On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:07:38 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:50:47 -0500, Vic Smith wrote:


Huge mistake by Obama not insisting on that. Undermines his
credibility.

Maybe, but it's too early to say with certainty. I see this plan as
pretty mild, trying to get something passed without stepping on too may
toes, trying to get a consensus. That doesn't seem to be working.
Perhaps, he should have gone all-in and gone for a true single player
plan, screw the health insurers, screw the pharmaceuticals, and made the
choice much clearer.

The Republicans are also not without risk in this. Sure, if they kill
this plan, they damage Obama, but that will leave us without *any* health
care reform. Something, the majority of Americans want. Come the next
election, without any reform, would you rather be Obama who tried, or the
Republicans, the party of no? I could be wrong, but I don't see
Republicans winning on this. Americans have short political memories,
but our health care situation will remain a reminder.

Yep. Agee with all that. Reps just solidifying their reputation as
The Party of No. Don't know about going single payer quickly though.
Too disruptive in many ways. The gov option would be a way to ease
into single payer over a long time, or for private insurance to get
competitive. Haven't heard about the gov option being required to run
on the black side of the line, but that should be required.
About Obama's credibility, that's my estimation as an Independent.
Tort reform would tackle the malpractice insurance and defensive
medicine costs on the cost side. I'm no expert on it, but I've heard
(think Lou Dobbs addressed it in one of his pieces on foreign health
care) that countries with national health care have more sane tort
systems.
It's just a question of doing the logical things to contain costs, and
since I don't question Obama's intelligence, what's left?
Trial lawyer politics. Not good. He should be above that, and could
actually carry it off. Same with pushing nuclear energy harder, which
he should be doing.
Besides, from a political perspective, he'd have the Reps voting "Nay
on tort reform. Because they won't vote "Aye" on any reform bill
put out by the Dems or Obama.
Most of the Reps are turning wacko. Sad to see.

--Vic