Why do Conservatiuve Democratic Congresspeople support a mandate but kill public health coverage?

[Armstead]

Baucus, Nlson, et. al.....These ConservaDems are the people had the most influence in shaping the final bill.

Why is an authoritarian mandate to buy private insurance acceptable to them, but a real public social insurance program is not?

Mandates to support for public programs that benefit everyone is a classic liberal position. Mandates are the part of that equation that conservatives usually object to the most.

So why were ConservaDems so eager to object to mandates, but not a beneficial social program to go along with them?

Just askin...

[dkf]

1. That is puzzling.

Good question

[CoffeeCat]

2. This is a big giveaway to big insurance...

A public option cuts into big insurance--by forcing competition on them, thus lowering their prices.

So....no way in hell was that going to happen. Please don't forget how much money big health insurance
has given to Congress members and our President.

Secondly, mandates enrich big health insurance. We are now forced to buy their wretched, overpriced
products that sit within their broken, bloated system. How in the hell else are these evil bastards
going to make gazillions in profits--unless the American people are FORCED TO BUY THEM???

So, yes---mandates are wonderful--because they are ensure riches to big health insurance--who paid
handsomely for these perks.

Policies that cut into big health insurance profits = BAD
Policies that enrich big health insurance = Good

Got it?

[HowHasItComeToThis]

15. THE DUMBED DOWN MEDIA

SEE http://twitter.com/NeilAbbey

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. Conservative? I think anyone that supports Grover Norquist is conservative. Does that include you?

Just askin...

[ibegurpard]

5. This post is a perfect example of what happens

when our educational system stops teaching critical thinking and turns into mills for corporate drones.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. No. Naderites and Hamsherites supporting and accepting GOP money is what happens

when traitors become aligned with fascists. Does that include you? Maybe, right?

[ibegurpard]

7. my six year old niece makes more sense than you

[inna]

19. sadly, i have to agree.

:rolls eyes, shakes head:

[paulk]

8. what are you babbling about now?

your reply has nothing to do with the OP.

[Hello_Kitty]

11. She's got a crush on Jane Hamsher. eom

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. Correction, supporting Grover Norquist is not conservative - it's downright fascist Nazi nt

[Armstead]

10. What the hell do have to do with my original post?

You are getting your apples mixed up with your oranges

[inna]

20. just ignore her, she's being doing this all day.

:shrug:

[OHdem10]

9. First of all Conservatives inherently prefer the status quo. Change is

not their goal. Social Programs are not high on their list.
Personal Responsibility. From the beginning many Democratic
Conservatives were not sold on the idea of Health Care Reform.
The truth be told , they believe we could not afford Health Reform
at this time with Economy in the dumper.

[andym]

12. It's clear that the conservative Dems are against government expansion

In other words they are under the influence of Reagan and friends.

However, they seem to be OK with some regulations (which distinguishes them from Republicans), so that's why the legislation looks like it does.

Only problem is that the bill's regulations are not tough enough to really hold down costs enough to make health care more affordable for the middle class-- although it will apparently slow the rate of increase.

But as conservative Dems they probably would not be willing to create the tough regulations that would be needed.
For example, a very strong bill based on a regulatory approach would have created a basic health plan with good coverage (with no denials of coverage possible at entry or the point of service) and reasonable cost (say 8% of income maximum for those who do not qualify for subsides), and then made every insurance company that wants to sell insurance in the USA, offer it. The plan should have been made essentially non-profit (as is done in Europe)-- that is the insurers should not be allowed to profit on it at all.

[Thickasabrick]

13. The mandate brings down the cost so they can be seen as fiscal

conservatives. The public option is opposed by the lobbyists who control their campaign funds and the liberals are for the public option and anything liberals want must be bad....and not conservative.

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. because moderate/conservative democrats, above all else...

fear being called liberals. And the public option is a very liberal postiion to take.

Most of them come from districts that didn't vote for Obama, and in 2010 a lot of them are going to be running away from him, so there's no way they could support something that the left cheers on.

But, whatever, most of those moderate/conservative dems exist in numbers only - they give our party the control of the senate and house chambers, and that's the most important thing.

[ShortnFiery]

16. Because Conservative = Corporate. They serve Wall Street = Heath Insurance Cartel + Big Pharma. eom

[dflprincess]

17. Because ConservaDems = Republicans

and I wish they'd go back to their actual party and fix it rather than moving into the Democratic party and ruining it.

[Yavin4]

18. They Subscribe To Reganism

In the 30 years since Reagan took office, we've bailed the Saving and Loans industry in the early 90s, bailed out Wall Street in 2008, but the government reformed welfare. They're elitists and they believe that helping people directly leads to out of control deficits and dependencies. However, giving out corp welfare is good for the economy.