Could it possibly been worse if Democrats would have

[doc03]

actually gone for a public option and lost. At least you could say you tried. Now we have watered down bill written buy the insurance industry and the Rethugs can still beat us up on health care. What were they thinking?

[sandnsea]

1. They did go for a public option, and they lost

Where the hell were you last year? If they hadn't gone for the public option, the bill could have been passed last July.

[doc03]

4. The Administration didn't push it n/t

[TheWraith]

15. Bullshit.

Being President doesn't give you the magical ability to pass whatever you want just by "pushing for it." Where exactly were going to get the extra votes? Unless you thought that if Obama made a big deal of it, the Reps would turn around and do him a favor.

[RandomThoughts]

7. It is a bit different then that in my view.

And heh, it does not change any of the arguments on the issue.

And those waves are already in motion, so no need to dwell on that issue.

[dionysus]

2. a lot of people here like losing.

[VMI Dem]

3. They only had like 57 senators that supported it. Are you nuts.

You need 80.

[doc03]

6. Is what we have a good substitute and was it worth losing

the Congress to get? Probably the best thing would have been to drop the health care all together and focus on the economy. What good is it to pass a HCR bill that not even one Democrat will claim they supported.

[FiveGoodMen]

22. Actually, you need 110.

[DCBob]

5. I suspect the goal wasnt entirely about making cheap political gains..

perhaps they were actually trying to solve a problem.

[w4rma]

8. How to improve the system slightly while still getting contributions from the insurance industry? nt

[TheKentuckian]

11. An effort to solve the problem would at the very least remove the antitrust exemption

A national exchange would also be a minimum indicator of a gradual effort to fix the nation's health care debacle.

The goal was to maintain the viability of the existing profit centers and prop up the status quo.

[OHdem10]

9. There was no vote on a Public Option. The Conservatives

including some Conservadems brow beat the others.

The Problem from the Beginning the Committee who drew
up the Health Care Bill were Conservadems from the
smallest states in the Union. There was no representation
Of Metropolitan Areas. Mostly small Western States.
They gave the appearance of trying to appease the GOP.
Or at, they seemed to write a Bill the GOP could approve.

In the end, it is so much like the bill Bob Dole, EX-Senate
Majority ran on against Clinton. It is eerilie similar.

[OHdem10]

10. From the beginning, I said the GOP would do their best to tear down

any HCR, so go for the Public Option to keep down costs.

[doc03]

12. We would be far better off today blaming the Republicans

for killing the bill than having a bill not even one Democrat will take credit for.

[vi5]

13. Agreed....

Don't tell that to the small but vocal contingent shaking their pom poms in our faces every five seconds.

[doc03]

14. I mean this HCR bill is a gift to the Rethugs that

will keep giving right through to 2012. Every time a company like McDonalds or 3M drops their employee insurance and every time an insurance company raises their rates it will get blamed on Obamacare.

[sandnsea]

18. My Dems take credit for it, Feingold does

They beat the shit out of Obama because there isn't enough logging and over the "wasteful" stimulus, but they take credit for the health care bill. Lots of Democrats do, although most certainly not enough. And the ones who don't would most certainly be peeing their pants if they were debating a public option.

Further, you're talking about being "better off" from a political standpoint. There is no way the tens of thousands of people who have health insurance today would be better off with nothing.

And why should someone make a political calculation YOU agree with, while YOU rake them through the coals because you believe they made a different political calculation.

[doc03]

23. Feingold is behind by 9 points. n/t

[sandnsea]

24. And Wyden is ahead by 9 points

And so?

Feingold just recently started shifting his campaign to take credit for things that have been done. He had been running against Obama, much like my local progressive Cognressman is doing. Then they wonder why Democrats want nothing to do with them. Idiots. When Feingold starts running like a Democrat, which means FOR subsidized insurance programs which have been in the platform since Dean and Kerry put them in there, then maybe he'll start getting some support again.

[sandnsea]

16. Ted Kennedy was a Conservadem???

The first bill out was his, you know that right?

[independent_voter]

17. I know a health care exec very well, saw him the day it passed the Senate

he was not the slightest bit concerned - at all

i interpretted it as their lobbyists having had a heavy hand in writing it

he never said that, it's just how i read him

[sandnsea]

19. Which is why they're pouring money into the RNC

and fighting the implementation of this bill all over the country.

Right. They aren't worried.

God no wonder we can never win an election on anything except flowery promises.

[independent_voter]

20. most big corporations pour money into BOTH parties

they make their own luck, no matter who wins

sure paid off for wall street

[BlueCheese]

21. They won 90% of the loaf in writing and passing the bill.

Now they want the last 10%, too.