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Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann stopped by the state Capitol on Monday to pitch some proposed ground rules for the national debate over health care reform.

 

At a news conference, Bachmann unveiled the "Declaration of Health Care Independence," which will be formally released Wednesday.

 

"We are rejecting politics as usual in Washington D.C. in dealing with this health care issue," said Bachmann, a Republican.

Proposing ground rules at this point in health care reform is like the refs showing up for the game after the clock has run out.

Sometimes there's crazy, which makes sense in a headline grabbing sort of way. Then there is the above move by Bachmann, which is just plain stupid. Dumb ass stupid.

Along the lines of what I said, but cruder and with more humor:
,
Hat tip Dusty

Okay, you managed along most of your bills through congress. However, what you did not do is lead. The President Of The United States needs to lead, not manage. You have safely guided your various agenda bills through the house and senate. At no time did you show courage by taking a risk.

Now, as your closest advisers tell you to move towards the center; as they tell you to become even more dedicated to bi-partisanship; as they whisper to you to be cautious: tell them all to go to helI.

It is time for you to do a 180. They did not like health care reform as negotiated? Then throw the whole damn thing out and demand pure universal health care. Not universal health insurance, or single payer, but national health care.

Stop playing their God damned game, sir. Go out, take charge, set the tone. You have been led. Hell, you allowed yourself to be led. Now, cowboy up. Throw caution to the wind. Push for what you deem to be impossible, take the ridicule and derision and lead this country, Damn It.

In science, it is understood that to overcome inertia, you have to supply an excessive amount of energy to get movement. However, once that is done, the required energy to keep things moving drops substantially.

With Firedoglake screaming bloody murder and instituting a petition to kill the bill, I see just such a theory, but put to work politically. Honestly, the chances of killing the bill are pretty slim. But, make enough noise about killing the bill, and why, and maybe the pols begin to see their pretty little butts are not so securely fastened to their congressional and senatorial seats. At that point, change will happen.

And now is the time to make some noise. The Tea Baggers have pretty much screamed themselves hoarse and are out of sync with the parliamentary moves of congress. However, I think Firedoglake is poised at precisely the right moment to strike. Though the stated goal may not be admirable, the eventual effect may be laudable.

Once again, congress has shown it's inability to recognize failure. Any compromise -- despite assurances from many intelligent and educated progressive bloggers -- that eliminates a public option will only drag out the suffering and death our current health care system allows.

I understand there are times for the long view. But when peoples lives are at stake, it is time to pull your head out of the future and deal with the immediacy that exists today.

it this is true, than they have no intentions of working fairly for reform, or they see the writing on the wall and are profit reaping before the bottom of their industry falls.

Health insurance giant Aetna is planning to force up to 650,000 clients to drop their coverage next year as it seeks to raise additional revenue to meet profit expectations.

In a third-quarter earnings conference call in late October, officials at Aetna announced that in an effort to improve on a less-than-anticipated profit margin in 2009, they would be raising prices on their consumers in 2010. The insurance giant predicted that the company would subsequently lose between 300,000 and 350,000 members next year from its national account as well as another 300,000 from smaller group accounts.

"The pricing we put in place for 2009 turned out to not really be what we needed to achieve the results and margins that we had historically been delivering," said chairman and CEO Ron Williams. "We view 2010 as a repositioning year, a year that does not fully reflect the earnings potential of our business. Our pricing actions should have a noticeable effect beginning in the first quarter of 2010, with additional financial impact realized during the remaining three quarters of the year."

Unbeleivable. I missed my calling.

Of how big a jack ass Pawlenty really is.

(Star-Tribune) Facing a big loss of state health-care funds, Hennepin County Medical Center plans to stop seeing uninsured, non-emergency patients from outside the county, cut 150 to 200 jobs and close two small clinics on its campus.

And this is just one of many hospitals and clinics that will have to cut jobs. At a time when unemployment is having the most impact on the economy, to cut funding, causing more job loses is equivalent to old fashion mid-evil medical blood letting.

