AHIP, Kristol, and "Bipartisan" Reform

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The lobbying organization that has the most to lose if real healthcre reform is enacted, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) have been pretending to play nice on reform, but their real agenda has now been made clear with a seven-figure advertising campaign for "bipartisan reform."

"We have serious concerns with that legislation, particularly having to do with a government-run insurance plan that's going to use Medicare rates," said Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for AHIP, in an interview with the Huffington Post.

Instead, AHIP favors a bipartisan solution, which, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), necessitates that Democrats eliminate the public option.

When asked point-blank whether AHIP opposes a public health option, Zirkelbach said, "That's very correct. A government-run plan in any form is simply not necessary." A public option, he claimed, would "bankrupt hospitals all over California" and force "as many as 120 million people" off the private system.

And we all know what "bipartisan" means by now--Bill Kristol made it perfectly clear--kill reform and, particularly, kill the public option. If there were actually any Republicans committed to real healthcare reform, they'd actually have introduced some real legislation. No, they don't want reform, they want to kill it. And they've got the whole right-wing media behind them, using Kristol's

approach:

But it's more complicated than that. Steve Benen has more on the complications:

Now, as a tactical matter, this makes sense. DeMint, Steele, Castellanos, and Kristol are Republicans, who a) don't support health care reform; and B) are committed to undermining the majority party and the president. Opposition parties are supposed to oppose, so these characters are playing their appropriate role. (The real-world consequences for Americans and their families would be devastating, of course, if the GOP approach successful, but I'm speaking only to the political strategy.)

I just like to point out, from time to time, that these folks can't succeed on their own. They simply don't have the votes. They can call for delays, changes, watered down bills, obstructionism, etc., but Democrats are in a position to finally reform health care anyway.

The only way for this Republican strategy to succeed -- literally, the only way -- is for Democrats to help them. The GOP has its plan, but no way to execute it effectively. They've already been turned out by the electorate.

http://www.dailykos.com/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Hate to say it but the problem with health care reform ain't the Republicans - it's the Democrats. They have the majorities in Congress to legislate essentially anything they want. And they can't get their shite together - same as the Republicans can't - and do what's right for the people. They're all bought and they're going to fail at this. It's becoming painfully clear that whatever package passes will make matters worse, not better. They fail to address fee-for-service and they fail to address the fractured insurance systems. Without correcting these two central elements, health care will remain too expensive and focused on quantity over quality. With regards to health care reform, we're all fcuked once again.