Comments on: The health care reform bill that will not die

By: SAB

SAB — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:28:35 +0000

So…now that you are writing for the Weekly Standard might it be possible that one day we may see you sitting alongside Charles Krauthammer on Brett Baier’s panel of pundits?

By: BDH

BDH — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:12:37 +0000

I too thought your “bitterly cling” phrase a nice turn, as well as “openly corrupt Congress”. That is what they have become. It isn’t just the difference of opinion, or a desire for another path, it is Chicago thug politics writ large.

By: Promethea

Promethea — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:44:39 +0000

Terrific article.

Tell us, when you were a young girl studying ballet, did you ever in your wildest dreams think that you would become a political writer who made more sense than all the big brains writing for the New York Times, the New Republic, and other supposedly informed opinion leaders?

It’s amazing how things work out.

By: Promethea

Promethea — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:16:18 +0000

Just starting this thread, but I have to tell you that I never would have guessed your name was Jean. I always thought of you as “Ellen.”

I have no idea why I thought that.

OK, now I’ll go and read your article in the Weekly Standard.

🙂

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:43:39 +0000

What Begala gets wrong in your citation, Neo (and he invariably gets things wrong, as we know) is that the Dems failure to pass HillaryCare in 1993 caused, yes caused, the 1994 Republican House tsunami. Wrong again, Paul! The attempt to pass it caused the wave, just like the ObamaCare prospect, close, so very close, gave them Scott Brown. Watch Nov 2010! Assuming reasonable pollingplace honesty, which is not a given.

HillaryCare was developed in secret, just like the current effort. The WSJ worked very diligently to identify the 400-some mini-gurus, none of elected office, who formulated its features. The Journal even asked readers to identify the gurus, whose abbreviated names were released under pressure, e.g., JM Smith, MK Werner. One was Ezekiel Emanuel, it turned out. He gratuitously lied when I asked him before a medical audience why he’d been asked to serve on the Ethics Panel. “I have no idea; I’m just honored to serve”, he said. A call to the WSJ journalist involved confirmed that Rahm Emanuel, then Clinton’s senior domestic policy advisor, did indeed have a brother named Ezekiel.

Health Care “Reform” galvanized me into opposition then, as it has now.

By: effess

effess — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:02:03 +0000

With the Democrats “we know what’s best for you” attitude, I’m reminded of an old New Yorker cartoon (when their cartoons were consistently funny) showing a mother and son at the dinner table, with the following caption:

“MOTHER: It’s broccoli, dear.
CHILD: I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it.”

Just substitute “Obama/Pelosi/Reid & Co.” for “Mother” and the large majority of the electorate for “child” and you have where we are: “the hell with ObamaCare!”

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:52:01 +0000

S. Graham: actually, my name came out some time ago, in my first piece for the Weekly Standard. I plan to unbitterly cling to my apple for a while more, however.

By: huxley

huxley — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:51:27 +0000

Then there's this: "Top Democrats at war - with each other":

The anger is most palpable in the House, where Pelosi and her allies believe Obama’s reluctance to stake his political capital on health care reform in mid-2009 contributed to the near collapse of negotiations now. But sources say there are also signs of strain between Reid and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and relations between Democrats in the House and Democrats in the Senate are hovering between thinly veiled disdain and outright hostility.

I get the impression that Democrats are swinging between shell shock and panic. These people couldn't get health care done when they were unified, strong and had a supermajority. I doubt they can do it now.

By: JohnC

JohnC — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:47:49 +0000

Neo: As you point out in your WS piece, a fundamental factor has been the undemocratic audacity of the Democrats’ tactics / behavior in this fight. To me, and I believe lots have agreed with me, the audacity has been disgusting to say the least. It gets me in the stomach and I don’t like it. And I agree that this fight (this audacity) is not over until we have clear evidence that it is just that – over. Let’s hopeychange (re: let’s demand) that real history be made a la more Scott Browns. No reset button for Obama nor for Pelosi, nor Reid from me.

By: J.J. formerly Jimmy J.

J.J. formerly Jimmy J. — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:42:14 +0000

Very well argued, neo. I don’t claim to be a seer, but I predicted this in a comment here on 1/20. Here’s what I said, “My guess is that they are still going to try to pass the Senate bill out of the House unchanged, so it can go direct to Obama’s desk. They may not succeed, but I think they will give it the old college try. These people (Obama, Reid, Pelosi) do not believe the voters know what is good for them.” They are, as we speak, desperately trying to do a few mods to the Senate Bill and pass it on to Obama. They are “bitterly clinging” to their dreams of uh, er, higher priced, less efficient medical care for all. (Except the 25 million or so who won’t be covered.)

When will this nightmare end?