators who vote against the public option should not be threatened with violence.  That’s their way, not ours.  We’re better than that.  However they should be marked for replacement.  I’ll find out who they are and let you know.

14 comments:

the walking man said...

But...but...the economy is improving, just look at Wall Street, so everyone will be able to buy health care insurance and all of the land of the free will be covered in sunshine and light with carb free lollipops for everyone as they leave their doctors offices with Snoopy band aids over their boo boo's.

The above was the only alternative I had for the usual language of Detroit.

Middle Ditch said...

I take it that The Walking Man is sarcastic?

Great post even though I am a little political nincompoop.

TomCat said...

ROTF, Mark!

Monique, you do better at the politics on my side of the pond than I do on yours.

Mary Ellen said...

The fact is, the Dems will vote this thing through, minus the public option, (and Obama will sign it) and then they will go on the talk show circuit and convince their fellow Dems that what they did was heroic and blame everyone but themselves for no pubic option. In the meantime, they will have the best health insurance our taxes can buy....and the rest of the country gets thrown under the bus. Same old-same old in Washington.

Unknown said...

Harry 'Stepnfetchit' Reid needs to be replaced.

TomCat said...

Nunly, as much I think you're right, I do so hope we're wrong.

Brother, Amen to that. Who would you like to see become the majority leader?

Randal Graves said...

Don't HAARM my BARF! VOMIT is okay, though. Very Oligarchical Multi-ripoff Institutionalized Terror.

The day Congress stops kissing the ass of corporations is the day the Browns win the Super Bowl, that's all anyone needs to know.

Unknown said...

Maybe we could give Russ Feingold a chance.

BTW-- I was late getting my post up today. Don't know if you heard of THIS development.

Jolly Roger said...

The good little whore Baucus served his pimps well today.

The Rushpubliscums don't have the market cornered on scum. I will re-iterate a promise I made awhile back: if a health "reform" package passes with no public option, the President does not get my vote in 2012. It's as simple and pat as that.

Tao Dao Man said...

not today, and probably not in my life time. i am 59, i looked at running to canada in the 60's. now i am looking to migrate to canada again. they could not even get all the dems to vote for it. this is further proof that we exist under a fascist govt. [[[[they select so we may elect]]]]

Unknown said...

I ain't voting for Obama either if he signs a bill that does not have a public option.

Fuck him and fuck the Blue Dogs in the Senate Finance Committee..twice even.

TomCat said...

Dang, Randal!! That may NEVER happen. :-(

Feingold would be an improvement, Brother. I'll come see.

That he did, JR. I'd need to see what it was that he signed first, but if he signs BARF as it is at present, I would feel sold out.

RZ, I considered Canada at that time too, but decided that to make my protest meaningful, I had to risk the consequences of refusing induction if it came to that. Then came the lottery, and I lucked out.

Dusty, I'm waiting to see what actually happens.

Jo said...

I see the public option was voted down. WTF?

What a strange country America is...!

"Change you can believe it?"

Nope, just more of the same.

TomCat said...

Hiya Josie. WEe had a slight problem with DINOcrats.