Viva Socialism!

[The Progressive]

I read somewhere that Stevens is or will be retiring next year, which would Obama a rare opportunity to nominate not just one but two SCOTUS justices.

[Jaxom 1974]

SS,

More than that with my employer paying a large chunk.

I'm generally not in the loop on a lot of these politcal things, but isn't this part of the problem and one reason for the need of some kind of reform/universal system?

I don't know, or offer, any true solutions, as I'm trying to wrap my head about a lot of this still.

[Galactus]

TL,

Yes, however, you can choose to not own an automobile, can't you? How do you exempt out of the Health Insurance mandate? Therefore, not the best analogy no matter how many times it's trotted out.

Suicide.

I'm serious. Sartre would agree, too.

[Commodore]

I'm not sure of any other circumstance where you are fined for not giving money to a private party.

It may or may not be constitutional, but it's definitely messed up.

[aeu]

I'm not sure of any other circumstance where you are fined for not giving money to a private party.

This can easily be fixed with a public option. :P

[Shryke]

An even more extensive article on exactly what this bill does.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0322/Health-care-reform-bill-101-what-the-bill-means-to-you

[Annelise]

Well, McCain said in an interview there will be no cooperation from the GOP the rest of the year.

Reid responds to McCain:

"For someone who campaigned on 'Country First' and claims to take great pride in bipartisanship, it's absolutely bizarre for Senator McCain to tell the American people he is going to take his ball and go home until the next election. He must be living in some parallel universe because the fact is, with very few exceptions, we've gotten very little cooperation from Senate Republicans in recent years.

"At a time when our economy is suffering and we're fighting two wars, the American people need Senator McCain and his fellow Republicans to start working with us to confront the challenges facing our country-not reiterating their constant opposition to helping working families when they need it most."

So anyhoo, we may indeed find out if there's any mavericks in Senate. Esp. if that second jobs bill goes back to them after the House is done with it. If I had to guess, I'd say Kerry and Graham don't roll out their climate bill for awhile.

By the by, I burst out laughing when I saw Obama say something about a renewed commitment to bipartisan immigration reform this year. Oh, okay. But I bet Republicans would cheer like its 1994 if Dems tried to tackle that before midterms; oh my god I can't think of another issue Republicans could have more of a field day with. It's going to be ugly as all hell when that debate does come in earnest, a real tea party moment.

[Shryke]

McCain:

Democrats shouldn’t expect much cooperation from Republicans the rest of this year, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) warned Monday.

McCain and another Republican senator decried the effect health reform legislation has had on the Senate, a day after the House passed the upper chamber’s bill.

GOP senators emerged Monday to caution that the health debate had taken a toll on the institution, warning of little work between parties the rest of this year.

“There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,” McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. “They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.”

As if they were cooperating to begin with...

But hey, Reid actually grows a pair (or at least half a pair):

“For someone who campaigned on ‘Country First’ and claims to take great pride in bipartisanship, it’s absolutely bizarre for Senator McCain to tell the American people he is going to take his ball and go home until the next election. He must be living in some parallel universe because the fact is, with very few exceptions, we’ve gotten very little cooperation from Senate Republicans in recent years.

“At a time when our economy is suffering and we’re fighting two wars, the American people need Senator McCain and his fellow Republicans to start working with us to confront the challenges facing our country—not reiterating their constant opposition to helping working families when they need it most.”

Someone needs to send McCain a pregnancy test after that.

[Mad Monkey]

Well, McCain said in an interview there will be no cooperation from the GOP the rest of the year.

I must have missed the bit where Sen. McCain became the Minority Leader or the head of the Republican Party. Seriously, does the grandstanding ever really stop with any of these guys?

[TerraPrime]

oh my god I can't think of another issue Republicans could have more of a field day with. It's going to be ugly as all hell, when that debate does come in earnest, a real tea party moment.

Don't forget: gays, guns, and abortion.

DADT is somewhere on the agenda.

Oh, I just noticed that the GOP can come up with a nice mnemonic device here:

Guns Abort Gays.

Win!!

[Mad Monkey]

Wouldn't that make abortion sound positive?

Anyway, I don't think they can win with DADT. If the Democrats wanted, they could probably get rid of that in an instant. I think that this is an issue that Republicans can come around on; it's not as "radical" as gay marriage and is much more popular polls-wise. I can't remember if we're only counting polls if they support what we already believe, but I think that this is one of those cases.

[Tempra]

I read somewhere that Stevens is or will be retiring next year, which would Obama a rare opportunity to nominate not just one but two SCOTUS justices.

He may even get a third if Ginsburg retires/dies. It won't have much effect on the court, however, because he'll be replacing liberal justices with liberal justices. The court might actually become more conservative if Obama throws up another Sotomayor-esque pick.

[Annelise]

McCain:

As if they were cooperating to begin with...

Well, they did get what, 11 Republican Senators on that first jobs bill. Economy legislation, if McCain's comments do reflect leadership's strategy, is where I would look for breakaways.

Terra,

I don't know how to say this because I don't want to hurt your feelings. It's not that the gheys don't mean anything to the GOP anymore, but there's just too much support for the repeal of DADT to go toe to toe with the furor of amnesty and illegals. Especially in *this* economy.

[sologdin]

heh. i love the grrm blog post, noted in the previous incarnation of this thread, wherein he debates some libertarians in the comments section. one libertarian even states that he has just watched the lives of others, and godsdammit, this health insurance reform is just like that movie. good shit.

[awesome possum]

It's going to be ugly as all hell when that debate does come in earnest, a real tea party moment.

Hell, everything Obama and the Democrats do until November will likely be a tea party moment. The GOP needs these loons to keep their party energized. Hate is a powerful source of energy.

DADT is somewhere on the agenda.

I'd lay money down on late summer and early fall, just in time for the elections.

[Joanna vander Poele]

Good job on getting the bill passed, guys :)

[Tears of Lys]

I'm generally not in the loop on a lot of these politcal things, but isn't this part of the problem and one reason for the need of some kind of reform/universal system?

I don't know, or offer, any true solutions, as I'm trying to wrap my head about a lot of this still.

Glad I'm not the only one. :idea:

[TerraPrime]

Re: Annelise

So, GOP needs some personal space to reconsider our relationship? Or is it that the GOP is not ready to take the next step in life when it comes to relationship?

Re: ToL

Glad I'm not the only one. :idea:

Well, back to Jaxom's question then...

It depends on whom you ask.

I think the hitching of health care to employment is a detriment to career mobility in this country. Some pundits have argued that it hurts competitiveness of American companies, to be saddled with the increasing large cost of providing health care to their employees, when other countries offer it out of the tax base and free up the companies' resources.

In addition, I also have a moral objection to the idea that whether someone is deserving of basic health care is dependent on his/her job. I consider basic health care a fundamental right for citizens in industrialized countries. For those who don't share the view, they might not see disentangling health care/health insurance from employment to be as important a goal.

But, yes, if you ask me, the fact that our employers are paying hundreds of dollars per month for our health care is one of the reasons why we need to have reform and/or UHC.

[Annelise]

Re: Annelise

So, GOP needs some personal space to reconsider our relationship? Or is it that the GOP is not ready to take the next step in life when it comes to relationship?

I'm just saying to avoid the wandering eye, you may want to step up the gheyness. Slacker.

[Shryke]

Tying Health Care to Employment has no benefits to the economy and many downsides.