PrintOne of the most annoying conservative tropes of the health care debate is the claim that we could easily solve the same problems with simple, painless, low-cost steps. (Mike Crapo: "What Americans really want is the kind of step-by-step reforms that Republicans have been advocating for years." Roy Blunt: "we believe we can come up with a plan where every person in the uninsured has access to insurance." And so on and so forth.)
It was pretty refreshing to see President Obama take this on yesterday:
At the Republican caucus, they held up -- they said, we've got a plan; it's going to provide everybody coverage at no cost. And I said, well, if that were true, why wouldn't I take it? My wife Michelle thinks I'm stubborn sometimes, but I'm not that stubborn. Okay, let me think. I could have everybody get health care coverage that's high quality, and it's free, which I'll bet is really popular. But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to go through the pain of really working through this hard process in Congress, getting yelled at and called a socialist, because I just -- that's how I roll. I'm a glutton for punishment. (Laughter.)
No, look, if this were easy and simple, first of all, somebody would have done it before. Seven Presidents have failed at this; seven Congresses have failed at this. If this was simple, it would have already been done. It's not.
COMMENTS (8)
I love this line: we believe we can come up with a plan where every person in the uninsured has access to insurance.
Um...click on google and you can see there are 24,800,000 for cheap health insurance alone. For Health insurance it goes up to 98,800,000 hit. Access ain't the problem (unless the uninsured don't have any access to internet, in which case I would love if the Republicans had a plan to get the unwired wired), it is affordability, it is coverage, it is being denied care after you buy the shitty policy, etc. So the Republican plan is for things to stay just as they are since everyone has access to it, problem solved!
I love this line: we believe we can come up with a plan where every person in the uninsured has access to insurance.
Um...click on google and you can see there are 24,800,000 for cheap health insurance alone. For Health insurance it goes up to 98,800,000 hit. Access ain't the problem (unless the uninsured don't have any access to internet, in which case I would love if the Republicans had a plan to get the unwired wired), it is affordability, it is coverage, it is being denied care after you buy the shitty policy, etc. So the Republican plan is for things to stay just as they are since everyone has access to it, problem solved!
Blackton, your comment makes me recall the Supreme Court case several years ago in which the Court was considering whether a county courthouse building that didn't have a ramp for the handicapped violated the ADA. The county argued that the handicapped definitely had access to the courthouse even without a ramp -- after all, they could always crawl up the steps! The Republican arguments about existing access to health care are pretty much in the same league.
Blackton, your comment makes me recall the Supreme Court case several years ago in which the Court was considering whether a county courthouse building that didn't have a ramp for the handicapped violated the ADA. The county argued that the handicapped definitely had access to the courthouse even without a ramp -- after all, they could always crawl up the steps! The Republican arguments about existing access to health care are pretty much in the same league.
wildboy, that was a beauty of a comparison - perfect!
wildboy, that was a beauty of a comparison - perfect!
You know what? The Republicans are almost there. There is a way we can do it that's considerably better than this current bill, uses the American economies of scale, and guarantees universal coverage.
It's called single-payor, or in ordinary terms a federally funded but locally supervised system of universal health insurance that does not run on a for-profit basis.
You know what? The Republicans are almost there. There is a way we can do it that's considerably better than this current bill, uses the American economies of scale, and guarantees universal coverage.
It's called single-payor, or in ordinary terms a federally funded but locally supervised system of universal health insurance that does not run on a for-profit basis.
wildboy, really? They said that? It is a great comparison but please tell me that is hyperbole (the crawling up the steps part)
wildboy, really? They said that? It is a great comparison but please tell me that is hyperbole (the crawling up the steps part)
They said it Black.
They said it Black.
Anyone remember how the court ruled?
Anyone remember how the court ruled?
Seriously, Blackton, they actually said that in the cross-examination. The ruling, as I remember it, was in favor of the courthouse...the COURTHOUSE!....because they had proposed an alternative way of meeting the disabled party's need to get to the fourth floor. They would have their goons carry the person up to the court. The ADA does allow the provision of alternative means to meet the need, not nevessarily the petitioner's preferred alternative.
I didn't make this up.
Seriously, Blackton, they actually said that in the cross-examination. The ruling, as I remember it, was in favor of the courthouse...the COURTHOUSE!....because they had proposed an alternative way of meeting the disabled party's need to get to the fourth floor. They would have their goons carry the person up to the court. The ADA does allow the provision of alternative means to meet the need, not nevessarily the petitioner's preferred alternative.
I didn't make this up.