what an ass.

Bowers:

So, it looks as though the buy-in compromise is indeed worse than even the opt-out compromise. However, the next play should not be to fight to save the opt-out, "level playing field" public option, but rather to expand the Medicare buy-in to all Americans between the age of 55 and 64 (inclusive). Such a buy-in would cover 13 million people under public insurance, more than double the amount under the House public option. The 13 million number was derived from there being roughly 39,000,000 Americans between the age of 55-64, the earlier CBO's estimate listed above.

Well I guess that is the way to get the older voter, but what about everyone else

eom

nyt

Thanks everyone, for being patient and waiting for us. It goes without saying that this has been kind of a long journey. We have confronted many hurdles and had to take some big steps and a lot of little steps. But tonight we have overcome a real problem that we have had. I think it’s fair to say that the debate at this stage has been portrayed as a very divisive one and many have assumed that people of different perspectives can’t come together. But I think what we were able to work out the last few days, which culminated tonight belays that fact. We have a broad agreement. Now I know that people are going to ask to be given every detail of this.

I have talked 20 minutes ago to Doug Elmendorf. I told the head of the CBO that we were going to send him something tomorrow that he would have to score and the reason I mention that to you, I also went over in some detail about what we were authorized to say about we are going to send him. We know what we are going to send him, we have to write it up in legislative language. And he said the same as when you sent over your merged bill. We have had a rule here for 40 years or however long we have been in existence, if you start talking about the plan and start shipping it around, it will be made public. And we want not that to be the case because we want to know the score before we start giving all the details even to our own members.

So you are not going to get answers to those questions. I asked Senators Schumer and Pryor to work together with a group of moderates and progressives. Everyone thought it’s an impossible job. But these two fine senators have done an outstanding job of leading these two groups of people. Everyone knows who the 10 are, they have worked very hard for days now. This is a consensus that will help ensure the American people win in a couple of different ways. One, insurance companies will certainly have more competition and two, the American people will certainly have more choices. I already know all 60 senators in my caucus don’t agree on every piece of the merger. I know that we have sent over there to CBO, or will send to them tomorrow, not everyone is going to agree to every piece that we have sent over there. But that doesn’t mean that we disagree on what we sent there.

I applaud and congratulate the 10 senators led by Schumer and Pryor. I think it’s important to mention their names, Brown, Carper, Feingold, Carper, Harkin, Landrieu, Lincoln, Nelson, Rockefeller. As I have indicated, we can’t disclose the details of what we have done, but believe me we have got something that is good and I think is very, for us, it moves this bill way down the road.

Let me just say, we have seen all kinds of articles in newspapers that Senator Schumer, Senator Pryor, I have said things, other parts of the tent, as Elmendorf and I talked tonight, all the things you have read in the newspapers, all the things you have read in the newspapers. The public option is gone. It’s not true. Ok. Everyone understand that. So we are not going into detail. But you have heard to this point, you could be surprised what we’ve sent to CBO.

I repeat: plz die.

Yes kill it, it was never going to pass with anything in it that helps the 40m people that don't have it. Then you have crazy Ben last week in congress saying if something doesn't give soon they might have to adjust SS and Medicare so even if 13m did get it wouldn't for long. If you closed 900 bases around the world and stopped all of the wars then great health care would be Free. There just to much money floating around the halls congress and it's all about follow the money. The below is really sad about the state of health care here in the Amerika compared to other nations with less income.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34330376/ns/health-health_care/

In months of following the health care debate, not once have I heard a coherent explanation of exactly why we need a public option to achieve our goals. At the least, its a failure of communication but I often think people are buying into the label. I sure as hell know that the Republican argument of tort reform and buying across state lines won't be anywhere close to enough, sure, but do we REALLY need the PO? Since the PO is so important, can someone please lay out a basic understanding of how it is absolutely necessary?

Rail 3.0 Health care. When you're sick, you know you're sick. When you can't pay for it, you know you can't pay for it. How stupid do these miserable excuses for legislators think we are? They raised hopes of real reform. They raised the public option and let many think it really was that, universal for "the public." Tey hid the fact that it was placed 4 years out (# varies according to lying pol). NOW they get to find out what happens when you mess with the lives of citizens, their friends, and families.
Rail 3.1 The internet. The violent radical radicalization bill is out there, not yet law but being "modeled." And ACTA, the copyright treaty back door intended to shut down much of the internet, is hurtling down the tyrannical tracks. The think that we won't notice.

this compromise. It brings more people into a public option plan (since Medicare is fully up and running) faster than the other alternatives. It can start immediately in 2010 vs. 2014 for the other alternatives. It successfully bends the cost curve (though the jury is not fully in until CBO scoring).

It insures 95% of all Americans (and basically the 5% are those allowed to opt out for religious reasons). It brings competition to all 50 states, and creates the MedCom commission which is probably the most important piece of the legislation though the press in their usual fixation does nothing but sound bites.

Cannot lose insurance for preexisting conditions or have your policy canceled, no caps on coverage. You can keep the coverage you have, and receive very generous subsidies. Even more tantalizing is that this piece of legislation is crafted in a manner that would allow future expansions of the Medicare coverage option in States that do not provide sufficient competition and also a mechanism for expanding Medicare which would be filibuster proof because such a narrow expansion impacts the budget so that it falls under reconciliation. Public coverage can expand faster under this plan.

Howard Dean endorses this as does Jay Rockefeller. They are as progressive as it gets, and very close to the process with a deep understanding. All the good parts are being front loaded in this thing, so the bang will be effective immediately in 2010.

http://synoia.com/s/american_health_care.jpg

would be if progressive senators walked away from any plan without a strong public option, simply would not vote for anything else. Then tell Obama/Reid if they want to pass anything they need to force an up or down 50+ vote (reconcilliation, nuclear option, whatever) so we can have what we need to vote for this slug.

The key here to getting anything though is being willing to walk away for good unless we get something we want. If we're not willing to do that and vote for this mess, progressive senators are every bit as spineless and rudderless as Reid and Obama.

I'm definitely ready to see this turd get flushed.

An endorsement from the former DNC chairman could prove to be a big boost for reform's prospects in the Senate. A leading progressive voice and (more importantly) a respected thinker on health care matters, Dean has already played a large role in shepherding progressive support for the latest round of compromises. Sources in the Senate say Dean was the one who pushed the idea of expanding Medicare.

"I'm disposed towards this," he said. "It was part of my platform when I ran for president. But look at this. It makes sense. Why have two bureaucracies, including one who hasn't run this before [the Department of Health and Human Services]... when you can use Medicare?"

It wasn't just the policy of the Senate's version of health care reform that Dean liked. It was the politics. Democratic leadership is set to allow those 55 to 64-year-olds in high-risk insurance pools the option of buying Medicare coverage beginning in 2010 (three years before a proposed public option would come into existence). Which is vital for Democrats, he stressed.

"Because you have got to have people sign up for this thing in 2010 for political purposes. Otherwise we will take it on the chin in the election," said Dean. "If people are actually in insurance they can say, wait a second I'm on this insurance and haven't been brought before the death panel... Actuality is always the best antidote to Republican propaganda."

sleeping with Republicans, in my humble opinion. They are counting on a backlash from the far left (far in America!) to defeat any universal coverage.

I'm with Krugman and Dean. We need this thing passed this month, and get ourselves over the 60 year hump to universal coverage.

Of course it's imperfect. It is a fuck of a lot better than the current system.

And I am one of the self-employed still screwed by the overhaul.

Get with the Big Picture. Get this sucker passed and get on to some other issues, please.

Tom Robinson