Health

Which Way?

February 10, 2010

Today, speaking of the bonuses, Obama says, “I, like most of the American people, don’t begrudge people success or wealth. That is part of the free-market system.” Not that long ago he was calling those bonuses obscene and shameful. Which is it? Larry Summers was in full support of anything that the Wall Street casinos […]

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Alice In Washingtonland

August 18, 2009

In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote a classic for children. However, the logic contained therein seems to be the basis for present political discourse. A firestorm was kicked up this past weekend by comments from Obama and Kathleen Sibelius. Has his “requirement” of a public option itself become an option, a dispensable element of a plan […]

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Fraud

July 15, 2009

Guess what the most important issue in Washington is. Healthcare reform? Wrong. I just saw a news bulletin. The House Democrats have produced HR II, their 1,018 page version of healthcare reform. Well, now, not exactly. So, what, exactly?

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Yes, Virginia, There Is A Difference

June 18, 2009

The headlines say that 73% support a public option as a part of healthcare reform. That sounds good for advocates of reform. There is a problem though. Almost no one cheering this actually understands what a public option would be. There is also the question of a single-payer system. As one of the readers of […]

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It Ain’t No Game

June 16, 2009

A level playing field for healthcare reform is a myth. A public option is a scam. Or, maybe it’s a sham. It’s probably both. I was riding in the car, listening to an interview of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius on the local public radio station. Since I was not taking notes, my recitation of that […]

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Prostituting Justice

June 15, 2009

They are arguing the inarguable. The Regressives in Washington are arguing an issue that should have been settled during the Truman Administration. Had we instituted a national healthcare system based on a single-payer, we would now be without a national debt. This would be true even if all the wasteful spending on the military and […]

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Rope-A-Dope

June 10, 2009

Obama wants healthcare reform. I believe him. He says that, if he doesn’t get it this year, he will not get it during his first term. I believe that. Such a situation will inevitably lead to accepting anything that can be portrayed as reform. Put that together with his insistence on bipartisanship and you end […]

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Foxes In The Hen House

May 4, 2009

Obama has promised healthcare reform. It seems likely that we actually will get reform. But, reform is a neutral word. The question is: What will the reform look like? Over the past weekend I heard that none of the Congressional committees holding hearings on the subject had scheduled any witnesses who supported a single payer […]

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An Assessment

February 4, 2009

My last post mentioned six people said to be under consideration to replace Tom Daschle as Obama’s nominee for HHS and maybe White House health honcho. I promised to find out how they stood on a single-payer system. Ed pushed me a little by reminding me of his laziness. This post should be considered no […]

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Daschle’s Dance Is Over

February 4, 2009

All of the talking heads are telling us what a great guy Tom Daschle is. I guess it depends on your perspective. I think Obama was generally being honest (at least as honest as can be expected in Washington) when he told us of his desire to keep lobbyists out of his administration. There are […]

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