Here is the actual math behind the healthcare reform debate

Current lack of regulation + no price negotiation of healthcare industry (pharma and insurance)+ no Public Option =
ginormous oceans of profit paid for by taxpayer

Ginormous oceans of profit ÷ divided by industry insiders (CEOs, etc.) and POLITICIANS in the form of campaign contributions =
Status quo

Regulation + price negotiation of healthcare industry + Public option=
< (less)profit and < (less) $ for industry insiders and POLITICIANS but
> (more)$ for country and taxpayers
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Industry $ + self-interests of Politicians = reason we will not get meaningful reform

Isn't it?

another thread suggested this the other day and I tend to agree. I will defiantly agree if we don't get a public option

anymore than they are able to deliver real healthcare reform?

The thing about healthcare reform is that it provides such a clear and shining line about what the "right" thing to do is - right in a moral sense and right in a fiscal sense, even right in a national security sense if you think that fiscal health of the country is what enables us to protect ourselves in the first place.

So when these horror story politicians are able to turn a blind eye to all that, you realize what a terrible mess we are really in.

The only thing that could work for us is Leadership that is not afraid to use the bully pulpit to use the tool of SHAME towards those that would undermine the country for their own enrichment. Strong, clear, unequivocal leadership is what's required. Lacking that, I think we will go down a road towards further inevitable financial chaos, an even more stratified society, more hate, more civil unrest, more unemployment and until just the final decline of the United States into Americorp,Inc.

I think we are at the tipping point. If we fail at healthcare at this juncture after the 8 years of Bush oppression, followed the hard, hard, work we all did to get Dem majorities, then many people will just fold up their tents and walk away from the process - the disillusionment will be that great.

This is why I am so incredibly passionate about this issue. It is not Obama's Waterloo, it could be the Waterloo for us as a society if these anti-reform powers get their way.

60 votes in the Senate to impose cloture and end a filibuster.

End of.

Change who those 60 are and you get single-payer, or whatever, six weeks later.

Otherwise, you've got a stark choice -- between nothing, and something that can get those 60 votes.

Me, I go for nothing. It's the DU way.

House of Representatives Bill = Senate Bill

so if the public option is in the HR bill, it is ok to adopt it into the final version and pass it in the senate during reconciliation

it isn't as if the senate is more important than the house.. just more difficult

turned over the economy to them.