Is Health Care Compromise a Lost Cause?

Some Democrats Say a Bipartisan Bill Is Impossible Because Republicans Will Vote "No" No Matter What

(CBS)  Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus said today that his "gang of six" - three Democrats and three Republicans - is "on track" to reach a compromise in the debate over health care reform.

But other Democrats are beginning to think bipartisanship on this issue is a lost cause, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

Worried that the White House is caving under pressure from the right, some liberal democrats are now pushing for a "go it alone" strategy on health care reform that does not include Republicans at all.

"Over and over again the Republicans have said no," said Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md. "I don't think that they want reform."

The final straw may have been a comment by a top Republican senator, Jon Kyl.

"There is no way Republicans are going to support a trillion dollar bill," Kyl told reporters - even if Democrats drop the public insurance option that the GOP so strongly opposes.

"I actually don't think there's any peril in opposing the president's plan at the moment," said Republican Strategist Ed Gillespie. "I think that stopping something bad from happening is the right place to be right now."

Read more of CBSNews.com's coverage of the debate over health care reform.

Liberals were already angry that the president seemed to be backing off his demand for a strong public option to compete with private insurance.

They're defending the contentious proposal at their own town halls. In one exchange that's gone viral online, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., excoriates a questioner at a Dartmouth, Mass. town hall who compares President Obama to Hitler.

"Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy - as Obama has expressly supported this policy. Why are you supporting it?" the questioner asks.

Frank's reply: "When you ask me that question I am going to revert to my ethnic heritage and answer a question with a question. On what planet do you spend most of your time? You want me to answer the question? Yes, as you stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis, my answer to you is, as I said before, it is a tribute to the first amendment that this kind of vile contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated. Maam, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it."

But "going it alone" would be a risky strategy. Even some democrats oppose a public option. And reformers may need a few Republican votes if they want to carry the day.

"It's quite possible that the critical votes in health care are going to be decided by one vote," said Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute.

But the only true bipartisan effort - a group of six senators trying to reach a compromise - took a hit when the leading Republican in the group embraced one of the most damaging myths about reform.

"We should not have a government program that determines if you are going to pull the plug on grandma," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Grassley insisted today that he is still committed to finding compromise. But in this environment that's getting harder and harder to do.

[daisyjingles]

I have no confidence in Senator Charles Grassley or what he says. From a recent interview of him, it appears that Senator Chuck Grassley negotiated changes Republicans wanted in the health care bill in bad faith. While he appeared to be working toward a bipartisan bill, he was simply trying to run out the clock.

I am outraged that Senator Charles Grassley (Republican Iowa) negotiated changes to the health care bill that he himself will not vote for if he cannot SELL it to his fellow Republicans.

Does his loyalty lie with the people in Iowa or with his fellow Republicans in the Senate? Now we know, because of the Washington Post research, that he has accepted millions of dollars from the health care industry during this decade.

I saw that The Washington Post had an article about Grassley recently: "Grassley, the Finance Committee's ranking Republican, received more than $2 million from the health and insurance sectors since 2003."



We all know the economy was a huge mess when President Obama was sworn in.

Guess who was head of the Senate Finance Committee the entire time while the economy went down the tubes? It was Senator Charles Grassley.

Senator Grassley himself is a multimillionaire and he also spearheaded the estate tax repeal law which only benefited very rich people in the top few percents. He should have done more for the people who elected him.

Oh, and that drawl he has that sounds like a Jimmy Stewart character? He is no Jimmy Stewart. He negotiated in bad faith and anybody that does that is a snake in the grass.

Fortunately, Senator Grassley's current term is up in 2010.

[govmess]

Obama's health care plan will be...
-written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it,
-passed by a Congress that hasn't read it,
-signed by a President who smokes,
-funded by a Treasury Chief who did not pay his taxes,
-overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and
-financed by a country that is nearly broke.


What could possibly go wrong with such a plan?


"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing"
It appears America is on permanent snooze alarm these days.

