The FDL guys sum it up:
It’s like winning a huge battle, but half of your friends were killed or wounded.And as BooMan says, the 220-215 vote means there's no wiggle room. It will pretty much have to pass as is.36 million more people will be insured or become eligible for Medicaid
There will be a trillion dollars raised to help subsidize this.
There will be multiple measures to help control the costs of Medicare
We will stop subsidizing private insurers in Medicare Advantage
Closes the donut hole
Allows Medicare negotiation for drugs
Includes the seeds of a public option
Prohibits denials based on prior conditions; ends rescissions except for fraud
funds more education for doctors/nurses
Begins dozens of health prevention programs, pilots, surveys
Creates entities to evaluate and recommend better treatment, cost saving
And on and on.It’s a massive achievement, but women, mostly poor, paid a price.
Here's who I'm particularly mad at: the Democrats who voted for the Stupak Amendment, but who voted against the final bill anyway. Those are the Dems who are going to be in trouble come 2010. They are:
Jason Altmire (PA)
John Barrow (GA)
John Boccieri (OH)
Dan Boren (OK)
Bobby Bright (AL)
Ben Chandler (KY)
Travis Childers (MS)
Artur Davis (AL)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Bart Gordon (TN)
Parker Griffith (AL)
Tim Holden (PA)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Jim Matheson (UT)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
Charlie Melancon (LA)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Ike Skelton (MO)
John Tanner (TN)
Gene Taylor (MS)
Harry Teague (NM)
That's 21 Dems (all male, natch) who are going to lose in 2010. You 21 Democrats, do you think your Republican opponents will applaud your voting record? Do you think they won't attack you as a liberal fascist traitor to America and the universe? Do you think Democratic voters are going to turn out en masse for the guy who voted against health care reform?
Most of all, do you know you're on the wrong side of history?
Some of them may change their minds in the final vote. I don't know. But for now? I don't know how they can sleep tonight.
[UPDATE 11:46 AM] Going over the lists thanks to uggabugga, I missed:
John Adler (NJ)
Tim Holden (PA)
Daniel Lipinski (IL)
and Blue Dog leader Mike Ross (AR).
Twenty-five Dems, again, all male. None with the balls to vote for the bill after saddling it with the the Stupak Amendment.
Because they're assholes. They're misogynist assholes who jerk off to that shit.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to sleep soundly when you regularly masturbate to being "morally superior".
You guys OWN this POS.
ReplyDeleteI see the bane of Yellow Dog's existence, Ben Chandler, was on that list. I thank the FSM for my little socialist enclave on the left side of a red state, completely surrounded by wingnuts on all sides. My Representative, Emanuel Cleaver, was one of the original 60 liberals who signed the pledge vowing not to vote for a bill that didn't have a public option.
ReplyDeleteYes Servius, whether or not the Democrats "Owned" this bill was never in any question.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think that is the first time I've seen a FDL quote that I think captures the moment accurately. This helps bring pressure on the Senate, and finishing this is important because Obama needs to pivot to the economy and financial regulation if he wants to be a 2 term president.
ReplyDelete