Are Your Ears Broken?

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/1/22/1309/32467

Are Your Ears Broken?

by BooMan
Fri Jan 22nd, 2010 at 01:00:09 PM EST


Everyone and their brother is telling Democratic House members to pass the Senate version of the health care bill, and progressives like Jerry Nadler are whining about the excise tax. The labor unions and the White House hammered out a deal on the excise tax last week that can be included in a reconciliation bill. If the Labor Unions are okay with it, then why is Nadler still complaining?

Here's Andy Stern of the SEIU:

Step one: The House should pass the Senate's health insurance reform bill - with an agreement that it will be fixed, fixed right, and fixed right away through a parallel process.

Reform can work -- the Senate bill can serve as the foundation for reform and include at minimum the improvements the Administration, House, and Senate have negotiated. We cannot squander the opportunity to make real progress. The House and Senate must move forward together. And, there is no reason they cannot move forward together to make those changes through any means possible -- whether through reconciliation or other pieces of moving legislation.

Some in Washington may want to throw their hands up and walk away; others may call for walking back reform by passing something smaller. So let's just say it: the Democrats own health reform. They own the votes they already took. And, they own what health reform will stand for. Most importantly, it will be a major achievement the American people need and deserve. There is no turning back. There is no running away. There is no reset button.

It's like a bunch of progressives got addicted to reading progressive blogs and actually started to believe advocacy equals analysis. When the people you are supposed to represent and the health care experts and the political hands are all telling you to pass the Senate bill and fix it using reconciliation, you convince no one by pretending that you're sticking up for principle. At best, you're making a misguided attempt to save your own asses and your own majorities.

[anonymous171]

1. Yeah, remember how well the whole "pass it and fix it" thing worked with NAFTA? nt

[CreekDog]

3. but you weren't in favor of half of NAFTA

there are a ton of good things in the Senate bill and the need for all of them exists right now.

[ixion]

2. *sigh* no...

I just don't think turning insurance agencies into quasi federal entities with the power of the IRS to enforce, and requiring the purchase of a product from these PRIVATE CORPORATIONS as terms for legal citizenship is in any way a good idea. In fact, I think it is an utterly and entirely ridiculous idea, and all the "reconciliation" in the world isn't going to change that.

[last1standing]

4. I keep hearing "Pass the bill and fix it later!" What I don't ever hear is how they plan to do that

It is nothing short of a cynical ploy to continue pushing the "Pass Now/Fix Later" meme unless you can tell the American people how you plan to fix this travesty in the senate. You couldn't do it with 60 votes and you sure as Hell won't do it with 59 (far fewer come November). Instead we'll have a broken bill from the outset that funnels money into the hands of the uber-wealthy while effectively helping almost no one.

Maybe if you started chanting "Fix it now and pass it later" you'd have some support.

[DJ13]

5. When winning is all that matters we all lose

[anonymous171]

6. I would amend that statement: "When compromise is all that matters, no one wins."

This bill is not a victory. It is a defeat. The dems weren't aiming for absolute victory. If they were they could have easily succeeded in passing the bill.

[DJ13]

8. Thats even better

[branders seine]

7. nasty, evil, rotten, awful progressives!

what with being right all the time...I just hate 'em!

[midnight]

9. You point out an important fact about the senate pretending to stick up for principles...

Because it is transparent that their attempts throughout this health care compromise has given the insurance co. a bailout...

[gkhouston]

10. The Senate is sticking up for principals... also dividends. n/t