Health care reform gleanings

After watching Claire McCaskill's townhall meeting online yesterday a couple of things became clear.

Although the August recess began with the democratic majority in Congress being sent out to promote health care reform, this has been impossible to do.  Not because of the emotional townhalls, but because there really is no official health care bill. 

The House has two, maybe three, none of which is official.  The senate is still working on theirs in committee, according to Claire McCaskill.  She told her crowd that she couldn't speak to the House bill which is the one which is generating all the debate because she would be voting on the Senate bill.  That bill will not be the same as anything coming from the House.

So how can the President and the members of congress be out there speaking as though this or that will or will not be part of health care legislation? 

McCaskill, contrary to the endless video loop on the news showing three women being escorted out of her townhall by police, did not find the two hours to be madness.  One of those women ran for St. Louis 3rd Ward alderman last April on the Green party ticket. 

Those in attendance found Senator McCaskill to be polite and their responses, for the most part, were the same.  Certainly they had the right to disagree and they did periodically.  But nothing like those crowds listening to Carnahan and Specter.  The senator even told MSNBC's Morning Joe panel this morning that it was democracy in action, something they seemed disapointed to hear.

In the end, there is no health care legislation.  That is the problem for those out there trying to promote it.  It is like chasing the wind. 

McCaskill was adament that there would be no single payer in the final bill, but she refused to say whether or not she would vote for a bill which paid for abortions. 

She was certainly more welcoming than Rep. Carnahan who pretty much showed that he has no business holding office.

Comments

[Ron]

Excellent point, Diane.
Obama and the democrats do seem to be floating lots of concepts and ideas and see which ones get traction. Unfortunately for them, the public wants some answers and democrats have little to say but trust us.
Obama now comparing his health care plan to the post office. Whoa! This guy has trouble thinking on his feet.

[Rand and Cowboy]

"In the end, there is no health care legislation." So why are so many people so very angry?????

BTW, Cowboy is a 6 year old Shepherd mix I adopted last week.

[Diane]

A picture of Cowboy? Please.

The anger comes from the House bill which it now seems even those on the very left who have read it, find some parts of it horrifying.

That is the bill which the leadership hoped would be passed before the recess.

[Diane]

Rand, from the Daily Beast, a writer on the left side gives his insights. Funny how so many in congress and in the general media who are so seemingly bewildered at the opposition can't seem to take the time to read the House bill which is the root of the health care program.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-08-11/obamas-euthanasia-mistake/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsL1

[Rand and Cowboy]

And from a conservative journalist, David Frum: "It's not enough for conservatives to repudiate violence, as some are belatedly beginning to do. We have to tone down the militant and accusatory rhetoric. If Barack Obama really were a fascist, really were a Nazi, really did plan death panels to kill the old and infirm, really did contemplate overthrowing the American constitutional republic -- if he were those things, somebody should shoot him. But he is not. He is an ambitious, liberal president who is spending too much money and emitting too much debt. His health-care ideas are too ambitious and his climate plans are too interventionist. The president can be met and bested on the field of reason -- but only by people who are themselves reasonable."