Thread: Obama Healthcare Reform is (Almost) Dead

Between the inability of Democrats to negotiate amongst themselves, and the fear of reprisals from the American people, the healthcare reform house of cards is poised to fall.

Obama Healthcare Reform is (Almost) Dead

By Fred Dardick
Thursday, November 5, 2009

10 months, 5+ versions, thousands of pages, hundreds of thousands of words and millions of headaches later … and the freakin’ bill just won’t die.

Jon Corzine just got trounced in New Jersey (so how’d those Obama visits work out for you?) and Virginia firmly rejected the Obama message of change (let’s face it, change is all we’re gonna have left in our pockets if Obama gets his way) and yet Democrat lawmakers in Congress remain committed to government takeover of the crown jewel of the U.S. economy, the American healthcare system.

Deaf to the wishes of the American people, Nancy Pelosi insists on bringing her economy killing healthcare bill to a vote in the House this week. Though Pelosi is working all out to crush dissent in her party - after all she represents the uber-liberal San Francisco district, so it’s not like she’ll have to answer to any angry voters - cracks are starting to appear in the all is hunky dory Democrat facade.

For one thing, pushing back the vote again and again is definitely a sign of weakness. The overthrow of the U.S. healthcare industry originally scheduled for August has been postponed … first till Thanksgiving, then Christmas … now it won’t take place until at least early next year according to Harry Reid himself.

Reid doesn’t want a repeat of the first healthcare reform bill that made it to the Senate floor a couple weeks ago - the doctor reimbursement scheme designed to hide $250 billion in healthcare costs from the American people. It was soundly defeated 47 to 53. Amazingly Reid expected the American Medical Association to deliver him 27 Republican votes! He wasn’t even close.

Reid’s flawed reading of the tea leaves makes me wonder, what else did Harry get wrong regarding healthcare reform?

The delay in moving forward has everything to do with the inability of Democrats to compromise with one another. The House insists on a strong public option, while the Senate is dead set against it. Liberal Democrats want federal dollars to pay for abortions, while conservative Democrats will not allow it. Progressives look forward to taxing the middle class which fiscal moderates are certain to oppose.

Can Democrats lay down their differences to get something passed? I seriously doubt it. I just don’t see how the huge divides in the Democrat party can be resolved. Pelosi and her socialist cronies in the House will only vote for a bill that fundamentally changes healthcare, while the Senate is certain to reject legislation that goes too far.

The American people made it clear in Virginia and New Jersey that the issue that concerns them most isn’t healthcare reform, or global warming, or same sex marriage … it’s the economy (stupid). Unless they have their heads buried in the sand, Democrats from moderate leaning districts had to have gotten the message. They have been put on notice that any attempt to ram healthcare reform through Congress will mean their butts come Election Day.

Between the inability of Democrats to negotiate amongst themselves, and the fear of reprisals from the American people, the healthcare reform house of cards is poised to fall. It’s not quite time to declare “gave overâ€

KILL THE BILL. No one wants it and no one wants to pay for it. RIP.

I will rest easier when this bill is defeated. If it is not defeated and the Dems push it through then we must support states that plan on nullifying and/or not enforcing this legislation.