Obama says both sides have to give on health care

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's says he's willing to start from scratch on health care - as long as the final bill meets his goals.

Answering reporters' questions on Tuesday after a meeting with congressional leaders of both parties, Obama said both sides have to give ground on health care. The American people want the problems of cost and coverage addressed - and they don't want another year of wrangling in Congress, the president said.

Obama said he's willing to work on medical malpractice limits - favored by Republicans.

But Republicans have to come around on the need for comprehensive legislation to reduce costs, expand coverage and rein in insurance company practices, he said.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011023684_apusobamahealthcare.html?syndication=rss

:shrug:

We, of course, are stuck at the card table in the den.

Progressives have nothing left to give, since the Repukes have taken it all.

There isn't much left TO give that's even a little bit progressive.

What else is there to give, when there is nothing left? I guess he's going to let the Cons have their way, the creep. When is he going to learn that these stalling tactics are just what they want. They will only be happy when they get EVERYTHING that they want. Then, and only then will the Cons call it compromise, not before!

I am so pissed off at this point, my ears are steaming!

We gave up single payer for a strong public option. We gave that up for a weak public option. We gave that up for no public option.

We gave up drug reimportation and negotiations with Pharma through medicare.


The GOP has given up nothing. Does Obama think these people will negotiate in good faith? Is he this dumb? They want him to fail. If he fails, it is a nail in the coffin of democrats, the welfare state and Obama. They want to delay as much as possible.

One side has already given *EVERYTHING* for health care, and received nothing in return.

The side that has not given anything is the one that now needs to cooperate for a change. One side has precious little left to give, all the goodies have already been dumped out of the bag and walked on.

clear which side has done the giving.

And that's the generous interpretation.

Couldn't agree with you more...

playing right into repuke hands...

START with the COMPROMISE POSITION and go down from there...nice...

If Republicans asked him to lick their boots, I think he might do it with a smile.

Oh wait - that's pretty much what he's doing now.

will these people in charge give in a little?

I'm sick and tired of constantly being expected to give something up and get nothing in return, and that includes useless campaign donations to feckless 'Democrats'. When they come through for me with something of value, then I'll start giving again. Until then, they can go Cheney themselves.

I'll help true liberals like my congressman, Alan Grayson, but Obama? Nope. I'm done.

nt

I mean what else can the progressive side give up? We already wasted nearly a year on this. Get something done and move onto another priority.

That all that is left to give away.
HRC = more expensive medical treatment.

Start over from scratch, with Single Payer on the table. Advertise the plan as "Medicare for all" and then take that message to the public. I guarantee you it will have massive public support.

THEN, if we are forced to negotiate down to allowing insurance companies to exist, but compete with Medicare open to everyone, I can live with that.

As far as the medical malpractice & tort reform horseshit goes..... why don't you ask the Murtha family how they feel about that, right about now?

no text.

appeasing republicans didn't work.

he's right about one thing, though : it's time to start over on health care reform.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He's already lost my money & volunteering for this fall. One more capitulation and my vote will be gone as well.

What more does the working man and woman in America have to give up for those greed bastards in Congress to give us Health Care. What more do they want? Single payer was never on the table, we gave in on the Public Option. The bill as is will force us to buy insurance from the same companies that have ripped us off, denied life saving procedures and even denied people from even getting insurance. How many more people have to die or live in pain because they can not afford to see a doctor?

We need more Senators like Ted Kennedy. realDemocrat

I'm sick of Democrats giving in to Republicans and the DLC blue dog Conservadems.

Wait, Let me qualify the term, Democrats.

Progressives and Liberals, You know, Those F'ing Retards.

What exactly are they?

Guarantee insurance premiums will double in five years, big pharma companies can charge what they want for drugs sold in the USA, doctors can refuse patients without insurance, and 500 hospitals will have to shut down.

Republicans will have to give up $.01 or $20 of the total contributions they get from the health care industry.

Sounds about right.

GEEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start from scratch on health care -

Both sides have to give -

:wtf:

"health" insurance cartel, no taxing of health care benefits, raise taxes on the mega-wealthy.

If the Republicans could go with that, maybe some form of tort reform in exchange.

Or maybe you meant the industry and the Republicans because they're the only ones who seem to be in this negotiation.

Even countries like CUBA can pull off national health care. We can't because you, Mr. Obama, are a sellout to insurance companies right along with your constituents in congress.

All it takes is for the Gov to create a real health branch, make the deals on how much to charge with hospitals themselves, and have the hospitals bill the health dept with our social security numbers and the health dept. pay with our taxes. Right now we are denied because insurance companies have deals with the hospitals that make it unaffordable to anyone who is not paying them(the insurance companies). Keep the insurance companies out of it. If you're worried about those insurance companies going out of business, tough. They will only evolve into another service that would be useful or close as they should because they are no longer needed.

