Healthcare
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More on the Tension between Liberty and Equality
First line of Gettysburg address: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Last line: . . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this
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Conservatives/Libertarians/Liberals
Commenter Dan H about six months ago at Will Wilkinson's "Liberaltarian Reactions": A more fundamental rift between liberals and libertarians is that liberals believe that society and economic activity needs to be planned by a central authority. This is why they are almost always in favor of new regulations – a regulation is a plan,
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Bargaining 101 (Updated)
I do not think Matt [Yglesias], or Ezra Klein, or Kevin Drum, or Paul Starr are closet Blue Dogs, but I DO think, in terms of political bargaining, they DO represent well why Democrats and progressives are the worst political bargainers I have ever seen. Look, I have negotiated civil litigation settlements for 20 years.
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Help Congress Grow a Spine
Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake has been working hard to do this, and she deserves our support. If you're in tune with the basic thrust of what I've been saying here about the fight for healtcare reform, please go here and help her to do what I've been arguing has to be done. Postscript. See here
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Hopeful Signs of Spine Formation
We will not make a decision to pursue reconciliation until we have exhausted efforts to produce a bipartisan bill," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Mr. Reid. "However, patience is not unlimited, and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary." Privately, those involved in the talks now say
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Heathcare Reform Defeatism (Updated)
[Senator] Bingaman [D-New Mexico] may be the prime example of the way some Senate Democrats seem to have approached the healthcare debate this summer: count votes first, figure out what should be in the bill later. And while you're counting, take the most pessimistic view possible. Though three committees in the House and one in
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Fighting for Healthcare Reform III
Joseph at 538 'Comments' After 8 years of Bush the stars finally align for the Democrats, yet after less than 8 months, Democrats start running around like chicken little screaming that the sky is falling. It's no wonder Republicans call Democrats weak. We prove them correct with our panic. We also create our own self-fulfilling
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Fighting for Healthcare Reform II (Updated)
Krugman: So much, then, for Mr. Obama’s dream of moving beyond divisive politics. The truth is that the factors that made politics so ugly in the Clinton years — the paranoia of a significant minority of Americans and the cynical willingness of leading Republicans to cater to that paranoia — are as strong as ever.
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Quote of the Day: Joan Walsh
I admire Obama's desire for conversation, consultation and, if possible, bipartisan support for his agenda. But it's been clear since early in his term that the GOP marching orders are to thwart him whenever possible. I didn't really think Chuck Grassley would craft a healthcare bill more palatable to me, but I thought possibly he'd
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Obama & Big Pharma (Updated)
Caught between a pivotal industry ally and the protests of Congressional Democrats, the Obama administration on Friday backed away from what drug industry lobbyists had said this week was a firm White House promise to exclude from a proposed health care overhaul the possibility of allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices under Medicare.