Paul Krugman: What We Learned From the Health Care Summit

[kpete]

Paul Krugman: What We Learned From the Health Care Summit

If we’re lucky, Thursday’s summit will turn out to have been the last act in the great health reform debate, the prologue to passage of an imperfect but nonetheless history-making bill. If so, the debate will have ended as it began: with Democrats offering moderate plans that draw heavily on past Republican ideas, and Republicans responding with slander and misdirection — (they) didn’t bother making a case that could withstand even minimal fact-checking. Right off the bat Sen. Lamar Alexander delivered a whopper, asserting that under the Democratic plan, “for millions of Americans, premiums will go up.” But (according to the C.B.O.) the “price of a given amount of insurance coverage” would fall, not rise. (And he) declared that reconciliation has “never been used for something like this.” But reconciliation was used to push through both of the Bush tax cuts at a budget cost of $1.8 trillion, twice the bill for health reform. In reality, House Republicans don’t have anything to offer to Americans with troubled medical histories. Their big idea — allowing unrestricted competition across state lines — would lead to a race to the bottom. The states with the weakest regulations would set the standards for the nation as a whole. While some people would gain insurance, the people losing insurance would be those who need it most. Republican politicians obviously believe that they can blandly make utterly misleading assertions, saying things that can be easily refuted, and pay no price. But Democrats can have the last laugh. All they have to do — and they have the power to do it — is finish the job, and enact health reform.

more:
http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1082414
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/opinion/26krugman.html

[ShortnFiery]

1. Awe, more daily floods of wisdom from Paul Krugman?

I don't know how I would get through my day if he did spew his "wisdom" by telling me WHAT TO BELIEVE. :eyes: :sarcasm:

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. -1. He is saner than the vast majority of the bloviators.

[olegramps]

4. Exactly just what did he say the you have a problem with?

[Jennicut]

5. His opinion. You don't have to "believe" it.

[applegrove]

10. He's brilliant. We love him here on the DU. That is why he gets posted here

every few days. What is your problem with him? No really.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Just go it. Maybe Nike can drop Tiger and pick up HCR in its ads!

[ginnyinWI]

6. the GOP seems to think that telling the base what they

want to hear is the best way to behave at a major health summit. Make use of the time by practicing the most craven politics--facts and the seriousness of the issue be damned.

So the base is happy and the rest of us think they are nuts. Yeah that will keep you in office!

[spanone]

7. will the President ever realize that every time he extends his hand they shit on it

[xchrom]

8. I'm not a fan of the current HCR -- but I do like

Krugman.
Recommend

[old mark]

9. We have learned not to invite McCain and Obama to the same party.

Nor Bohner and Reid either.

And not Joe Biden and ANY 'publicans!!!!11!!!
I thought parts of it were just great entertainment.

mark