Comments on: Door Open On The Public Option, President Obama Need Only Walk Through It

By: jonnyra

jonnyra — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:19:34 +0000

Obama has been awful throughout this whole Health Care debate…just awful. there is no defense of his unwillingness to speak his mind. He campaigned on the public option…got elected in part because his stump speeches included talk of public option. And now what? Wish washy statements meant to not come down anywhere…afraid to even mention the words public option. Pathetic.

Yes Im glad republicans are not running the show but this is just sickening. who would have thought “Off the table” Pelosi would be the one taking a firm stand and showing real leadership on this.

Thanks Obama…when we really needed to see leadership and conviction you let us all down. All of us.

By: bmull

bmull — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:42:27 +0000

The system you mention is called an all-payer system. They have it in Maryland. It causes Medicare to have to pay higher rates than it would under the normal administrative rate system, so what’s the point.

Obama has permitted–in fact participated in–the portayal of single payer and the robust public option as fringe ideas. These are mainstream ideas, variations of which are employed in dozens of countries. Obama has failed the American people on health care reform and it simply makes me sick when people try to excuse him with an 11-dimensional chess theory.

By: marcopolo

marcopolo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:48:24 +0000

Two ideas, one I found referenced at TPM:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0795/is_n2_v16/ai_16863015/

In plain English: “govt negotiates prices for all private and public insurance, thereby lowering adminsitrative costs and creating an equal playing field. It’s a single payer system, but a different name, and allowing for more private ownership”

The other just browsing the web:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoHF_7lZx_8

Risk is assessed, so plans that end up with younger, healthier populations make compensation payments to a fund which is drawn upon by plans that end up with sicker patients. Risk adjustors – formulae – are used to assess risk.

Neither idea is predicated on a public option, and neither precludes it. I think they would bring down costs and could be grafted onto the legislation under consideration.

Single payer is probably in our future, but many lives will be lost and fortunes ruined by the time we get there.

By: marcopolo

marcopolo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:39:34 +0000

Two ideas, one of which I found referenced at TPM, the other just browsing:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0795/is_n2_v16/ai_16863015/

In short: “the govt negotiates prices for all private and public insurance, thereby lowering adminsitrative costs and creating an equal playing field. It’s a single payer system, but a different name, and allowing for more private ownership”

The other talks about a risk assessment mechanism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoHF_7lZx_8

Neither is predicated on a public option. Nor do they preclude the possibility of a public option. They could be grafted on to existing bills under consideration, and would, I think, lower costs

By: marcos

marcos — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:20:42 +0000

As this has ground forward, it seems that most of the proposals which have been offensive to progressives have been jettisoned and the proposals most favorable to progressives have survived. Its been painful, but in politics when you don’t show your fear and allow your opponents to flail, you end up looking stronger. In politics, appearance of strength is power.

All indicators are pointing our direction now, and have been moving in our direction steadily. Let’s take steps to ensure that the trend lines continue unbroken.

By: OutWest

OutWest — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:51:22 +0000

Obama’s comments tonight . . . same old.

I want it to be 15 years from now. Someone has written a book about how all this came out and what the hell was really going on at the WH.

Did anyone know he would be this frustrating?

By: GDC707

GDC707 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:14:25 +0000

Boy, is this ever refreshing! On other threads here at FDL, credence is being given to the idea that progress achieved on the PO so far is part of some brilliant grand strategy on Obama’s part. According to this, O foresaw and pre-ordained every single move, every twist and turn of this farcical Chinese fire drill. Ye gods! People will stretch to any lengths trying to preserve the giddiness of election night.

By: GDC707

GDC707 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:54:32 +0000

Whyknot, you get the award for the funniest pissed-off, indignant comment of the day!

By: punaise

punaise — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:50:03 +0000

“We’re leaning toward talking about a public option,”

wow, don’t get too far out on that limb, Harry; a lean mean waffle machine.

By: seabos84

seabos84 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:47:40 +0000

thanks! outta the park.

I’m into my 7th week of the new school year, I’m 49, and Obama, I HOPE, is a 1 termer. I’m fucking sick of ivy league sell out-ism — dud-krap-kis, gore, kerry, clinton, obama …

excuses, fat paychecks for them making excuses, losing to fascists, us working stiffs getting STIFFED again by their bullshit … excuses, losing…

spare me the 40 syllable words, the 40 sentence paragraphs, the 40 page tomes.

OBVIOUSLY, the choices for Dim-O-Cratic politicians are:
1. win at the rules which exist (ha ha… HA HA HA)
2. change the rules so you can win (hha ha haha ha ha HA HA HA)
3. snivel and fucking whine and lose AND stay in charge!

rmm.