I'm steamed I just read a piece by Mark Penn on huffpo where he has made his case that reconciliation is the wrong path for health reform passage. He writes that he believes it has only been successfully used when the public is fully behind the legislation it is being used to pass. Huh? Now Penn is a conservative democrat at best, yet his view is accepted as fine, and bringing up a different view is not okay?
I'm the first to say I'm very concerned about the state of journalism and news in this country. It is good that huffpo seems to want to become a go to site for real news. But where does the site really stand on openess to opinion? I have tried twice this morning to post my views on Penn's op-ed, but both were refused. Here's what I said, is this really that bad?
This comment is pending approval and won't be displayed until it is approved.Mark Penn: Republican in Democrat's clothing -- I don't trust this piece a bit. Pass it now!!! It has a lot of good for people and it will be very helpful. What this guy doesn't say is that the right has just gotten better and better at lying to the people and that's why support is down. People like the individual components that make up this bill.
This comment is pending approval and won't be displayed until it is approved.
I don't trust this piece by Penn, he leans right. Pass the bill now!!! It may not be perfect, but neither was social security or medicare legislation when passed. The bill has a lot of good for people and it will be very helpful. What this guy doesn't say is that the right wing meme distorts the positives that will accrue to the country once it passes. I can't wait to be assured that pre-existing conditions are no longer reason to toss me or my family off a plan, when I know my son can remain on our plan after he leaves home...
I know lots of folks here will say I'm wrong and skewer me. But at least I can post what I believe here if it falls within certain boundaries of decency. So my question is, what's the deal with huffpo?
I saw Arianna on Real Time last night. She did her usual disavowal of anything Obama and the democrats are trying to do. She talks as if she is progressive. Then why, when I try to post a sort of moderate rebuttal, do I get taken down,yet all sorts of right wing opinions go through on the same post?
Here's what passed the smell test for huffpo this a.m. on Penn's article:
- First of all Please do not condem me for my spelling or gramer as I have large fingers and do not know how to spell verry good. With that""" I was hatched in 19 hundred and 42 and ever since I have been a Slave to the U.S. Government.. Not ever has anyone in the County, City, State, or FRDERAL Government, has ever asked for my OPENION... The U.S Government is digging into our pockets and controling us more and more. I saw a sign the other day and think it is right on (QUOAT) Obama Please keep yuur hands out of my pockets as I can stimulate my-self verry well.. All Husane Obama is trying to do is Kill off all of the Seinors and Retirees along with all of the dissabled as he is planning to take $500 Billion out of Social Security and then Cutting Costs ( that means cutting bennifets thart we have through the Insurance that we have pai into all of our lives so we may be heathful in our old age. I am just been a hard working Native American. Paying Taxes and doing what is right for my family for the past 67 years. If I had the mens or the know how I would run for the PRESIDENT My self and turn the Government back to the People, just as Our founding fathers intended it to be.
- So your plan is to reduce the number of doctors that treat everyone including the 85% of the population who are already satisfied? Many doctors will just quit the profession if they have to take what Congress wants to do.
- How about a system that would open up competition across state borders. Individuals with preexisting conditions or met the maximum cap would be transferred to a government system. This could be paid for by a slight increase in Medicare taxes and this way everyone would have catastrophic coverage. This way the government becomes the payer of last resort, which is probably a function that we can agree on is a function of government. Not the primary provider.
- The Obama health care bill is a fraud. If you want to reduce health care costs, you pass legislation to reduce health care costs, not insurance insurance reform. Health insurance reform will not reduce health care costs just like auto insurance reform would not reduce the costs of a tune-up or oil change.
- Why would you want to fundamentally change the best health care delivery system in the world it it did not reduce health care costs. You can implement health insurance reform without this massive bill.
We need someplace to go for journalism and an open forum for the news and opinion. But I am so annoyed that this is all we get so far. And Arianna gets credit for trying to correct the situation, but I think the site is basically partisan...towards whatever she thinks is right.