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hk

On 3/22/10 11:00 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:22:00 -0400,
wrote:

On 3/22/10 10:12 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:33:46 -0400,
wrote:

We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement,
and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat.
...

Even if it were true that the "we" followed the most radical voices,
would a few Republican votes for the health-care legislation have
reversed the defeat?

Had the Republicans actually been engaged in a process to improve health
care insurance and health care reform, there might have been a truly
bipartisan bill and a lot less rancor. The GOP paid lip service to
reform, but the reality is, the GOP leadership is doing everything it
can to obstruct and to make sure it does what it can to stymie Obama.

Is that a problem if the GOP and its respective constituency consider
the bill to be an Über-Leviathon? I personally consider an aspect of
it to be an infringement of my personal liberty. Too, I've read of
several GOP submissions for health-care reform.

The lack of tort reform, which the GOP sorta pushed for, is not driving
health insurance premiums up by 30-50 a year, nor is it keeping tens of
millions of Americans from having health insurance, nor is it preventing
millions of Americans from obtaining health insurance because of
pre-existing conditions, nor is it a factor in the donut hole for
prescriptions for seniors. And much more.

The GOP also pushed for insurers to be able to sell across state lines.
Many insurers do that through the federal employee program, but the GOP
was against extending that program to everyone.

What it boils down to is that the GOP solution was to do nothing, but to
pay lip service to the idea of health insurance/care reform. You only
have to see how the GOP leaders directed their fellow congresscritters
to understand that.