[jab232]

The Republicans (and maybe some Democrats) are in the pockets of the big lobbyists. They have no interest in doing what is best for the people. They want to do what is best for the large corporations and their rich CEOs. The idea of bipartisanship is a pipe dream.

Look back at the last eight years. Who got rich and who got unemployed, lost health care, homes and retirement. That tells you were the GOP stands.

[robham777]

"There shall be no administrative or judicial review under section 1869, 1878"

This statement appears six time in hr3200 but I can't find sec 1869 or 1878 in the text of the bill. Does anyone know if this refers to another bill?

[noloyalisti]

Like the Republi CONS said, you can't negotiate with terrorists. You can't negotiate with greedy, rich, uncaring corporations and their CON tools. They want to continue to ration health care and decide on whether people live and die.


The solution is to take the management of health care away from those that profit from it. Universal single payer, like Medicare, is the only sure solution.

[daisyjingles]

From a recent interview of him, it appears that Senator Chuck Grassley negotiated changes Republicans wanted in the health care bill in bad faith. While he appeared to be working toward a bipartisan bill, he was simply trying to run out the clock.

It is an outrage that Senator Charles Grassley (Republican Iowa) negotiated changes to the health care bill that he himself will not vote for if he cannot SELL it to his fellow Republicans.

Does his loyalty lie with the people in Iowa or with his fellow Republicans in the Senate? Now we know, because of the Washington Post research, that he has accepted millions of dollars from the health care industry during this decade.

I saw that The Washington Post had an article about Grassley recently: "Grassley, the Finance Committee's ranking Republican, received more than $2 million from the health and insurance sectors since 2003."



We all know the economy was a huge mess when President Obama was sworn in.

Guess who was head of the Senate Finance Committee the entire time while the economy went down the tubes? It was Senator Charles Grassley.

Senator Grassley himself is a multimillionaire and he also spearheaded the estate tax repeal law which only benefited very rich people in the top few percents. He should have done more for the people who elected him.

Oh, and that drawl he has that sounds like a Jimmy Stewart character? He is no Jimmy Stewart. He negotiated in bad faith and anybody that does that is a snake in the grass.

Fortunately, Senator Grassley's current term is up in 2010.

[daisyjingles]

From a recent interview of him, it appears that Senator Chuck Grassley negotiated changes Republicans wanted in the health care bill in bad faith. While he appeared to be working toward a bipartisan bill, he was simply trying to run out the clock.

It is an outrage that Senator Charles Grassley (Republican Iowa) negotiated changes to the health care bill that he himself will not vote for if he cannot SELL it to his fellow Republicans.

Does his loyalty lie with the people in Iowa or with his fellow Republicans in the Senate? Now we know, because of the Washington Post research, that he has accepted millions of dollars from the health care industry during this decade.

I saw that The Washington Post had an article about Grassley recently: "Grassley, the Finance Committee's ranking Republican, received more than $2 million from the health and insurance sectors since 2003."



We all know the economy was a huge mess when President Obama was sworn in.

Guess who was head of the Senate Finance Committee the entire time while the economy went down the tubes? It was Senator Charles Grassley.

Senator Grassley himself is a multimillionaire and he also spearheaded the estate tax repeal law which only benefited very rich people in the top few percents. He should have done more for the people who elected him.

Oh, and that drawl he has that sounds like a Jimmy Stewart character? He is no Jimmy Stewart. He negotiated in bad faith and anybody that does that is a snake in the grass.

Fortunately, Senator Grassley's current term is up in 2010.

[robham777]

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text


19% Users Support Bill
684 in favor / 2991 opposed

[Stevenapoli7]

What would Allah do?

[robham777]

In 2007 George Bush had an adjusted gross income of $923,807 and donated $165,660(17.9%) to charities, during that same year Barrack Obama had an adjusted gross income of $983,826 and donated $60,307(6.1%) to charities.

Government is great, government is good, let us thank them for our very existence.

