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White House to Democrats: ‘Punch back twice as hard’ – Carrie Budoff Brown – POLITICO.com — None of this would have happened if the lazy Congress decided not to take a month vacation, would it?
Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort.
Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from “consumer protections” in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance
based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs.They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said.
And they screened TV ads and reviewed the various campaigns by critics of the Democratic plan.
“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.
Meanwhile this is getting ugly. When you have a real unemplyment rate of perhaps 16-percent or higher, you don’t want this sort of thing to develop. At the end of the day, it’s something to do and fun for a lot of people. Bigger and bigger riots will happen. The vacation month just started.
What astounds me are Obamadules approving propaganda, calmly describing lying to the public, their utilizing the “spin” which fooled the public best, applauding it, approving it…
when its purpose is to fool AMERICANS into accepting what is clearly not in their best interest.
In other words, you all know they poll to learn the best “spin” to confuse the public into accepting what, if described precisely, they would reject.
Its dishonest…yet you all accept it as necessary in politics…
Dependency upon government is the antithesis of what this country is founded upon…it results in soft tyranny.
In practice, rationed health care results in senior citizen death…because their requirements are always the first to be cut, as again proved by Obama’ plan to cut medicare to help pay for Obama care.
“To hell with them if they cant pay or we cant extract one more penny from the working man….,
….said the RepubliCANT’S
I would be interesting if the people opposed to the Obama plan were to be truthful and state their personal situation with regard to health care… I am sure most have it paid for by a corporation or they are a retired govt employee anyway…
I was once denied coverage, because of the timezone I was in when I required the insurance… the system is broken… sad but true.
Anyone notice the protesters are all white people? No blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc whatsoever in these screaming groups of loonies. Only whites, with Nazi or other racist signs. This is a dead giveaway to what this “movement” is all about and the REAL reasons behind it. The Repubs should be very wary of these associations, as the rest of the country is watching, the people who elected Obama, the MAJORITY of people in this country. I have voted Republican in the past, but don’t think I want to be associated with white supremacist racist mobs and the party that purports to represent these types of people any more.
Even the most pathetic of the GOP-TV watchers agree that a single payer system is a solid recommendation to curtail the spiraling cost of Health Care Insurance.
The trick is to rebuke the GOP-TV mouth foaming that the DMV won’t don scrubs and replace your doctor.
Explain that like “terrorist”, the new scare word is “socialist” in order to herd the sheep away from reform.
Once you describe that clean water, the military, police, fire, public school, university, medicare and a host of other services are taxed and then paid by single payer government would they get it.
In the mean time, GOP-TV, insurance industry grease money, corrupt politicians and the benefit of ignorance is on the side of the multi-trillion dollar insurance industry.
THAT is the state of our union.
Want no government encroachment? May I recommend moving to Somalia? Their government has little to no influence farther than, say, ten miles from the government buildings.
Some of the regulations you suggest sound like good ideas — but isn’t that also more government encroachment?
Meanwhile, insurance, pharma, hospital & other lobbyists are spending almost A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS A DAY fighting this, hiring buses to cart people (Brown Shirts) all over the country to scream and yell and jump up and down at Town Hall meetings, while their tame senators and congresscritters do nothing but squeak “No! Wait! Stop! No! Wait! Stop!” (That’s the new national anthem of the Republican Party.)
Oh, and let’s not forget the professionally-designed lies:
“It’s all a plot to kill off the old folks!”
“Forced abortions!!!”
“We’ll all have to have sex change operations!” (That one’s particularly stupid. I bet that one wasn’t designed by the professionals.)
“They will ban all private insurance!”
“You’ll have to go to a doctor with an accent you won’t understand!”
“It’s a plot to destroy Medicare!”
“It’s a plot to put everyone on Medicare!” (Contradictions will be lost in the noise.)
“They’ll tear down three quarters of all hospitals!”
