People over 55 have a high percentage of registered voters. it's going to be hard for repubs

[mucifer]

to vote against medicare for those over 55 years old. I think this is a clever move by the dems and a few repubs might cross over and then the dems can spit in lieberman and nelson's faces.

(ok I know I'm an optimist.)

[stray cat]

1. Feingold and Rockefeller are not push overs nor his Howard Dean -all agree with you

[still_one]

2. I have no doubt they will vote against it, because in their mind it would lead to single-payer

for everyone eventually

They will use the excuse that it will "hurt" a system already in trouble, and of course they will use the "socialsim" word

You talk about the republicans, I have my doubt about some Democrats

[vaberella]

15. And they would be right. But that would be voting against their constitutes, who'd love it. n/t

[babylonsister]

3. The rethugs will vote against ANYTHING proposed; their mission

is to see Dems fail in this important endeavor. Bank on it.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Republicans have campaigned to get rid of medicare...

What is smart is that during this debate, Republicans have claimed to be the protectors of Medicare, accusing democrats of taking health care from the elderly, defending Medicare, and killing grandma. Republicans are going to vote against the health care bill. If this works, it may peel off one or two, but it won't gain the votes of more than that on the final bill.

[mucifer]

5. what could help is a strong endorsement campaign from AARP.

[Perky]

6. They are also the group who find it hardest to get insrurance.if they lose their job,

The thing to watch is whether employers will be able to drop their coverage on their older workers, There is going to need to be some protections and penalties their but If there is a way to create a "silever option" that employers can move their seniors to the only losers would be the insurance companies. And one might argue that they are really better off because they are getting high risk subscribers off their books.

[earthside]

7. Don't Get Excited, Yet.

We don't know the details of this new "deal."

The latest on some of the blogs following these negotiations is that a Medicare buy-on for those 55+ would only be for those who do not have insurance now and are high risk; it wouldn't cover their families and it wouldn't get a premium subsidy (so it would be very expensive). Also, that this buy-in would be temporary until a new private insurance exchange for these folks would come on line in three years.

We've been let down so many times on this health insurance reform journey that I've stopped believing anything that gets to real reform is going to happen. Okay, I'm not an optimist anymore.

[tsuki]

8. 2011? It may energize the 55+ for the 2010 election, but it will never

happen. The "exchanges" will be operational before the Medicare buy-in.

[Clio the Leo]

9. Yep. NT

[OHdem10]

10. True GOP Constiuency--Business and people who make over

75 K a year. These groups are more concerned over paying taxes
than Health Care. They perceive themselves as being able to
provide for themselves Therefore, the GOP see this as no skin
off their backs.

[johnlal]

11. Also spitting in the faces of people under 55 years old.

If they think they don't need our votes, they can go ahead and throw us under the bus.

[waterscalm]

12. Repugs would love it as People have to BUY in.

[LiberalFighter]

13. It isn't that there is a higher percentage of registered voters.

But that there is a higher percentage of that group that votes on a regular basis or even just General elections.

[Phx_Dem]

14. Also, very clever to dramatically announce the PUBLIC OPTION IS DEAD!

Dead I tell you! Well, except for that whole expanded Medicare thing. Of course, we all know that Medicare has nothing to do with the government, and I know that for a fact because I read it on some teabagger protest signs.

The Dems have just removed the Teabaggin' GOPers' biggest talking point. I seriously have to wonder if this was a plan all along. I always said (along with others) that the term "public option" had turned to poison and had to go. So, just before Christmas with very little time left to debate, the Dems make a big dramatic "Breaking News" announcement that the P.O. is dead, leaving the GOP twisting in the wind while the Dems already have a broad agreement on the new plan before the CBO estimate even comes out.

Someone was thinking! And Obama is the only one who has proven himself stealthy enough to come up with something like this . . . hmmmmmm.