It’s 3:30pm EST and nothing has changed: Open Thread

Open Thread…Talk amongst yerselves!

Like lambs to the slaughter, Democrats walk into a Republican trap on healthcare reform

I have to make this quick because I have presents to wrap and ship.

It has occurred to me more than once that the Democrats are walking into a trap on healthcare reform and for their own good as a party, they really need to take this bill back and work on it some more, even if the final bill fails to pass.  Here’s why: all of the Democrats coming out for the bill so far are focussing on the poor and uninsured.  And why not?  They’re the ones most in need of this bill, right?

But to get those poor and uninsured coverage means lots and lots of subsidies.  Ok, see, I have no problem with this concept.  I think the poor shouldn’t be fleeced when they need to see a doctor.  And we all have a responsibility to help our neighbor because we’re all in this together.  So far, we’re on the same page.

The problem is, we just gave the BANKERS subsidies.  And a lot of middle class people are hurting right now. They’re losing their jobs and their health insurance.  Or they have health insurance but it’s not great.  They have to jump through hoops to get the treatment they need and their choices are limited.  But mostly, they just aren’t getting any breaks when it comes to taxes, their wage growth is stagnant, the kids need braces (don’t even go there.  braces are ridiculous and the insurance is almost negligible).

What I am trying to say is that the middle class gets virtually nothing from this bill.  All they are going to see is a bunch of poor people getting treatment on their dime.  Maybe if the financial disasters of this and last year hadn’t happened you could have gotten away with it but I don’t think you can now.  For health care reform to really be a plus for Democrats, it has to help everyone.  You can’t do it piecemeal.  It has to be a holistic change, just like the Democrats promised last year.  The fundamental concept of this bill as it is right now is flawed.

What’s going to happen is that Republicans and particularly tea partiers are going to latch onto this bill like there’s no tomorrow.  It’s going to become the new welfare program.  If the bill had been constructed better and everyone ended up with better health care, including employers, the Democrats would have become heros for a generation.  But because they caved and caved and caved, what we’re ending up with is an inadequate plan that only helps the poor and leaves the rest of us swinging.  Isn’t that the argument the guilt trippers are making?  Pass the bill or the poor people get the shaft?

Is that REALLY what the Democrats want?

Poll:

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