The push to overhaul health care received a major boost Thursday as the American Medical Association and AARP endorsed legislation drafted by top House Democrats.
The AARP, the nation's largest organization of older Americans, is a nonpartisan group that advocates for people 50 and older. The AMA, historically an opponent of health care reform, is considered one the nation's most influential doctors' advocacy groups.
So just who are the "majority" of Americans the GOP claims doesn't want this? I've seen support from a LOT of major groups. I think the main opposition has come from...oh, yeah, Republicans and the insurance lobby.
I'd follow the money on that angle before I really gave the GOP any credence on that "majority" thing. Fact is, the American people put in Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress and a Democrat in the White House with the full awareness that health care reform was a major part...even the centerpiece...of the Democratic agenda. It's safe to say that the majority WANT health care reform, and the GOP can't even claim it's being railroaded. It's been over 9 months in the making, and it's all publicly available and transparent. The various proposed bills are freely available for download and study. How can you claim it's being rushed and you don't have time to review it when you on the other hand can (mis)quote large tracts of it?
It's time to get this bill to the President for signature.
Technorati Tags: Politics, Health Care Reform
2 comments:
We really should follow the money:
AARP - gets the Dems to eliminate Medicare Advantage, which took sales of AARP's Medi-Gap coverage from them (and was very good, and popular with seniors, but, heck, we need them to die anyway), and returns a huge base to AARP to work from.
AMA - gets promises from the Dems not to carry through on Doctor payment reductions that the Feds have deferred the last several years. Guess that's good enough to buy off the AMA's Board, even though polls show individual doctors oppose these plans.
Insurance Companies - come on, anyone who says this is "sticking it" to insurers is insane. Unless the loon left succeeds in totally crowding private insurers out of the market, this places 30 million additional customers into these guys hands, places floors on the coverage people must buy ($ to their ears!), and does it all at the point of a government gun.
Meanwhile, the Federal Employees Health Benefits program will survive unscathed, and guaranteed that unions will get exemptions for their Cadillac plans.
Yes, follow the money.
Meanwhile, Conservative and Libertarians are shut out of the debate, when they have the ideas that would not radically destroy our system.
By the time the Dems are through with Health Care "Reform" we're all gonna be begging for single payer.
Jay,
If you're going to talk 'Democrats' then don't jump to 'Conservatives' and Libertarians--say 'Republicans' and Libertarians.
The Democrats have bent over backwards with the Republicans over health care reform to the point of passing something that's not going to do anything but make everyone get insurance. You clearly aren't paying attention if you think the Republicans and Libertarians have been shut out.
Here's an article you should read...and if you think it's too liberal/progressive, or whatever then do a search...there is plenty of info out there to pay attention to than just ONE side. It's impossible to make an informed opinion if you only listen to one view of things.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29988909/sick_and_wrong/1
A finale note: Is Obama doing a great job 10 months in? No, but neither was Bush jr...so spare everyone the Messiah rhetoric.
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