Reply
Wed 26 Aug, 2009 08:38 am
Steele and the Left-Wing Republicans
Quote:One of the most disturbing things about the current health care debate is that some Republicans are positioning themselves as defenders of Big Government Medicare and against efforts to trim the program’s costs.
Yet the taxpayer costs of Medicare are expected to more than double over the next decade (from $425 billion in 2009 to $871 billion in 2019), and the program will consume an increasing share of the nation’s economy for decades to come unless there are serious cuts and reforms. Even the Obama administration talks about “bending the cost curve” to slow the program’s growth.
Yet Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, takes to the Washington Post today to defend Medicare against any cuts, while at the same time criticizing the Democrats as “left-wing ideologues:”
...
@DrewDad,
Can you spell two faced. I would use the other word for two faced but I cant spell it.
I'm just wondering how they can go on about socialized health care at the same time going about medicare , I mean, hello, ain't medicare controlled by the government entirely?
@revel,
revel wrote:
I'm just wondering how they can go on about socialized health care at the same time going about medicare , I mean, hello, ain't medicare controlled by the government entirely?
This really, more than anything else, describes the pickle Republicans are in.
They
have to stop health care reform from happening, because if they don't, they will end up defending what will be a very popular program, just like Universal health care programs are popular all over the world. Take a look at the Conservatives in Britain, they fought tooth and nail against the NHS; now they defend it.
The Republicans are really staring over the edge of the cliff on this one. Hopefully we can give them a helping shove.
Cycloptichorn
Tommy Douglas had the first socialist government in North America when he lead the CCF (Cooperative Commonwealth Federation) to victory in Saskatchewan in the 1940s. They then held on to the government until 1960. Douglas' biggest contribution to Saskatchewan and Canada was Medicare, as they call their "socialized" medical programs. At the height of the crisis, the doctors of Saskatchewan went on strike, encouraged and funded by Tories (i.e., conservatives) from all over Canada. It looked like Douglas and the CCF were headed for the dumpster. Douglas hung on, and the doctors caved in. The Tories eventually destroyed the CCF by linking them in the public mind with the Communists, but Medicare was so popular, and the Tories were so predictably unpopular (except in Alberta, and sometimes in Ontario, the Tories are almost always in a minority, even when they win an election--Harper's national Tory government is a minority government), that what Cyclo describes is exactly what happened. The Tories changed their official name to "Progressive Conservatives" and made Medicare and other forms of "welfare" planks of their election platforms, because otherwise the Liberals would mop the floor with them. ("PC" was so odious to the far right, represented by Stephen Harper, that they have changed their name to The Conservative Party of Canada, but they are still the PC in Ontario.) The majority of social welfare programs in the provinces were brought in by the Tories desperate to find something which would make them look good to the electorate. (With the death of the CCF, itself a coalition of left-wing groups, an new coalition was formed, the New Democratic Party. The NDP is thinking about changing their name, because they aren't so new any more, but the don't want to call themselves the Democratic Party, because of associations with American politics.)
Medicare is definitely the sacred cow of Canadian politics. It would be political suicide to attack Medicare even in Alberta. I had never thought about this, but you're right--if government sponsored health insurance (which is how it actually works in Canada) is ever implemented in the United States, the conservatives are screwed. You hear reactionaries whining about Social Security, too--but you can bet the Republicans will never make the slightest move to get rid of it.
@DrewDad,
don't be silly, drew... everybody knows that it's not socialist medicine when you're over 65. you know, the same way that "it's not illegal when the president does it".
oh the irony....
the general reaction among Canadians when you talk about our healthcare system versus theirs, and I've talked to a lot of Canadians over the years, is not what conservatives seem to think. Canadians don't envy us our healthcare system. They pity us.
@MontereyJack,
as a canadian i have to agree
@Cycloptichorn,
Cycloptichorn wrote:
revel wrote:
I'm just wondering how they can go on about socialized health care at the same time going about medicare , I mean, hello, ain't medicare controlled by the government entirely?
This really, more than anything else, describes the pickle Republicans are in.
They
have to stop health care reform from happening, because if they don't, they will end up defending what will be a very popular program, just like Universal health care programs are popular all over the world. Take a look at the Conservatives in Britain, they fought tooth and nail against the NHS; now they defend it.
The Republicans are really staring over the edge of the cliff on this one. Hopefully we can give them a helping shove.
Cycloptichorn
Well put. I'm thinking about that scene in 300 when the soldiers are pushed off the cliff now.
T
K
O
I think there is a thread on the top five lies of health care reform opponents already, but this medicare scare tactic is one of them.
AARP on Medicare and Health Care Reform
Quote:Medicare provides stable health coverage for 45 million Americans. You can’t be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition, you get to choose your doctor, and you have access to prescription drug coverage.
But everything about Medicare isn’t perfect. Today, on average, people on Medicare spend about 30 percent of their incomes on out-of-pocket health costs"including premiums for supplemental coverage. These costs are six times greater than for people with employer coverage. And, they’ve seen their Medicare premiums double since 2000.
While millions of people in Medicare have seen their retirement savings shrink
because of the recession, their health costs have continued to rise and their drug
costs have continued to soar. While many people may think health care reform is just about coverage for the uninsured, it’s actually about fixing what’s broken about our health care system"and improving Medicare is a critical part.
You may have heard by now that changes to Medicare will be part of health care
reform. Why does Medicare need to be improved? Because waste, fraud, abuse and inefficiencies are not only costing you more but are undermining the Medicare program for you today, and ultimately for your children and grandchildren. Unless Congress takes action now, Medicare will not be able to effectively serve you or future beneficiaries.
While change is never easy, there are common-sense solutions that will help put
Medicare on more stable ground so it can save money and continue to provide good care for older Americans.
Strengthening and Improving Medicare
We need to make sure any changes to Medicare protect your health and financial
security, and there are some areas where we can improve your care and put
Medicare on more stable financial ground.
These improvements include:
Closing the Part D coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” where beneficiaries are
responsible for all of their prescription drug costs;
Ensuring Medicare pays doctors fairly so you can keep the doctor of your choice or more easily find a doctor if you don’t have one;
Lowering out-of-pocket costs for preventive services;
Preventing costly and avoidable"and even dangerous"hospital readmissions;
Cracking down on fraud and abuse, including aggressively pursuing those who fraudulently bill Medicare;
Eliminating wasteful spending, such as by reducing overpayments to insurance companies;
Improving the coordination of care for people with chronic health conditions; and
Making it easier for low-income seniors to get help with paying Medicare premiums and other health expenses.
Myths about Medicare
Throughout the debate, people may try to scare you about health care reform and what it means for Medicare. They may say things like “health care reform is going to cut Medicare benefits.” Don’t be misled, and don’t let them frighten you.
None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut your Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services. In fact, savings found in Medicare will be used to fill in gaps in the program, such as closing the “doughnut hole.”
We’re committed to ensuring that health care reform improves the quality of your care, lowers the amount of money you pay out of your own pocket, and makes sure doctors are paid fairly so they continue to treat you and other people in Medicare. At the same time, we believe some of the savings can be invested in health care reforms that strengthen the system for everyone, including those in Medicare.
Less money out of your pocket, the doctor of your choice, and better care"that’s what AARP is fighting for and that’s what health care reform will mean to people in Medicare.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace