Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleReid, Democrats consider health care reform options after losing supermajority in Senate
Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Massachusetts State Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, waves to supporters after voting in Wrentham, Mass., Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010.
Harry Reid
Sun Coverage
Sun Archives
- GOP victory in Mass. signals political trouble for Democrats (1-19-2010)
- Tight Massachusetts race threatens Obama’s agenda, Harry Reid’s political future (1-19-2010)
- Harry Reid back at White House for health care talks (1-15-2010)
- Can Harry Reid keep 60 Democrats? Analyst not so sure (1-14-2010)
- Harry Reid, Obama negotiate health bill at White House (1-13-2010)
- ‘Tea Party’ set turns out in Las Vegas at its anti-Harry Reid finest (1-13-2010)
- Still on Reid’s side: Friends — and juice for Nevada (1-13-2009)
Sun Topics
Emerging from a closed-door meeting of Democratic senators a day after losing his 60-seat majority to a stunning Republican electoral victory in Massachusetts, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faced questions for which he had no easy answers.
Democrats reached no clear consensus Wednesday on a path forward on their landmark health care bill — or, for that matter, the rest of President Barack Obama’s agenda.
Did the victory by the populist in a pickup truck, Scott Brown, over the establishment-backed Democrat, Martha Coakley, in the race for the late-Sen. Edward Kennedy’s seat mean Reid should press ahead on passing comprehensive health reform and other Obama priorities?
Or did the Republican resurgence in Massachusetts signal Democratic overreach in 2009, suggesting they should pursue a less ambitious agenda and a smaller health care bill?
Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, who with Reid faces a potentially difficult re-election campaign this year, said Democrats should cut their losses, pass a scaled-back version of the health bill and move on to legislation to improve the economy and jobs.
“Maybe we took too big a bite of the apple,” Titus said after her own morning meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other freshman Democrats.
“I sensed from a lot of people of the freshman class we need to regroup and come back with something where we can have bipartisan support — and that would be insurance reform,” she said. “I’m being practical … I think we should just finish this up and move to jobs.”
But others weren’t so ready to move on.
Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, blamed the Senate for having “squandered” an opportunity and called on Congress to finish health care reform.
“The reason Ted Kennedy’s seat is no longer controlled by a Democrat is clear: Washington’s inability to deliver the change voters demanded in November 2008,” Stern said in a terse statement following Tuesday’s vote. “This is not the time for timidity.”
Reid just last month was celebrated by Democrats for having accomplished what seemed impossible — passing health care in the Senate in a dramatic Christmas Eve vote, pushing health care legislation further than any other attempt in 60 years.
But as Reid returned Wednesday to the Senate for the first time since that historic vote, he again faced a critical test of leadership that could weigh heavily on his party’s electoral chances. The decisions Reid, Obama and other Democratic leaders make now will have deep ramifications for the November election — setting the party on a political trajectory that will make the difference between voter approval and revolt.
Trying to lighten the mood on an otherwise dour day for Democrats, Reid emerged from the closed-door luncheon with fellow senators, saying: “I feel like I never left.”
By day’s end it looked like Democrats might abandon the comprehensive health care bill that would not likely pass in the Senate with the new math.
With Brown becoming the 41st Senate Republican, the minority party has enough opponents to block the health care legislation and other bills with a filibuster.
Democrats now have 59 votes, but 60 are needed to overcome the opposition.
One plan circulating would have the House pass the Senate bill on the promise that changes would be made later to provisions they dislike.
Sen. Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, acknowledged that asking the House to make such a move would be a “bitter pill” — even as he hoped they would consider doing so.
But House members, including Titus, balked at the proposal, countering that it would be better to pass a scaled-back bill with the insurance industry reforms that are popular with voters.
Dina Titus
“I cannot support the Senate bill,” Titus said. “The public doesn’t want to see any tricky maneuvering … I want to see us do something good — reforming the insurance industry is something good.”
Gone would be the chance to provide insurance for the 31 million uninsured Americans, including nearly 500,000 in Nevada, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s statehealthfacts.org.
Instead, a scaled-back bill would focus on insurance reform provisions — prohibiting companies from denying patients with pre-existing conditions, the lifting of lifetime financial caps on health care, requiring that a portion of insurance industry profits are funneled back into care, and allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 26 or 27.
