Analysis: Liberals say 'no more compromise,' call for end to one-sided health care negotiation

[Akoto]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Frustrated liberals have a question for President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers: Isn't it time the other guys gave a little ground on health care? What's the point of a bipartisan bill, they ask, if we're making all the concessions?

A case in point:

Sen. Charles Grassley, a key Republican negotiator on health care, was on a winning streak as Congress recessed for August, having wrung important concessions from Democrats, including an agreement to back away from a government plan to compete with private insurers.

How did Grassley reciprocate? With an attack that struck Democrats as stunning and baseless. Grassley told an Iowa crowd he would not support a plan that "determines when you're going to pull the plug on Grandma." The remark echoed conservative activists who wrongly claim a House health care bill would require Medicare recipients to discuss their end-of-life plans with doctors.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL_ANALYSIS?SITE=OKPON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Already sent email to my Senators and reps.

No more compromises. Dump the inane concept of "public option" and go with the single payer program.

Hawkeye-X

[avaistheone1]

8. That make the most sense.

[AsahinaKimi]

2. As I remember ...

The Republicans never played ball with us... Recently, we gave them the chance..which is more then they would do for us. If they are not in on this, then its not our problem. Just move on without them.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Perhaps the best AP "analysis" article since they started those...

...about a year ago.

[Doctor_J]

4. What's bizarre is that the Dems continued to be surprised

by the lying, hypocrisy, and plain evil of the GOP. After 20 years you would think they would be ready for it

[Jackpine Radical]

6. 20 years? A measly fucking 20 years? Have you no sense of history?

What of Nixon--not just Watergate, but back in the 40's when he won election over Helen Gahagan Douglas by lying about her? What about McCarthy and his Commie List? What about the Dies Committee? What about the attempted coup against FDR? The Republico-corporate Nazi sympathizers like Prescott Bush? The last good Republican was Lincoln, and the right-wingers shot him. (There's no more reason to buy a JW Booth single-assassin theory than there is to buy the Oswald myth.)

[scentopine]

5. To hell with bi-partisanship. It wasn't a tie election. Lets get moving.

Dem leadership is failing us and killing us with compromise. Why wait until disaster just to say "oh, well at least he's better than Bush?"

We need vision and power from a leader. All we get is fancy talk.

[Skittles]

7. I hope Dems get the message but I would not bet my life on it

[Lasher]

9. The GOP base had their Decider.

And all we get is The Compromiser.

[crim son]

16. Aptly put. n/t

[Lorien]

10. There aren't any reasons to make concessions. Not one.

"The contract on America" was done by the repugs with a much smaller majority. We don't need them. They railroaded everything through for eight years and look at where it got us! It's time for REAL change, as in SHOWING A BACKBONE!

[democracy1st]

11. just call it like it is the pres is trying to represent Insurance and the people at the same time

he has to choose,because he's been exposed

[No Elephants]

13. According to Gibbs, the President's bottom line (as of yesterday's press briefing)

is competition and choice WITHIN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, where he (Gibbs) claims one insurance company dominates.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Briefing-by-White-House-Press-Secretary-Robert-Gibbs-8/18/09/

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Might as well put single payer back on the table.

That'd get some attention.

[Delphinus]

14. Single payer is the only way

to save money.

And all those who are NOT in favor of the Single Payer way can turn in their Medicare A & B cards - let them try and find a reasonable way without that particular government run program.

[Lasher]

17. Right, just forget about all this bullshit up until now.

No more wasting time and energy discussing this with Republicans. Pass single payer in a reconciliation vote. Let it be known up front that any Democrat who votes nay will get blacklisted.

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. agree...it is noble to try to compromise...but enough is enough

[wreckedparty]

18. Both sides

Both sides feel like theyve given in too much but in reality i dont think either is willing to do much compromising. I dont see why single payer should even be an option in a capitalistic economy, but id suggest doing whats best for the American people when this thing is on a national level. I think expanding the public option would be better but there were alot of things in this bill that were just a mess (and no im not talking about "death panels"). Im hoping that this bill will contain provisions that would allow more flexibility for HSAs that way i could just pool a certain amount of my money and draw from it when i need it and not be denied because of frivolous conditions. I think the main problem here is people are denied their own money by bureaucrats from the private sector and will be denied care from washington bureaucrats if single payer goes through.

One question id like to ask the proponents of single payer is where are we gonna get this money when were running the highest deficit in history?

[mbperrin]

19. What part of huge savings by eliminating the 1/3 of revenues soaked

up by insurance companies, HMOs, and all the rest of their alphabet butt-buddies as their overhead can you not understand?

Second, what part of huge savings by allowing preventive medicine and early care instead of waiting until it needs an emergency room visit can you not understand?

We are spending more money per capita than any other nation on earth for healthcare, and we're not getting it for everyone.

Billions LESS will be spent with single payer. I'm lucky. I have an employer health plan, sorta. My spouse and I pay $9000+ dollars per year for our part of the premiums. My employer pays $4000. That's $13,000 per year in premiums for two people in pretty good health, no chronic conditions.

I and my employer would save a total of $13,000 in premiums under single payer. No estimate of single payer cost is anywhere near $6500 per capita.

The whole thing could be paid for with a few months of what we spend killing brown people overseas for oil.

[wreckedparty]

20. What part of were in debt

Dont you understand? If we allow the government which is in trillions in debt to be the only payer for this then were spending alot of money. If we didnt have bureaucrats that deny people care and coverage we wouldnt have this problem, dont you think the government will do the same thing? Targeted reforms would work much better, and more flexibility for things that people can pay into without being denied their own money to pay for these things. Billions less may be paid by individuals but the debt burden will go up and thats not good.

[mbperrin]

23. Why not start by ending the wars? And by cutting off the $12 trillion

we just gave the financial "industry" in bailouts and guarantees? And military aid to hot spots around the world?

Any of those would aid greatly in debt reduction. How come I never hear about the debt when we talk about wars, death, bankers and their bonuses taken out of my tax dollars?

Don't worry about the debt. We can always default, which would do two good things: eliminate the interest on the debt, balancing the budget instantly, and no one would ever loan us any more again.

No downside for me there.

[Dr Fate]

21. I've never understood how one is supposed to compromise or "work with" bald-face liars & criminals.

...unless one is also a bald-face liar and a crook.

Or a chump.

[caseymoz]

22. About time.

It was clear that trying to compromise with Conservatives or with industry was going to lead only to a sabotaged health care plan.