We need health care reform. We need it badly. And when we have it, we need medical science to discover a pill that cures stupidity, and then it needs to be prescribed to a fuck of a lot of people. They need to have bowls of anti-stupid pills at the elbow of every Con in Congress, with generous handouts available for several Blue Dogs. I'll even be happy to pay higher taxes to ensure this happens.
Let's start with Chuck Grassley, who has now gone right round the bend. He's become a certified Tenther. And he may think that trotting out his crazy Con bona fides will help him, but Steve Benen points out it could cost him his job.
Witness my tears at the idea. They are, I assure you, tears of joy.
Mitt Romney wants us all to know the public option is "absolutely death." I think Mittens needs to refer to the post above, although in his case, he won't be losing a job but losing his chance of ever getting the one he wants.
I think the pressure's getting to Orrin Hatch. He's come a bit unhinged.
But enough of clownish Cons. Let's discuss the media's credibility problem. For instance, CNN's great right-wing voice of unreason, Alex Castellanos, turns out to not only be AHIP's ad-buyer, but also has taken nearly half a million dollars from the Republican party for "media work." Would that media work include spouting nonsense on CNN, perchance? CNN sez they'll now be sure to disclose his potential conflicts of interest when they have him on. How about just not having the fucker on at all, eh, CNN?
If you wonder why single payer never got a public hearing, you may want to have a discussion with the New York Times as to why they decided to shut it out of the discussion.
In other news, I've come to the conclusion that health insurance companies actually want us to reform their asses. Why else would they, at this critical time when they should be on their very bestest behavior, be calling their high-cost patients "dogs" and canceling lines of coverage to avoid same?
Moving on to Blue Dogs and other assorted Conservadems, Mike Ross has rather surprised a few people by suddenly calling for Medicare for All. Seriously. Steve Benen thinks this speaks not to a change of heart, but a ploy to sink reform altogether. I'm thinking serious sex scandal and blackmail, meself. We shall see.
Mary Landrieu thinks public option supporters are just a bunch of shiftless moochers who think we can get health care for free. Isn't she the charmer? I'm hoping we can give her a re-election campaign to remember, i.e., when waking from nightmares at two in the morning.
And dear old Kent Conrad's having vision problems, because he just can't see support for the public option. Methinks it would be easier for him if he removed his head from his arse.
Bit of a difference of opinion on Harry Reid amongst progressives. On the one hand, most of us think he's a totally useless dumbfuck. On the other, a couple of progressives think he's pushing hard for the public option and are optimistic. We'll see who's right in the end, won't we just?
Senate leaders on health care reform, meanwhile, are confident that when push comes to shove, good health care reform will pass with Dems all in favor. Here's hoping... but not holding me breath.
It's important to emphasize that Ross wants the "Medicare for all" to pay for services differently than Medicare does now. He wants this version of Medicare to pay the market rate, rather than the Medicare-mandated rate.
ReplyDeleteThat may have more to do with his new position than either a sex scandal or torpedoing reform.
Sad thing is, if they actually did implement Medicare for all, it would probably be the most efficient way to pay for all the additional folks. At least, if it were really Medicare we were talking about.