By evening, Obama was telling ABC News that a scaled-back bill might be the better way to go.
Democrats have taken one clear message home from Massachusetts: The economy, not health care, is on voters’ minds.
“The problems out there are certainly more than health care,” Reid said. “People all over this country are concerned about their jobs — keeping their jobs, finding their jobs. People have lost their homes. People are concerned about the upside-down value of their homes … Health care is a problem, but it’s certainly more than that.”
A populist agenda of jobs and the economy will appeal to voters in Nevada, where the unemployment rate is among the highest and, if gathered, the jobless would form one of the state’s most populous cities.
No doubt Reid’s own re-election campaign could be enhanced by a message of economic populism, especially as his Republican challengers criticize him for not doing enough as Senate leader to help ordinary Nevadans.
But abandoning health care reform, or passing a significantly scaled-back bill could hurt Reid in the state where he has tied his fortunes to Obama’s signature domestic policy priority.
David Damore, a political science professor at UNLV, said abandoning health care could deprive Reid of an opportunity to showcase his leadership “and all the goodies for Nevada.”
“They have way too much sunk into this to walk away with nothing,” Damore said.
Polling from Massachusetts showed voter discontent was rooted as much in impatience over Obama’s agenda not coming to fruition as displeasure with the direction Democrats were taking.
A poll by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee showed that 57 percent of Brown voters said Obama was “not delivering enough” on the change he promised.
Now, as Obama begins his second year in office, Reid is one vote shy of what is needed to overcome unified Republican opposition to the president’s agenda.
One outcome is certain from Tuesday night’s results in Massachusetts: Reid’s job just got harder.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- UNLV can move forward without the burden of losing streak to San Diego State
- A wife’s wisdom shows birth control issue needn’t be divisive
- Motorcycle accident claims life of man in northeast valley
- Surprise links, negotiated deals addressed by commissioners
- Hope and change and … what’s missing?
- New York mayor has the right idea
- We don’t need a CEO in charge
- Paying our own way
- Country has ‘given’ citizens a lot
- Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Reid and the Dems have to pass hcr. Then, they can work on a jobs program.
Let the GOP filibuster, but make them speak on the Senate floor, none of these phony parlimentary moves.
They could also try reconciliation. When The GOP controlled the Senate, I remember Dick Cheney having the 51st vote. The GOP didn't care anything about bi-partisanship. They just did what they wanted, and didn't care who they hurt. We will paying for the Bush Administration for the next thirty years at least.
Why don't the dummycrats try this great health care plan out on themselves? If it's so great, all those who voted for it should try it for a couple of years. Before they release it to the tax payers.
Senator Reid:
President Obama ran as a progressive centrist with a good head on his shoulders and a willingness to listen to diverse views before making a decision.
Healthcare reform is complicated, before even attending to the needs of stakeholders, as you know from tireless effort. Because there are no term limits, and because there is an older generation of Americans passing along but still major stakeholders in this country's stock and industry, such stakeholders are STILL very well represented in Congress, and making decisions against the majority of younger Americans, say age 50 down. President Obama is the first national leader of that generation to be elected and have a large voice.
Time is on the side of the young and the diverse in this country, and healthcare reform anyway would not get from A to Z in one legislative year, much less one Presidential term, under the best of circumstances.
As such, wait for Senator-elect Brown to have a chance to be vested on healthcare reform, then pass what can be passed this year by both Houses.
As I heard on Republican legislator state last summer, "we want to limit what the Democrats can do on healthcare reform this year, and by 2012 we want to reverse their reforms". Fine, now we know the plan from their DC meetings. Reverse is now a noun, by 2012 it could be a verb.
Except, Americans will be voting between now and 2012, beginning in 2010.
There will come a time when healthcare reform, if need be, WILL be rammed down the throat of the opposition, again, IF NEED BE, because costs are out of control and American employers need to be out of that business. But, let a generation or half generation of wealth pass in this country first, if need be. Time, DEMOGRAPHICS, is still very much on the side of reform.
The country has other issues that mandate attention in 2011, and to ram or pigeon-hole legislation through is no better than what Bush 41 and Republicans did with reconciliation on tax cuts. The country needs the work of the people done, but with some civility too. The nut cutting can be done by a generatio of Americans who are observing and just getting their spurs on.
