The Importance of the "Public Option"
or HOW THE DEMOCRATS SOLD US OUT
Glenn Greenwald wrote an EXCELLENT piece for Salon.com detailing just how the Democrats have set public healthcare (and themselves) up to fail in the interest of their masters in the insurance industry. Given the importance of the current war on healthcare, this is a crucial read.
The Dems have a filibuster-proof majority, a huge margin in the House and the White House, yet are still on the verge of jettisoning one of the most significant attractions for progressives to the Obama campaign.
When progressives refuse to toe the White House line, they get threatened. Contrast that with what the White House does with Blue Dogs and "centrists" who are allegedly uncooperative on health care -- they protect them
Republicans will reject reform no matter what's in the bill. . . . Negotiating health care reform with politicians who oppose health care reform doesn't make sense. Negotiating reform with politicians who've vowed to vote against reform under any circumstances is insane.
The attempt to attract GOP support was the pretext which Democrats used to compromise continuously and water down the bill. But -- given the impossibility of achieving that goal -- isn't it fairly obvious that a desire for GOP support wasn't really the reason the Democrats were constantly watering down their own bill?.. it seems rather clear that the bill has been watered down, and the "public option" jettisoned, because that's the bill they want -- this was the plan all along.
The Obama White House isn't sitting impotently by while Democratic Senators shove a bad bill down its throat. This is the bill because this is the bill which Democratic leaders are happy to have. It's the bill they believe in. As important, by giving the insurance and pharmaceutical industries most everything they want, it ensures that the GOP doesn't become the repository for the largesse of those industries (and, converesly, that the Democratic Party retains that status).
The industry interests which own and control our government always get their way... no matter which party controls the levers of government, the same set of narrow monied interests and right-wing values dictate outcomes, even if it means running roughshod over the interests of ordinary citizens (securing lower costs and expanding coverage) and/or what large majorities want.
______
77% of Americans support the choice of a "public option"
43% of Americans still support creating a public health care plan administered by the federal government
Glenn Greenwald wrote an EXCELLENT piece for Salon.com detailing just how the Democrats have set public healthcare (and themselves) up to fail in the interest of their masters in the insurance industry. Given the importance of the current war on healthcare, this is a crucial read.
The Dems have a filibuster-proof majority, a huge margin in the House and the White House, yet are still on the verge of jettisoning one of the most significant attractions for progressives to the Obama campaign.
When progressives refuse to toe the White House line, they get threatened. Contrast that with what the White House does with Blue Dogs and "centrists" who are allegedly uncooperative on health care -- they protect them
Republicans will reject reform no matter what's in the bill. . . . Negotiating health care reform with politicians who oppose health care reform doesn't make sense. Negotiating reform with politicians who've vowed to vote against reform under any circumstances is insane.
The attempt to attract GOP support was the pretext which Democrats used to compromise continuously and water down the bill. But -- given the impossibility of achieving that goal -- isn't it fairly obvious that a desire for GOP support wasn't really the reason the Democrats were constantly watering down their own bill?.. it seems rather clear that the bill has been watered down, and the "public option" jettisoned, because that's the bill they want -- this was the plan all along.
The Obama White House isn't sitting impotently by while Democratic Senators shove a bad bill down its throat. This is the bill because this is the bill which Democratic leaders are happy to have. It's the bill they believe in. As important, by giving the insurance and pharmaceutical industries most everything they want, it ensures that the GOP doesn't become the repository for the largesse of those industries (and, converesly, that the Democratic Party retains that status).
The industry interests which own and control our government always get their way... no matter which party controls the levers of government, the same set of narrow monied interests and right-wing values dictate outcomes, even if it means running roughshod over the interests of ordinary citizens (securing lower costs and expanding coverage) and/or what large majorities want.
______
77% of Americans support the choice of a "public option"
43% of Americans still support creating a public health care plan administered by the federal government
posted by shane at 3:35 PM
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