Pathetic Options
On Sunday the Boston Globe reported that Democratic U.S. Senators were “buoyed” by the weekend wrangle for 60 votes just to debate health care reform; and “expressed optimism” that something called a “public option” would get passed. The cartoon above is based on how whittled away the notion of a government health care plan has become. Robert Reich gets at the exasperation I feel:
It’s a token public option, an ersatz public option, a fleeting gesture toward the idea of a public option, so small and desiccated as to be barely worth mentioning except for the fact that it still (gasp) contains the word “public.”
And yet Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson mumble darkly that they may not even vote to allow debate on the floor of the Senate about the bill if it contains this paltry public option. And Republicans predict a “holy war.”
But what more can possibly be compromised? Take away the word “public?” Make it available to only twelve people?
Compromise is a part of the legislative process, I get that. But the “give and take” has been all give so far, to the point where we enter a different sense of “compromise” — weakened, useless, ineffectual, a total fucking joke.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Chickenshit? How can you call our Congresspeople that when they’ve been fighting so bravely on behalf of their corporate benefactors? Our legislators work long hours, far far into the night, never resting until they’ve drafted the best legislation possible for their donors. Our country provides the best value for a pharmaceutical company’s dollar in the world!
Chickenshit? I hardly think so!
Insurance: Top Recipients
1 Portman, Rob (R-OH) $254,350
2 Schumer, Charles E (D-NY) Senate $188,100
3 Dodd, Chris (D-CT) Senate $137,250
4 Grassley, Chuck (R-IA) Senate $125,450
5 Kanjorski, Paul E (D-PA) House $124,200
6 Bean, Melissa (D-IL) House $123,550
7 Frank, Barney (D-MA) House $119,599
8 Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR) Senate $112,550
9 Pomeroy, Earl (D-ND) House $110,650
10 Crist, Charles J Jr (R-FL) $107,040
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Pharmaceuticals / Health Products: Top Recipients
1 Burr, Richard (R-NC) Senate $129,219
2 Reid, Harry (D-NV) Senate $113,600
3 Hatch, Orrin G (R-UT) Senate $106,985
4 Eshoo, Anna (D-CA) House $104,200
5 Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR) Senate $86,050
6 Murray, Patty (D-WA) Senate $85,550
7 Specter, Arlen (D-PA) Senate $84,850
8 Dodd, Chris (D-CT) Senate $77,350
9 Kirk, Mark (R-IL) House $71,610
10 Clyburn, James E (D-SC) House $69,319
November 25th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
This is what plutocracy looks like.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Personally, I’m beginning to wonder if Ape Law isn’t the way to go.
December 9th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Our constitution grants the following rights; Life (The government cannot take your life without due process of law), Liberty (The right to choose for yourself, not have the government make those decisions for you) and the pursiut of happiness (Notice the key word there is pursuit).
Gee, maybe I am confused, but I still do not see how ‘health’ care is in those rights.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
And your argument, if that is what it is, is irrelevant to the discussion. We voters and taxpayers can demand our representatives create a government-run health care program. The Constitution doesn’t guarantee a fire department or a post office, either; but we want those things, so we have our governments organize and fund those things.