Those who voted for mandates in 2008, and Republicans should be VERY RESPECTFUL OF THIS STATEMENT GOING FORWARD, will return to the polls in the future. They are discouraged because of the amount of time and misrepresentation assigned to healthcare reform, without corresponding outcomes from pending legislation. The generation of John McCain, and Mitch McConnell, as examples, and others who have nested in DC for decades representing their generation of interests and ideas, is not going to have a hand on power in Congress, indefinitely.
Americans can take note that whatever is passed in their best interests, towards holding costs and making Big Insurance and Pharma behave, is something Republicans will try to REVERSE.
=====================================
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faced questions for which he had no easy answers.
Reid and Democrats reached no clear consensus Wednesday on a path forward on their landmark health care bill.
Obama lamented that he was working too hard to take time to speack to the people
-------------------------------------
Whoa Obama and Reid need to listen
---------------------------------------
Here is what we said ALL LAST YEAR
Why is it that we cannot start with a simple healthcare bill that handles the bulk of the concerns most liberal and conservative have-- it would pass
- Give everyone equal access to tax deductible (same as a business provided deduction) health insurance by, multi-state Health Insurance Exchanges and State and Regional Cooperatives open to individuals and small employers, and paid access to Medicare for early retirement.
- Subsidize transient uncovered people who are laid off (COBRA or Medicare) and those that earn up to 2 times the poverty level (4 times is too high a threshold).
- Require coverage of pre-existing conditions on a new policy, prevent dropping coverage.
- Individual mandate - as a minimum everyone has a "minimal essential benefits - catastrophic" healthcare policy.
- Eliminated cost shifting where one plans pricing power gets a lower rate than other less powerful insurers. That is the cost of a red pill is the same for all.
- Impose tort reform to reduce defensive medicine.
- Government investment in innovation and technology; and comparative effectiveness research that identifies the best, most cost-effective treatments
- Automate Healthcare records to eliminate duplicate tests by multiple doctors.
Good night, Scary Reid. You wagered your political future on a health care takeover gamble and you lost, just as I said you would six months ago and every day since. Time to pack up your office, Scary. You're going home to Searchlight after the November election -- if you don't decline to run before then. Hmmm.
NO ONE CARES ABOUT HEALTHCARE REFORM RIGHT NOW ! WE WANT JOBS !!! GET IT HARRY ?????
Reid should stick to his guns and pass health-care reform and ignore McCain.
As a child of a Navy Admiral, John McCain, got government Medical care. (born at a Navy Hospital in Panama) When he entered the Navy Academy (where he finished at the bottom of his class) he had government medical care. When in the Navy (crashed 4 or 5 aircraft-not demoted because of his daddy) He was getting government medical-care. The two years he worked in "the private sector" (worked for his father-in-law's beer distributorship as "Vice President of Public Relations"--divorced his first wife after she was handicapped in a car wreck}. He was eligible for VA government medical care. In congress, he was eligible for government medical care.
Now McCain, while trashing conservative J D Hayworth in a campaign of negative ads, wants to insert himself in Nevada's politics by backing pro-amnesty candidates like Kroylickie. When he's not up here trying to stop sport's betting, he apparently thinks Nevada is a backward colony needing his guiding hand.
If government medical care is so bad, why doesn't McCain give up his.
I'm pretty sure John McCain wasn't getting Cadillac health care when he spent all those years in a Vietnamese POW camp.
Central Party Members, Comrads and Block Eyeballs !
When a major bill is so complicated and mandates compulsory financial participation from a nation's citizens, if that nation has a vialble election system fair and just (unlike AWOLBush's stealing the Pres. election from Gore in Fla)then those voters will reject it. The good Sen. Reid did well, but in the end too many greedy, self centered Senators held up blackmail threats to vote in favor of it.
The LiarRepublicanPolitbureau PartyOfNoPalinRushHannitySendUpTheJetsMcCain has promised reform for many, many years but nothing. They get bought out on K St. Daschel the Democrate, the good party of the people, himself even getting bought out refusing to put the word Lobbyist on his bus. card consultant instead and making a 1 mil. dollar a yr. salary.
45,000 die here a year for lack of health ins. This should be ended.
Stop both stupid wars, and that AWOLBush tax cut .. both costing almost 4 TRILLIONS out of the treasury. Is that not criminal? I think he was and is a criminal and he and his henchmen of blood should be sent to the Hague. Bring our troops home today.