And don’t forget: along with all these lobbyists, RUSH IS LYING TO YOU! GLENN BECK IS LYING TO YOU! BILL O’REILLY IS LYING TO YOU! If you fall for their lies, you deserve what you get — a health care system only for the millionaires.
#44 Didn’t you also notice that all protesters are CEO’s in disguise? Only wealthy people go to those town halls. And you lefties call everyone else racist.
Uncle Patso
“Some of the regulations you suggest sound like good ideas — but isn’t that also more government encroachment?”
Good! This is called Discourse/Discussion/Debate.
It seems the Obama Administration doesn’t want any of this and are trying to force their plan down our throats.
We need to slow down, take a deep breath, and consider that the regular citizenry on a blog can come up with alternative proposals which may be far better than the Government Option.
yeah, it does seem like the ‘solution’ has been presented, and the Dem’s are wondering why we arent’ standing up and applauding…
I wonder whey they’re suprised.
Everyone needs to Chill Out (Obama’s peeps included) and talk things through.
#49, Thinker,
Everyone needs to Chill Out (Obama’s peeps included) and talk things through.
Talk what through?
Getting a similar system to what the rest of the industrialized world has?
Getting quality health care to those currently uninsured and under-insured?
Reducing health care costs in America?
Channeling health care dollars from the CEOs paychecks to those that need it?
Cease funding unnecessary testing and procedures in Doctor owned hospitals where the referring doctor is paid a portion of those useless tests and procedures?
Have an emergency room do more than put a band-aid on a broken leg of an uninsured person beause no one will pay them for the service?
You know, I don’t know what there is to talk about. The health insurance industry has had years to talk about these things and hasn’t. Instead they continued to raise prices and drop people that suddenly needed their services.
The best they can come up with is “tort reform”. Limit the damages someone who had the wrong leg cut off and life ruined can be awarded. Leave that guy put in a wheelchair through negligence penniless too. Yup, it was the lawyer’s fault the surgeon left the clamp inside the patient. Tort reform.
The best system for America is the single payer used in all other countries. If you want extra or private insurance then go for it. Anything less is still enriching those already rich.
#50 I thought it was an act, but you’re genuinely a complex sufferer. My sympeties go for you.
#50
> The best system
> for America is the
> single payer used in
> all other countries.
Fine. Let one or more of the States implement it and let’s see how well it works. If it works as well as you claim, people will want to move to those States in droves and the other States will follow suit. Forcing a Federal solution down the throats of the taxpayers is the wrong solution.
#52, Thomas,
Eff you. The majority of Americans realize the health care system in this country is broken. They want change. If you don’t want to partake of the democratic process then go find yourself some country where the government doesn’t interfere.
I heard Somalia is just ripe for people like you. No infrastructure, carry your full automatic in open sight, no taxes, no beggars outside your door after you shoot them, pay for your own health care and no one else, no welfare for couch potatoes, and a host of other things that any Liebertarian will find to their liking.
But leave the majority to forge their own country in the image they want, here.
Your ad hominem shows us what you think of the democratic process.
EVERYONE (Republicans, Democrats, anarchists, poor people in the street, wealthy, everyone) agrees that SOMETHING must be done to improve health care. That is not in dispute. However, there are many options that do not require tearing down the entirety of the health care insurance system that will help. The road the lemming Democrats are going down will make things much worse than they are now. Democrats in general seem to be completely ignorant of the concept of scarcity.
If you think a single payer system is so great, then have your State implement it. That is process of a Federated Republic. Why are so against that? If you think its great, then do it in your State and let’s see how it goes. Do you hate the people of your own State? If your State implements a great system, other States will want to mimic it and eventually we might take all the great ideas from all the States’ implementations, fix the bad ideas and put a consolidated approach in place.
I want the ***Federal*** government to do what it was original intended: facilitate interstate commerce and leave it to the States. It was **never** intended to be the all controlling behemoth that it is now. In fact, the original design of the country was to prevent just that. If you want an all controlling government having say over your health care, move to the UK or France or given your proclivities, North Korea, Cuba or China. I hear they are looking for people like you.
