Healthcare Outrage

Dr. Blanchard observes that healthcare bill that has just passed in the house is "the most radical piece of legislation since the New Deal." That in itself is worth noting, but what makes it even more interesting is the left's reaction to the bill.

One might expect the left to be happy. Yet, despite the passing of the radical changes Dr. Blanchard mentions, it is not at all satisfied. Indeed, some on the left are outraged. Taylor Marsh of the Huffington Post, for instance, accuses "Pelosi's House" of "selling women out" for passing the bill with an amendment that, according to CNN, "bans federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance `exchange' the bill would create."

CNN goes on to make a claim that I find very interesting. First it notes that the amendment was introduced by anti-abortion Democrats. Then it says this:

Its consideration was considered a big win for them and for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which used its power -- especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts -- to help force other Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose.

Really?

How is it, I wonder, that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was suddenly able "help force" Democratic leaders to permit a vote most of them oppose?

I had no idea the conference held such power over the house's democratic leadership. Why has it not wielded its power to force them to do anything before?

I suspect that the bill, as amended will have a hard time making it through the senate. Unfortunately, the amendment is likely to be killed in committee. But the fight is likely to be messy and long. And even if the bill passes without the "anti-abortion" amendment, I doubt that the left will be happy. There's always something to be angry about if that's what you're looking for.

Comments

[David]

I'm from Connecticut, a Democratic state if there is one, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Health care reform is long, long overdue - and without it we will be increasingly uncompetitive in the world - but trying to jam abortion in there as a "women's health issue" is the kind of logic-twisting that has been going on for far too long. They thought they had it made: abortions for everyone, encouraged and paid for. Thank God and Bart Stupak and a handful of others for holding the line on this foundational issue.

David Stein

[katie stevens]

More work is definitely needed. I do not at all accept that illegal aliens should be able to buy policies through the exchange, even if they are paying for it on their own. Illegal equals criminal, they do not belong here and should not be entitled to anything.

To enable illegal aliens to enjoy the benefits of life in America, whether it is housing, healthcare or employment is a slap in the face to those immigrants who follow the appropriate legal channels to obtain residency, green card and eventually citizen status.

[caheidelberger]

Come now, Miranda, you know we Kucinich Dems won't be happy until we get single-payer... or maybe just a Democrat in South Dakota's House seat who acts like a Democrat. ;-)

[Miranda]

David: Thank you for your input! I agree with you 100%.

Katie: It had been very hard for me to oppose immigration of any sort. One of the reasons I love America is that it has been home to so many refugees. I love the lines of The New Colossus:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.

But it is important to enforce the laws we make and those who immigrate, but then proceed to bash America have slowly been changing my idealistic view of
the complete greatness of immigration.

Cory: Good to see you!
What if the single payer was Cory Heidelberger?

[NIC]

Very interesting blog post. Nice job! No matter how you look at it, abortion is a tricky subject that leads to extremely passionate opinions on both sides. We're takin gon this topic over at http://www.noinsuranceclub.com/blog if anyone wishes to chime in there as well. Thanks!

[Macgregor]

This healthcare reform bill is just what I predicted it was going to be: force hard working people to foot the bill to the remaining few and powerful Insurance Companies. The bill for those making $44,000 (which is $8,000 above the average median income in South Dakota) would ended up being by the best estimates thus far: $5,300/year for the mandated coverage + $2,000 in out of pocket expenses + a 2.5% individual mandated tax = around $8-10,000 a year. That is between 19.5 and 20% of our income!!! WTF??? We will be lucky if we can afford to feed ourselves after this is all said and done. I am sooooooo against this. And the worst part: Once it becomes law, the finer details of true costs will not be figured out, which means we got to sign on before we know the details? Who in their right friggin' mind signs into an agreement before they know the details? This joke of a Healthcare Reform Bill needs to be DEFEATED!!!

[caheidelberger]

What if I were the single payer? Oh, would that I could!