End mortgage int. deductions and then abolish IRS and a national health plan could easily be paid for. Fair Tax works.
Titus has some good ideas. Vote her back.
Now, SenHonestEnginee can fly to N. Ireland and meet with Ms. Robinson and affair with her as she is doing every guy under 21 right under her hubby's nose. Long live the moral conservative right telling us how to live our lives - wow, is that not a joke of the first degree.
Comrads ! Mow, farm, butcher and keep an eye out for anyone not in uniform. Merci !
Lisa Mascaro writes: "One outcome is certain from Tuesday night's results in Massachusetts: Reid's job just got harder."
Maybe so, but who cares what you think? Is this a news story, or a chummy letter home? Write the news and keep your opinions and political assessments to yourself.
NOW HOLD ON THERE fosimmons !
Obamination didn't have to spend another 30 billion dollars and risk more American blood sending 30 thousand more troops to Afghanistan !! He has NOT done CRAP about the real issue in this country which is unemployment, the BIG issue which Obama and his Chicago strong arm thug Rom Emanuel are thanking god for all of the other big news stories in Haiti , NBC and whatever else deflect attention AWAY from the true issue of our collapsed economy that they just don't have the experience to even start to figure out how to fix. I'm not saying that idiot Bush was any better, in fact the collapsed economy is Bush's fault with plenty of blame lay at the doorstep of Pelosi, Reid, Barney Frank, and Chris Dodd. The two party system should be revamped into a system which allows more independent thinking outside the box with independent candidates who come up with solutions to our problems.
HARRY, TRY LISTENING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR ONCE! JOBS, HARRY! WE NEED JOBS NOW! QUIT TRYING TO RAM YOUR DISASTER HEALTH SHAM BILL DOWN OUR THROATS AND WORK ON PUTTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK!!!
I will vote for fosimmons.
judgesmales, I got an idea for ya; switch to the RJ. You will LOVE how they only report "the facts."
Comment removed by moderator. Comment unrelated to story.
Comment removed by moderator. Same comment posted on multiple stories.
Harry Reid will be remembered as 1) Nevada's most worthless and damaging U.S. Senator in the history of this state; 2) as the most hated U.S. senataor in the history of this nation because of his 'wheeling, dealing and mumbo-jumbo political shenangigans' to get anything past as quickly as possible.
Harry Reid will not get re-elected; he is a total incompetent socialist/communist sympathizer. He will be sent back to Searchlight, Nevada to sit on his porch and contemplate where he went wrong. He went wrong when he decided to run for his first term as U.S. Senator. He is a total incompetent.
Rhooster you forgot that 10 - 15 million of those "uninsured" are illegal, and another few million or so are twenty-somethings who can buy it but would rather have a new car and take a chance on going without. So the numbers aren't true. I've read your posts in prior articles and am confident you know that, so this post is not a repudiation but a reminder to those who think that 35 - 40 million are all US citizens.
As for Reid, I guess he will be #485601 claiming unemployment benefits in mid-November. :-)
This article begins "Emerging from closed door meetings, Senate Democrats". Why is everything the Democrats are doing done behind closed doors? Why was this whole healthcare package a series of sleazy deals? What happened to transparency?
Time for Harry Reid to step down
Reid = failure
Two items:
1) It is not Kennedy's seat.
2) It will soon be Ex-Sen. Reid
Sen. Reid, If you want any chance of passing a health bill, cooperate with the Republicans and get a joint bill. Above all, REFORM TORT LAWS. There are too many damn frivolous lawsuits that hamper the doctors and businesses in America. Bulk of the money goes more toward the lawyers and insurance companies and ends up costing everyone in the end.
REFORM TORT LAWS.
Whatever happens, it would be a huge disservice to Nevada if we aren't able to pass some sort of health insurance reform. Our state needs this, despite the crazy right-wing rhetoric that the Reid haters spam all these stories with.
http://npri.org/publications/to-fix-heal...
"The level of confusion in Washington over how to fix American health care is astounding. Congressional leaders and the Obama administration appear to believe that rapidly rising health-care costs demonstrate that markets can't deliver quality medical services to consumers. The solution, they contend, is to insert greater government involvement into the delivery and financing of medical services.
