It’s pitiful when the biggest threat to healthcare reform, the signature program for a new, popular, Democratic president, something that will benefit millions of Americans, is being threatened by a chickenshit so-called Democrat that cares more about big insurance companies and HMOs then he does his own constituents.
Now, of course Ross doesn’t see it that way:
As for his south Arkansas, 4th District constituents? “They get it,” Ross said.
“They want us to slow down and get it right and actually have time to read the
bills we’re voting on.”
Funny. I don’t remember Ross claiming his constituents wanted him to slow down and read into things more when he was voting for the PATRIOT Act or supporting the war in Iraq, but I digress. Then again, Ross’s constituents aren’t really the voters of his district, they’re the corporations and big money donors that line his pocket. But wait! According to Ross he and his friends in the Blue Dog Coalition are the biggest enemies of the special interests fighting this bill alongside them!
“We want to take on the insurance companies more than others in our party,”
I’d say “Don’t make me laugh.”, but it’s really not funny. And what, pray tell, does Ross want done???
As Energy and Commerce continues to mark up the bill, Ross said, the Blue Dogs
are preparing to offer as many as two dozen amendments.One of their
specific ideas making the bill more affordable? “We want to squeeze every ounce
of waste out of the current system,” he said. Obama himself, Ross said, has
identified that as a major route for paying for reform as well.Another
of their ideas, the Blue Dog said, is to lower the subsidies provided to
families to acquire health insurance. Currently, he said, the main House bill
would subsidize families with incomes at 400 percent of the poverty level or
about $88,000. Lowering that subsidy to just 300 percent of poverty, or about
$66,000, “would save billions” as well as take care of nearly all his 4th
District constituents.
Okay, those ideas have some merit, though I don’t see the point of being a pain in the ass when you yourself admit that the people you’re fighting are in agreement with you. But what about the public option?
As for a public option, Ross said the Blue Dogs want to “take on the insurance
companies” by threatening them with a public option if the cross certain
“triggers,” such as continuing to exclude or penalize Americans with
pre-existing conditions.
Typical. More lines in the sand that always get crossed. Earth to Ross, insurance companies have done that and will continue to do it and if they can’t screw people over one way to make a profit they’ll find others. The only sensible answer is a public option to compete in the market and force them to design a better product.
Anyway, the bottom line to the good people of the fourth district: You don’t have a representative. These guys do.
