Scrambling for Votes, Democrats Face Uphill Climb to Pass Healthcare Reform

rimrocker · Mar 22, 2010

I woke up today and realized it's morning in America.

rimrocker · Mar 22, 2010

Krugman...

Fear Strikes Out
By PAUL KRUGMAN
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/opinion/22krugman.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

The day before Sunday’s health care vote, President Obama gave an unscripted talk to House Democrats. Near the end, he spoke about why his party should pass reform: “Every once in a while a moment comes where you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes that you had about yourself, about this country, where you have a chance to make good on those promises that you made ... And this is the time to make true on that promise. We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.”

And on the other side, here’s what Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House — a man celebrated by many in his party as an intellectual leader — had to say: If Democrats pass health reform, “They will have destroyed their party much as Lyndon Johnson shattered the Democratic Party for 40 years” by passing civil rights legislation.

I’d argue that Mr. Gingrich is wrong about that: proposals to guarantee health insurance are often controversial before they go into effect — Ronald Reagan famously argued that Medicare would mean the end of American freedom — but always popular once enacted.

But that’s not the point I want to make today. Instead, I want you to consider the contrast: on one side, the closing argument was an appeal to our better angels, urging politicians to do what is right, even if it hurts their careers; on the other side, callous cynicism. Think about what it means to condemn health reform by comparing it to the Civil Rights Act. Who in modern America would say that L.B.J. did the wrong thing by pushing for racial equality? (Actually, we know who: the people at the Tea Party protest who hurled racial epithets at Democratic members of Congress on the eve of the vote.)

And that cynicism has been the hallmark of the whole campaign against reform.

Yes, a few conservative policy intellectuals, after making a show of thinking hard about the issues, claimed to be disturbed by reform’s fiscal implications (but were strangely unmoved by the clean bill of fiscal health from the Congressional Budget Office) or to want stronger action on costs (even though this reform does more to tackle health care costs than any previous legislation). For the most part, however, opponents of reform didn’t even pretend to engage with the reality either of the existing health care system or of the moderate, centrist plan — very close in outline to the reform Mitt Romney introduced in Massachusetts — that Democrats were proposing.

Instead, the emotional core of opposition to reform was blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency.

It wasn’t just the death panel smear. It was racial hate-mongering, like a piece in Investor’s Business Daily declaring that health reform is “affirmative action on steroids, deciding everything from who becomes a doctor to who gets treatment on the basis of skin color.” It was wild claims about abortion funding. It was the insistence that there is something tyrannical about giving young working Americans the assurance that health care will be available when they need it, an assurance that older Americans have enjoyed ever since Lyndon Johnson — whom Mr. Gingrich considers a failed president — pushed Medicare through over the howls of conservatives.

And let’s be clear: the campaign of fear hasn’t been carried out by a radical fringe, unconnected to the Republican establishment. On the contrary, that establishment has been involved and approving all the way. Politicians like Sarah Palin — who was, let us remember, the G.O.P.’s vice-presidential candidate — eagerly spread the death panel lie, and supposedly reasonable, moderate politicians like Senator Chuck Grassley refused to say that it was untrue. On the eve of the big vote, Republican members of Congress warned that “freedom dies a little bit today” and accused Democrats of “totalitarian tactics,” which I believe means the process known as “voting.”

Without question, the campaign of fear was effective: health reform went from being highly popular to wide disapproval, although the numbers have been improving lately. But the question was, would it actually be enough to block reform?

And the answer is no. The Democrats have done it. The House has passed the Senate version of health reform, and an improved version will be achieved through reconciliation.

This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America’s soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out.
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Invisible Fan · Mar 22, 2010

TSchmal said:

Could the obstruction continue? I don't see why we should expect it to stop.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/senate.health.care.ahead/index.html?hpt=T1
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If that happens, wouldn't that mean the Republicans are supporting a "pro-abortion" baby killing bill?

Depressio · Mar 22, 2010

... I want you to consider the contrast: on one side, the closing argument was an appeal to our better angels, urging politicians to do what is right, even if it hurts their careers; on the other side, callous cynicism. Think about what it means to condemn health reform by comparing it to the Civil Rights Act. Who in modern America would say that L.B.J. did the wrong thing by pushing for racial equality? (Actually, we know who: the people at the Tea Party protest who hurled racial epithets at Democratic members of Congress on the eve of the vote.)

And that cynicism has been the hallmark of the whole campaign against reform.
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Made me laugh. I thought the same exact thing after reading what Gingrich said.

