I cannot help but wonder how this health care debate will spill out. The level of enmity and identity politics is reeling so far out of control that I think we need a Psychiatric Department added to the Cabinet.
If for a moment our readers can suspend their editorial inclinations, and chime into something substantial and concrete, I would love to hear some predictions about how health care reform will look by Christmas. Or will it have a look?
A man must know his destiny. if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder. if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it.” Gen. George S. Patton
No different than under Clinton – if they get enough seats next election the Repubs will be trying for impeachment.
There is the off chance that Obama and them Dems will wake up and start fighting fire with fire, but they can’t seem to do that.
Republicans under Bush voted for everything he wanted. Democrats are too splintered to vote as one party. Therefore, change in the healthcare system will be more tweak than reform. Insurance companies will win the battle because there will be no public option.
But I don’t think Democrats and Obama can afford an “all or nothing” mentality. They’ll have to accept the tweaking of the system, which should include the elimination of insurance companies screening out people with pre-existing conditions. And this will be a good thing.
So more people will get insurance, but will premiums be lower? Probably not. The government will subsidize people who can’t afford the premiums and insurance companies will end up with lots of taxpayer dollars.