Joe Lieberman grandstanding. This is his effort at appearing relevant. He is not. Someday Joe is going to rudely be made aware of just how insignificant he is to the American people. The Democratic Party seems more sorry for him than anything, hence the continued allowance of caucusing with them. The Republican Party probably does not trust him, what with his turncoat actions these last 8 years. Of coures, had he simply switched from Democrat to Republican, he would have more trust, but he would not have the appearance of importance. As an Independent caucusing with the Democrats, he gets to make all sorts of threats in an effort to lay claim to being important.

Yes, he does, in the end, have some power. But the cost to his political future is probably more than he realizes. I suspect his state is not as red as he believes, and that a solid candidate will take him out easily. Indeed, I suspect most independents will probably not come to his defense at the next election. Further, most Republicans, those that are left, will be so rabidly anti everything not WASP that they will not be willing to vote for him.

It really is a shame that his ego is getting in the way of his duty as a Senator to do what is best for the country. Instead, his behavior paints a man who fails to recognizes his best political days are behind him; an also ran who did not quite make the grade. I am not so much angry at his power play as I pity his pathetic, last grasp at relevancy.

Yet, despite my pity, I have no recourse except to announce him as Jack Ass of the Day.

It is the one character flaw that has dogged me my whole life. In many ways it is part of the addiction I have worked hard to overcome. Basically, I have always wanted what I wanted, when I wanted it, and I want it right damn now.

The battle for Health Care Reform has exposed this same underlying character flaw in the United States. While some cooler heads in congress have patiently, and diligently, worked the political currents of Washington, most of the nation outside the beltway have been screeching and howling about not having single payer universal health insurance as of last decade. One of the reasons I have done very little blogging about health care reform -- other than noting some articles --  is because I recognize this is a long-term change for the country. It is a battle of inches, not yards.

Anyway, after all the noise, hair-pulling, and general all-around shrilling is done, there will be a new direction for health care in this country. At this time, I have to accept I am without health care. I also will have to accept it may be possible I never receive the level of coverage I was accustomed to back 5 to 10 years ago. However, I do believe that future generations after me will eventually receive a level of coverage that I never experienced. I am okay with that.

Yes, the selfish part of me desires universal single payer coverage as of October 5th, 1961, but it is not going to happen. But at least I can rest easy in knowing a change is occurring. It is just that it is not occurring at the pace I selfishly desire.

Now, get the hell off my lawn.....

Err, scratch that. I live in an apartment.

Medicare Part E!?!?!?! Hell, sign me up!

Hat tip P⁶

It is good to see the White House starting to call a spade a spade.

Never underestimate the power of denial.

(The Washington Monthly) Reading this, it reminded me just how challenging the right's sales pitch was going into the debate over reform. In some ways, conservatives couldn't possibly win the argument -- the status quo is ridiculous. We spend too much and get too little. Tens of millions of Americans go without coverage, and thousands die as a result of not having insurance. The existing private system screws over consumers, is a drag on the economy, and undercuts wage growth. The two groups of Americans best served by the status quo are seniors (in a Canadian-style, socialized system) and veterans (in a British-style, government-run system). Everyone else is in, at best, a precarious position.

[...]

They've pulled it off, so far, by telling almost comically-ridiculous lies, and managing to get scared, gullible people to believe them. It's no small feat. Indeed, it's almost impressive. Conservatives have managed to create a debate out of nothing but partisanship, paranoia, and greed.

Steve misses the most important reason the Conservatives have managed this feat; the ability of people to ignore even the most obvious of facts. Denial makes blind people of us all when we are not diligent of our thinking.

I don't think President Obama has a tightly run administration. At least, this article seems to suggest there just might be some loose cannons running about, making claims unsupported by the President.

White House officials sought to reassure Democratic groups and activists that they did not intend to rule out the public option, a position they are able to maintain, for now, because no final version of the bill exists. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina told some groups involved in the effort that the administration's positions have not changed.

In any event, my earlier pronouncement stands: No public option, no second term

Update: Andy agrees with me.

We should not lower our expectations on health care. We won the election and a bad plan could lose the next one-America needs real reform.

No public option, Mr. President, no second term. It is really that simple. 

