The Rachel Maddow Show last night was incredibly factual, straight forward, calmly reported. I watched it twice (on DVR). Link here. [A simple Google search of "Maddow Lie Nuclear" found it immediately... man I love a good search program!]
To recap:
- Reconciliation is NOT the Nuclear Option. Every Republican Senator and Congress person who says it is lying.
- Republicans INVENTED the Nuclear Option (a proposal to change Senate rules, to eliminate the filibuster] in 2005 when they were so upset that Democrats would not roll over and confirm activist ideologues for federal judgeships.
- Republicans have used Reconciliation 16 times out of the 22 times it's been used in the last 20 years, usually to pass LARGE TAX CUTS for the wealthy.
- The United States Does Not Have a "Health Care System" for it's citizens. Yes, it has Medicaid for the poorest, and Medicare for those over 65 (and just TRY to take that away from the elderly, and see how far you get). But for everyone else, it has NO "Health Care System". There's a bunch of for-profit corporations who provide a degree of health care to their captive customers - captive because they cannot shop elsewhere due to pre-existing conditions and sudden illness - but it is not for these for profit companies to care. They're not really citizens. they don't have feelings, or guilt, or a sense of community. They are obligated to build share holder wealth, not take care of sick people. Doctors and nurses and therapists take care of sick people. Insurance companies DO NOT. Insurance companies take care of their share holders.
- Wellpoint has 39 executives who made over a million dollars last year, who collectively went on 3 dozen retreats that cost the company $103 Million Dollars. Wow. Must be nice to be raking in the hay while the sun is out.
- Anthony Weiner, when he gets on a roll (link here), is quite a passionate speaker. "Bad for health care"? No - Anthony speaks for all of us who have been screwed, or have a family member or friend who's been screwed by an insurance company.
There was no chalk board, no "The Word", no bloviating guests spouting off ideology, or screaming at someone with whom they disagree... just the facts.
8 years ago
The only reason I have healthcare is my girllfriend loves me and has me down as a "domestic partner" (legitimately - we meet the company's qualifications). Without that I would have nothing or I would pay $150/month for catastrophic-only coverage. I take great pleasure in the irony that gay rights advocates and their lobbying for the rights and benefits of "domestic partners" have in a roundabout way provided a flaming heterosexual with his only real healthcare option. Put that in your pipe and choke on it, you wingnut teabagging douchebags.
ReplyDeleteWell put! Only reason my son has health care coverage is because we're paying for it, $150 a month - healthy, non smoking, single male - went up 10% after 6 months, and we expect it'll just keep going up. After he graduated last May I had to drop him from my company's insurance. Making $18K a year, he can't afford his own, but he makes too much for Medicaid.
ReplyDeleteWhadda country!
You guys are just complaining because they're not going to pass the Nazi Socialist Obamacare guv'mint option you so desperately wanted. The free market rulez...unless you're an insurance company and you don't want to compete in it. And if you can't pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and become a senator so you can get on the guv'mint plan, then you deserve your pre-existing conditions.
ReplyDeleteHey, that's a thought. Is poverty a pre-existing condition?