jim's op/ed

Here we sit waiting on HCR... What health care REFORM?
Doesn't appear to be much in what you might actually see as reform.
"Business as usual" in Washington. There should be a law against letting lobbyists and CEOs from health insurance companies or big pharma meet in secret or cut backroom deals or sit at the table and dictate policy.

As congressional activity grinds along at a snails pace the insurance companies have a proactive agenda. Start raising the rates... h/t.. TPM
Anthem Blue Cross CA - 39%... mo money, mo money..
"Last year.... the five largest health insurance companies - WellPoint, UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, Aetna, and Humana - took in combined profits of $12.2 billion, up 56 percent over 2008. "


Is there any question that profit needs to be taken out of this equation?
Some have said that health care is a civil right and that this is a moral issue. But Obama and his ilk not only didn't pursue a single payer plan, they gave up the public option.
What campaigning Obama may have wanted is different than what President Obama demands.

h/t...Intoxination
"Tomorrow Obama will lay out his compressive healthcare plan. That’s only a year into the debate and when healthcare is on life support. Obama decided a long time ago to play it safe in the world of politics, rather than taking a firm stand. That is something FDR would never have done."

So who will stand up?
Um... Mr Kucinich, what do you say?
“Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution"...

3/16/10*** UPDATE***
OOPS!!!
It appears there has been a change of plan..
"Kucinich changes position on health care, will vote 'yes'.."

***
Here is the meat & potatoes of this stinker of a bill..
Mr. Nader & Mr. Kucinich @ Democracy Now




Kucinich looks beat down, almost broken. People are saying "he caved" and now call him "Caveman Kucinich". It appears he did give up the fight because of some strange sense of loyalty to the office of the president and for what?
I say the "office of the president" because this man; Obama; has done little to make things better and he has done alot to stay on the same path as Bush and that sucks.