I don't think it's appropriate to compare the Patriot Act to HCR. First, the entire nation was shocked and awed in the days after 9/11. Bush could have renamed himself King Charles III and no one would have been alarmed or noticed. Second, Bush's presidency can be defined as "with us or against us" while Obama at least initially wanted to be post partisan. Unfortunately, the GOP idea of post-partisan is their way or the high-way. (With us or against us, redux.)

They don't want this bill because they don't know whats in it besides the mischaracterizations given to it by those who oppose it.

AND, a straight/hard news article deals with the ways the Republicans are expediting Democrats' division over reconciliation - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con....

Valuable information and perspective!

"Over the hump day" (Wednesday)... here we go...

John

Let's add to our discussion Washington Post Op-Ed Columnist MICHAEL GERSON whose column TODAY (3/10) in the Post is entitled, "What happened to Obama's middle path on health care?" - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con....

Here we go... John

"think that the Obama Administration squandered a MAJOR WAVE OF SUPPORT after Barack Obama's inauguration as US President on January 20, 2009. IF ONLY President Obama had acted then with all deliberate speed (apology to the US Supreme Court - phrase used in the Brown v. Board of Education case handed down on May 17, 1954), I am convinced that major health care reform would NOW be law!"
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Well, first, he was too busy using that "wave of support" to ramrod a pork laden, boondogle of monumental proportions that he masqueraded as a stimulus bill. Yes, it really is too bad that he didn't get to ramrod yet another endless entitlement program funded by the taxpayers before the mask of "hope and change" came off isn't it.

Don't worry though, there's still time for him and the democrats to cram it down the public's throat with no open debate and against the will of the majority of American's by mis-using reconcilliation. Rest assured though, this President and this congress should have their fingerprints all over this disaster if they ram it through, and I'm sure I'll be reading your blogs calling out all these folks when this sham disguised as health care reform falls flat on it's face at the cost of taxpayer. Then again, I probably shouldn't hold my breath, I'm sure you'll be wasting our time acting as a shill for another liberal tax and spend scheme when that time comes.

It is the U.S. pharmaceutical companies doing most of the research on drugs so we can continue to provide the best healthcare. Should we stop researching new drugs so we can have comparable prices? Do you not think that if the Canadians were shoveling money towards research that they would not raise their prices too?

John, you said "AARP members give Feingold an earful on health care", yet the story specifically says "representatives from AARP’s Advocacy Council".

That is like saying the AMA supports the bill, when the truth is most doctors don't. As is this case with the AARP, most seniors don't support taking 500 billion from one program to shore up another. Yet, by the tone of your latest comments on this subject truth is not really what you are going for now is it?

andre....You are correct. He is possibly too late in listening to the only true poll that counts.. the 2008 election results. The overwhelming majority spoke loud and clear on that day. I just wish the President would have been more forecful and not bent over backwards to appease the Party of No. Maybe the guy who said that the Republicans have no heart and the President had no spine was correct. I also love Palin's recent comment that her family used to cross into Canada to purchase prescription drugs to be a little refreshing for her. Maybe she does have an honest bone in her body after all. I will be heading up to Harry's home town to listen to her on March 27. That should be a real treat!

Obama's learning curve, combined with good ol' Washington politics, was the ball and chain on this issue. I don't envy him, yet I don't feel sorry for him as well! Look at Congress before you fixate on the President. They are more to blame. JMO.

If there was a conclave of Insurance Company executives meeting in Washington D.C. and Osama showed up would there be any action? Then why not for Obama? In this world villainy knows no bounds.

Reform all you want obammammaites.... Just leave those of us who don't want this "change" out of it. We will pull our own wagon as we always have.