#53 Somalia is a country. You said you want to have the same healthcare as all other countries (IOW, your beloved single payer), why the moaning?
Mr Fusion
We disagree (surprise).
I recently purchased 100 pocket copies of the US Constitution so that I could pass them out to people to lazy to make the effort to buy their own. It may or may not help but I do it because I believe in the system, sort of. I don’t believe in the federal government the way it is today. It never should have been allowed to get to where it is today and if it had been kept in check when the progressives started hosing it we most likely wouldn’t be arguing like this today.
The PEOPLE then the STATES keep the power except what WE decide to grant to the feds.
So here we are. Who do you believe? Governments around the world that have single payer systems have to ration health care, there is no other way. In order to control costs they must dictate how much a doctor gets paid and how much a service costs.
You say that every other country in the world has single payer. I find that hard to believe but let’s say I take your world that the US is the only country in the world that doesn’t have SP. That doesn’t make the rest of the world correct.
I for one (and a boatload of others) do not want the feds controlling my health insurance. No one is turned away at an emergency room for service, I know I was uninsured while unemployed and need major surgery. I had it and had to pay it back which I did. that’s called personal responsibility. I have friends that had two children and had no health care for 15 years. It was their choice.
Now this administration wants to take it away from us (freedom of choice).
I have heard nothing good about the new healthcare plan, nothing except that it will cover people that don’t want insurance and illegal aliens.
So, those of us who do not want the feds screwing with us protest. While you might think I only protest democratic BS when it happens the reason for that is that it usually the democrats who want to take aware our freedoms by making us dependent on the government. Turning us into a nanny state.
I’d prefer to have the freedom of choice.
#52, Eff you.
There you go, thinking with your emotions again.
But leave the majority to forge their own country in the image they want, here.
This is a REPUBLIC. It is not supposed to be mob rule. That’s why there is a CONSTITUTION explaining that.
#54, Thomas,
However, there are many options that do not require tearing down the entirety of the health care insurance system that will help.
I notice you didn’t list one of those alternatives.
If you think a single payer system is so great, then have your State implement it.
Are you retarded? The current laws on health care forbid individual States from regulating health care. And, in case you don’t ever read the Constitution, this is a Federal matter.
#56, Mr. Diesel,
Governments around the world that have single payer systems have to ration health care, there is no other way. In order to control costs they must dictate how much a doctor gets paid and how much a service costs.
Say what??? The Insurance companies already ration health care in this country.
They tell you which doctors, specialists, facilities, and hospitals are covered in their plan. They already tell you what services are covered and (usually) for how much. If they decide an Emergency visit wasn’t warranted, you can be stuck with the whole or most of the bill. If you use a doctor outside the plan, YOU pay. Stories, including me, abound where surgeries are canceled at the last minute because the Insurance Company decided not to pay for the procedure.
And you suggest every thing is just peachy now? Holy crap, have you been huffing diesel again?
I for one (and a boatload of others) do not want the feds controlling my health insurance.
Then you haven’t been paying attention to the current bill in the House or the one in the Senate.
I have heard nothing good about the new healthcare plan, nothing except that it will cover people that don’t want insurance and illegal aliens.
Then you have turned a deaf ear to what is being said.
#57, Idiotic Loser,
This is a REPUBLIC. It is not supposed to be mob rule. That’s why there is a CONSTITUTION explaining that.
This country is a Constitutional Democratic Republic.
Constitution.
The country has a Stated basis for all laws and the limits the government make take.
Democratic
The people elect representative to govern the country as to their wishes.
Republic
A form of government with an elected leader and a representative legislature.
The political leaders in this nation do not always do what is best or what the individual wants. BUT, that is the whole base of being a democracy. If we do not like what they do we can vote them out the next election. If their laws abridge the Constitution, the matter may be settled in a court of law according to what the Constitution allows.