Everyone has their own stories, their own ideas, and when you get to those we’ve elected to make our laws you find an even bigger quagmire. That’s because members of Congress think first about being reelected and if they do any more thinking at all, what might improve the lives of most Americans comes far down their list of priorities.
President Obama ran with the proomise of reforming health care. He plans to address this issue during his first year and according to The Votemaster Democrats made a strategic decision last week about when and how to get their agenda passed. They’re probably all shaking in their shoes realizing this could have major implications on the 2010 and 2012 elections. They decided if agreement on health care reform hadn’t been reached by October 15th, they would attach health care reform to the budget reconciliation.
Budgeting and the budget reconciliation is explained as happening like this:
“In February, the President proposes a budget, which President Obama has already done and which Congress has approved. But this is only step 1. Next the Senate and House committees dealing with taxing and spending hack on the President’s proposal and come up with their own plans, which merely sets general spending limits for each of 19 broad categories of government expenditures. After much arm wrestling, the committee chairman come up with a single proposal in each chamber, which is then brought to the floor for a vote. Since the Senate and House versions invariably differ, a joint Senate-House conference committee then works out a compromise, called the budget resolution, which both chambers then pass. If Congress so desires, language can be inserted into the budget resolution directing one or more committees to produce specific legislation by a specific date. The legislation produced by these committees is generally bundled into a single bill called the reconciliation bill. According to Senate rules, budget resolutions and reconciliation bills are subject to a straight up-or-down votes. Filibusters are not allowed.“
If the Democrats manage to get health care reform through Congress this year, they will be crowing about it in 2010 and 2012 as fulfilling a major campaign promise and Republicans will be dissing it as socialized medicine. But given the public’s desire to see the health insurance system fixed, a bill this year is likely to help the Democrats, hence the decision to put health care reform in the reconciliation bill if all else fails.
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
This new flu is causing those who work in health care to use words like pandemic, cannot be contained, spread widely… Is this as serious as those words make it seem? What could a pandemic affect — health care reform, immigration reform…?
“New flu has spread widely, cannot be contained-CDC
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) – An unusual new flu virus has spread widely and cannot be contained, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Saturday.
“It is clear that this is widespread. And that is why we have let you know that we cannot contain the spread of this virus,” the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat told reporters on a conference call.
The strain of swine flu is suspected of killing as many as 68 people in Mexico and infecting more than 1,000 more, including eight in the United States.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN25473389
This version of Swine flu is actually four different version combine which makes it harder to combat.
It is a bet of all or nothing, if there is a workable health care program achieved it is something that is impossible for the Republicans to come back from and they will only have to depend on the Democrats doing something else that is so messed up that they can not recover from. Now of course there is the question of just what is a workable health care program?
Therein lies the problem: The Republicans are so deathly afraid of universal health care actually working, they will go into overdrive to try and stop it. They will use another “tea” party, this time about the cost of it. What we have to do is accentuate the positive about health care to the point the Republicans have nothing to combat it with. We laughed off the tea parties; we can’t afford to laugh off the Republicans on health care.
From what I’ve been hearing about Obama’s plan, the conservatives would be fools to keep it from passing. The plan will help those who are without insurance because of price or those pre-consisting conditions. But it doesn’t end there. If conservatives really are interested in market driven economics, instead of putting money in their pockets, they should realize and admit that a National system would eventually force the current healthcare industry to lower their prices and increase services FOR THOSE ALREADY INSURED, making it more competitive–not costly–for all. Those conservatives who are saying they have great insurance could have even better insurance. But it’s all about “I’ve got mine, and I ain’t paying for yours, even if it helps me.” They’ll slit their own throats, for no reason, except to have the “best”.
What conservatives also don’t understand or do and won’t adimit is that, while it’s true that the larger percentage of people have insurance, those insured are paying huge amounts for what they’re getting, and what they’re receiving back from it just isn’t worth it. Even the cost of employer-paid insurance will continue to rise, until more and more people can’t afford it or the employers start refusing to carry it. What portion the employer is paying is considered part of an employees wages, just like any other “benefit”.
But don’t try telling any of that to most conservatives. They don’t like it when proven wrong.
Didn’t Obama have a meeting with not only Congressional members but actual health care professionals and health insurance professionals recently regarding health care reform? From what I’ve seen and read, this meeting went well.
Obama is an intelligent person and I think he knows if he gets a majority of the people on board, the Repbublicans who are continuing to be the Party of No, will come out looking like political obstructionists – again.
Everyone that I know thinks the current health care system is broken. All I want is to keep the things that are working and get rid of those layers of red tape and stone walling some insurance companies are famous for doing to people.
If Obama and the Democrats keep hammering home the idea that the US is the only industrial nation that does have not some form of universal health care for its citizens, perhaps with the majority of Americans supporting Obama – the Republicans will have to eventually give in.
But I’m not holding my breath for that day.
I think the Republicans, given the thought of a universal health care system passing congress and signed by the President, have every reason for fighting it. Woman’s vote, equal rights, you name it; the Republicans have been on the losing side of all of them. Losing this one pretty much sinks the party. They can’t give in. It’s not in their nature. Look how they hold on to what Bush did with the economy, but bash Obama for doing much the same thing.
But, jammer, you must have heard them in their latest rhetoric? They know their leader Bush strayed from their core principles and they have learned their lesson.
After all, according to their talking points now, no one really wanted John McCain and he was never a ‘real’ Republican.
Some Democrats want to shut the Republicans up; but you know what, I say let them talk and let them hang themselves with their own rope. As long as we keep hounding them with the facts, let these know-it-alls talk.
Ever since Inauguration Day, everything they have said and done against Obama has backfired. They are digging themselves deeper and deeper.