Senator Kerry on DailyKos now!

[beachmom]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/15/753745/-The-Debate-Gov-Palin-Is-Ducking#c95

REALLY nice comments on the thread.

[Inuca]

1. I had clicked on that thread WITHOUT

even noticing who the author is! Did not read yet, moved to other things. Going back to it now.

[Inuca]

2. Read it and skimmed through many of the comments

GREAT! Kerry vs. Palin... another in the list of things that make you go hmmm... (but in a very different way).

Nice reply to a poster asking him to make sure he supports the public option:

I do (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:peace voter
Been working very hard on the Finance committee to try to see it included. Harder slog than it ought to be. I ran for President with a public option as an anchor off my health care plan, want to see one now that we get to do reform. Would do Medicare for all if I could start from scratch, so I’m a definite supporter of a strong, national public option. We’ll see what we can do. Glad to see HELP Committee passed out a bill with one today – EMK and Dodd, you couldn’t have two better leaders on this issue.

Love the praise for Dodd, I think Dodd is getting a very unfair deal nowadays...

[karynnj]

3. Hi Inuca

I just saw that post - it is one that we might need if (or when) certain posters start in again - here's the direct link for the question before it and Kerry's response. http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2009/7/15/124310/060/125#c125

I also like that he gives Dodd the credit for the good (and hard) work he is doing here.

[beachmom]

4. Yeah, I agree with him about Dodd.

I still agree with Tay, though, that activists are spending too much energy focusing ONLY on a public option. Kerry is for it, but within a broad framework of reform, not just an end to itself.

[karynnj]

5. I agree with both of you

Even without a public option, a plan that provides a subsidy for people up to 4 times the poverty level and which deals with pre-existing conditions is a major improvement. I think these are the two biggest factors.

I think many people here misunderstand and seem to think that the public option - like Public schools is free.

[TayTay]

6. The public option has to be paid for, or it won't work

And that is where the Congressional problem is.

Sometimes I don't think we can hear each other. The folks outside of DC want one thing and the folks inside DC want another. In this case, the outside force wants the public option, which is fine, but it has to be put on solid financial ground with a definite means of payment. Otherwise, it might fail and it might be several more generations before we get another chance to do this.

I strongly feel that the debate over the public option does not include enough of a debate over how this is going to be paid for. And I think we have to have mandates in order for the public option to even remotely work. And that means that I am advocating forcing people to pay for health insurance or face steep tax penalties. And if we are forcing people to get health insurance, we better make it affordable. And that means we have to have a firm financial footing under this plan, and....

You see what I mean. There are a lot of ways to skin this particular cat. Beachmom has pointed out that several countries that successfully insure their citizens do so with private insurance or with hybrid private/public plans. The goal here is get the American public affordable health insurance that will provide real and meaningful coverage. The goal for some in the liberal blogosphere seems to be a single payer system. I don't think that single payer and universal or near universal coverage are the same thing. I think we should have a public option, but it is going to be a hybrid, I guarantee it.

[beachmom]

7. Holy mother of God. 72% of Republicans STILL approve of Palin

despite her quitting her job because .... well who knows why she quit.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/despite-quitting-palin-still-most-popular-figure-in-gop-by-a-mile/

Yup, her strange rants will continue to need to be addressed.

[Inuca]

8. The only less depressing explanation

that I can think of to try to explain that number is that many of the smart and decent republicans, no matter how conservative they may be, are so disgusted that they simply do not consider themselves republican any longer. I am serious. Maybe I am naive, but seriously, I simply cannot accept that any body 1. in his/her right mind; 2. with at least a modicum or education and/or common sense; and 3. honest and not particularly whorish can see anything good in that person (except her looks, trashy as they may be, but she does look good, especially for her age; which by the way is the reason I think that her popularity will not be long lived, even among her mindless fans, once the looks start fadinf away, there will nothing left there, winks do not look so cute any longer). I dind her offensive beyond description. The glorification of ignorance and superficiality, even worse, being proud of it.

[beachmom]

9. Nope. it also included right leaning Independents.

The anti-intellectualism of the Right is very depressing.