Meanwhile, the Republican opposition calls this a "government takeover of health care" while simultaneously criticizing Democrats' proposed cuts to Medicare. Both sides fundamentally misunderstand the problem. Government already controls the health-care industry, and that is precisely why it is so inefficient."
I just couldn't believe they were going to make health insurance mandatory while not providing a public option. That's ridiculous and amounts to no reform of the insurance industry, but instead amounts to the "insurance industry bailout" the Republicans aptly named it.
I don't know Titus's full platform, but I agree with her that maybe we just need a scaled back bill that isn't such a sell-out to the insurance industry, but actually brings it some much-needed regulation on certain abusive fronts.
I'd say that solutions for corruption in the health insurance industry and out-of-control healthcare cost inflation would bring bipartisan support. There is a way to take those issues on without infringing on the liberties of citizens and/or industries.
The Supreme Court's decision on campaign finance should allow lots of big corporations and Unions to contribute to Reid's Campain.
mr ed still thinks that Harry can buy his way to victory.
I Don't think even an old sway back horse like mr ed could carry Harry to the finish line...
The Supreme Court's decision should allow FREE SPEECH to flourish. Maybe you missed the part of the constitution that said congress SHALL MAKE NO LAW ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH?
I wonder when the local papers are going to weigh on this topic too. This is big, especially since our government argued to the Supreme Court that it could ban books and if the law was written to be more specific they could even ban newspapers.
http://www.writeonnevada.com/2010/01/fre...
Scrap this crappy bill. Done in secrecy, backdoor deals, pay-offs, and total partisan politics. Scrap this crap! This administration and the Democratic Controlled House and Congress has wasted our tax payer money by pursuing Socialized Medicine which we the people OPPOSE. Hello! Scrap it now!
Dina Taxus is a moron. So long loony libs, you had your chance and America said HELL NO!
It's high time that this bill suffered its due demise. Ramming down a bill - any bill - just for the sake of claiming some hollow victory in health care reform is not what America needs. Senator-Elect Brown's victory Tuesday in Massachusetts was a true "Massachusetts Miracle" - a miracle not just that he was elected, but because the people have stood up and made their voices heard over those in power. Watch the powerful campaign video "Massachusetts Miracle" that captures the essence and importance of this Victory for America!
http://roadtonovember.com/forum/viewtopi...
and more video and commentary at http://roadtonovember.com/forum/ and http://roadtonovember.com
Too many myopic viewpoints here. This isn't just about whether or not the govt. should get involved in our lives, etc. There's a much bigger picture with far more variables than are being discussed. For instance, anyone who thinks we don't need some kind of health care reform would be wise to study the recent history of Japan. Japan, like the U.S., had a large baby-boom population that practically wiped out its economy as they became elderly. It took them a few decades to recover from it. And the U.S. baby-boomers are now entering that phase. Unless you plan to put them all out on icebergs to die, you'd best consider their overall economic impact that's about to hit us.
Face it....health care reform is dead and Gried killed it.
Move on along; nothing more can be done and people need jobs and hosuing relief.
Good by Obama care!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2scxJNXj...
Just go's to show you how easily americans can have the wool pulled over there eyes?They voted in a FOOL for president,and all his croonies lined up!Now its time for the voters to shoot them down!The only thing i have ever seen come out of the democraps party,is how to raise my taxes!Time to clean out the house,and senate!!!
Most Americans receive health insurance through their jobs!!!!! It isn't always cheap but 85% of Americans are insured. Despite Obama's political agenda and the idiots that by into his rational, the country needs jobs first!!!!
The polls indicate that most Americans don;t buy into Obama's health plan. Then why is he pushing so hard? I though he understood the people but it is obvious that he only talks to the people instead of listening to them. Washington has enough of those politicians.
In the end, Government needs to back off of businesses and cut their failing programs. This is the US and this is the greatest country in the world because of its free people!
fosimmons
Could you please name one person who has died because of not having health care insurance? I believe that there is a law that states everyone that goes to a hospital will receive health care no matter if they have health insurance or not.
I firmly believe that insurance needs some reform, but not this bill. If gov't would allow the companies to cross state lines, allow small business to pool their employees to get a discount on the cost of health insurance.
