BaucusCare

Let's steal the (insert-name-here)Care meme from the right-wing.

This meme is a lame hold-over from the Clinton administration. Back then, in 1992, right-wingers branded healthcare reform as "HillaryCare". They won that battle, and so now we are seeing them trot out the same tired old meme(of course, they're calling it "ObamaCare" now instead of "HillaryCare"). But while this is a very tired old meme, it is also a meme that has worked it's way into the mainstream conciousness. Because of this, it can be useful to us.

So I say we steal it. Here's the situation as I see it: Some form of healthcare reform will be passed. It will either have a public option or it won't. If it doesn't, then it is basically TARP for health insurance companies. The reason I say it is TARP for health insurance companies has to do with the informal health insurance mandate that is contained within the bill. This is a mandate that is sure to be left in the bill. It is a 2.5% adjusted gross income tax on individuals without health insurance. Without a public option, the American people will be basically forced to buy private insurance, and the private insurance industry will have no real incentive to lower costs. Why would they? They'll be making record profits without having to even lift a finger b/c everyone in rhe entire country will have to purchase insurance from them in order to avoid the taxation penalty. Enter: TARP for health insurance companies.

Pretty sweet deal for the private health insurance companies, no? Senator Max Baucus of Montana, the Democratic Senator and Chairman of the influential Senate Finance Committee(which is currently drafting a version of the healthcare bill that has yet to go into reconciliation) has a lot of influence over what the bill will look like before it goes into reconciliation at this point. I suppose the two facts that he (1)has taken more money from the health insurance industry than any other Democrat in congress, and (2) just happens to be trying his darndest to strip the bill of the public option in the name of 'bipartisanship' are just coincidences.

We must avoid TARP for health insurance companies at all costs. This is why I fully support the recent liberal revolt. As far as I can tell, this bill can go the right way in one of two basic ways. 1)it can come out of committee with the public option intact. 2) it can come out of reconciliation with a strong, robust public option.

What should the Progressive base (i.e. us) do? Make it very clear to the American people through blogs, through talks with your friends, family, and neighbors, through your facebook postings, and to your elected representatives that we will NOT accept BaucusCare because BaucusCare is TARP for health insurance companies. Every time you hear a conservative talking about ObamaCare or how the public option is a deal-breaker, hit them with these two messages. Nail them with it the same way they hit you with "Socialism" and "government take-over".

This healthcare battle is coming to a head and the yelling is going to get faster and louder over the next few weeks. Those who yell the fastest and loudest win. Sometimes the best arguments win, but they never win unless the messages are clear and concise. And even if they are clear and concise, they still never win unless they can hold their own against the right-wing noise machine. This is what we are fighting against.