Blocking Obama's health plan is the key to GOP survival.

I suppose those Cato shitstains are such big tough independent he-men that if their houses catch fire, they'd just put it out by pissing on it. Calling the fire department would be "dependence on government."

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/114800/?page=entire

Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee argues in the Progressive that Obama and Tom Daschle, Obama's pick for health and human services secretary, should opt for single-payer health insurance. Now is no time for piecemeal solutions:

Such a path would perpetuate the crisis and deal a cruel blow to the hopes of Americans for real reform. Those in Congress and liberal policy organizations who are embracing caution or promoting more insurance, not more care, are playing a risky game. It could jeopardize the health security of tens of millions of Americans and, in the process, fatally erode public support for the Obama administration.

Klein links to a candid post from the blog of the right-wing Cato Institute, wherein Michael F. Cannon argues that blocking Obama's health plan is the key to GOP survival. Why? Because, history shows that once people start getting good health care from the government at a price they can afford, they want to keep re-electing the politicians who make that possible. Cannon calls the phenomenon where people re-elect governments that give them good health care "becoming dependent on the government," we call it "voting our self-interest."

I'm hoping Sentate Democrats are smart enough to force GOP obstructionists to read the phone book and newspaper aloud until they wet themselves.

Hopefully Obama and Daschle have a plan to overcome their resistance. Republican legislators need to be convinced that their own personal political survival depends on not blocking reform. We don't need all of them, only a handful.

The biggest thing is that we need to push for single payer rather than a system involving the insurance companies. I believe that this is necessary both for the health of the American people and the health of the economy. We need to convince Obama and Daschle of this.

I should be doing it as often as you.

They tried to make the world in their own image, but fucked things up so badly that now we will have have to socialize in order to save the place.

there will always be a block of nit wits through sheer blind luck that won't be effected by the bad economy and the nit wits will back their republicon masters as long as they think they are doing better then someone else. I seen that attitude with UAW workers here, they looked down at friends and family that were layed off in the 80's, they had enough time in at GM that they were immune to lay offs or plant closings, but according to them that wasn't luck that they were born earlier then those laid off, nope it was because they were hard workers that couldn't be replaced, those who were layed off were just lazy.

Remember you are always going to have nit wits that would cut their noses off to spite their face. It's one of my pet peeves about the nit wits, even when they end up on state aid, they always claim its not state aid for them, they earned the right to sit on a sofa because they worked hard in the past and paid more then their fair share of taxes.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but I have to believe that the more pragmatic Republican legislators will opt for their own survival in two years, rather than adhere to the ideological grunts of the troglodyte Randian think-tanks.

is that the insurance companies' propaganda machine will once again convince the public of the dangers of "socialized medicine".

I suspect that such an attempt would fail this time around, but we should never underestimate the power of PR.

For every ad they show wailing about "socialized medicine" we need to point out that the money spent on those ads is money that should have been spent on caring for people's health.

I'm not going to fall into the false trap of "defend Obama's health plan or we're screwed" marketing ploy, when what the incoming administration is selling falls so far short of what's needed for REAL reform.

Insurance companies and draconic HMO's heed to be kicked OUT of the program. There will ALWAYS be people who will be blacklisted for genetic defects, or pre-existing conditions, if these evil companies are given a opportunity to remain active in health care.

Single payer health CARE is what we need -- not another form of insurance to keep the costs high, and the treatments draconian or non-existent.

They despise single payer. All our representatives, both parties, need to hear from their constituents on this.

Most corporations (other than insurance) would benefit from not having to provide private health insurance to their employees. One of the silver linings in the current economic crisis is that companies like GM may begin to realize how much they would benefit from not having to provide private health coverage and that single payer is in their best interest.

If we can enlist big business on our side of this battle then we greatly enhance our chances of winning.

I'd be out to as many health-insurance paying companies as possible, telling them that their costs of insurance will drop - big time - once HR 676 passes. Nancy, Harry, ram it through, and to hell with the GOP and their DLC traitor buddies.

preminums, lack of coverage, high cost of care. They will look for an answer rather than a roadblock. If the GOP can't compromise on a sensible plan then they are done. People can already see with whom their bread is buttered.

the PEOPLE want national healthcare, and those that attempt to block it will rue the day they chose to do so.

we could pass HR 676, which is a whole lot better, anyway.

ALL congresscritters need intensive lobbying on this, now.

I'm not particularly a fan of Obama's pro-corporate, supply-side plan, but if this country doesn't solve that problem now, it's game over for the economy.

they're done for. It's not just Dems and Indies losing jobs and health insurance.