With what nuance will we respond when the Republicans make this charge?

[coti]

Forgive me for thinking more than a week into the future, but I really am wondering about this.

What, exactly, are President Obama and the 50+ Democratic senators of value and 250+ Democratic congresspeople he has led over a cliff going to say when the Republicans smack us in the face with the fact that we forced our people to buy insurance from a private health insurance company?

I can think of all kinds of responses, but none of the "explanations" are going to have the simplicity of their message.

Any great ideas?

[westerebus]

1. America. Love it or leave it. n/t

[coti]

3. Yeah, we could pull the "Why do you hate America?" bit they always ran

on us.

[westerebus]

6. That would just confuse them.

How about just say: Rich people taste like chicken.

They wouldn't be any less confused, but the expression on their face would be priceless.

[Fumesucker]

8. Actually they taste a lot more like pork than chicken..

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Long%20Pig

Recall the scene in "Fried Green Tomatoes"..

[westerebus]

12. You are so bad.

You mean the other white meat.

I am worster.

Thanks for that link.

[lib_wit_it]

21. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )

[westerebus]

26. Oh, sure. Just give them the answer.

;)

[roguevalley]

28. my nuance machine broke down when I found out that Obama won

the torture argument with the supreme court. that is, he can do it.

[HughMoran]

2. Republicans love insurance companies?

Older people get Medicare, so why can't the rest of the population have insurance?

[ZombieHorde]

4. They will say...

"Bwahahahahaha!"

oh wait, that won't go over very well

They will say...

"And there is no cap on your co-pays either!"

um, let me try again

They will say...

"At least insurance companies get to have annual pay out limits; this way, you can be without coverage, yet still have to pay for private insurance!"

OK, I suck at this.

[westerebus]

11. This might hurt a little.

But, Joe Liberman is happy.

[DJ13]

5. "Weve provided millions of Americans with the opportunity... "

".... to invest what little money they have left in insurance and pharma stocks so they can become millionaires now that everyone has to buy their product."

Wont fit on a bumper sticker damn it.

[QC]

7. "I GUESS YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE SARAH PALIN!1!!11!!!"

That's a pretty popular one around here.

[boston bean]

9. They aint gonna really knock that part of the plan.

Because that's been the plan all along.

Mandates for lobby$$....

It's all been one big charade! A thirteen or 14 act play. With dems, repubs, libs, conservadems, rino's, dino's, socialists and independents in Washington DC all playing revolving starring and supporting roles.

They really ought to get themselves a theatrical name, though, don't ya think?

[spanone]

10. tell them that change takes balls and there isn't one between them

[westerebus]

15. Un true.

Palins got a set. Ok. Ok. They once belonged to a Moose. They're hers now. Just sayin'...

[Ozymanithrax]

13. They are going to say..

Republicans refuse to aid the AMerican people by reforming health care.
This bill will bring health care to millions who do not have it now, millions who would continue to die at a rate of 45,000 a year because they have no health care.
Helping people in need is the right thing to do, it is the family value thing, it is the humanistic thing.

Screw the Republicans.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Yupster]

16. Tell them not to worry

The Supreme Court will overturn that part anyway.

Imagine if congress passed a law ordering every American to go out and buy a hat from an approved haberdasher in the next two months or get fined? That would be just as unconstitutional as telling every American to go out and buy health insurance from an approved group of health insurers.

[cali]

18. I haven't noted any other mandated insurance being overturned as unconstitutional

[Yupster]

25. Car insurance is not mandatory

You don't have to drive.

Mortgage insurance is not mandatory. You don't have to borrow over 80 % of the home value to buy a house.

If you don't want to buy health insurance, then what? It's the only one I know of that's mandatory just to live and not get arrested.

[zorahopkins]

17. One Senator Said This Today...

I heard one Senator say this today:

"Only 28% of the American people supported Medicare when it was passed, and it is really popular now."

[laughingliberal]

19. Uh...we're just starting to make it better...and we're incrmentally better than your guys nt

[timeforpeace]

20. Some genius in another thread says "remind them that car insurance is mandatory!".

[Morning Dew]

22. They might actually buy that. n/t

[d_b]

23. lulz

[Fire1]

24. I saw that!!! lmao!!!! n/t

[jimlup]

27. Let's think 3+ years into the future

The republicans will not throw this at us. Instead they will make the ridiculous claim that we passed "socialized medicine". With all due respect, you are over estimating the intelligence of our opponents. Unfortunately, a percentage of the American people will buy this absurd claim. Nevertheless, we on the progressive side of things need to keep focused on pushing the agenda. We will likely suffer some losses in 2010 but probably still hold a congressional majority. Then we slam it home in 2012. We need to sweep those elections. That is our play folks. It isn't what we want to hear but it is what we have to do.

Honestly, I'm as progressive as anyone here but I think we've only thought about about getting rid of Bush and really didn't look much beyond that. Well, we've accomplished step 1. Now time to start thinking about step 3 or 4... and working hard on step 2 (which is giving Obama as many real democrats and 2 terms). Sure he isn't all we hoped for but honestly, if you thought about it you already knew this.

But it is time to "dance with who brung us." Our chance of having any real progressive leverage begings with a real democratic super majority. Not what we have now, so we need to bide our time and get what we can and get rid of as many blue dogs as we can along the way. Just sayin...

[TiberiusGracchus]

29. We're gonna say: "It was better than nothi... OH HEY LOOK IT'S SARAH PALIN WITH THE BABY JESUS!"

Then you run for your life.