The Most Valuable Weapon to Come Out of the Presser

[tekisui]

In my opinion, the most valuable weapon to come out of the health insurance reform presser last night was the frame President Obama laid out if we do nothing.

He hit the repukes hard on that one. What would you say if a bill was presented that absurdly raised the cost of health insurance, reduced the number of people who could access it, and increase the debt to the country? No one would be for it, yet, that is exactly what the goppers are advocating. There is little they can do or say to counter that frame.

I expect them to scramble to come up with a gopper version of a health bill. Much like there budget, it will be a prop without real numbers.

Good job! Way to use that bully pulpit!

[mdmc]

1. i didn't get to see him speak yesterday

thanks for the op

[zipplewrath]

2. I agree

This should become a standard pretext to any "argument" about health care reform. "Doing nothing" is not an option. From that point, one can point out that that is exactly what's been going on for at least 16 years. Everyone, from the GOP to the Bluedogs have had 16 years to "do something" and now advocating that somehow the folks actually trying to confront the problem are "going to fast" or "too far" is really "too little, too late".

I feel strange making this argument because I'm less than pleased with most of the details of the current proposals. Predominately this is health insurance reform, not health care reform. It really keeps in place 90% of the problems. It depends heavily upon the presumption that if we can just get a "public option" in place, everything can be perfected at some time in the future. It attributes most of its "savings" to removing the problem of the uninsured showing up at hospitals. None the less, it is true, that for all of the vast short comings of this plan, "doing nothing" is about the only worse "plan" there is.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Obama did a good job last night

[bvar22]

4. I agree.

That was the most powerful part of the whole evening.
We must help "catapult" that frame into the Public Awareness.

OTOH, I was disappointed with the lack of details about the "Public Option", and what would be acceptable to him.
The current Bill in the House (HR 3200) which was scored by the CBO projects enrollment in the Public Option to be LESS than 10 Million by 2019.
That is Public Option in name only and would have NO ability to "drive down the cost of Health Care" and "Keep the Insurance Corps honest".

K&R

[Cha]

5. I didn't get to hear it,

either..thanks, tekisui.