What should the Democrats do about health care reform now?

[subterranean]

[high density]

1. Pass what we've got so the agenda can move past this singular issue

HCR is obviously important but it's now time to pass what we've got and move on to another issue (i.e. jobs)

[kenny blankenship]

2. I don't know. They've pretty much fucked themselves coming and/or going.

Never seen anything like it. It would be comical if the consequences weren't so deadly.

They are in this predicament because they ignored the first rule of big changes. Whatever you're proposing, it had better benefit the vast majority of people, undeniably and unambiguously, and start benefiting them right away. This shitbarge of a HCR bill fails on every point. They began instead from the starting point of trying to pretend you can reform health care without upsetting or harming their patrons in the insurance industry. The only people they managed to fool was themselves.

[derby378]

3. Remember the old rede about Communist countries...

You have two cows. In a Communist country, the government takes them away from you and then promises you the milk.

In a Fascist country, the government would take away your cows and then sell you the milk.

It's time to kill neoliberalism and focus on the basics.

[quantass]

4. I HATE this disastrous HCR bill but i say pass it (only because repubz hate it)

Although Wall Street loves this bill i find that repubz seem to genuinely hate it (i first thought it was some reverse psychology thing where they actually hoped it would pass since the bill seems to favor corporations big time and hurts middle-class america).

It is highly doubtful they will come back to fix things later (at least in a meaningful way) it is better than nothing because if this bill dies it will prolly be another 10-20 years before it is revisted. It is a damn shame the WH and Congress didnt just go for the win and start out with SP and inevitably compromise down to a strong PO...no ballz.

This job issue seems to be where the focus should be and so i say get this HCR off the table by passing it thru reconciliation asap (dare i say, the Senate bill intact? Hell no... Some things need to be changed and so i am hoping there are some precedures where they can do a quick back-forth bypassing a lot of redtape and bandaid some of this near-suicidal patient we call reform).

[Jersey Devil]

5. "Sidecar reconciliation"

I like this idea and think it might be the only thing doable at this point. Certainly just dropping health care or starting from scratch would be a disaster.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/19/martha-coakley-and-sidecar-reconciliation-the-public-option-lives-again/

[alp227]

6. If health care ain't working, then fix the economy

Clinton couldn't get health care reform passed, yet he got re-elected (albeit with a Republican Congress). As Clinton strategist James Carville said, "It's the economy, stupid."

But then, will abandoning this issue be any good should the GOP take back one or both houses of Congress in November?

[krawhitham]

7. get it done before the 29th

[cascadiance]

8. Get rid of fillibuster rule and pass through REAL HCR reform without Lieberman and other jerks!

[timeforpeace]

9. Economy and jobs, but that's an even harder nut to crack than HCR.

[SKKY]

10. Get it done through reconciliation, and move on to the economy.

I'm about mother fucking sick of this mother fucking insistence on bipartisanship.

[dccrossman]

11. Drop it, focus on jobs & economy

They've allowed themselves to get maneuvered into a corner. They have a shit bill that neither their base, nor the public at large has any trust in.

(R)'s are going to run against HCR whether it passes or not. Either the bill that passes, or the threat of the crap they say might could have possibly been maybe attached to the bill.

Come back in 2011, with a smaller majority and do some basic things: No pre-existing, for example. Snowe and Collins could get in line with that.

After getting a few reforms through, ram Medicare for All through reconciliation as a purely budget matter.

Just my opinion.

[1corona4u]

12. Fuck the FORCED health care shit.

It's a clusterfuck, and as far as I am concerned, I will NOT be a part of it, should it ever pass. That's the problem with this fucking government now. ALWAYS forcing people to do shit they don't want to do. Regulate the fucking health care industry, and keep cost down, so people can make their OWN decisions about whether or not they want it OR can afford it.

That's the answer. But of course that's way too fucking simple for the idiot politicians to do.

[TheKentuckian]

13. Passing trash for political reasons is feckless and will be seen as such

It won't hurt to maximum levels for a while but once this trainwreck goes into effect then it has all the looks of a generational level debacle.

Joe Average isn't going to fall in love with a mandate into a predatory and criminal cartel with less benefits and higher costs. Joe Average will not like bogus "wellness" visits that come with excuses for higher rates. Joe Average ain't going to be one bit happy about the IRS playing collection agency for big insurance.