Obama's Health Care Speech
I was surprised and delighted to find that he was still discussing the public option at all, but a bit disappointed still that he seems to be ready to take it off the table.
And then there was the asshole Republican, Joe Wilson, who felt the need to yell “you lie” when health care for immigrants was being discussed. Amazing. In eight years, not one Dem does this to Bush, and this prick thinks he can scream it in the middle of a speech and about something he’s factually wrong.
I also like that Obama tossed a boned to the Republicans on the whole malpractice/tort reform — something about “demonstration projects in several states” though I don’t know what the deal with that is.
So who watched? What did you think?
Comments
I was doing pushups and watching Proof of Life, so I missed it.
While I didn’t record it, that movie has an incredibly quick title time.
I didn’t watch, and I think that was the right choice. I was at the bar, enjoying myself. I really think I’m over getting myself concerned with this, either it happens or it doesn’t. Though I will still point out when people are off their rocker wrong, on either side, I’ve given up caring about the future direction of all this, because it has permanently left the plain of reason and now only exists in the realm of politics, which is all bullshit.
And after all, I have fantastic health care.
Just curious and not trying to start a debate, who’s off their rocker on the pro side? I mean, obviously on the con side you’ve got a ton of crazy misinformation, but the pro side? I think the farthest and craziest it goes is support for the public option which, in my opinion, is a perfectly reasonable and defendable position, regardless of personal stance. Have you heard anything else?
Also, Ev, I’m mostly with you on the “being over it” cause what can we do but watch and hope it shakes out ok anyhow? I’ve been out of the loop on the issue for the past month or so, but seeing as this was sort of a pivotal moment, I thought it might be worth tuning in for.
Why Joe Wilson is an idiot:
“HR 3200 SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS: Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf
I think at this point the only thing that really frightens me is the idea of “mandates” or fines for not having health insurance, but without a public option. That is not only idiotic but it’s political suicide for the dems (which means those idiots are actually considering it). Tax credit or no, that’s just a horrible, horrible idea.
And some of the other things they want to do are really good even without a public option like making it illegal to deny people coverage because of pre-existing conditions or dropping them when they get sick, and putting a cap on out of pocket individual maxes. If they do that without a public option I’ll be happy. However they can’t do it under the guise of a “trigger” (ie if the insurance companies don’t do that, then in 2 years a public option takes effect) because pretty much that means the insurance companies will dot that for 2 years and then go back to being scumbags.
And that Wilson guy is an idiot but he wasn’t the only one. And the pathetic thing is, like every loud jackass with an opinion a big mouth, and without 2 brain cells to rub together, he’ll now be a GOP/Fox news folk hero.
Also can I just say (sarcastically) as someone who has double coverage with 2 of these supposedly great boutique private insurance plans and has seen a million dollars exchange hands in medical bills for his son, paid tens of thousands of dollars himself for said bills, has spent consecutive months in hospitals, and if added up the hours has spent literally weeks is not months on the phones with insurance companies and medical billing people that there really is nothing better than someone who doesn’t even use their crappy HMO health insurance for an annual physical, lecturing me about how great our health care/insurance system is and how it doesn’t need any reform and how I don’t know what I’m talking about. Good times.
I certainly don’t hear as much from the left, and definitely not as loud and idiotic, but I have heard a few. Mostly it seems hard to believe that this whole thing is paid for with tax cuts, which makes no sense. And I’ve only read parts of the bill, but the claim seems to be that this would end the need for some people to show up at emergency rooms for basic care. If that is the case, then what would illegal immigrants, who are claimed to not be at all covered, do when they have an emergency? Die?
Kev, good call on the mandates. They piss me off, but they’re necessary in lowering costs. But if they kill a free public option for those who can’t afford it, then you’re just taking money out the pockets of those who need it most. I wondered, what about homeless people? How do they get coverage?
And if subscribing to the plan cuts costs, why aren’t illegal immigrants a part of it? They’re still going to use emergency rooms.
I’m for mandates if there is a public option. But without a public option to choose from you’d pretty much be saying you’re going to force people to give their money to for-profit corporations. That’s the ridiculous part of it. If they remove the public option and the mandates but have all those other regulations then it will at least be a step forward (albeit a smaller one). But a mandate without any public option would be an absolute disaster and will (and should) cost the democrats control.