I watched a bit of the ridiculous Specter townhall and wasn't surprised that senator tool tweeted this bullshit shortly after the meeting...
So Specter thinks the folks we ought to listen to when it comes to the very complicated issue of health care in America are the children throwing a tantrum supported by organized opposition from insurance lobbyists? The "message" he's taking back came from DC to begin with. Moron.
I was afraid this would be a product of the townhall rioting. Blue Dogs and other pro-insurance industry congressmen are going to use the right-wing primal scream as cover to torpedo the public option and kill reform.
I think it would be a good time to kill the townhalls. Nothing good has come of them.
"1000 people came to tell me what was on their minds and I have a message to take back to DC loud and clear."
So Specter thinks the folks we ought to listen to when it comes to the very complicated issue of health care in America are the children throwing a tantrum supported by organized opposition from insurance lobbyists? The "message" he's taking back came from DC to begin with. Moron.
I was afraid this would be a product of the townhall rioting. Blue Dogs and other pro-insurance industry congressmen are going to use the right-wing primal scream as cover to torpedo the public option and kill reform.
I think it would be a good time to kill the townhalls. Nothing good has come of them.
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There's nothing I can say that Mark Evanier hasn't already said better.
"Have you seen — and if so, can you direct me to — an article that lays out a real case against the current reform proposals? I can't believe there aren't genuine, valid arguments against them but all the talking points we seem to get fall into one of three categories...
1. You take something rotten that health insurance companies do all the time like denying coverage. You make like that never happens but would constantly if the government got into the health care business, even though the government would have little or no incentive to do that thing, whereas for-profit companies have plenty.
2. You pretend that the government isn't already in the health care business...and quite successfully, at that. Has anyone ever seriously proposed turning the V.A. over to Aetna to run? I mean, besides maybe Aetna and those they pay to say such things. And has anyone checked to see how many Senators who oppose government-run health care are turning it down and buying Blue Shield policies for themselves and their loved ones?
3. You just plain lie about what's in the proposal. It's so long that no one's going to read it. So if you say, "Under this plan, if you get sick the government has the right to kill your housepets," no one's going to utterly disprove it. At best, some in the media will pit a talking head who says it's in there against one who says it's not and then act like it's all an open question.
Seriously: Can anyone point to an article against the current proposals that doesn't play those games? I'd certainly be open to the argument that this particular Health Care Reform package is flawed in its design and details but no one seems to be making it. Instead, it's all about "death panels" and arranging for Granny to take the permanent dirt nap before she's ready for it."
I can't bring myself to pay attention to this fiasco. Trying to figure what the right actually wants is like shaking Terri Schiavo, and demanding that she explain how we should procede. The difference of course is that Schiavo was not in a constant, violent, angry seizure.
I'm in favor of the government creating Thunderdome and letting these lunatics have at it.
From the Doonesbury section of Slate.com. It references item 3 from Mr. E's list:
"People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless."
-- from Investor's Business Daily editorial on "death panels"
"I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS [National Health Service]. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived."
-- Stephen J. Hawking, who has motor neurone disease, was born in the UK, and has lived there his entire life
(man, you'd think I didn't have my own blog or something)
I keep finding this stuff. If this keeps up I'll be as angry as The Dean ;)
I am bookmarking this site as it is full of lively ideas and the intelligent insights.
--- Victor
my chest hurts!
Some good things have, but the crazies and the reactionary voices get drowned out and that degree of sensationalism is too much catnip for a media already hurting for readership and viewership.
Don't stop the town halls. Some parts of it are awesome!
Personally, I can't wait until the government makes my next car. I can't wait until the next batch of rancid vaccine makes its way to our health care centers. I can't wait until a government matron helps me bathe and dresses me each day, cooks my oat meal, or trims my finger nails. This is great, is there anything the government can't do better that we can do ourselves?
That's the sort of Philistine pig ignorance fests the town halls have turned into, thanks to the rethuglicans.
Ignorance breeds fear breeds ignorance breeds ...thanks for confirming that "Dave".
We've already had rancid vaccines thanks to the profits-trump-all system we've got right now.
Is anyone besides Fox News foot soldiers attending these events anymore?
Uber, they're not only attending them, they're jizzing all over themselves saying their reporting has changed the course of health care reform.
I'm a pissed as the Dean. The right bleats and Republicans say "so that means yes, right?!" I'm pissed at the whining and frothing of the conservatives. I'm pissed that the left is starting to fold. No prescription negotiations? Sliding on the public option? Why not just let the insurance companies write the policy?
Only a short year ago, protesters would have been salted with rubber bullets, tasers, and pepper spray and corralled into Free Speech zones at such events.
The first (and 2nd) amendment is okay for thee but not for me apparently.
These people are a group of FreedomWorks controlled Ward Churchill equivalents who are more interested in making waves than making sense.
We can't let these idiots destroy the town hall format, just as we shouldn't remove the filibuster just because some crybabies abuse it over and over.
Sometimes democracy and the democratic process is contentious and tested by hooligans, but it is worth preserving.
Health care is a litmus test to see if Americans are smart enough to figure out their own best interests. We shall see.
(My RSS feed died, so I didn't know you were posting. My apologies for not littering your site with comments)
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