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The Spectacle Blog
President Obama on Tuesday released a letter touting four Republican policy ideas on health care that he says he’s “exploring.” Yet the ideas don’t alter the essential structure of the Democratic health care bills, and thus serve more as cosmetic concessions meant to create the idea that he’s working toward a bipartisan compromise.
Even if some of the ideas he says he’s willing to work with Republicans on could be adopted by Congress (on fighting Medicare fraud, addressing medical malpractice in some way, improving doctors payments under Medicaid, and doing more to encourage health savings accounts) they wouldn’t change the general thrust of the legislation. Ultimately, Obama would still be forcing individuals to purchase government-approved insurance policies or pay a tax, having people purchase government-designed insurance policies on government-run exchanges, increasing regulation, and introducing a raft of tax increases.
Obama will have more to say on this matter during yet another speech tomorrow releasing yet another proposal. But what’s pretty clear is that he wants to highlight a few token ideas he’s willing to discuss with Republicans so he can set the stage to blame the GOP when Democrats try to ram a bill through Congress strictly along partisan lines using the reconciliation process.
Earlier this afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested this much, saying Democrats would send a bill to the Congressional Budget Office for evaluation, see what can be passed through reconciliation, and then present the bill to her members to see if enough of them would be willing to cast suicide votes to secure passage.
View all comments (17) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/02/obama-pelosi-vow-to-move-full
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PCC| 3.2.10 @ 7:19PM
Now, more than ever, it is essential that Republicans and their allies stand four-square against further government control over the healthcare industry and vigorously promote market-based reforms that lower costs and increase consumer choice.
Specifically, this means capping damages on medical lawsuits, interstate medical insurance competition, equal tax treatment for individual insurance policies and healthcare savings accounts, enhanced portability of medical insurance from job to job, and elimination of mandated coverage policies.
This is the essential path to reducing costs and improving healthcare provision in the US and, incidentally, it is the path to electoral victory for Republicans in 2010 and beyond.
Pete| 3.2.10 @ 7:42PM
It really is insulting, isn't it? They shut out the GOP completely for a year and can't pass anything because they can't get their own house in order. Then they think they can do a two week smoke and mirror show and claim some sort of "bipartisanship" while using reconciliation to jam through the same guts of a bill that their own biased polls show the majority oppose? And the reason given is essentially, "you're too stupid to know what's good for you." F'ing insulting.
Ray| 3.2.10 @ 7:49PM
It's now no longer good enough for Republicans to be against it, "four-square". They must begin detailing how they intend to repeal it after it passes. Because it will. The statists are betting that even after they get clobbered in the elcetions, the Republicans won't do anything to repeal this legislation.
Paradigm | 3.2.10 @ 7:59PM
I'd really love to see this bill die of natural causes. But, if that can't happen, I'd love to see it repealed if it passes. If history's any indication, though, repealing it will be very difficult. If it were easy to repeal an entitlement, we'd already be rid of the albatrosses called Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
ggoblue| 3.2.10 @ 8:38PM
the bill will pass...the dems will lose the congress...the republicans will start the rollback....the president will veto....the issue will dominate right into 2012...the president will become a one man party of NO.
i dont mind if the democrats commit suicide, and at least they've woken the great mass of independents up.
things will never be the same for the democratic party after barak/nancy/harry get done.
Four-Square| 3.2.10 @ 9:54PM
Talking about repeal at this stage is an admission of defeat to which I do not subscribe.
The Scott Brown victory has many, many Democrats in the House worried about keeping their seats in November. Keeping the pressure on them, now, is the key to defeating the Democrats' healthcare bill, now.
Bob S| 3.3.10 @ 1:43AM
Like somebody said, there are three crimes in the fed. constitution.
Refusing to buy health insurance is not one of them.
Rick V.| 3.3.10 @ 4:28AM
Yes, yes, agreed. I swear, the overall health of the nation deteriorates further every time Obama (D-Kenya) gives another lecture. Would somebody - anybody, Michelle, I don't care - please advise President Mobutu to STFU. Please, God, make him shut up.
Lazy Jack | 3.3.10 @ 9:07AM
I am reminded of Ahab. Perhaps healthcare is the harpoon with which our democracy will finally be brought to heel. Yes, Obama as Ahab, Pelosi as Queequeg, and Reid as Fedallah.
Abraham Lincoln called it a lullaby during his campaign against Douglas. What he meant was the political promises contrived to make people feel comfortable enough that they would sleep through the important debates (then it was slavery) and allow the back room deals to be made. In this case the democrats are allowing the lullaby to lure them into voting for healthcare legislation that will indenture every man, woman and child in this country with little or no demonstrable return to the people.
Our lives are at stake, indeed. It seems there is ample statistical evidence that as the welfare state has grown fatter in the years since 1932, GDP growth has abated. Education and innovation associated with a robust capitalist democracy also appear to be an endagered species on this continent. In other words, the life of the republic is also in serious danger. But listen to the lullaby of free healthcare for all, and all will be well.
But, what do I know.
Your Blue Collar Relation,
Lazy Jack
http://thanksforthelaughs.word.....9/lullaby/
http://thanksforthelaughs.word.....onscience/
jennifer | 3.5.10 @ 7:08AM
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Ellis Wyatt| 3.3.10 @ 9:10AM
While I don't believe Pelosi has near enough votes in the house to move forward I would not put it pass this desperate group of statists to try and cram this through. I expect the republicans to amendment to death any reconciliation effort. Allowing anything to pass and then repeal puts too much faith in a future congress. This bill has enough problems to tie it up in court for a long time, but I don't want to see any of it pass to begin with. Neither do the employees I will have to lay off if it does.
Warrior | 3.3.10 @ 10:58AM
If Pelosi had the votes, this would already have been voted on. Keepin reconcilliation as the front page news is the smoke screen intended on providing cover for the House. There was a thought that the House moderates only gave Pelosi her victory on health care because they believed it would die miserably in the Senate.
martin j smith| 3.3.10 @ 11:51AM
This situation of the use of reconciliation will truly test the metal of the Republican Party and its leadership. The stake of that part and the nation are intertwined. I hope that there are brave souls ready to articulate what people want and oppose reconciliation mightily.