Ian Walsh believes President Obama is just about done being proactive. I agree.

The Republican/conservative brightness before the burn out I keep thinking is happening, only gets brighter and brighter, and not in a good way. As the Birthers, Tea baggers, and generally just mad at the world types, descend upon the town hall meetings, I realize that my imagining of their behavior falls quantitatively short of their capabilities.

Then, Ian had this to say:

They took the lesson of the Clinton administration to be "don't enflame (sic) the fanatics on the right--avoid social issues, and don't slash the military".  They were, of course, wrong: the radical right (and there is hardly a non-radical right left) will oppose Obama no matter what he does and if Obama is unwilling to use to the full might of the administrative apparatus against them, they will simply take advantage of his weakness to escalate.  Tactics which are seen to work, will not be abandoned, to the contrary, they will be used more and more.

don't enflame (sic) the fanatics on the right--avoid social issues

Suddenly, my imagination made a quantum jump that pictured a radical increase in the use of deadly force, with a resultant increase in dead minorities (including gay, lesbian, and transgenders).

Now, I am not about to believe one way or another that President Obama understood this possible scenario. Still, to pick health care as his first major policy push might have been for other reasons besides the time was right. Regardless of whether he recognized it was a policy that could result in the least amount of insanity and violence, in the end, it is what happened.

Ask yourself this; had President Obama picked an African American jurist for the Supreme Court, just what kind of push back do you think would have happened? Unlike health care, an African American nominee to the Supreme Court is a racial element that would have inflamed the radical right even more then the current push for health reform. I don't know about you, but my imagination in this situation includes some serious killings, maybe even a lynching or three.

What? You think that's too far? If there are calls by influential leaders of the radical right for people to bring guns to town hall meetings, my suggestion of lynchings had President Obama attempted to place an African American on the Supreme Court is going to far? Considering how easy it is for the radical right followers to kill gays, lesbians, and transgenders during less politically decisive times, any push to end DADT, or otherwise legislate equal rights for sexual orientation, would suddenly result in a decrease of killings? We are talking about a section of the electorate that thinks it is funny to print out liberal hunting licenses.

So, for whatever reason, President Obama went the path of least resistance. But, Ian is right. No matter what policy the President pursues, the radical right will fight back. And they will use any action they perceive to have already been effective. If the push for health reform does stall, and no bill is forthcoming this year, I too believe the President is dead in the water. He will achieve no further legislative goals. And even if he does pass health care reform, I still believe he's dead in the water, simply because the radical right, already inflamed and instilled with an Armageddon mindset, will simply believe the end is nigh and make a homicidal/suicidal push. They are going to take as many with them as possible.

In my opinion, any further legislative attempts by the President and violence is assured. It is already occurring. If President Obama manages to shove a version of health reform through congress, he's going to be faced with one angry, pissed off radical right. He will pretty much be unable to overcome any further resistance because civil unrest is only going to continue. Chances are, it will take up most of his administration's attention.

So, once he's done with as much of the legislative work he can realistically achieve, I suggest he turn his attention to judicial/legal house cleaning. Unleash the Justice Department and force a searching and fearless constitutional inventory of our government. There is a world of hurt in it, with much latent corruption and incompetence set to cause further decades of pain and suffering, thereby weakening our country. If he truly wants to be seen as an agent of change, the more important task he faces is exposure of the past administration's eight years of malfeasance and criminality. Hell, cleaning up the last 30 years of modern conservative governance is one damn fine legacy, if you ask me.

Now, I do not believe President Obama wants that for a legacy. But most people do not get to choose their destiny, it chooses them.

Now, this is the way to reform health insurance: Bill of Consumer Health Insurance Rights.

• No discrimination for preexisting conditions.
• No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays.
• No cost-sharing for preventive care.
• No dropping of coverage for the seriously ill.
• No gender discrimination.
• No annual or lifetime caps on coverage.
• Extended coverage for young adults.
• Guaranteed insurance renewal.

Although, leave it to a Legacy paper to still make it a mouth full. Seriously, Insurance Consumers' Bill of Rights is much easier to say.

