As things stand, 65-year-olds get enrolled in Medicare. Buy-in is something of a different beast: Folks between 55 and 64 with access to the exchange could choose to buy Medicare. That sets up an apples-to-apples comparison. And that apples-to-apples comparison is not going to come out well for private insurers, as Medicare has a large and acknowledged price advantage over them. They might be fine with that, because no one wants to insure 60-year-olds anyway. But I doubt they’re going to be fine with a world in which people see the full difference between the prices private insurers offer and the prices a robust public insurer can offer. That, after all, is why they fought the strong public plan so ferociously.
Tag: yep
It’s the paper equivalent of TV’s morning shows hosts who fake being the dumbest people in the world whenever the subject is anything but cats or pie.
Neven Mrgan on the “pretenda-gotcha interview style.” See: Brooks, David.
(via marco)
…what if we chose to accept the fact that every few years, despite all reasonable precautions, some hundreds or thousands of us may die in the sort of ghastly terrorist attack that a democratic republic cannot 100-percent protect itself from without subverting the very principles that make it worth protecting?
The funny thing about all of this is that no matter how bad all their ideas are, no matter how disastrous their governance has been, no matter how many horrible things they have done to the economy and this country, what really is killing the Republican party is that deep down, they are just complete assholes.
[…]
People don’t like to be treated like crap, and grown-ups don’t want to be associated with people who yell “You lie” or scream “socialism” or “Hitler” or accuse you of being a terrorist whenever they don’t get their way.
John Cole, hitting on a very basic reality for today’s GOP.
Naturally, this is bad for the Democrat.
Naturally, this is bad for the Democrat.
By far the fastest way to end the war in Afghanistan would be to ask General McChrystal’s staff to produce a plan to make it deficit neutral and find sixty votes in the senate for his financing plan.
Every vote over the minimum necessary to secure passage represents compromises that the Democrats as a group would prefer not to make. It’s not that Nancy Pelosi was lucky to pass the bill, it’s that the Democrats wrote the strongest bill they could that would get enough votes to pass. That’s good strategy.
Rafe Colburn, who I currently agree with 100%.
Remember when Timothy McVeigh blew up Oklahoma City and 80% of the news was about him being a Christian? Yeah, me neither.
After tonight’s elections results, Joe Biden must resign, Sarah Palin must be confirmed as his replacement, and then Barack Obama must resign. The people have spoken.
FOXnews objective reality:
savagemike reports a handy guide of use to anyone trying to keep up with US current events:
Parents who don’t want their children to pray in school are Anti-American zealots — parents who don’t want their children to listen to a speech by the President of the United States telling them to work hard and get good grades are noble patriots.
Peacefully demonstrating against the country starting an international war is treason — showing up with automatic weapons to protest healthcare reform is democracy at its finest.
Any government official with a desk job should have every action scrutinized — any government official with a badge and a gun should never be questioned or disrespected. At all. Ever.
Questioning the legitimacy of an election because the “winner” was selected by the Supreme Court is sour grapes — questioning the legitimacy of an election because the winner (by the largest number of votes in American history) is really a Kenyan born Muslim despite all evidence to the contrary is being a vigilant American.
Lying about a blowjob is an impeachable offense — lying about a war is no big deal, really.
Investigating a shady land deal involving the First Lady is a matter of National Identity — investigating the use of torture at the direction of the Executive Branch is a partisan witch hunt.
Executing Japanese officers for waterboarding prisoners during WWII shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights — waterboarding prisoners of our shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights.
Sitting two rows in front of Jane Fonda in a 1970 anti-war rally is an OUTRAGE! Shaking Saddam’s hand in 1983…meh, not so much.
Anyone who questions the president during a time of war is giving aide and comfort to the enemy and should be deported…unless the president in question has a (D) next to their name in which case you should undermine them at every turn even if you have to routinely make shit up to do it.
Socialism, Marxism, Communism and Fascism are all interchangeable words that mean pretty much the same thing.
Anyone who abuses drugs should be locked up indefinitely…unless they are a popular Republican radio host in which case they need your prayers as they recover from the illness of addiction.
Health Insurance companies have your best interests in mind and anyone who thinks otherwise is trying to turn America into the Godless heathen nation of Sweden where EVERYONE in the country dies (eventually).
Obama is an atheist communist muslim who attended a radical christian church.
Believing that human activity could impact the global environment is crazy talk — believing that an invisible man in the sky personally told George Bush to invade Iraq to fulfill Biblical prophecy is logically sound.
The verdict is still out on evolution — but Jesus Christ returning in our lifetimes is a pretty much a given.
The media are unquestionably biased against Republicans — Talk Radio, The Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, The Wall Street Journal, Rightwing Blogs, Fox News and NewsCorp are not part of the media.
The government should have no part in regulating multi-national corporations as they make decisions that impact the lives of millions of people — government should regulate individuals by determining who they can marry, what kind of intercourse they can have, what they can smoke, how to manage their pregnancy and how to proceed with end of life decisions.
Communicating with hostile nations is a stab in the back to our great nation — Reagan communicating with the USSR during the Cold War was Political Genius.
Iran is a mortal threat to our nation and anyone who attempts to talk to them is traitorous scum — selling weapons to Iran and then funneling the money to start wars in South America is clearly in our National interest.
George Bush kept the nation safe after 9-11 (NOTE: the Anthrax attacks, the DC Sniper and Hurricane Katrina don’t count. Also, the fact that 9-11 happened on his watch despite receiving a security briefing specifically warning of the attack doesn’t count either.)
Social Security, Medicare, public schooling, public libraries, fire departments, police departments and the US Military are as American as Apple Pie — universal healthcare is ZOMGDEATHPANELSOCIALISM!!
George W Bush is a regular ‘ole Texas rancher just like you and me despite the fact that he was born in Connecticut, attended two Ivy League schools, bought the Crawford ranch just before running for president, [redacted], and is terrified of horses.
The two guys at the center of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals are trustworthy voices in discussions of current national policy and should be taken at face-value.
Now who can argue with that?
Lemkin 