The Cure
December 17th, 2009 | Editorial Cartoons | 9 Comments
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I’d like to believe that Senator Lieberman’s about-face on supporting the Senate’s health care reform bill was a principled stance, but I don’t. Either the man loves being the center of attention so much that he’s willing to break his promises, or the health care lobby that’s given him so much money got to him. Perhaps a little of both. The compromise that he originally signed on to was in fact a brilliant way to solve some of the funding issues and to incorporate a much-needed public option, and he was for it before he was against it. Given how erratic he’s been–supporting McCain during the election, then gratefully accepting the Democrats’ forgiveness, and now betraying both the party and his constituents–I’m hoping that his political career ends in 2012, when he’s up for re-election. My guess is he’ll slide over to the private sector instead of risking running again, most likely with a cushy job in health insurance.
Topics: health care reform, Joe Lieberman, Medicare, public option, Senate
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Unfortunately, Lieberman is not the only grandstander in the Democratic “60 vote super majority”. Now it’s Sen. Nelson. I’m sure that once he is placated, another will pop up to take his place. I would not be surprised that there will eventually be someone like Sanders saying he is out until the puplic option is back in.
What a mess. I’m not sure who owns the most Senators: the insurance industry, big pharma or the bankers/wall st.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Fatal Optimism is really the belief that those things are going to happen, especially in the long term, with the proposals being debated.
Now that far left public figures and some organizations, such as big unions, are becoming angry with the bill in its current form, that it is not “progressive” enough, it should be interesting to see if something is forced through regardless, so these politicians can further pad their egos that they are the ones who finally “did it.”
I woke up this morning and heard on NPR that a majority of the UNINSURED now believed that they would be worse off under health care reform! When you think about it, that is a staggering fact. That is like folks on the Titanic without enough life boats saying they would be worse off if they had them.
How is that possible (that a majority believe that)? I guess it must be that a majority have no idea what is in reform but have heard enough from all sides that it isn’t good.
Granted, Joe Lieberman isn’t alone in trying to take health care reform hostage. But among Capitol Hill’s current opportunists, Joe has a long record as a political weasel.
Since launching a fund-raiser three days ago to help unseat Joe in 2012, Moveon.org has already raised more than a million dollars from across the nation. Doubtless it will take a lot more, considering the clout of Connecticut insurance companies which bought and paid for Joe some time ago.
If you’re as sick of Joe as I am and are willing to help oust this particular weasel, click on http://www.moveon.org/ and send them a check, however modest. Do the nation a favor.
As much as I agree Joe is a weasel, I have a real problem with outside organizations coming in and trying to influence the voting in my state/district/county/city and wouldn’t do the same to someone else.
Hartford, Connecticut is the corporate headquarters of many insurance companies to begin with. I would not be surprised if the people that run these organizations reminded “Joe the Bummer” of that little fact.
My worry has been that we will all be forced to buy health insurance from the same bunch of companies that helped caused this problem in the first place and that the government will bully all of us into buying it. It isn’t like automobile insurance where if I don’t own a car, I don’t have to buy it.
This has all been a mess.
Why can’t we have an American version of the UK’s National Health Service? It actually does work and it covers everybody in the UK, including American tourists at times. It covers the basics and does so without bankrupting the state or the people that use it.
Instead, the Federal Government is prepared to through us to the wolves with the current plan of forcing us all to buy health insurance from the same bunch of predators that already gouge us either directly or through our employers. We will continue to have the same problem as long as the current scheme of health insurance is still in business.
It would be better for everybody to have one plan, like Medicare and if the patient needs something not covered on the plan, then they should either pay for it in cash or buy some sort of insurance on top of Medicare that does cover it. That’s what I would like to see.
For those of you that want to argue that this would lead to rationing of healthcare, guess what, we already have that now, where a clerk armed with actuarial tables is rationing what is covered and what is not under your insurance plan and their decisions are profit-based–your operation costs them too much money, they will then deny coverage. If that isn’t rationing, I am not sure what is.
I obviously agree with almost all of what you post but I’m puzzled by the statement:
“It isn’t like automobile insurance where if I don’t own a car, I don’t have to buy it.”
That makes no sense to me at all. The comparative statement would be “If I don’t have a life and could get sick or hurt, I don’t have to buy it.” If you don’t buy it and you get hurt or sick, who pays? Now if you have the millions it could take for your health care, why would you sweat paying a few hundred/month for insurance? I don’t get the analogy. I don’t see any difference between auto and healt insurance.
Jerry Brammer,
A little over a month ago, we were discussing health insurance and I mentioned that the V.A. might be a solution to your problem. I’m curious to know if you followed up on contacting them.
I wish you a happy and healthy new year!!
Don
Yes, I did folllow up and I was not elilgible due to income restrictions. I live in a very low income area and VA income restrictions are area-based. My wife also gets SSA and a State pension.
I did determine that I would be eligible if I were service-related disabled. So, I have applied, given that my disability was diagnosed while I was in the service and I didn’t have it when joining up. I’m guessing, though, that the process will not be completed prior to my being eligible for Medicare.
Thanks for the idea, though and many happy travels in the new year.