Democrats Against Health Care
June 29,2009 
By Ben Cohen
Joe Conason skewers the real players responsible for blocking substantive health care reform:
Nearly every poll now shows the American
people demanding change in the health care system, with majorities
favoring universal coverage and, in many surveys, a government plan
that competes with private insurance. But powerful Democratic
politicians, especially in the Senate, are pretending not to hear. They
adopt all sorts of positions, from bluntly opposing any substantive
change this year to promoting bogus alternatives. They claim to be
trying to help Obama gather the votes he will need, or to assist him in
attracting Republican votes. They insist that the country can’t afford
universal care, or that the public option won’t pass (before debate has
even begun).
Indeed, many of the most intransigent
Democrats don’t bother to make actual arguments to support their
position. Nor do they seem to worry that Democratic voters and the
party’s main constituencies overwhelmingly support the public option
and universal coverage.
If health care reform fails, it won't be because of the Republicans. They aren't powerful enough to block Obama's proposals, and are consigned to screeching from the aisles. The behavior of certain Democrats proves the point that both parties have been bought by the insurance industry (amongst others), and have one political objective: To represent the interests of the companies who have paid for their careers.
The list of top Democrats opposed to reform:
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
If it fails, we'll know exactly who to blame.
By Ben Cohen
Joe Conason skewers the real players responsible for blocking substantive health care reform:
Nearly every poll now shows the American
people demanding change in the health care system, with majorities
favoring universal coverage and, in many surveys, a government plan
that competes with private insurance. But powerful Democratic
politicians, especially in the Senate, are pretending not to hear. They
adopt all sorts of positions, from bluntly opposing any substantive
change this year to promoting bogus alternatives. They claim to be
trying to help Obama gather the votes he will need, or to assist him in
attracting Republican votes. They insist that the country can’t afford
universal care, or that the public option won’t pass (before debate has
even begun).Indeed, many of the most intransigent
Democrats don’t bother to make actual arguments to support their
position. Nor do they seem to worry that Democratic voters and the
party’s main constituencies overwhelmingly support the public option
and universal coverage.
If health care reform fails, it won't be because of the Republicans. They aren't powerful enough to block Obama's proposals, and are consigned to screeching from the aisles. The behavior of certain Democrats proves the point that both parties have been bought by the insurance industry (amongst others), and have one political objective: To represent the interests of the companies who have paid for their careers.
The list of top Democrats opposed to reform:
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
If it fails, we'll know exactly who to blame.
Quite honestly, I hope that it does fail, at least in its current form. Everyone is so eager to get something passed, yet all of the details have not even been decided yet, like where all of the money will come from.
Additionally, the bill currently gives WAY too much freedom to the Health & Human Services Committee, as well as the Senate Finance committee to make changes basically whenever they want to. This means that Americans won’t know what they are paying OR what they are paying for until AFTER it is signed into law. Once that is done, they have no control over what will be added to or taken away either.
I am all for making sure that the people who are less fortunate in this country have options to seek help, but not at this expense.
Obama has said repeatedly that you will be able to keep your own plan. He failed to mention that there is a 5-year time limit on keeping it. If your plan changes in that time-frame, and you are not protected under ERISA, then you will forfeit your plan and be forced to shop through the exchange for a qualified plan.
What this means is that those who have have PPO plans that allow them freedoms not present with HMO plans (and this healthcare proposal), such as choosing your own doctor or having YOU be the one to decide when and if you need to see a specialist, will be gone. You will be ASSIGNED a primary physician and he or she will decide this for you.
Lest we forget about the HMO issues over a decade ago when doctors actually saw financial gain from carriers for DENYING care.
Also, many small businesses currently offer several options to their employees, and use those benefit packages as means of attracting good employees. That, however, will not be possible under the new plan. Not only that, this new plan would RAISE the tax rate on top earners from 35% to 39%. Combine that with the proposed health care surtax (that he swore he wouldn’t do), and that means that top earning households will take home 17% less income after paying taxes.
Before you assume that by “top earners” it means simply the filthy rich, consider this. one fourth of taxpayers hit by the higher tax rate derive at least
50% of their income
from a “flow-through” business like; sole proprietorship’s, small partnerships and S-Corporations which are all SMALL BUSINESSES. Furthermore, 40% of the new revenue from the higher income tax and 29% from the high-income surtax is directly linked to income reported from these small flow-through businesses by their owners.
What this will achieve is a lower tax base overall, and raise less revenue than one might think.
The issue here is that we are not getting all of the details before pushing it through. We are only hearing what they want us to hear which is typical of any politician, left or right.
The Democrats mentioned in your post are against this bill for one reason, their constituents are against it! That doesn’t mean that they (or I) oppose health care reform, it just means that the current bill is quite flawed. Unfortunately, it will most likely pass and, even though millions who are uninsured will have the opportunity to get insurance, it will come at a cost far outweighing the benefits. The amount of people that will lose their jobs, and the amount of small businesses forced to shut their doors as a direct or indirect result of this will be staggering.
The Average American
http://www.TheAverageAmerican.net
Average American-well said, logical and factual. Especially the part about “what the constituents want.” I think DC and other state gov’ts have lost touch with what us “average Americans” really want.
I direct a non-profit organization with 150 employees. We barely survive to serve people in our community but we manage to scrape by. As written, this bill will probably force us to shut down. I’ll find another job but I’m not so sure about my employees. For that reason and more I really hate this bill, not the least of which is this: We deal with federal healthcare programs with our clients (Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-care) and find it to be the most poorly run, sometimes amazingly inept system you can imagine. If it were a private business no-one would stay with them, they would switch to another provider. The thought of my family and employees having to rely on such a system for our healthcare makes me feel ill. The republicans are no of use to me. Only Democrats can help and I applaud those who have the fortitude to buck Nancy’s armtwisting.