"WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE WRAPPED IN THE FLAG
AND CARRYING A CROSS." -SINCLAIR LEWIS

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Health Care Bill Passes, America Undestroyed

Finally.

It passed in the House 219-212. Yes, it got fairly ugly and the Democrats will definitely lose some congressional seats this fall (the pendulum of history shows that the party in power almost always does in midterm elections so don't read too much into that, i.e. dissatisfaction with health care reform) but I'm now officially giving the Republicans only 4:1 odds of gaining a majority of either house of congress come election day. Despite everything that party's been screaming over the past fourteen months polls show that the majority of Americans want the changes that were passed today and I'm thinking that the wave of the right's outrage might've crested a bit too early at this point. Plus running on a platform of taking away everyone's new health care coverage and consumer protections isn't exactly a winning strategy. We'll find out in November.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you put it like that: "running on a platform of taking away everyone's new health care coverage and consumer protections" it makes you realize that these changes could be here to stay for a while. Folks like my older relatives - who despise all democratic beliefs/policies, but desperately cling to their social security checks - could find themselves clinging to Obamacare in another decade or 2.

JBW said...

I think it's easy to hold on to an anti-government ideology when you don't need any help one L, but that quickly changes when you realize that there are some things you just can't do for yourself. That's what government is for, in my opinion.

Oso said...

Hey they lost my vote. I assume Garamendi voted for it. I'll vote for whichever Republican they dredge up out of the sewers over Garamendi now.

Dems are wrapping themselves in cloaks of nobility for voting in favor of enriching the health insurance industry.This is supposed to be what the Republicans do, screwing people in favor of the wealthy. As people gradually realize how badly Obama fucked them they'll turn to the even worse alternative.

And I'll do it too. Can't get any worse. Obama just took away any hope of healthcare reform. Come back and fix this POS in 10 years? People point to SS and Medicare and say it's done all the time. it USED to be done all the time. Unions used to be strong and delivered votes. Business/wealthy had high taxes and there was a small financial sector. It's 180 degrees different now. We had a shot, Obama sold us out. Campaigned on a PO but tossed it in the shitter soon as he got elected.

If I didn't have children it wouldn't be so bad. I'm old,I can get by, if I die I die. We've been swamped with medical bills off and on last few years, emergency room visits for my uninsured youngest. Now in 4 years if she's ok she can be forced to buy high premium high deductible insurance which won't cover a motherfucking thing. There's no cap on how high premiums are.We are so fucked.

I'm sorry for the rant man, you're a good guy and fulla hope. Maybe something good will come out of this.

Leslie Parsley said...

"Maybe something good will come out of this."

Not as long as we have such naysayers. I wondered why you weren't around Oso. Is the glass half empty or half full. Think about how hard it has been to get to this point.

As for me, I'm thrilled. I chose to think it's only the beginning.

Interestingly there were 200 amendments in this bill sponsored by those f'n Republicans and they still voted against it. Screw 'em.

Yoohoo!

JBW said...

I feel like a man without a country here, Oso. I have the right on one side telling me how Obama is destroying the health care system and folks on the left like yourself saying that he sold us out to the health care industry. I may be full of hope (the cynicism balances it out nicely) but you're the one who sounds a bit too idealistic, my friend.

Yes, he campaigned on a public option but he had two chambers full of Democratic pussies around his neck and every Republican on the planet calling for his head. When you consider the size and breadth of the forces arrayed against this legislation I find it amazing that Obama was able to stick it out and get a bill passed.

As Leslie said, it's only the beginning and I think that it's a good first step to build upon. You only help the same people who worked so hard to derail this thing if you start voting for them. The words "things can't get any worse" are usually the last thing a person says before they give up on trying to make the world better and stop fighting the good fight altogether.

I think you would do your children a disservice if you became that guy. That's my opinion anyway.

magpie said...

It's ugly, it's got problems and cave-ins all over the place... but it is something at last.
It's really true... Change has come to America.

I'm very happy for you.
The people I work with who all crowded around my computer when I read about it on the New York Times are happy for you.

And the sight of loopy Right-wing idiots blowing a gasket about it is enormously satisfying.

Leslie Parsley said...

People only think Obama campaigned for the public option. He didn't. He never even once mentioned it in his speeches. Good post and good comment.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

Obama was a single payer guy like me. It's going to take a long time to get there Oso. Sure it sucks. But the status quo sucks far more.

Oso said...

Leslie

http://www.asiaing.com/obamas-health-care-plan.html

“The exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as gen­er­ous as the new pub­lic plan and meet the same stan­dards for qual­ity and efficiency.”

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf


Makes eight mentions of new Public Plan.

He campaigned on it. Once elected, he did what the insurance industry wanted and dropped it like a hot potato.

Kevin Robbins said...

Peace in the Middle East should be a piece of cake after getting this through.

You likely saw this JBW, but if not you might like it.

JBW said...

I've seen the ghost chilis on cooking shows but I had no isea that it was being weaponized, ex DLB. Gracias.