What would prevent it from coming to the floor for a vote? Is he suggesting Pelosi would block it? Why are we not hearing this from her then?

Or is the idea that Pelosi would forsee Weiner+99 killing the bill, and hold it back from a vote to prevent the embarassment?

Ahhhh. There's some sanity left in the House yet. I'm so glad he decided not to run for mayor.

I think the route will have to go like this. Senate passes a bill without the public opion. House passes bill with one, They reconcile and BOTH options will be in one bill.

the only logical solution is a gov. regulated "co-op" system. Giving the co-ops the right to negotiate for lower prices.

Yglesias, mastering understatement of the 64 cent question

If we assume that Baucus actually wants to see reform happen, he’s going about it in a very strange way. If you want to see reform enacted, Baucus needs to just write a bill he likes, talk to Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe about what kind of special lobster subsidies they’d like to see in it, and then you pass the thing. This isn’t brain surgery.

The Kaiser Health Fnd tracking poll via the
National Journal

When asked about specific reform proposals, these voters continue backing some key options put forth by Democrats. While support for a public option actually fell 16 points among Democrats from April to July, it stayed strong among independents; 3 out of 5 continue to support what has turned out to be a major sticking point in Senate negotiations. A June poll commissioned by Democracy Corps (D) put independents' support for a public option lower -- at 49 percent -- but still substantially above the 31 percent of Republicans who approved. Even more surprising is the fact that support for a single-payer system -- an option not being considered in Congress -- jumped from 39 percent in June to 49 percent in July in the Kaiser poll. Support for a mandate requiring every American to have health insurance moved in the opposite direction, from 71 percent in June to 64 percent in July.

Did you notice the worldwide markets today?

Do you think it is coincidence that it happened immediately after the US began backing away from serious health care reform? The economic markets know what is at stake.

The politicians act as if this is a little skirmish that is about nothing more that whether they can get re-elected. There is a calamity coming that they cannot get their small minds around.

NN

Here is something else that has not been discussed much ...

The goal for this health care reform effort has seemed to be accessible, AFFORDABLE insurance for everyone. Has anyone described exactly what AFFORDABLE means? Many, many people do not buy insurance because it is too expensive ... is there any assurance that they would actually purchase insurance at ANY realistic price? And, even if they were prepared to buy, who actually decides what the price will be?

I feel something like a sucker. For the last 40 years I have had health insurance for every single day. Most of the time it was through one of my employers, but that does not mean I did not pay for it (in lower wages, premium adjustments, co-pays, etc). For all that time I never went to the doctor, never used health care at all, except in paying (indirectly) the preminum.

So the insurance companies gladly took my money knowing (on average) they would not have to pay out a dime. But now, as a 60 year-old I have some issues, and I am practically frozen in place, by those same insurance companies. I cannot move, change jobs, retire, find individual policies because I am a risk to them.

What a racket !! The worst of it is that they can offer me an individual policy for coverage, but price it so high that I would be a fool to accept. They never lose money.

Ever wonder why they live in those enormous buildings?

NN

A good friend of mine recently moved to Queens and lives in Weiner's district. I envy her. I'm stuck with LaTourette's Disease.