Robert Reich: The Republican Death Wish

[marmar]

The Republican Death Wish
Thursday, May 26, 2011


Forty Senate Republicans have now joined their colleagues in the House to support Paul Ryan’s plan that would turn Medicare into vouchers that funnel money to private health insurers. They thumbed their nose at the special election in upstate New York earlier this week that delivered a victory to Democrat Kathy Hochul, who made the plan the focus of her upset victory.

So now it’s official. The 2012 campaign will be about the future of Medicare. (Yes, it will also be about jobs, but the Republicans haven’t come up with any credible ideas on that front, and the Democrats seem incapable of doing what needs to be done.)

This spells trouble for the GOP. Polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans — even a majority of Republican voters — want to preserve Medicare. They don’t want to turn it over to private insurers.

It would be one thing if Republicans had consistency on their side. At least then they could take the high road and claim their plan is a principled way to achieve the aims of Medicare through market-based mechanisms. (It isn’t, of course. It would end up squeezing seniors because it takes no account of the rising costs of health care.) ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://robertreich.org/post/5866971185

[yurbud]

1. Will the national Democratic Party take the gift the GOP is handing them or serve the rich?

Obama's deficit commission and his noises about cutting spending are not reassuring on this point.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. contact Dick Durbin of Illinois

he's the one on the gangbang of five, and he wants to cut, cut, cut. Which is surprising given what a strong liberal he has been elsewhere.

[yurbud]

10. he does seem like a good guy, so someone probably had to threaten to kill his dog or his kids

through intermediaries of course, in a vague enough way to not legally count as a threat, but with the messenger coughing >Wellstone!< >JFK!< and Durbin getting the message.

[Cal33]

11. A high percentage of the Neocon leadership are sociopaths. They are criminals.

That's why we are having the kind of trouble we're getting.

[yurbud]

12. a high percentage of politicians are sociopaths, and always will be until there is no possible way

to use public office for personal financial gain.

Although when that happens, most political offices will be lucky to have ONE candidate running for them.

[bluethruandthru]

4. Our Democratic senators will probably do a pre-emptive compromise!

Even though they have a huge majority of the country on their side...they'll think the best course of action is to give the republicans most, if not all of what they ask for in the spirit of "bi-partisanship"!!
Then we'll hear all the whining about how "we just didn't have the votes" to stop the republicans so we had to let them have what they wanted...but we made them promise to throw us a crumb at some point in the future..maybe..if they want to.

[bullwinkle428]

5. My guess is that they'll use the debt ceiling thing as an excuse

for the compromise of SS and/or Medicare benefits, and every last bit of momentum our side currently has goes straight down the crapper.

[bluethruandthru]

6. Sadly, you're probably right. n/t

[aquart]

7. The business boys want the debt ceiling raised.

So any fussing about it from the Republicans is a bluff. Call it.

We don't have to give up a thing.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Some of them Want The Concessions Even More, and are Willing to Wreck the Economy to Get Them

They are already short, and are betting on a crash.

When we call their bluff and find out they weren't bluffing,
then it's gonna get really ugly.

[patrice]

2. They are thanatopic (according to S. Freud). Just look at all of their WARS. nt

[Cal33]

8. These selfish, narcissistic, and greedy sickos eventually will mange to self-destruct. They'll do

it all by themselves, without any outside help.