There is only 35% of Americans that support Obama care. I do remember when Bush was trying to gather support to privatize social security and only 35% of Americans approved of it, then Sen. Obama stated America has spoken and they do not want it, I wonder if Obama will listen to what he said back then.
Obama is not health care, is the economy. Stop the spending, we can not afford this.
Healthcare Giveaway is DEAD. The Dems tried to hide behind closed doors and ram it through even as the people told them to stop, but would they listen? NO, because they knew the only way they could implement their USSR agenda was in that way.
It shows exactly what the people of this country think of their tactics when a state like MASSACHUSETTS says ENOUGH.
And they are not just talking about Free Healthcare. They are talking about ALL of the crazy things the Dems WERE trying to ram through.
Sure Obamas is a Marxist but he is smart enough to know he better back off and quick. So are the other Dems. And they will now. Otherwise 2010 they will be massacred and 2012 out of here.
Thanks to the people of Massachusetts for stopping the madness before our country was ruined for good.
mws517 wrote: "Could you please name one person who has died because of not having health care insurance?"
Esmin Elizabeth.
You lose.
Rhooster,
They certainly didn't waste the year. They crammed too much down the throats of Americans in one year and that is what made them loss Mass. Obama would say that every bill he passed and everymove he was making was in the name of jobs for Americans. It is funny that nothing he has passed or proposed has brought jobs to the country. The bribery and extortion simply shows the intentions of the dems. But I'm sure he'll say that it is in the name of jobs.
Needleguy
I am truly sorry Esmin Elizabeth died. People do not die because of not having health insurance. If health care is needed for those without insurance, arrangements can be made for payment I know, because I have done it. There had to be some other factors involved here, people do not die due to lack of heath insurance.
MWS, your ignorance is showing. The fact that you even pose a question such as 'name someone who has died from not having health insurance' illustrates you do not have a grasp on reality and need to tear yourself away from Doochie and Gretchen every morning.
Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from not having health insurance. You get sick, you don't have insurance, you put it off because you cannot afford to see the doctor. And then guess what happens? That sickness gets worse and then it's too late.
But your simple mind wants examples - I get it. Let's start with a recent one in the news, Jennifer Lyons, a beautiful, bright 37 year old young lady who lost her life to breast cancer. Google it. She noticed lumps in her breasts back in 2004, but didn't have insurance so she put off going to the doctor. A couple of years later, she is diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, she died last week. I suppose in your feeble little world, she deserved to die because she couldn't afford health insurance...breast cancer was obviously her punishment for being a 'socialist looking for a handout', right?
MWC/epic fail.
HOW MANY OF YOU VOTED FOR THE CLOWN HARRY. FOR GAWD SAKES, WHY WOULD YOU PERMIT HIS RE-ELECTION. HE AND HIS SON ARE THE MOST CORRUPT POLITICIANS YOU HAVE AND YET, YOU KEEP THEM IN OFFICE. WHAT'S IN YOUR KOOL-AID!!!!!!
Liberals always appeal to sentiment and emotion, but the past has shown that unbridled liberalism has not been compassionate to its so-called "victims" and has compounded the dire political consequences of deepening the national debt. The liberal solution is always more entitlements, more big government, and more command and control manipulation of the free market. Liberals pander to populist rage but rarely solve problems constructively.
Democrats are not listening to the people! WE NEED JOBS FIRST! They should be focusing on the economy and putting people back to work, then start over and work to come up with real healthcare reform. Not that monostrosity that that disgraceful and corrupt Reid has been trying to force on people.
Reid is an embarrassment to the state of Nevada with his bribes, backdoor deals and threats. He is corrupt and thinks he's better than the American people, which is obvious by his remarks about smelly tourists. He and his son both need to be voted out of politics where they can cause no further harm. And Harry should be prosecuted for the common criminal that he is.
Jah,
One sited incident isn't a study and she could have received help. A problem might be education. Here in Nevada we have the Nevada Cancer institute. There are alternatives. Why do the ideas of a few have to be funded by everyone. The health care bill is not supported by even half of Americans.
You call MWS an idiot when you assume too much. For starters the health bill would tax Americans right away and would not provide coverage until 2014. You assume that the cost will not balloon like all government programs have. Then you assume that the health care bill will have no problems when other countries with similar systems ration cancer meds and surgeries. In England your example would have died. Options are in our current system as well as a greater survival rate.