I noticed you never mentioned how many Canadians now come to the US for their medical care Mr E......or that this Health Care plan resembles a European model that EVEN THE EUROPEANS say does not work. Health Care has become Obama's Holy Grail, get it passed no matter what the cost! problem is, WE PAY the cost.
Polls now indicate and have for some time A MAJORITY OF WE THE PEOPLE, do not want this Health Care Bill, yet your glorious Progressive leader Obama thinks he's knows better than us. Whay strikes me as funny is that those that live on the "public dime" don't care who has to pay for things. Obama doesn't have to worry about not getting a paycheck for the rest of his life, I could live on 200,000 a year easily too. Wouldn't matter what I paid for health care now would it. Why would he want to listen to the "working class joes out there making 14 dollars an hour?" instead you have threats, back room deals, broken promises of openess to get some moronic piece of legislation that will not create jobs, not insure everyone, and cost 100 times more than what they say. Yada yada yada you progressive!

Reading the CAPITAL TIMES online now... I noticed a telling column by Barbara Quirk, a Madison geriatric nurse practitioner who is a local columnist for TCT, "AARP members give Feingold an earful on health care" - http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/...
I urge readers to read this column. John

Is reform really reform when it required extortion, bribery, and back room special deals? You are just moving the problem from one entity to another. What do you expect from one who came up through the ranks of Chicago style politics? You Obamanites were warned.....

YES...HE'S TOO LATE!

Perhaps if Obama had developed a truly bi-partisan health care reform plan, rather than an ideological screed benefitting liberal cronies first, it would have passed as quickly as the Patriot Act. As for your lament over how our affluent country does not have "basic care" for its people, you're dead wrong. It does. Please ask any person involved in the delivery of health care services, and they will confirm the same. Does everyone have a Cadillac Plan paid for by the government. Nope, nor should they. It is everyone’s individual responsibility to provide for themselves. If they cannot financially, there is a safety net in Medicaid, BadgerCare, etc.

John: Are you williing to put your money where your mouth is? Will you pay separately $1000 to the government with your personal income tax return this year by April 15th with a note ear-marking it to Medicaid? Are you willing to not take any personal deductions or adjustments to gross income and pay the absolutely highest amount of income tax? No one is stopping you, or anyone else, who feels that we do not have adequate government run health care from personally deciding to make such payments and limit such deductions. What is stopping you, John?

John really, your arguments are not only getting stale you now try to bring in a story from the 60's as relevant?

To your tired stance on the use of reconciliation and the argument over who has used it the most...it might pass the "I smell the least" test if your side never used it...but alas, both have the smell of, hypocrisy. The only difference you don't want to see it.

Is Obama too late? Obamas strategy has not changed. Reform sounds great in the abstract. But then the public learns the details of the legislation, the louisiana purchase, the deal in nebraska, etc.-they want reform-but the public hates THIS legislation.

Healthcare reform requires governing- not campaigning; compromising, not promising and meetings with legislators on Capitol Hill or at the White House. Obama would rather read from his teleprompter to the masses, doling out of easy applause lines to an adoring audience. But this is what this president is good at campaigning. Legislating is a different ballgame-a game in which he lacks skill. The real obstacle the democrat on Capital hill.

Shame on you for continuing to perpetrate a lie that the USA does not provide basic healthcare for ALL its people. You can go to any hospital to receive care. You will not be turned away-this is one of the problems. Obamacare is not about providing medical care for free. Its about providing INSURANCE at taxpayer expense. Its a big difference. Obamacare is a ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff would endorse.

I can only hope that your students have the courage to hold your feet to the fire when you blatantly define "healthcare" as an all encompassing term that means access to physicians, medical services, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance. Obamacare is health insurance. It does not improve access to physicians, it does not provide for free pharmaceuticals, it doesnt address fraud, it doesnt address tort reform, it does not improve medical care; it restricts it. These are basic economic tenants. The public has sent a consistent message that it opposes the bill, with the Senate election in Massachusetts providing the exclamation point.

Well, said! We SHOULD be "earnestly and sincerely embarrassed that the very affluent USA, my native country, is the one and only developed nation in the whole wide world that does NOT provide basic health care for ALL of its people!" It is a shameful travesty that the very best of comprehensive health care from other nations cannot be adopted into reform for US citizens and, instead, corporate powers continue to "pull strings" denying Americans real universal, public options.