OBITUARY: Health Care Reform, 1947-2009

WASHINGTON, DC (WTF) October 13, 2009 Health Care Reform, a staple of American political debate since the Truman Administration, died today at the age of 62.

The death was announced this morning by Senator Olympia Snow (R-ME) in a tersely worded announcement.

"This is a first step in the process and those of us as members of the bipartisan Group of 6 fully intend to keep meeting, moving forward and continuing to work with the Chairman during the committee process toward crafting a bill that I, and hopefully other Republican members of the Finance Committee, can support."

Snowe's announcement signaled the end of all hope of meaningful health care reform by lending an air of bipartisan legitimacy to the health care bill drafted by Senator Max Baucus (DINO-MT). This will ensure that the main provisions of the Baucus bill will replace the reforms provided for in the bill passed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and drafted by the late Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

The terms of the Baucus bill will deliver millions of new customers to the Health Insurance industry, which funnels millions of dollars in campaign contributions every year to Baucus and other "Blue Dog" Democrats. It will do this by mandating, by law, that every American purchase Health "Insurance" policies from these giant corporations, providing criminal penalties for those who do not.

It also protects the Health Insurance industry from competition by ensuring that there will be no "public option" or other non-profit alternative to the existing companies. It also contains no cost controls. In fact, a report released this week by the independent auditing firm of Price Waterhouse confirms that health insurance costs will actually increase faster under the Baucus bill than if no reform at all was undertaken.

Health Care Reform is survived by no one, since the promise of the passage of the Baucus bill ensures that millions more people will die because of the lack of meaningful reform.

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that you supporters of the Baucus bill are purging us not by pushing us out of the party, but by making it more likely that we will die.

Wow. Assumptions built on insanity.

You're making sure that I won't be able to afford insurance. And that I'll probably end up thrown in jail because of that.

n/t

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All Snowe's vote does is move it out and we can start working on reconciliation. Let's see what that process brings to the table.

This bill will supplant, in full or in part, the Kennedy bill. It will make the situation worse.

Schoolhouse rock...How a bill becomes a law may help you as well.

Knock off the premature defeatism!!

This bill is the most conservative bill of the 5. This bill won't "supplant" ANY bill.

I will agree that this is a possibility, and even a strong one, but you speak with the certainty of a prophet, or a fanatic.

how he believes there MUST be a public option in the final bill and he will fight to GET a public option in the final bill. HCR is NOT dead.

and thanks for the post below. :)

I'm someone who understands how the process works, unlike him.

to proudly announce my un-rec'ing of this inane thread.

There is no blood on my hands because unlike the knee jerk reactors around here, I understand the process.

This vote is to finally get the fucking bill out of committee. If you so choose to believe it's the be all end all then I'm sorry for you.

But now that all bills we be out of conference, the real work can get done.

:eyes:

:hi:

And at the ripe middle age of 62...

on this board?

possibly before I finish typing this sentence.

Dum-de-dum...
Dum-de-dum...

Screw it. I guess the Mods are asleep.

Fuck You, Parker CA!!!!

:)

There were new shoes, dang it!!

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a serious problem with comprehension don't you? No one here supports the lame ass Baucus bill. What I and many others support is finally getting the bill out of conference. It's really not that difficult to understand.

And allow me to say, I lost my job, I have no insurance right now so don't think I'm one of the "Blue DU'ers" who supports the insurance companies. I'm just someone who knows what a yes vote means on the Baucus bill and thats that it's not going to be the final bill.

I was unemployed for 5 hellish months. Hang in there. Something will turn up. Wishing you well.

BTW, even though I did finally find a job (with excellent benefits, the best, actually) - my salary is so low that I still can't afford the affordable healthcare plan they offer. Once I get some raises, I'll be able to pay for it, but until then...

:hug:

I'm one who never gives up hope so I'm just plugging away a day at a time.

You don't know what I support.

nt

Accusing those who disagree with you of murder kinda rules out any discussion.

Not this bill which will make things worse.

just because it isn't single payer doesn't mean good will come out of it. but you won't settle for anything but a pipe dream.

or are you deeming anything other than single payer a failure? we have dems fighting their asses off to ammend stuff into these bills. for christs sake already.

But let's review the process, shall we?

Boy: Woof! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington. But I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is?

I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.

Bill: Well I got this far. When I started, I wasn't even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman and he said, "You're right, there oughta be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress. And I became a bill, and I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.

I'm just a bill
Yes I'm only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I'm stuck in committee
And I'll sit here and wait
While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Boy: Listen to those congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?

Bill: Yeah, I'm one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide to report on me favourably, otherwise I may die.

Boy: Die?

Note to the OP -- YOU ARE HERE!

Bill: Yeah, die in committee. Oooh, but it looks like I'm gonna live! Now I go to the House of Representatives, and they vote on me.

Boy: If they vote yes, what happens?

Bill: Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.

Boy: Oh no!

Bill: Oh yes!

I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the president to sign
And if he signs me, then I'll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?

Bill: Yes, that's called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again, and by that time you're so old...

Boy: By that time it's very unlikely that you'll become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?

Bill: No!

But how I hope and I pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Congressman: He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!

Bill: Oh yes!!!

This thread helped ME identify those of you who have no understanding of how this works.

The crypto-stalinist paranoia on this site never ceases to amaze me.

Dipshit.

Let's see what happens in conference. I don't know why people are acting like the final, end all vote was today. Something had to come out of that horrid finance committee, we knew it was going to be this lame bill from Baucus, and now with that behind us the real legislation can take form.

bill got voted out of committee, it's "all downhill from here" when the bills are merged.