Since at least Truman, the historic mission of the Democratic Party has been to make healthcare guaranteed and affordable for all Americans. Don't shoot the messenger for mentioning this pesky truism.
So yesterday, I made the point that failure on healthcare seems to some of us a very bad outcome for the survival of the Democratic Party and Democratic electoral prospects in November.
Yes, many of us believe, that with Democrats running the government, not passing a healthcare bill, will demonstrate to many voters, that they are simply incapable of governing, to say nothing of leadership.
So what will happen if Democratic cowardice and ineptitude rules the day? If Democrats surrender to the Republican 41/59 majority?
Well, probably a crushing electoral nightmare in November.
Some of you thought it was heresy to make such an obvious point. Some of us, think it's heresy to be silent about this. We are mortified by the specter of a Republican victory in November, but equally horrified by the idea that Democrats may throw the American people into the gutter, and abandon us on healthcare.
Here's the problem in a nutshell. The Senate healthcare bill is not very good. Yes, I suppose the Senate bill is better than nothing, but what a damn shame that that is all it is.
Democrats in the Senate buckled to Joe Lieberman and others. For example, a very popular provision the age 55 Medicare buy in, which could kick in immediately, was floated for a few fleeting moments, then abandoned because this is what Smarmy Joe demanded. Why is this jackass still chair of the Homeland Security Committee? So now that the Senate bill has been gutted to suit the likes of Lieberman, this motley crew has a conundrum, pass their unpopular bill, or fix it.
Imagine if in November, Democrats could run on a Medicare expansion. Imagine, if Americans at age 55 could have the option of enrolling in Medicare, not in 2013, but as soon as the legislation is signed? But nah, that makes too much sense, and the 2010 vintage Democrats are not big in the intelligence department, or it seems on doing what is necessary to win elections.
And to all of you who say, just pass the Senate bill, it ain't that simple folks.Speaker Pelosi has said she doesn't have the votes to simply pass the Senate bill despite the exhortations of people like Paul Begala to just pass the damn Senate bill.
And for those of you who say you never want to hear about the public option for as long as you live, here is what Senator Schumer said the other day in response to a question I asked him in the diary he posted.
I love to hear from constituents
First of all, I have always believed that there are 51 votes for the public option. Getting to 60 was the real challenge. We're now reviewing all of our options and reconciliation is certainly one of them.
One of my main priorities in this bill is to reduce the cost of health care coverage while preventing insurance companies from unnecessary and unfair premium increases. Until we fully achieve that goal, we should make sure that anyone that cannot afford health insurance, even with a federal subsidy, should not be forced to pay for it. That is why I successfully pushed for an affordability waiver in the Senate bill.
The are several aspects of the House bill that I prefer for the final bill including generous Medicaid help for states, greater subsidies for affordability and, of course, the public option.
I thought the Medicare buy in would have been a tremendous accomplishment and pushed for it but that too could not garner enough support in the Senate.
by Chuck Schumer on Tue Feb 02, 2010 at 12:38:59 PM PST
Democrats better get real. There is a way through this morass. It's called reconciliation, exactly what Schumer said. And it requires fifty Democratic Senators (and Biden) to step forward and vote just this one time for the American people. If they chose not to, it will be an epic and historic failure, and some many voters will ask whether the Democratic Party can govern and is worthy of our support? Other voters, who worked and gave and left everything on the road, will likely just give up in abject disgust at the failure collapse of the political system
Democrats must run in 2010 on healthcare. They have no choice. Healthcare was passed by the House and the Senate. They can run on having failed, or on having delivered--finally--for the American people.
And yesterday, this from our president.
"And it may be that ... if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," the president said. "And that's how democracy works. There will be elections coming up, and they'll be able to make a determination and register their concerns."
Here are some comments which make the case far better than I did yesterday, about the consequences of failure.
A failure of this magnitude cannot go unpunished.
I don't think you have to be a purist to recognize that if the Democratic Party cannot pass comprehensive healthcare reform when they have the Presidency and three-fifths of the Congress, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the Democratic Party as manifested in the President and the Congress.
It's bad enough that they wrote the bill to satisfy the most conservative members of the party for the sake of comity at the expense of good policy, but to fail to pass even that? It's inexcusable.
To a one, they simply must be fired - liberal, moderate, conservative, it doesn't matter, they are all responsible, and they should all be held responsible. Boot the lot. Let it be a warning to the next majority.
by Drew on Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 05:15:44 PM PST
And this from shevas01
this poster is obviously someone who
speaks from a position of ignorance if they don't know that NYCEVE carries a mop, broom, vacuum, and you name it for the Democratic party. Sad that folks would rather ignore the elephant in the room than deal with the real issues. We here on KOS are a little more knowledgeable about what is going on in Washington. Based on my conversation with folks who voted Democratic specifically for President Obama the see the HE is a bust and not following through on campaign promises. Now....in my own personal opinion I feel the President could have and still can do more on this issue and congress is sputter terribly but the result is the same. Democrats have the WH, and both houses of Congress and the average person does not see the results of what they thought they were voting for. This party looks "ineffective". Now...spin, twist it, and get mad at people who are calling this out if you want to but it is a reality on the ground. If a blue blood through and through like NYCEVE can feel this way imagine what the everyday person is feeling is is only casually paying attention.
by shevas01 on Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 01:23:13 PM PST