Why can't we just extend Medicare or Medicaid to the working uninsured and those whose insurance runs out? We can use the same system to determine eligibility that we use for disability (i.e. employer confirms employment without benefits, and petitioner fills out some forms.)

Cut some of the pork from places like Trent Lott's shipyard to pay for it. Insuring 43 million is cheaper. This will buy time to study and create a better system.

It also would not give Big Pharma money for discounts they may or may not actually give consumers. It wouldn't force people to buy insurance.

This is a variation of single payer that was never on the table. No one got to ask about it because the screamers were taking up all the mikes and airtime.

I wrote my reps and never received a reply to this question. I'm actually contemplating going to a few fundraisers so I can ask it (but I'm teed that I have to pay for the priviledge to both Dems and Repubs).

I'm angry that I was silenced while people who lost took up all the air in the room. But no one cares about my anger, just as no one should care about theirs. We need to talk about the bill without words like socialism or Nazi. We need to talk about why there needs to be SO many incentives, and so little regulation. I had questions. But I refuse to give people who intimidate and imply violence (taking guns to town halls) a win. So right now I write the politicians, reminding them they can be fired. My friends write with the same message. We write our questions, and our concerns never see public eyes.

But my concerns about the bill don't start with a picture of Obama in a Nazi salute. The screamers are not rational. They deserve to be called out and ignored so people with real questions can actually get to the microphone and ASK REAL questions.

I see people like billbrobiz here, who is calm and articulates his thoughts quite well, and is certainly not racist (he dates an African American woman). I disagree with his beliefs, but he is stating them quite clearly.

Sleeping with black people does not keep people from being racists. You can look up Strom Thurmond on that one. I agree that billbronz may not be racist (I'd need to see more postings) but who he dates and sleeps with has nothing to do with proving it.

Thank you. What a wonderful post. I think you will be a good friend for Caroline.

And I'm finding it hilarious that so many people thought you were male. Good luck. And good root beer is truly a gift of the Gods, so I hope you perfect that as well as the ginger ale.

It actually might be good if we lost on the first round. Then a better plan could be taken up and many sane people would push back against the lunatics who took it down the first time with stupid racism.

I totally agree. I dislike the plan, but I truly fear the normalization of right wing violence again in this country. These people need to understand their behavior is entirely unacceptable. I doubt they respect anything less than what they are putting out.

For me there's two issues, not letting a bad plan pass and preventing the normalization of violent right wing extremism.

I absolutely agree.

All of those stirring it up apparently consider a good thing not matter if they believe the lies prompting the anger or not. And it clearly is, since stopping the nuts and getting a good plan are now confused.

I'm worried what will happen if someone gets killed or seriously injured. Maybe everyone will step back, maybe chaos will descend and who knows what will pass in the process.

If someone is killed, the police and GOP will be forced to stop the screamers. If Obama is killed, the screamers will be so discredited that they will be lucky to dig out of the hole for a decade. I would prefer no one get killed but I'm cynical. Did you hear about the woman at the town hall whose poster of Rosa Parks got snatched at torn up? Can you imagine the screaming if someone did it to a "socialism" poster? Can you imagine the violence? It's going to happen. Some naive college student will do it, and then God help him or her. Those people will kill that child.

All in all, I kind of wish the Dems had organized, planned and got some party discipline and smacked down the thralls of special interest before gutlessly wandering into this fight.

It's becoming lose lose now. Stupid racism with win the spotlight and a crap health plan will win the legislation.

Amen. It makes me angry.

-- softdog