Republicans asked for ideas on health coverage Instead Offers Tired Attacks On Single-Payer

[democracy1st]

Run time: 04:52 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChRElcNug2Y   Posted on YouTube: May 04, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 05, 2009 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 1136

 
National Council Lacks Ideas On Health Care, Instead Offers Tired Attacks On Single-Payer

On Saturday, Republican Party leaders Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney participated in a pizza parlor town hall in Arlington, VA to launch the National Council for a New America. The Council, an effort to rebrand and revive the GOP, was established by Cantor to “duel with the Obama administration in policy areas” where Republicans have a “track record.”

After almost 40 minutes of speeches, including several reminders that Republicans should not be “nostalgic about the past,” the speakers opened up to questions from the audience. Ed McKee, the owner of the pizza parlor, asked what Republicans would do to reform health care, citing his own business’ struggle to deal with “health insurance rates,” which recently “went up 34%.”


Responding to McKee’s question concerning the dramatic health care cost hike, Cantor said “that should be a sure sign we ought to be promoting anything that can try to bring health care costs down.” But rather than offering any ideas or policy plans for addressing health care costs, Cantor launched into a set of attacks on the health systems in the UK and Canada, saying any reform should not reflect a “government takeover.” The National Council’s policy paper on health care is similarly vague and lacks a single policy plan.

Cantor is not offering any of the promised “new policy ideas.” Instead, he is rehashing tired straw man arguments against the single-payer systems of Canada and the UK. The Obama administration has consistently opposed a single-payer program. However, the administration has signaled it will support a public option, a program to give Americans the choice of either retaining their private insurance plan or the ability to enter a government plan. A study from the Commonwealth Fund estimates that a public plan option would cost 20-30% less than premiums from traditional private insurers.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/04/gop-national-council-stumped-when-asked-to-offer-health-care-solutions/

[stlsaxman]

1. Did he just call the President an 800 pound gorilla?

[Vinca]

2. Well, to be fair, at this same event Mitt Romney said

they don't have to come up with the answers immediately. After all, it's only been 8 years and it's so much easier to "just say no." :rofl:
OMG - what a pathetic group of losers.

[quidam56]

3. We need a cure for health care in America

Profit care comes ahead of patient care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[zbdent]

4. should not be “nostalgic about the past,” means

don't let a questioner bring up the fact that the U.S. went from a surplus to gargantuan deficits under pure ReRushlican rule ...

[tanyev]

5. Let me guess....they said there should be more tax cuts.

[ProfessorPlum]

6. I notice that when they trash government-provided healthcare,

as in Canada, they always reference "stories". Oh, we hear these 'stories" about how bad the wait time is for treatments in Canada.

How about some fucking facts or statistics? I've heard those "stories" too, mostly from lying health insurance CEOs. Is there any truth to them, you weasel-faced corporate puppet?

[tomm2thumbs]

7. ok - so we know he likes to talk - unfortunately he is unable to spout ideas, just attacks

party of 'no' member number #1,254,545 -Eric Cantor. Take a bow.

[TheEuclideanOne]

8. So, do what Bush talked about?

How did that work for us? Oh, it didn't? You had 8 years, so now the answer is that we should either do nothing so that we don't turn into Canada or do what Bush spoke about, even though he didn't do anything either. If what Bush spoke about is so great, why don't we have it now?

BTW, that lady in Canada that has Breast Cancer will not lose her entire life's Savings, house and everything else potentially to get treatment. She may have to wait 3 months (I am not sure of that either), but when she receives healthcare, she also does not have to sacrifice her entire life savings.

[Revolution9]

9. choose your doctor?

off a list. that the insurance company provides.
lol
what a joke.
that tired old canard about "choosing you own doctor" is a HUGE lie about our healthcre system.
WE don't get to choose our doctors. the insurance companies only cover doctors in their "network" (what are they cell phone providers?) So this lie infuriates me.
WO DON'T GET TO CHOOSE OUR DOCTORS. PERIOD. STOP THE LIES!

[WhoIsNumberNone]

10. I, too, like a good story...

...So how about telling us a whole one?

In Britain- and I imagine even in Canada, that great medieval communist stronghold to the North- everyone is on the National Health. If you have the means to see one of the more expensive private doctors, nobody is stopping you, but you always have the national Health. The woman he refers to with breast cancer (if she's a real person) was using the National Health Service. This means she isn't rich. It means if she lived here she probably would be one of the 40 million who don't have health insurance. So how long do you think the same woman would have had to wait for treatment in the United States?

[ihavenobias]

11. Thanks for posting. n/t