I almost VOMITED....

[BlueDemKev]

....Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) says "we are begging the Supreme Court to leave us at least one shred of freedom by allowing us to choose not purchase a commodity we don't want to buy. Is that too much to ask?"

Johnson, you fucking prick....why do you think I should have to pay for someone else's medical bills because they "chose not to purchase" health insurance coverage?

The "individual mandate" was a REPUBLICAN idea in 1994. When the Democrats signed onto the idea essentially saying "you guys were right", you and your hypocritical right-wing country club buddies all start screaming "TYRANNY!!"

**************************************************************

For all progressives in Wisconsin who didn't bother to vote in Nov. 2010.....I HOPE YOU'RE SATISFIED. Your misguided anger resulted in Scott Walker becoming your governor and the country losing a great Senator in Russ Feingold for a right-wing looney-bin who's controlled by the tea party.

[Stan Smith]

1. If they would just support single payer

they wouldn't have this problem, would they?

[BlueDemKev]

5. Do you actually believe any Congress would pass Single-Payer?

After the way Americans went ape-shit over a simple, market-based reform plan, you think they would accept a universal, federal gov't-run health care system?

[Stan Smith]

12. I am well aware that this congress especially would never go for it.

However, after we regain congress next year we can pressure the hell out of them to do the right thing. I realize that we can't get single payer overnight, because too many people believe the talking heads on the television telling them that single payer is socialism and socialism is bad, but I have confidence that after the Affordable Health Care Act goes into full effect that people will warm up to the idea of the government paying for all our health care. They keep talking about freedom, yet they can't see just how much more freedom we all will have if health care is taken care of. No more going into poverty for just being sick.

[BlueDemKev]

17. Last Congress couldn't do it....

...no Congress ever will (at least not in our lifetimes). The last Congress had the largest representation of progressives since the mid-1960's and single-payer never stood a chance.

[jeff47]

25. It'll happen through the backdoor

1) Set up the exchanges.

2) The ACA takes away the financial benefits for employers to buy health insurance. So more and more people will end up in the exchanges.

3) As the exchanges become more and more critical, there will be more and more pressure to offer a government option in the exchanges. That will give Congress cover to create a government option to compete against the for-profit insurers.

4) As a non-profit entity, that government option should end up cheaper, thus people will gravitate towards it. They won't find themselves dead any more frequently than private insurers, taking away the irrational fear. That will get it yet more converts.

Result: A massively overly-complex Rube Goldberg system that ends up being single payer. Could happen within 20 years.

[BlueDemKev]

26. You know what?.....

...I sure hope that Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy don't see your post.

[Stan Smith]

29. I agree!

That is the beauty behind Obamacare, as they have dubbed it, in 20 years or so everyone will be happy that President Obama got the ball rolling, and we all have single payer just like all the other civilized countries of the world.

[librechik]

42. exactly. Everyone calm down and support ACA--it's the door to single payer

Repeal of the law would set us back agian by decades perhaps.

[freshwest]

2. +1. BTW, I want to opt out of all your wars, sir!

[Whisp]

3. that's called the ole 'Feet to the Fire' method.

it's just to keep Obama on the right track you see, all this cursing and disrespect of him. Anything good he ever did was because some asshole"progressive' like Jane Hamsher took a shit on him and FORCED him, becuase otherwise he's really lazy and stupid - he wouldn't know what to do, if these assholes weren't there yelling at him and calling him names constantly.

friggen sarcasm - huge horking Sarc the size of hamshers fucking yap

[Dawson Leery]

4. Imagine if the Democrats stayed home In Connecticut in 2010?

We would have Senator Linda McMahon and "Taliban Dan" Debicella in congress. Mr. Debicella (R-Cesspool....Shelton) opposes emergency contraception for rape victims.

[NNN0LHI]

14. The difference between a Dem governor and a Walker clone was <20,000 votes in Illinois

We dodged a bullet.

Don

[Dawson Leery]

22. Bill Brady was insane.

He also had the backing of the police unions.

[BlueDemKev]

23. Yeah, but you handed your Senate seat to a Rethug....

[CTyankee]

37. well, as you know Linda is back. Or a softer, gentler Linda not pounding our psyches withher

incessant commercials. Still, I think she'll have a tough time up against Chris Murphy, unless there is something that I don't know against Chris. He seems to be an amiable person. She comes across as a tough customer, and all that wrestling stuff doesn't play well to women voters outside of her party.

[Dawson Leery]

40. Linda has 33% favorable rating. Murhpy is in the mid 50's.

The majority of women do NOT care for her business dealings.

[CTyankee]

41. that's good to know! Thanks. I don't see those state stats very much in the New Haven Register.

They must be in the Courant tho...

[Politicalboi]

6. Well in states like Virginia

They are going to make women pay for something they don't need, and they all seem to think that is alright. How would this be different. Repukes make me want to vomit too.

[Initech]

8. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care.

[humbled_opinion]

10. So easy to be a Con...

All you have to do is say I don't fucking care about anyone but myself...

[Initech]

19. I've come to the conclusion that republicanism is a glorious lack of empathy.

Really - they don't care about anyone but themselves and will not endorse something that may actually help people if it means that the other side will benefit. Im so sick of this opposition party bullshit I could

[Zalatix]

9. You're letting him set the tone of the discussion

Johnson, you fucking prick....why do you think I should have to pay for someone else's medical bills because they "chose not to purchase" health insurance coverage?

