I know, I know, it doesn't seem possible. But I saw both of them last night, Howard on Hardball, and Bernie on the Rachel Maddow show, and they were pretty happy about the health care compromise that we know is just an evil give away to the insurance companies!!!
In fact, I have even heard that it was Howard who suggested expanding existing programs as a compromise for dropping a weak watered down public option! And I thought he was a real progressive who wanted real reform!!!
And Bernie? How in the world could an avowed Socialist do this to us? He actually said that this was pretty good given what a conservative leaning body the Senate is and the current political realities. Doesn't he know that elections have consequences and that when your side wins you can do anything you want!!!
Ok, snark fest over. They are both happy because expanding existing programs is a great way forward given our realities. And in fact, doing just that was how Howard got most of the folks in Vermont covered. The first two years he was governor he fought for a single payer system that went down in flames. He then started expanding existing programs, starting with kids (schip anyone?) and built from there. As Howard said last night, Medicare already exists and works well. Thus, a lot of real people can get real help real soon, as opposed to winning a semantic victory of having a PO that would take years to get off the ground and would help almost no one.
And as for the politics of it ask yourself this, who are the folks who now would be able to buy into medicare if needed? Folks 55-64 are the boomers, who perhaps aren't as dominant as we once were, but we are still a huge slice of the electorate, and were a weaker demographic for Obama and the Dems in '08 than the "young". And guess who is more likely to vote in off year elections like the one coming up? And then of course, apparently medicaid is to be expanded too, allowing folks coverage who fall below 130-150% of the poverty line.I guess that's why Orin Hatch was on this morning screaming about how the Dems want more and more folks "dependent" on the Federal government in order to expand their constituencies. And then there is that other detail announced this morning, that the bill will require Insurance companies to use 90% of the premiums they collect to provide health care!
So, I know I am a going against the tide around here, but I am with Howard and Bernie.