Democrats Push Reluctant Obama To End Antitrust Exemption For Insurance Companies

Ever sense Obama and the Democratic leadership sold out the American public to Big Insurance by dropping the Public Option there poll numbers and also that of health care HAVE TANKED. Now things are so low there fighting for anti-trust (An idea supported by all, right and left) Scrap this crap and go reconciliation!! It is there only chance to stay in there seats in 2010. I will no longer vote for spineless democrats, it's Green party time for me, at least they'll legalize weed and end this stupid expensive drug war.

It's about time Obama went and told ol Ben Nelson to go fuck himself and vote for the bill including ending the antitrust exemption. The ongoing excuse that one or another primadonna in the Senate won't allow something is bullshit. Obama can strong arm Ben Nelson if he wants, but the thing is he doesn't want to do it. Kudos to the real Democrats in the House insisting on some progress in the Obma health insurance profit protection bill!

I bet that Obama is thanking 'the gods' for the Haiti earthquake.
Rahm was seen doing a Pas marche' when CNN was showing the devastation.

This sixty votes in the Senate thing has GOT to go. It's California-style, non-democracy legislative constipation that would make the Founding Fathers blow a gasket.

Oh, I don't know. It sends chills down my spine to think that there really might be 60 votes dedicated to taxing my health benefits to force me into a wretched policy and to discourage me from seeking medical care so that big insurance companies can maintain high profits and 60 senators may maintain their pockets full of cash.

Obama is another Clinton, they give us supply side representation, the Corporate boys get fed first and
the public gets the scraps that fall off the table.

I'm not in the whole reactionary, frustrated kill the bill vote for Republicans group. I think there have probably been some good fixes in conference and I am looking forward to this bill going into law.

A strong supporter of the public option it was whittled down to nothing. However I do like the national exchanges. The Dems by letting the Senate get out of hand could loose their seat in Mass. That would be something else to hang around Lieberman's neck.

He of course loving to grab center stage forgot to look at the big picture. The public option was nothing at that point but he made a big stink about it and here we are with voter fatigue, and anger at the sheer stubbornness of those politicians completely sold out to the status quo.

All that being said if this bill brings down cost for the middle class and says to the 1% uber wealthy - you need to contribute to the well being of this Country that has been so good to you - with its military, infrastructure and system of laws, and this bill makes them contribute their fair share - based on the giveaways they have enjoyed the past decade then I can support this bill.

The bottom line is that there is wide agreement across a broad market sector of the public, doctors, and business that the monopolies the insurance companies currently enjoy have abused our economy for decades.

In a Country based on a system of checks and balances we have to restore those checks and balances to the Insurance Industry.

Rolling back the anti-trust exemption and putting the power of the people onto the bargaining table not chopped up into 50 little pieces but through a "national" exchange is one way to do that.

Better times are on the way and more money in our 'national" pockets will make for a better more vibrant market and Country that can better compete globally than just the 1% getting richer and richer and richer and being the only ones benefiting from our laws.

That we might help single working mothers and those less fortunate than ourselves is the real mandate from above. It will be a better world for all when we all start doing the right thing....right Joe

Paul Burke
Author-Journey Home

Let me translate Obama's contortion on the antitrust exemption here and get at what he meant to say a little clearer: "No chance in hell."

People, this atrocity of a health insurance bill has around 30% public support at this point. People would have more respect for Obama for fighting for something and having it die than for passing the present bill. Obama has demonstrated in the past that he's perfectly willing to play hardball with liberal members of Congress - just not the obstructionists.

"The Democratic Party: We stood up for the ability of the IRS to fine you for not buying health insurance from the broken industry that we legally required you to buy from. Can we count on your vote in November?"

And don't feed us this bull about Obama having no leverage with Nelson. He has plenty if he wants to use it. "Listen up buddy, if you want another dime in highway funds for your state, you're voting for cloture on this. I may or may not be re-elected, but you sure as hell won't."