And, then what?

[Atticus]

After you "Kill the Bill", while the GOP, the insurance companies, hospitals and pharma companies are high-fiving each other and going to Disney World, then what?

And, please, be specific. What that is better than this bill can we expect in the near future?

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

1. nothing - we have what the republicans want us to have

I will take what I can get.

[skeptical cynic]

2. I believe we'll still have a problem that demands a solution

Rather than a new problem pretending to be a solution to an old problem.

I just have a problem with corrupt lawmakers making it a crime not to be a customer of a corrupt industry, and using public money to subsidize that corrupt industry.

There has to be a better solution than that.

Rec--Good question.

[bvar22]

3. We do NOT have to eat the whole Shit Pie to get the good crumbs.

1)KILL this 2800 page labyrinth of trap doors, loopholes, and indecipherable legalese that fundamentally enshrines the For Profit Health Insurance Industry as the gateway to Health care in the US.

2)Break out the best pieces of the bill.

3)Offer them as individual, short, simple Stand Alone Bills.
This would cover Pre Existing Conditions, Recission (Dumping), and other regulatory reforms.

4)Force them to the floor for Up or Down Roll Call votes.
Let the Republicans OPPOSE these easy to understand and popular reforms.
Suddenly, the Republican Party is NOT "Opposing the Government Take Over of Health Care",
they are FORCED to Support the Health Insurance Industry practice of Dumping Sick Americans.
Its ALL in the framing.

5)Raise the upper limit for Medicaid the same way.

5)Offer an incremental expansion of Medicare to the unemployed in the 50 -65 group NOT as Health Care Reform, but as Emergency Aid to this vulnerable and virtually un-employable age group.
.
.
.
Voila...the door to Medicare for ALL is WIDE OPEN, and achievable in lass time than the "Exchange" is scheduled to open.


I believe the House was already successful at passing a revocation to the Health Insurance Industry Anti-Trust exemption in a simple, Stand Alone Bill.
The Republicans in The House didn't DARE try to stop it.
Using THIS blueprint, The Democratically Controlled Congress could implement many of the GOOD pieces, and avoid the Terrible ones....if "they" wanted to.

But the Democratic Party ALREADY KNOWS this.
The PROBLEM is the "wants to" part.

[Atticus]

4. I'm sorry, but offerering up a series of "short, simple, stand-alone bills" sounds exactly like

what Boehner, McConnell, Cantor and even DeMint have been saying. And, why do you think they would favor YOUR solution?

Because once they had defeated "Obamacare" and passed JUST A SELECT FEW of your list as "stand-alones" (Medical malpractice damage caps, the mandate, buying across state lines---all Chamber of Commerce approved) they would claim responsibility for "common sense health reform", close the door on any expansions and tell the next generation of voters, "See---it takes Republicans to get things done!"

And, how would you suggest "forcing" good legislation "to the floor for up or down roll call votes"? Why haven't you shared this information to the Democrats in Congress who haven't been able (willing) to "force" any action?

Both of your #5's sound great. But, the Pubbies would scream "socialism" and the Democrats would leave puddles under their desks again.

Hey, I WISH your way would work.

I WISH some in Congress weren't spineless sacks of shit.

But, "it is what it is." I live in the real world, even if it does really suck from time to time.

I appreciate your response.