Re: House approves landmark healthcare reform bill
what if the person who's being mandated to buy for himself or herself can't afford it?
this bill forces all americans not insured to go buy a product that can cost $1000 a month
if you're a low earner the govt will help you a little, but you must still pick up the brunt of it
this is the perverse view of universalism embodied in this legislation---buy it yourself or go to jail
as for reconciliation, the nuclear option---it'll never happen
when's the last time you even heard mention of it?
the dems bring it up every once in awhile, when they hit roadblocks, then always drop it within 24 hours
it's pure political posturing
and for reason---reconciliation cannot accomplish 2/3 of what these bills contemplate
reconciliation is extremely limited in what it can do
it's by definition very temporary, and the bulk of the benefits promised in 3962 for example don't kick in til 2014
and it lacks legitimacy, politically, it obviously indicates that the party can't pass legislation thru normal parliamentary procedure
but, most to the point---it's extremely limited in what it can do
it's for short term budget fixes, not permanent social reforms
this bill has no chance in the senate
lieberman, bayh, nelson, landrieu, lincoln, dorgan, pryor, conrad have as much as said so
and a one vote victory in pelosi's place is gonna hurt it upstairs, not help
if it can't get 85% of the party downstairs...
and now the dems are on record imposing fines against the uninsured, even their imprisonment, massive cuts to m and m, the termination of medicare advantage, huge taxes on small biz and large biz and insurers and device manufacturers, the imposition of impossible mandates on already bankrupt states (difi and harry reid have both said they can't go there), etc, etc, etc
you'll note that not a lib on this thread has defended even one of the pernicious, poisonous provisions pointed out
harry reid himself is in such a tough spot relative to nevada---if this bill passes (according to him), it's a very bad thing for his state
he'll lose his job
Harry Reid: Health care bill won't work for Nevada - Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 | 10:36 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun
but reid's objection, which is difi's, is, most revealingly, one of the relatively smaller problem this thing faces upstairs
the biggest obstacle and most insuperable problem is jiltin joe (lieberman)