Okay, now for a piece of evil: Hat Tip Kevin Drum.

Yes, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Well, if it don't beat all, now I have to give Atrios a Hat Tip for a link to the White House page displaying Health Insurance Consumer Protections.

I still like Insurance Consumers' Bill of Rights.

All sorts of pithy, obnoxious comments come to mind. Not directed at the Hawaii gambler, but at the health industry.

I can't help but wonder, probably inappropriately, if the unexpected medical emergency was due to her having poor coverage and finally having the money to pay for the necessary care.

Jeff Rosenberg has a post up about banning the marketing of prescription drugs of which I support. I remember the warnings, just like the warnings about creating HMO's would increase health care costs, that allowing advertising would drive up prescription drug costs, not reduce them. Indeed, when Wall Street and Madison Ave. were allowed their greedy fingers into the mix, prices started inflating dramatically. The obvious, initially stated goal of containing cost certainly has not come to pass.

The radical in me sees only one option; making health care - anything to do with health care - non-profit. Not just hospitals and clinics, but insurance and pharmicuticals as well. Health care as a business is directly in conflict with the goal of health care. Healing people so they don't come back is guaranteeing a loss of profit. What business wants to lose profit?

Yeah, like that needs to be answered out loud.

With the exception of  war profiteering, people making a profit off the suffering, misery, and death of fellow human beings is by far the most vile, despicable behavior I think exists.

Back in 2006, this story was all about excessive CEO pay. But in reality, this particular issue, which was overlooked, was about a man receiving $1 billion as head of a company that efficiently contained costs by refusing to cover medical procedures.

What's different about the fire this time is that it is singeing respected CEOs like Nardelli, Raymond, and in the biggest brushfire yet, UnitedHealth (Charts) CEO William McGuire.

McGuire has long been hailed as proof that nothing is wrong with paying outlandish sums for outrageous overperformance - in his case a 40-fold increase in total return over fifteen years. ("I don't think we could have anticipated the shares [would reach] this level five years ago," McGuire has said in rejecting the "perceived problem" of his excessive comp.)

In March, the Wall Street Journal raised questions about possible options backdating at UnitedHealth (a practice that, while permissible under certain circumstances, can amount to outright theft of shareholder assets.

No wrongdoing has so far been established, but the company, the SEC, and government prosecutors are all still investigating. Even so, the stock is down 22%, a drop that has lowered the value of McGuire's trove of in-the-money options from $1.6 billion in December to a still hefty $1 billion today

Now, fast forward to 2009, and we learn why such profits were possible:

An investigation by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations showed that health insurers WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group and Assurant Inc. canceled the coverage of more than 20,000 people, allowing the companies to avoid paying more than $300 million in medical claims over a five-year period.

It also found that policyholders with breast cancer, lymphoma and more than 1,000 other conditions were targeted for rescission and that employees were praised in performance reviews for terminating the policies of customers with expensive illnesses.

"No one can defend, and I certainly cannot defend, the practice of canceling coverage after the fact," said Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.), a member of the committee. "There is no acceptable minimum to denying coverage after the fact."

In case anyone is wondering, I'm more worried about Godless Capitalists than I am about Godless Socialists. These corporations are vultures, preying on the sick and dying, all in the name of efficiency and profit. It's disgusting.

 

The Democratic Party may not yet have power in the Senate; but it's obvious by this C&R post that progressives in the country do have power

Update: As always, Digby is suspicious.

And yes, I moved this up.

Atrios simply called him a wanker. That's too kind. Evan Bayh is Jack Ass of the Day. What it boils down to; he doesn't want to have to vote on a bill and show his loyalties to the insurance industry.

A true public health insurance option should not just be an option if your employer does not supply coverage, but it should be permissible for employers to access a public option as well. There are a lot of small business that simply can not afford to supply health insurance that maybe would like to help aid their employees none-the-less.

Also, one of the consequences I foresee is a lot of small to medium businesses dropping coverage and letting their employees fend for themselves, once a public option comes into play. No doubt many of the more greedy businesses will not only drop coverage, but also not pass the savings on to their employees so that they could afford to purchase their own coverage.