"The healthcare bill is unpopular because Democrats kept removing every popular idea from the bill"

Republicans Don’t Need To Run On Repealing The Whole Bill
By: Jon Walker
January 15, 2010

Republicans will probably run on repealing just the deeply unpopular provisions, like the individual mandate and the tax on health insurance benefits. We know those are winning messages because Obama campaigned on them in 2008.

The GOP might call the bill a bundle of corrupt promises masquerading as reform. They can point to the sweetheart deal for drug companies, the huge subsidies given to the private insurance companies, the deal cut with the hospitals, and the special carve-out for unions. Republicans will also be able to make a big deal about the lack of promised transparency and the many other broken promises from Obama about health care.

I can even picture Republicans attacking Democrats for passing a bill that lacks “Republican solutions” like tort reform and drug re-importation. Yes Republicans can now steal the mantle of being the party that supports drug re-importation because Obama killed it on the Senate floor. Some clever Republicans in bluer districts might even run a campaign on “fixing” the bill by removing all of the Democrats’ sweetheart deals and corporate giveaways.

The only defense for a deeply compromised bill is to have it in effect so people can judge for themselves if the benefits outweigh the negatives. The problem is, the bill does not really help anyone for four years. Democrats will have almost no immediate tangible positives to point to as a justification for their votes.

Between now and 2014, Republicans will point to every big premium increase, every higher co-pay, and every spike in drug prices as proof that “Democrats failed on health care.” Fair or not, the Republicans might start placing the blame for every new problem with our health care system at the feet of Democrats.

Democrats allowed a handful of powerful special interests and conservative Democrats to kill all the most popular elements in the bill. The public option, Medicare buy-in, drug re-importation, repeal of the anti-trust exemption, cheaper drugs for Medicare with direct drug price negotiations were all removed.

This is not meant to be a doomsday prediction or a campaign manual for Republicans (they already know how to run against this bill). This is meant to be a massive warning to Democrats. All year, I have been trying to warn Democrats in Congress. They are about to commit political suicide by over-promising, under-delivering, and making themselves appear tools of the corporations ripping off regular Americans. If you say you are going to reform health care you better reform health care.

Health care reform is not unpopular because of attack campaigns against it. No amount attack commercials was able to really dent the strong support for a public option. The bill is unpopular because Democrats kept removing every popular idea from the bill. Democrats are driving themselves straight off a cliff. They need to change course. Having the President say the only thing the very unpopular bill needs to save Democrats in 2010 is a good PR campaign is not helping the party.

Please read the full article at:

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/15/republicans-dont-need-to-run-on-repealing-the-whole-bill/

Ya win a cookie

It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

:freak:

I do. I've thought so for years, but this article articulates far better than anything I could write.

http://www.ianwelsh.net/why-democrats-are-doing-electorally-stupid-things/

funding Afghanistan and Iraq. So now a Repug is coming across as anti-war......

My Congressman was voted in mainly because of his anti-war stance. I thought he was a progressive but Rahm got to him, and in order to save his Congressional seat, he's followed the administration drumbeat. It really sucks big time.

ALG URGES REPRESENTATIVE LEE TO OPPOSE “CADILLAC TAX” HEALTH CARE PENALTY ON NON-UNION WORKERS
The Cypress Times
January 15th, 2010, Fairfax, VA

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson in a letter has urged Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents a “right-to-work” state, to oppose a 40 percent excise tax on non-union health care plans that “will hit your states and districts particularly hard, and is grossly unfair to non-union workers.”

“I am calling upon you to publicly denounce this blatant attack upon the citizens of your state. They will, I am certain, be eagerly awaiting your response,” Wilson declared in his letter, calling the tax on non-union health insurance plans “contemptible.”

“This is absolutely deplorable to American workers, 92 percent of whom do not belong to unions,” wrote Wilson his letter. “In essence, non-union employers and employees will be forced to subsidize the cost of exempting union workers from the tax, which will cost families in your states and districts thousands of dollars a year in additional charges.”

The tax, as passed in the Senate bill, would charge insurance companies a 40 percent excise tax on coverage above $8,500 for an individual and $23,000 for a family. Within three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the tax would apply to nearly 20 percent of all workers. Within six years, it would reach a fifth of all households earning as little as $50,000 annually.

According to Wilson’s letter, “Immediately, will have three impacts: 1) Health benefits will be cut as many insurers and employers stop providing such plans that were once affordable; 2) Of those plans not cancelled, the costs will be passed on to the insured, raising premiums; and 3) This new Health Care Penalty Tax will be used in Right-to-Work states as a backdoor method to forcing workers to join unions, since union dues would be less than the tax.”

“This is a tax aimed at non-union workers and non-unionized businesses, in particularly, small businesses that provide good health coverage to their employees,” Wilson wrote, adding, “Moreover, this tax will disproportionately impact Baby Boomers, women, and the infirmed — in short, anyone that pays higher premiums because of medical need — none of whom have a seat at the closed-door negotiations hastily taking place now.”

“Meanwhile, union bosses of the AFL-CIO and the SEIU have been well-represented, as is indicated by this contemptible union exemption from the 40 percent excise tax,” Wilson wrote.

http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/ALG_URGES_REPRESENTATIVE_LEE_TO_OPPOSE_CADILLAC_TAX_HEALTH_CARE_PENALTY_ON_NONUNION_WORKERS/26968

"The bill is unpopular because Democrats kept removing every popular idea from the bill."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7481203






K&R