Many Americans, of course, want universal health care. Large numbers of us want a version that lowers costs enough to force insurance companies to give up and actually cover people instead of devising ever more ingenious methods to avoid coverage and turn bigger profits. That or simply go away.
But, as Robert Reich details here, the primary malady that eats away at the heart of a government by the people–government by the deepest pockets–is still in full effect. What we want or need is going to matter a lot less than what insurance companies want or need to continue sucking away at our wallets. If he's correct–and it's all too probable that he is–this is a truly disgusting display of cravenness by our legislative class. But since when has the Democratic Congress ever had a spine? Read and weep.
And at the same site (Talking Points Memo), Jon Taplin points out a stunning paragraph from the New York Times regarding healthcare:
But critics argue that with low administrative costs and no need to produce profits, a public plan will start with an unfair pricing advantage. They say that if a public plan is allowed to pay doctors and hospitals at levels comparable to Medicare's, which are substantially below commercial insurance rates, it could set premiums so low it would quickly consume the market.
As Taplin concludes: Isn't that the point?
It seems nearly certain we'll end up with some half-baked incremental change to the system resembling Massachusetts' own half-baked incremental change, and the happiest industry in America will be the health insurance industry, who can rest assured that everyone thinks we've had a massive change, when in fact the result is merely to drive more people into the waiting arms of the broken system we already have.
If Obama insists on a meaningful public option–and the Democratic Congress plays along–it might be different. But if he insists, that will turn out to be the only thing that can make the Democrats grow the spine they've never had.
I'm not going to hold my breath for a good outcome. Besides, I don't think my insurance covers injuries from breath-holding.
ADDITIONAL: Wiley Drake is pastor and a former vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the organization in which I was steeped as a young preacher's kid. Wiley Drake is also completely insane. Completely and embarrassingly insane for those of us who are non-insane Baptists and/or Christians.
An AP story airs his comments about "imprecatory prayer" (praying for somebody you disagree with to die, witch-doctor stylee), and how the death of Dr. George Tiller was an answer to prayer:
Asked if there are others for whom Drake is praying "imprecatory prayer," Drake hesitated before answering that there are several. "The usurper that is in the White House is one, B. Hussein Obama," he said. …
"Are you praying for his death?" Colmes asked.
"Yes," Drake replied.
"So you're praying for the death of the president of the United States?"
"Yes."
…
"You would like for the president of the United States to die?" Colmes asked once more.
"If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death, that's correct."
And then, to sew things up for sure, he explains that his insanity is caused by biblical inerrancy, the cornerstone of Christian fundamentalism that raises the letter of the Bible above the spirit.
"I believe the whole Bible, Alan," he explained. "I don't just preach part of it. I don't just preach the soft, fuzzy, warm stuff where we're supposed to be nice to everybody. I preach the whole Bible."
Which I think you may safely re-interpret as, "I don't like that crazy-Jewish-peace-and-love hippie guy everybody's always going on about–what's his name again?– I want the smiting and blood and explosions, by gum."
He continues by offering one of the many of the reasons I'll never be tempted to return to the Southern Baptist fold:
"This whole concept that we're always to pray little, nice, soft, fluffy, prayers — that we're not to pray imprecatory prayer — has been something that just, in all honesty, that Southern Baptists have lost, and we need to regain imprecatory prayer."
