The Health Care Summit with Pres. Obama and select Congressional individuals of the Donkey and Elephant persuasion, was obviously well prepared for by both sides. Each had their scripts well crafted, and lines rehearsed like veteran Shakespearian actors. It was as predicted, political theater at its worst.
Last night, Sen. Jay Rockefeller announced he would not likely support a Public Option reform through the Reconciliation process (a process by which different legislation passed by the House and Senate, can be reconciled and bypass a Senate filibuster with 51 votes.) That announcement, for all intents and purposes, spells the death knell for the reconciliation push to pass health care reform with a Public Option. Sen. Rockefeller has been a strong supporter of the Public Option. He expressed his reservations, leaving a bit of room to change his mind, but, it is hard to imagine what would, given his arguments against it.
For years, I have advocated for independent voters to unite around the ant-incumbent strategy. Pres. Obama won as the challenger to the Bush/Republican years, riding the wave of disapproving independent voters. He won with 53% of the vote, and his approval rating remains in that ball park, depending on what poll you look at. The off-year gubernatorial races in 2009 were dominated by anti-incumbent independent voters. And now, in an historically Democratic State, Democrats lost and a Republican shall take the late Ted Kennedy's seat. Are the Parties acknowledging this wake up call?
The NY Times reports:
The Congressional Budget Office [CBO] said Monday that the Senate health bill could significantly reduce costs for many people who buy health insurance on their own, and that it would not substantially change premiums for the vast numbers of Americans who receive coverage from large employers.
Last night, in a show of Party unity, Democrats, and two Independents, voted last night to move health care reform legislation to the Senate floor for public debate. Republicans, to a person, voted to shut health care reform down, before it could be debated on the Senate floor. Regardless of what one thinks of Sen. Harry Reid personally. or politically, this was a victory for him and his skill as majority leader.
So many pundits from Right and Left along the way have said Health Care Reform could not be done. They appear poised to be proven wrong. The recent polling showing Democrats neck and neck with Republicans for a take over in the House in 2010, has put the fear of reelection in many of the Blue Dog Democrats. Even in the Senate, the prospect of having to work with a Republican House is driving moderate Democrats to find those compromises that will permit health care reform to pass. The Democrats know they must have a success in this matter if they are to hold the House next year.
With the failure of inclusion of the Public Option in the Senate's committee Health Care Reform bill, the 'blue dog' Democrats in the Senate have thrown the Health Care Reform measure into Obama's lap to throw back to Congress or sign. This is a very interesting new chapter begun in the Health Care Reform journey.
The Right continues its lies, misrepresentations, and distortions, with passion in the hours after Obama's speech. Is Obama being honest with Americans, though? The all-seeing, all knowing Right which, can look into Vladimir Putin's eyes and see there a friend and honest person to work with, of course, will say Obama is not being honest. But, the simple fact is, until there is a bill with Obama's signature making it law, there is no way to determine of Obama is being honest, or not, with the public.
I heard Sen. David Vitter (La.) and other Republicans at a TownHall last Friday on C-Span threaten their Republican constituents with a $239 Billion Deficit (over 10 years) as the cost of Democrats' Health Care Reform public option. So, I pulled out my calculator. 239 billion, divided by 10 years, divided by 140 million tax payers, comes out to $170 per tax payer, per year, in increased taxes, and voila!. Universal health care coverage and no deficit required.
CNNMoney.com just put out a revealing article on waste in our health care system. The accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute latest research states about half of our annual spending on health care in America is wasted dollars. They found 1.2 trillion dollars in unnecessary and wasteful spending. Over testing and claims processing account for $420 billion dollars of wasted dollars each year.
