TheNextReport

Privilege Vs. Right Kept pointing to their prop -- the stck of paper admission: we, your leaders lack the intellectual capacity to understand complex legislation The GOP leaders at today's health care summit kept repeating that they had philosophical differences with the Democrats, namely they don't believe in government regulating the health care industry. Does anyone remember what has happened in the United States recently? The economy of the country was nearly crushed, millions of jobs and homes lost; our standard of living sustained damage that will take years to recover, all because of inadequate government regulation of private industry. Why anyone should accept including the GOP and its disproven "philosophy" as part of our political discourse is completely beyond me. Why doesn't the White House explain this simple idea to the country?

Statesman or Warrior First they gave away single payer without an argument; then they gave away expanding the eligibility age for Medicare; then they gave away the Public Option to get a 60 vote majority in the Senate that evaporated. President Obama couldn't be going into the health care summit if he wasn't prepared to give away more. The question is: how much should our president be willing to sacrifice in useless negotiations with an opposition that has proven itself to be entirely ignorant and corrupt, one that has clearly demonstrated its disdain for representative democracy? The wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry known as the Republican Party should have no voice in deciding what everyone knows is the most profound public issue of our time. President Obama has made clear that the Public Option, a component of health care reform that he endorsed as an intrinsic part of his policy, won't be on the table at tomorrow's summit, in spite of the fact that ...

National Anthem While American citizens still wait for their government to pass health care reform, a report was released that Anthem Blue Cross Insurance, the largest health insurer in California, plans to raise its premiums 39%. It may be tempting to both curse and cheer the odd logic displayed by Anthem's executives in making such a dastardly announcement at such a crucial time in the health reform debate. While we must excoriate the executives who made this decision, it nevertheless proves better than volumes of policy speeches the sad evil of private corporate healthcare. President Obama, the AMA, AARP and scores of reform advocates have struggled for over a year to explain reform proposals to Americans who still can't seem to figure out that universal health care is in their interest. Progressives have watched as weak-kneed presidential leadership, GOP stone-walling, and opposition from conservative democrats have succeeded in strangling legislation. The Anthem board and...