Bipartisanship

"Beyond that, Conrad said, public option “has become one of the most divisive issues in health reform” and “simply cannot get the 60 votes needed to pass"


Actually, just because the republic party is not in power, that the rule should be that no bills pass without 90 votes.

On the plus side, we will have true bipartisanship.

On the minus side, taxpayers will end up paying congressional salaries to people who will do nothing more than sit around with their thumbs up their asses getting nothing done.

"They Drink The Sand 'Cause They Don't Know The Difference"

From Digby



The lack of true understanding in those who are voicing opposition to health care shows the true power of propaganda that is broadcast through our radio and televisions today. These people think that Obama is personally going to dismantle our country and remake it in the image of Russia. Russia. Why, if he was going to remake our country into anothers image, would he chose Russia? Why not France, or Japan, or, Finland?

This is about reforming health care, for crying out loud. This is about (hopefully, in it's ideal form) making it possible for Americans to have affordable health insurance. It's about imposing just enough regulation on an industry so they can't tell you that "sorry, we can't help you, but thanks for paying those premiums all those years" when you get sick and need them to do what you actually paid them to do.

These people are ok with us going to war, but we can't have universal healthcare?

Best Health Care In The World

Even if you're insured, you can be royally screwed:

Our six-month-old daughter cost over $22,000.

You’d think, with a number like that, we must have used fertility treatments—but she was conceived naturally. You’d think we went through an adoption agency—but she is a biological child. So surely, we were uninsured.

Nope. Birthing our daughter was so expensive precisely because we were insured, on the individual market. Our insurer, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, sold us exactly the type of flawed policy—riddled with holes and exceptions—that the health care reform bills in Congress should try to do away with. The “maternity” coverage we purchased didn’t cover my labor, delivery, or hospital stay. It was a sham. And so we spent the first months of her life getting the kind of hospital bills and increasingly aggressive calls from hospital administrators that I once believed were only possible without insurance."

This is what the future holds for the currently insured - people will pay their premiums, and still have to pay massive hospital bills because it is far more profitable for insurance companies to deny payouts and litigate against their clients.

Congrats To Senator-Elect Franken

Now go kick some butt - I want my national health insurance plan NOW!

(Not So) Deep Thought

Governing a state from Argentina is very hard.

Abortion for Me, Not for Thee

This, in light of Dr. Tiller's murder, just sad.

And yes, this may not be the "typical" response whan a "pro-life" woman (or that woman's daughter) gets pregnant. the point is, these people had the chance to make their choice, and the only people who would have judged them are the very people that they stand with.

Not So Deep Thought

The appearence of all these white people appearing on my tevee calling a Latino woman a racist member of a priviledged upbringing is slightly disturbing.