Amen

[hungry1968-16]

by ladypirate2 August 20, 2009 7:04 AM EDT
Charles Gibson said on the ABC evening news yesterday that the democrats are talking about pushing this thing through without republican support. It was said that all they need is a majority of 51 votes. That's not compromising! That's forcing it down our throats!







There is NOTHING that the democrats can do, that will get the republicans to do what's right for America.

So the democrats have to do what's right for America, IN SPITE of the republicans, just like they always do.

[sjc_1]

How do you compromise with a group that will not discuss solutions buy only yell hate words? Now they are yelling "cramming it down our throats". If you would come up with some constructive meaningful solutions to the problem, we would really like to hear them.

[auntc3]

IN GOD WE TRUST......WHAT WOULD GOD DO....NO QUESTION IN MY MIND

[auntc3]

Saw Mitt Romney on Early Show...he is so way off base...President Obama is in full control of the healthcare Reform...he knows what he is doing....Romney is WRONG about healthcare and the insurance industry...they need to be regulated.....they are way out of control, along with Utility Companies and transporation, and pharmacuticals...
we need to get a handle on this now....if you wait it will be ten fold worse...soon Boomers will be retiring and most of the ones I know are living check to check now and living on credit cards, and have borrowed from their 401Ks, and have NO savings...they will not be able to afford healthcare premiums as they stand today....this problem is not going to get better...its going to get worse...We Need to get a handle on it NOW, otherwise in 2-5 Yrs down the Road, it going to be castastrophic....Everything is going up, except the average pay check...there is NO WAY the American People can keep going at this pace....Now Way at all. Its time for big buisness to take a step back and lower their prices, giver a decent wage to employees even if it means cutting into their profits. Its OK to do it for the Crooks on Wall Street, Banks and Mortgage and Insurance Company CEO's. but not the average worker....Mary my words people out there will eventually DROP their insurance and take their chances just paying their Doctors out of their own pockets on a Time basis.
This will but these Companies out of business. That is what will eventually happen...Its only a matter of time.

[Stevenapoli7]

Fat, lazy, smoking, depressed, aging americans...no wonder health care is expensive. Don't hate the hospitals, hate the lifestyles.

[Stevenapoli7]

Fat, lazy, smoking, depressed, aging americans...no wonder health care is expensive. Don't hate the hospitals, hate the lifestyles.

[rightbehind]

It is a lost cause. Strong public health care or nothing. I would rather a good bill fail than have a bad one pass. The country cannot continue to pay 10 thousand a day for a single person in an ICU or 75 thousand for a single prosthetic limb that only takes about 3 days to make. The strong public option is the only thing that will bring prices back into check.

[sam-kiley]

coucou
c'est toujours avec autant de plaisir que je regarde les débats sur la réforme sur la santé, que bel exemple de démocratie, les américains, discutent, cherchent a comprendre posent des questions dans le calme, parfois avec beaucoup d'humour...cela dit, il faut quand meme penser avant tout a ce qui bien pour le citoyen américain, et ne pas basculer dans une bataille entre démocrates et républicains, c'est de la santé de l'américain qu'il s'agit et pas autre chose a bon entendeur salut..au revoir

[searingtruth]

"My dead child was profit."
SearingTuth

A Future of the Brave

[searingtruth]

"We let them suffer and die because they didn't have money."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[auntc3]

AMEN

[searingtruth]

It's about time the Democrats stopped trying to reach agreement with those who care little about the lives of the average hard working American.

As I've said before, we should escort all the leaders of America's despicable Health Destruction Industry to whatever border they wish so they can commit their crimes elsewhere, dissolve all private health "insurance" companies, and implement single payer health care.

Now.

Health care is not a privilege to be claimed only by the rich and powerful, and whatever other few can scrape enough together to grovel for it, it is a fundamental right to be shared by all.
ST


"We embraced a reasonable cost for life.

Forgetting the unreasonable cost of death."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[auntc3]

I AGREE, STAND FIRM, TRUST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TRUST THE PRESIDENT AND TRUST GOD, WHO IS WATCHING OUT FOR ALL OF US. THERE IS NO PLACE IN AMERICA FOR GREED.