Open Left

test

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by: ZZ @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:17:31 PM CDT

Simple answers to simple questions

Yes.

Somehow, the new "National House Ballot" isn't encouraging me a whole lot. I can't think why.

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

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by: lambert @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:28:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

linky?

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by: dr anonymous @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:30:06 PM CDT

Asked and answered

Yes. Until the whole house of cards either collapses or is pushed over, this is all we're ever gonna get. You can wonk and finagle and whip and send PayPal contributions to liars and demagogues and stage sit-ins all you want, but while you're doing it, please remember that Chomsky is a better political analyst than anyone in Washington, or anyone in the netroots either, for that matter.

No one wants to hear the bad news, not even me, but the truth is that until the moneychangers are driven from the temple -- all of them, regardless of party -- what you see is what you're gonna get, all you're gonna get. If you can hope and change without a revolution, fine. If you can't, though, you will, sooner or later, be forced to admit it. We all will.

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by: William Timberman @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:34:51 PM CDT

Yes

Kucinich is correct.  

Ironically, from Kucinich's point of view, this is why this must pass.  For now, we cannot do any better.  While it may not be the end result we need, it is something to build on.

Obviously, there is one big caveat to this.  We are still fighting and this isn't over yet.  Details matter.  So "this" isn't completely defined yet; improvements are still possible and we need to fight to keep the victories we seem to have already.

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by: Mark Matson @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:37:50 PM CDT

Why?

Better a FAIL and Dems facing voters at the polls in 2010, then a bill that leaves state single payer plans subject to court challenge under ERISA and only enrolls 10 million by 2019 anyhow.

You can't build on sh*t. This bill is sh*t.  

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

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by: lambert @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:45:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

State plans

For one, I don't give a damn about state single player plans, because real health care reform must be at a national level.  No state plan even could cover 10 million currently uninsured people because the states are not big enough.

And we certainly don't need to prove single payer works, as we have the entire rest of the world doing that already.

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by: Mark Matson @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 15:22:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm envisioning state and regional compacts

If states joined together, they could have the clout.

And they'll be desperate, are desperate. The Feds have deficit spending, so they can throw 30 cents on every dollar to the insurance companies. The states can't print money, so the cost savings of single payer are of greater appeal.

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

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by: lambert @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 23:25:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is the guy who should have been president.

But no, the adults like Kucinich get treated like children while children like Obama, Clinton, Emanuel, and the rest get to run the world.  It's disgusting.

This entire pretense of health care reform is undeniably NOT the best we can do; it's the worst, and we did it.

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by: Michael Kwiatkowski @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 14:28:15 PM CDT

sorry -- here's the link

http://kucinich.house.gov/News...

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by: nasrudin @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 20:57:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

More from DK today

Under the title "State Single Payer Cannot Be Ignored":

"Today, advocates of true health care reform were disappointed to learn that the Kucinich amendment was removed from the latest version of the health care reform bill. At the end of the day, states may be given the option to opt out, but won't be allowed to opt into a proven system that provides all of a state's residents with better health care."

"Many states are demanding single payer. Not only does it help people stay out of poverty and provide health care for all, but it would provide major relief for states facing budget difficulties. The Lewin Group's financial analysis of the California single payer bill that passed the legislature twice found that 'the net cost of the program to state and local governments is a savings of about $900 million' in 2006 alone. There are also strong single payer movements in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Colorado, and New Mexico."

"If a state wants better health care than can be provided by the federal government in the health care bill we are seeing today, the federal government should not stand in their way. The removal of the Kucinich amendment constitutes yet another capitulation to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries who are already reaping billions of dollars from the bill."

http://kucinich.us/index.php

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by: nasrudin @ Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 21:03:52 PM CDT