Instead of answering like that, why not frame things the Democratic Party way:

Medicare For All.
http://medicareforall.org

[rustydog]

11. I want the same right they are crying out for regarding car Insurance!

Yes, I want to decide on my own without fear of fines from the Gubmint for failure to be properly insured.
If I get in a head on collision and need expensive surgery...that is my problem, right.

Just like the neocons screaming that people like my brother with lung cancer whose employer does not have employee health insurance programs can just up and die. it is their fault they did not get a better job or don'tmake enough money to afford a private policy.

[Stan Smith]

13. You bring up a good point.

they don't whine and cry about being forced to buy car insurance.

[Hepburn]

15. Exactly....

....there are NO free rides. Those who do NOT want to have to buy health ins expect the rest of us to pay their way.

[BlueDemKev]

24. Thank you!

I'm glad that somebody else sees this correctly. Conservatives talk about "personal responsibility" so long as it's convenient.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. Your argument is right wing in nature. The fact is that while other democracies who

mandate the purchase of health insurance make it illegal for those selling them to do so for profit, our system enshrines the idea that those companies hold right to that profit. So arguing for an mandate is not a complete argument. You also need to explain why a mandate to purchase for profit products is necessary. No other nation on earth does so.
While you say 'no free rides' what you mean is 'huge free ride for the Insurance Companies'.

[MichiganVote]

32. Ahem..car insurance, property insurance,various licenses/marriage, social security

medicaid, medicare, mortgage insurance, all of these and more are mandated by various states...

[JFN1]

16. I guess these Repubs don't own cars

because the government forces us to buy freaking insurance for those...

[belcffub]

38. the car equivalency

not all states require insurance... some allow you to post a bond and self insure...

I can buy a car, not put it on the road and not buy insurance...

I have a choice in buying a car or not... not so much in living... well I guess I do...

the car thing just doesn't work as an equivalency

[CBHagman]

18. And they're even worse in the House!

One of my co-workers referred to today's House Republican press conference on the PPACA (featuring Louie Gohmert, Virginia Foxx et al) was the equivalent of a clown car, or maybe a clown bus.

[derby378]

20. Hate to tell you this, but...

I opposed the individual mandate when the Repukes dreamed it up, and I opposed it when the Dems embraced it.

I want Democratic health care reform, which means preserving our freedom from Big Insurance and its greedy talons.

[BlueDemKev]

21. But in the meantime....

....let's at least stop insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and also from cancelling someone's existing coverage AFTER they become sick.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. So the only way to do that is to become the only democracy on the planet to mandate

the purchase of for profit insurance products? Other countries employ a mandate, and all of them make it illegal to sell mandated products for a profit. So it is not just that it is a mandate, it is that it is a for profit, no other choice mandate. The first in any country. Dig that. The first.

[BlueDemKev]

36. Not necessarily

If a not-for-profit organization offers bona-fide health insurance coverage, you could opt for that. Shift your anger from the insurance companies and focus on the real problem which is the cost of medical care itself. It will take years, probably decades, to get that under control (and probably zero chance until the baby-boomers have passed on and we get obesity under control), but in the meantime, let's at least allow people to obtain health insurance coverage regardless of their past medical history. We can build on and improve the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act as we go along and society continues to evolve.

[progressoid]

31. +1

[progressoid]

30. It was a Repub idea in 1994 and by Nixon in 1974

So what part of this Republican plan should we embrace?

Repubs are only opposed to it on political grounds. If it were proposed by W, they would be all for it. Would we be for it if W had proposed it?

[BlueDemKev]

35. I will support it....

...if the Republicans come up with a good idea (which doesn't happen too often), I WILL support it. The irony here is that Obama and the Democrats said "Hey Republicans, you were right about this. So let's do it" and THEN the Republicans ran from the idea like the plague and started screaming "communism, socialism, marxism, tyranny, government-takeover.....blah-blah-blah...."

A bunch of lying hypocrites.

[progressoid]

43. It is socialism - CORPORATE socialism

That is NOT a good idea. Especially for Democrats. But sadly, endorsing corporatiism seems the be OK for our party now.

The irony here is that most Democrats don't even know why they support it and most Republicans don't understand why they oppose it.

[liberalhistorian]

33. Excuse me, but a lot of the time it isn't a real "choice".

When you're self-employed or your job doesn't offer insurance, individual plans are often far too expensive, with horrendous deductibles (usually 5 grand or more), and they don't cover shit. Especially if you're older than thirty and were treated for anything more than minor cold throughout your entire life. If you've had anything more than a minor cold since you were three years old, and you're older than 30, such plans want nothing to do with you or will make it too expensive for you.

And frankly, I'd rather pay for the health care of others through my taxes than to bail out rich fucks who are making their money by playing with the life savings and nest eggs of Americans who are relying on them for their security. What I do NOT appreciate it paying taxes that will pay for the health care of my congress critters and senators who are doing everything in their power to appeal the law and to shred the safety net, all the while screaming against the evil federal government and the taxes that pay their salaries and benefits.

[xfundy]

34. I hesitated to click on this.

Thought it might contain something to do with Cheney's new, shinier, blacker, more sinister heart. I heard it ate its way out of its former owner.

[a kennedy]

39. This from the guy who defeated Russ Feingold....

I'm still just sick over this.....