Depressio · Mar 22, 2010

Invisible Fan said:

If that happens, wouldn't that mean the Republicans are supporting a "pro-abortion" baby killing bill?
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It would.

I guess the question is: how far will obstruction go?

DonnyMost · Mar 22, 2010

So, what is the next big thing we get to argue about?

Billy Bob · Mar 22, 2010

DonnyMost said:

So, what is the next big thing we get to argue about?
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Patent reform, please.

SamFisher · Mar 22, 2010

DonnyMost said:

So, what is the next big thing we get to argue about?
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Next up is going to be financial services reform, going to be much harder for the right to harness teabagger anger on that one because, although they are generally unintelligent and willing to believe lies, coming down on the "hey leave us investment banks alone, you can trust us, really!" side of the argument for them may not work out so well, given their willingness to believe in the Illuminati and such.

rimrocker · Mar 22, 2010

Billy Bob said:

Patent reform, please.
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Seriously? I'm thinking financial reforms and regulation or cap and trade.

Invisible Fan · Mar 22, 2010

DonnyMost said:

So, what is the next big thing we get to argue about?
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Financial reform... It seems done, but is it really the best Congress can do?

rimrocker · Mar 22, 2010

basso · Mar 22, 2010

rimrocker said:

former Enron advisor Krugman...
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fixed.

pgabriel · Mar 22, 2010

basso said:

fixed.
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LOL, coming from a Bush supporter.

Billy Bob · Mar 22, 2010

rimrocker said:

Seriously? I'm thinking financial reforms and regulation or cap and trade.
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Seriously. I think this is a bigger problem then most realize. The US has the only file-first system as oppose to a application-first patent system. Companies often just throw ideas up and patent them, some of them are extremely ambiguous. Companies that do produce prototype risk getting sued and often do. I don't even know the amount of time and money lost in our court system. Working for a small high-tech company many years ago, I experienced this first hand. This stifles innovation and the US depends on innovations more then most countries.

Bandwagoner · Mar 22, 2010

SamFisher said:

Next up is going to be financial services reform, going to be much harder for the right to harness teabagger anger on that one because, although they are generally unintelligent and willing to believe lies, coming down on the "hey leave us investment banks alone, you can trust us, really!" side of the argument for them may not work out so well, given their willingness to believe in the Illuminati and such.
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Crap I actually know what the Illuminati is. Damn you Coast-to-Coast!

GladiatoRowdy · Mar 22, 2010

basso said:

fixed.
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Is that the best you can come up with to counter the 790 words that Krugman wrote?

Look who I am asking, of course that is the best you can do.

mc mark · Mar 22, 2010

rimrocker said:

Krugman...
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thas beautiful!

rage · Mar 22, 2010

Major said:

The Senate Bill is already law (or will be tomorrow). So really, they will be filibustering the removal of the Nebraska kickback and other unpopular things. That's going to be amusing to watch.
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Theoretically, could HR 3590 becomes law and enacted without HR 4872?

What about other roadblocks threatened by the Republicans such as State law suits? Do they keep the law from getting implemented?

rimrocker · Mar 22, 2010

Billy Bob said:

Seriously. I think this is a bigger problem then most realize. The US has the only file-first system as oppose to a application-first patent system. Companies often just throw ideas up and patent them, some of them are extremely ambiguous. Companies that do produce prototype risk getting sued and often do. I don't even know the amount of time and money lost in our court system. Working for a small high-tech company many years ago, I experienced this first hand. This stifles innovation and the US depends on innovations more then most countries.
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I don't disagree with your opinions on patents... I just don't think it will be a major legislative push that dominates the media coverage and inflames passions on both sides.

And really, there's lots of worthy but unsexy legislation (or stuff that targets individual agencies, programs and such) that has been bottled up to clear the decks for HCR and other major Obama initiatives. When Dems carry 2012, that dam will burst and we'll see lots of little (relative to health care and climate change and financial system) but important changes.

DonnyMost · Mar 22, 2010

GladiatoRowdy said:

Is that the best you can come up with to counter the 790 words that Krugman wrote?

Look who I am asking, of course that is the best you can do.
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Funny thing is basso really thinks he just totally pwned Krugman and rimrocker.

Basso kind of reminds me of South Park's Butters as Professor Chaos.

He thinks he has this board at his mercy, when really he's viewed as a little misfit running around with his underwear on his head.

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Scrambling for Votes, Democrats Face Uphill Climb to Pass Healthcare Reform

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Scrambling for Votes, Democrats Face Uphill Climb to Pass Healthcare Reform

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