This is a diary response to Senator Franken's earlier diary on health reform.
Dear Senator Franken,
While I appreciate that you now feel you can support the health "reform" bill, I have to say I'm disappointed that you do. By your leave, I would like to explain why I disagree with you - after the fold.
The current bill does not, in my mind, constitute health reform. It constitutes a huge boost to the private health industry with very little oversite and very little in it for the people. As far as I can tell, this is another feather in the cap of Corporate Oligarchy and not something by the people, for the people.
There is no point in assigning a cap on the percentage that must be spent on health care, while not legislating a cap on premiums. If 85% must be spent on healthcare, the overall premium will rise accordingly, so that remaining 15% makes as little dent in profits as possible.
This is a giveaway to the health industry, and while I do not hold you personally to blame, I can see where it all started to fall apart from being the strong genuine healthcare reform that it could have been, to being a watered down giveaway of cash to the health insurance industry.
It all started with 60 votes. We don't need 60 votes, and we never did. The struggle to get 60 votes was what opened the door wide for senators like Lieberman and Nelson to have the opportunity to practically gut the bill for their own gain.
We needed 51 votes. That's all. 51. And if the Republicans wanted to fillibuster it, then let them. Let them be seen, day after day, holding up the work of the government for something nobody wanted to see fail. Let them commit political suicide by blocking proper, popular health reform. Their resolve would not have lasted long, not when their political futures were on the line.
But that's water under the bridge now. "Leader" Reid - who has done very little in the way of leading and a lot in the way of placating to the extent of nearly following if you ask me - chose not to go for 51 votes. God knows why. Now it all falls to President Obama to keep his promise in refusing to sign legislation that does not contain a public option. Quite frankly, I don't believe he's got the guts. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, I really do - but I don't believe he's got the political guts to put his foot down and say "I said NO without a public option, I MEAN NO without a public option."
Sadly, Senator - neither have you. It would not fall to President Obama to make this decision alone, had you and other senators like you held out.
Had you all held out, had you all said "This only takes 51 votes to pass, the Republicans haven't got the guts to filibuster this indefinitely - let's pass the strongest health reform we can" - then we might have had proper health reform. With a public option. With support for women who want abortions. With proper checks, caps and measures to prevent the health industry profiteering. Because what we have no has none of those things, and without it, this is not reform.
The Democrats could have driven a wedge so far into the Republicans they would not have recovered until a long way into the next decade. Yes, Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and O'Reilly would be up in arms about it, but when push comes to shove, Republican senators are as scared of their jobs as Democrats are. When it was obvious the public was against them, despite what Faux News said - they'd back down. They wouldn't risk their precious congress and house jobs, they like the power too much.
And make no mistake, they only have what power WE PROGRESSIVES let them have. We are as strong or as weak only as our weakest member. We get stronger by weeding out the weaker members. We get weaker by allowing them to set a Republican or pseudo-Republican agenda, which is exactly what we've allowed to happen here.
Come the next election, the Republicans have been handed ammunition on a silver platter. If Obama signs this current bill, they will hammer him for breaking his "No public health option, no signature" promise. If he doesn't, they'll hammer all of us for "not getting the job done". And the worst thing about it? They'd be right.
So I'm disappointed that you feel you can support this. I'm disappointed in EVERY progressive senator who has thrown in the towel and says they will support this. Unlike some conservatives, I don't believe in using violence to show my disappointment. But you WILL pay, and they WILL pay. With lack of support in the next election. Lack of donations, lack of time spent canvassing, and lack of votes.
I hope you think this mess of a health bill is worth it.
Happy Christmas,
Whisperwolf.