The Democratic endgame is very exciting

[Onlooker]

With Obama hosting the Dems and Republicans in a broadcast discussion about health care; the Senate Democrats, including Reid, moving towards support for using Reconciliation to implement a public option, and the House ready to do what it takes to get health care reform passed, we're seeing a gutsy end game by the Democrats. If they stick to this plan, we will have a surprisingly good health care reform bill, and the Republicans and tea baggers will be going ape shit. Will the Republicans call the Democrat's bluff and, indeed, are the Democrats bluffing? My guess is that the Democrats are not bluffing, and the American people will eventually see the Democrats as having acted responsibly in the face of spiraling health care costs.

[FrenchieCat]

1. And The American people will have witnessed in slow motion how much

Rope the Republicans were given to hang themselves.

There won't be any questions to argue in reference to this.

[movonne]

8. What a beautiful little girl...

[FrenchieCat]

12. Thank you! She's one of Frenchie's daughters......

:)

[Beetwasher]

11. Indeed, And They Tied The Noose Themselves

Yup, the whole thing, in slow mo, down to the last gory detail. No doubts left.

[lamp_shade]

2. First rec. (correction: second rec.)

[boppers]

3. It's almost to our benefit to play this out for a long as possible.

The longer we go without reform, the more people will be personally affected (everything from premium increases, to loss of care, to death), and realize that the republicans are fighting against them on life-or-death issues..

Kind of shitty, though.

[FrenchieCat]

4. I think it's more a question of getting more folks to want to support it.....

when folks realize the choices are getting her done or not ending up with a damn thing,
folks are starting to prefer having something.

[Gman2]

5. The way it was sold was stupid. In the interest of transparency, we saw the bill

dwindle ever more useless. We had our hopes on each and every thing we saw stripped out. That is NOT how to sell any idea. It is how to instill resentment. BUT, to reinclude the public option, will invigorate the left like crazy. Should be fun. With all the idiots heaping ashes on their heads.

[msongs]

6. dems coulda done all this months ago instead of appeasing repubs nt

[depakid]

10. It's not as though health insurers weren't just as much of a problem then as now

The difference is that the Dems see a royal thumping coming up on their horizons- thanks in no small part to taking popular legislation and turning it into a pander fest and giveaway to the right and their corporate allies.

[Fire1]

14. True. Brown's election was good for something. n/t

[MadMaddie]

15. Yes his election pretty much diluted any power that

Lieberwhore had over any legislation. In has been effectively neutered.....

[Sheepshank]

18. perhaps we could have done this sooner without appeasing Reps

...but the groundwork for future debate (on ramroding this through without discussion) has been laid. Reps were give every opportunity to perform anything other than "no". But, as it turns out we also now have the Insurance companies playing their "up the premiums" crap, to hit that last nail into the coffin.

Anyone else find the timing announcing the increase in premiums, really, really insanely stupid? There had to be a reason. Perhpas the Insurance companies are so sure and feel so secure in their standings? Or they want to soak the public for as much as possible, as soon as possible becuse they know their time on this earth is limited? What?

[Hippo_Tron]

19. Better late than never

[bvar22]

7. Endgame?...LOL

THIS is the "endgame".

* Would you favor or oppose the national government offering everyone the choice of a government administered health insurance plan — something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get — that would compete with private health insurance plans?

Favor 82%

Oppose 14%

Not Sure 4%
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010010320/poll-shouts-message-massachusetts-voters-were-sending

"When given the choice between a Republican, and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, the voters will choose the Republican every time." ---Harry Truman

QED Massachusetts

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[brand404]

9. Unless Obama surprises us all by finally supporting the PO i am being realistic.

[annabanana]

13. Is the letter on the PO ratcheting up the *leverage* that the Dems

will have during the broadcast discussion?

Might that be part of the purpose?

[wisteria]

16. I can't wait for positive results from all of this. n/t

[tavalon]

20. This ain't no small time dog and pony show

It's The Dog And Pony Show Under The Bigtop!

Sorry, if I sound cynical but until there is a decent bill passed, I find all of their talking about what they might do, maybe, if the stars all align and the minority whip lets them and so on, to be just more talk-talk. It's time for walk-walk.