All you've been doing, Mr. Obama, is propping up required national insurance. That is not a national health-care system. Your idea of letting insurance companies handle it, is a corporate-crooks approach. Health care and how you've handled it is your defining moment. You have muzzled us for demanding change and you continue to rape us for our taxes. We see you for what you are now - a corporate lobbyist. Exactly what I was trying to vote out.

It appears that they are slanting it negatively.

We already gave.

We gave up single-payer coming out of the box. After that, everything else was a joke.

FuckFuckFuckFuck.

People who do not have or cannot afford good healthcare have no "ground" to give. Isn't healthcare reform about them rather than the dems and repukes in congress/senate?

Not willingly, of course. Actually, you pulled it out from under us as we "retards" (as your administration refers to us) were dragged from the room in handcuffs. . . time and time again.

I gave you my employment as banks have not released credit so that small businesses can survive.

Before that I gave my time and money that I am still paying off on my credit cards to get you elected.

I gave my trust. I gave you my good will.

Barack, I have nothing else to give but my life and the way your health care reform is going, you'll probably get that soon, too.

Isn't it about time that the other side gave something?

"Schmuck." And that is the only word that I can think of that can sum up President Obama. A grade A Schmuck! :eyes:

Since we're "starting from scratch"

We want single payer, national healthcare for all.

that's our starting point.

As long as it only caps the amount of the lawyers' award or
settlement.

whole. Followed by punitive damages being paid only to the state since states, not individuals punish. Attorneys compensation set by prevailing wages in the area, and audited by the state, may be paid from the punitive fund.

Juries mandated to make specific decisions, including things like meritless case, or legitimate case, or slam-dunk righteous case.

- Doctors guilty in slam-dunk cases automatically pay both sides attorneys fees.

- Legitimate cases have both sides paying their own legal bills.

- Attorneys judged by a jury as filing "meritless" cases pay fees of both sides and require court permission to file cases for 3 years.

- Doctors judged by a jury as gross negligent or willfully negligent can pay award from malpractice insurance only after personal assets are depleted.

- Doctors judged by a jury as not negligent are compensated for time & fees.

- Both Attorneys and Doctors must donate pro-bono service as condition of license to practice.


And my favorite - In appreciation for this wise recommendation, each Attorney & Doctor nationwide send me, or my estate, for the next 150 years) $5 annually and it cannot be taxed by any federal, state or local authority. (OK, maybe that was a stretch)

He is trying to get something--anything--done before Democrats lose more seats in both houses come Fall. Otherwise, he loses in 2012.

Gibbs said during a presser re: reconcilation: "If this could have been done any other way, it would have been done already." That confirmed my suspicion about not having even 50 votes plus Biden for anything but the Senate bill--and who knows if the House would vote for the Senate bill?

Nonethess, Obama took single payer off the table during the damn primary. In August, he signaled his willingness to do without a public option. Now, he's telegraphing his willingness to give in to the Republicans before they have even agreed to negotiate.

I hope to heaven some of the Purple Snakes get replaced in the Fall, but that seems highly unlikely, especially given the DNC policy of supporting incumbents, no matter what.

Let 'em talk and block! Then run on the basis the damned obstructionists standing between the American public and actual universal healthcare in the form of single payer.

Remember when Newt shut down the government? Didn't work so well for him after.

Let the bastards talk and talk and talk! Then when they're through, vote.

:(

WTF

I'd guess that giving line item voting on every bill to every member of Congress should do it.

The pukes have a wedge issue, and only a fool would think they will compromise now. They will ride a NO vote all the way to the election.

The last 20 years have taught us that bi-partisan is a fantasy. Time to Govern, not wimp out.

to stand in the face of political calculations guiding everyday actions on things formerly held as core values.

Above all, he is desperate not to repeat 1994, especially since the repukes can't be counted on to repeat the 1995 government shutdown that resurrected WJC.

Everything is now negotiable.

Thanks Harry & Nancy, your leadership & cooperation were dispositive bringing us here.

edited for grammer

And he knows it.

you compromised on this health care debate from the get-go, and yet you still insist on bipartisanship while ignoring and shutting out those of us who wanted a Public Option(a robust one), or those who support Medicare for all. Also, the MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY also wanted a public option!

Instead, you want Americans to be subjected to mandatory health insurance, which is killing this economy. Your position on this issue doesn't pass the smell test...

I'm so sick of this BS. No, I'm beyond sick, beyond angry, beyond reason. I can't even type anything I'm so fucking angry at these constant sell-outs on the backs of the middle class and progressives. Enough.

and then he goes and says bullshit like this. :mad:

It's as though he's stating that progressives are being as unreasonable as Republicans and that pisses me off, since we aren't even getting ANY of the things we wanted.

never again. Not for a DLCer.

that in it, then we don't need a bill.

Fire your little weasel, Rahm and his health insurance profiteer brother!

Just checking.