Remarkable that something with 60% favorables, even after the insurance industry's all-out propaganda war against it, is even up for contention.
Oh yeah. Republicans.
Never mind, as you were.
I would like to see a rider that says any Congressman that votes to opt out of the Public Option has his government-paid, Socialistic health care for him and his family (for life!) also stripped out. So they can be all Man of the People (Yo! Peace, out!)
After one week of trying to get his daughter's Pap Smears covered by his private insurance carrier, we'll be Single Payor. #healthcare
@Trai_Dep: yes to all. i am cautiously optimistic that obama has been playing 4th dimensional mindgame chess and having spent the summer sitting back and letting the crazies shriek and wail, while the sane people take it all in, the overton window has opened enough such that what we have now looks really wrong and what we are starting to talk about looks actually quite reasonable
@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Polling seems to show that all the town-hall screamfests had very little effect on support for health care reform, while providing endless photo-ops for birthers and other nut-jobs. Which is not what the GOP wanted, I'm sure.
I don't know if I would credit it to some master move by Obama, as much as a reflection of how fringe a lot of the town-hall/teabagger views really are. Most people see someone screaming at their congressman about Marxism/Hitler and just tune out. Thank goodness. #healthcare
@Cicada: agreed. i think the master gamesmanship move by obama is counting to 100 while it built to a shriek. also, and unfortunately, the mainstream media was reporting the views of the lunatics/teabaggers as vastly more than the fringe they are, and that needs to change.
There is a national public option created. Some states can decide not to offer this option to their constituents. For states that do offer it to their constituents, it will be available as an option (most likely to only some people a certain percentage above the poverty line, and not all).
The idea is that few states are going to turn down a service like this for their constituents, since it would lower the cost of premiums. #healthcare
@eatsshootsleaves: But a private employer operating within that state would not have the ability to offer the public option as the health care plan for that company? #healthcare
@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Well, that's what they're trying to change the name to, but considering that's it's unlikely that the public option is even going to be OFFERED to anyone, it's pretty disingenuous. #healthcare
And the state opt-out provision is hilarious anyway. The GOP talk up a storm about not wanting in on all these entitlements, but just as their states accepted bailout cash, when it comes time to face their constituents, they aren't going to be able to turn down a public option that--let's face it--they're all going to want as soon as they see blue-staters using it.
I'm just hoping that, if there's a public option in the bill, it doesn't require you to be just above Medicaid level in order to qualify for it. #healthcare
@skt.smth: I hope they stand tall and stick to their principles. Let's watch the GOP states dwindle down to only Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. #healthcare
@Trai_Dep: It's been my view that the only real difference between liberals and conservatives on the healthcare issue is that liberals know right now that they want public healthcare, while conservatives won't know they want it until they've got it. If congress can pass a bill with actual teeth, something that truly reforms the system, it's going to be difficult for the GOP politicians to convince even diehard conservatives that it's a bad thing. It's one thing to pull the wool over somebody's eyes on a wishy-washy, purely ideological issue, but when you can actually feel the effects, it's harder for misinformation to get through.
I think the democrats know that they need healthcare to go through, and they know they need it to have teeth. It's really the only thing they've got that they can use to build inroads with conservatives and break this perennial deadlock in electoral politics. #healthcare
January 2010: The Obama White House announced today that former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, ousted from his seat after pushing through a far reaching healthcare reform act [note: because the people of Nevada hate him nonetheless] has been appointed to head [insert banal committee/task force name here]."
January 2012: Former Senator Harry Reid, currently Chairman of President Obama's [ ] committee has been named Secretary of Housing and Urban Developing for the President's second term. #healthcare
@Trai_Dep: I am saying that Reid is going to lose regardless of the public option, so he is ensuring that he still in with Obama when he goes down in 2010. #healthcare
@ima221: Ah.
That's a fair point.
Although, if Reid can wait out until a Public Option is used and available, even the most bitter of Conservative Nevadans might like the results, so he might survive.
Not that I wouldn't mind seeing him gone: it always grates when they chose a Dem from a deep Red state to head the House/Senate party, moderating the Dem's voice to eunuchhood. #healthcare
Hey Republicans, I hear that Obama was involved in some shady real estate dealings with Michelle back in the early 90's when he was governor of Arkansas. Maybe you should go check on that. #politico
@erinna: You're lucky that you do, because otherwise there's a chance you're a part of Michelle's SECRET HIT LIST (which is similar to, but worse than, Obama's SECRET ENEMY LIST!!!!11!!!1). #politico
10/23/09
Oh yeah. Republicans.
Never mind, as you were.
I would like to see a rider that says any Congressman that votes to opt out of the Public Option has his government-paid, Socialistic health care for him and his family (for life!) also stripped out. So they can be all Man of the People (Yo! Peace, out!)
After one week of trying to get his daughter's Pap Smears covered by his private insurance carrier, we'll be Single Payor. #healthcare
10/23/09
hoping hoping hoping #healthcare
10/23/09
I don't know if I would credit it to some master move by Obama, as much as a reflection of how fringe a lot of the town-hall/teabagger views really are. Most people see someone screaming at their congressman about Marxism/Hitler and just tune out. Thank goodness. #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
There is a national public option created. Some states can decide not to offer this option to their constituents. For states that do offer it to their constituents, it will be available as an option (most likely to only some people a certain percentage above the poverty line, and not all).
The idea is that few states are going to turn down a service like this for their constituents, since it would lower the cost of premiums. #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
I'm just hoping that, if there's a public option in the bill, it doesn't require you to be just above Medicaid level in order to qualify for it. #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
I think the democrats know that they need healthcare to go through, and they know they need it to have teeth. It's really the only thing they've got that they can use to build inroads with conservatives and break this perennial deadlock in electoral politics. #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
It was gone and back within seconds. It was fun though! Like getting punched in the face and hugged simultaneously. Btw... hi! #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
January 2012: Former Senator Harry Reid, currently Chairman of President Obama's [ ] committee has been named Secretary of Housing and Urban Developing for the President's second term. #healthcare
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/24/09
That's a fair point.
Although, if Reid can wait out until a Public Option is used and available, even the most bitter of Conservative Nevadans might like the results, so he might survive.
Not that I wouldn't mind seeing him gone: it always grates when they chose a Dem from a deep Red state to head the House/Senate party, moderating the Dem's voice to eunuchhood. #healthcare
10/21/09
10/21/09
Sorry, Politico, but the Globe does it better. #politico
10/21/09
10/21/09
@erinna: You're lucky that you do, because otherwise there's a chance you're a part of Michelle's SECRET HIT LIST (which is similar to, but worse than, Obama's SECRET ENEMY LIST!!!!11!!!1). #politico
10/21/09
10/21/09