Comments on: CONSCIENCE VOTES

By: kathequa

kathequa — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:24:56 +0000

I'm from Colorado, and Betsey Markey, who won her seat from the most wonderful 2M- Marilyn Musgrave, did the right thing and voted yes. Her seat has been held by a republican since 1973. I was happy to see Obama acknowledge her. They are few and far between, but some politicians actually do have balls. And on those that do not, I must mention Stupak. He is a coward. I know that the bill probably wouldn't have passed without him, but he got the executive order deal strictly for political cover because he is getting a primary challenge. He wants it both ways…and one should never piss off the nuns!

By: BillCinSD

BillCinSD — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:00:47 +0000

I know quite a few businesses that would love to be guaranteed 15-20% profits in perpetuity. In any case the key is how the accounting on this is suborned. And it's great that we only metaphorically threw women under the bus and we all got to punch as many hippies as we wanted

By: Elle

Elle — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:02:41 +0000

I get that pacifying Stupak is the politically smart thing to do, and we with our 'socialised medicine' on the other side of the Atlantic are generally very delighted for you all.

However, I do have a happy daydream from time to time about a world in which the US is pro-choice. I think that it would have a profound impact on the global realisation of sexual and reproductive health rights for women and girls. I think it would be amazing for displaced women, poor women, girls at risk of young marriage and early pregnancy, and women in conflict zones. I think it might help stop the UK bargaining away legal abortion in Northern Ireland time after time to keep NI fundamentalist dissidents in line.

I know that promising something which has already been delivered doesn't cost much. What it is though, is another few bars of mood music from Washington that amount to 'your choices aren't your own, ladies'. At that comes at a profound cost to the mental and physical health of women and girls across the world.

By: Crazy for Urban Planning

Crazy for Urban Planning — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:23:40 +0000

Walt Minnick (Idaho 1) is a freshman and a firm No on HCR.

I lived in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho while he ran for his district, he would have these bizarre ads where he said his opponent liked to dance with George W. Bush (with a little cartoon of the guy in a tutu running) – it didn't even mention that he was a Democrat! By the end of the ad you couldn't tell who he was – but you sure didn't want to vote for someone who danced with G.W. Bush!

By: displaced Captalist

displaced Captalist — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:57:33 +0000

tl;dr version #2:

Democrats have no spine and BO did not take advantage of this fact.

By: displaced Captalist

displaced Captalist — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:56:46 +0000

tl;dr version:

Democrats have no spine.

By: HoosierPoli

HoosierPoli — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:38:42 +0000

It's many things but it's NOT a huge handout to insurance companies. It ENFORCES profit margins, not to exceed 15-20 percent (based on the type of plan). If they don't spend enough on health care payouts, they refund the money to the policy holders. Given that some of these guys have been flirting with 35 percent profit margins, I don't think the influx of new customers (and those pesky "pay your policyholders" regulations) are gonna be enough to salve the wounds.

The biggest thing wrong with this bill is that it doesn't start tomorrow.