Jason Altmire says No

Jason Altmire Press Release

Jason Altmire has been pretty consistent that the changes need to be bigger than just the financing as he says in his third paragraph:

""Simply moving money around within the existing system, rather than enacting real delivery system reform, might change who pays the bill, but it does not improve the quality of care or reduce costs for families, small businesses, or the federal government. It creates a system of winners and losers, rather than reforming the system in a way that lets everyone win."

I think that he didn't make a strong enough push to get his concerns into the bill until late in the game.  Maybe he was working behind the scenes, but it is not apparent to most of us.  The changes go well beyond what most people would have been comfortable with anyway.  This isn't just the public option, but changing the entire fee for service process that this health care bill will not change.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich had a similar decision to make that the bill didn't go far enough.  Unlike Congressman Altmire, he reasoned that something is better than nothing.  On the other hand, people weren't standing outside Kucinich's office with pitchforks either.

Politically, it will do him more harm than good unless he can do some serious damage control with his supporters.  He is going to lose many more supporters than he will gain.  How many of the tea partiers protesting outside his office would vote for him under any circumstances?  Probably not many.

His opponent will likely be Mary Beth Buchanan who seems to me to be eerily similar to Melissa Hart.  It certainly helps that the Republicans seem determined to put up candidates that turn off most of the voters.

Be careful of what you wish for...

A lot of progressives are up in arms over conservative and moderate Democrats that not on board for health care.  My own Congressman, Jason Altmire, voted against it and has taken a lot of heat for it and his vote on cap and trade.

I can respect his reasons (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014854-109.stm), however, I do think it was dishonorable to vote for the Stupak amendment and then against the health care.  He should have either voted for both or against both.

There has been talk about running progressive candidates against Altmire and other conservative Democrats.  The problem is the makeup of my district, and other districts like it.  John McCain won this district by a large margin.  Even if a progressive candidate beats Altmire in the primary, he or she will get crushed in the general election.  Do we really want the second coming of Melissa Hart just to prove a point?

As an example, just take a look at New York's 23rd district.  The Republican nominee was forced out and replaced by a right-wing nut job.  The Democrat won handily which should be a lesson for both Democrats and Republicans.

I would be very worried about the same thing happening in my district.  You replace a conservative with what the people here would consider to be a "left-wing nut job" and he or she will get crushed.

Like it or not, Jason Altmire won by being a conservative and he has not deviated from that during his two terms in office.

Progressives may not like it, but just be careful of what you wish for.

Fostering Competition

A Republican friend of mine was complaining that there should be a voucher system or some other way to fund private schools as a way to "Foster Competition" with the public schools as a way to improve them.  Should we call this the "Private Option"?

I told him that if you replace the word "school" with "health care" and change "private option" to "public option" you have the exact reason why we need a public option in his own words.

It has been a while

It has been a while since I posted. However, the entire “death panel” silliness got me going again. Sarah Palin should take her own advice and “quick makin’ stuff up”. Her using her own child for political gain is revolting. She is a disgusting selfish human being, and I just don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would support her.

The entire thing boils down to a section of the bill to provide end of life counseling which may include hospice care, living wills and other kinds of directives. My father passed away five years ago. It was an emotional time, but because he had a living will and had hospice counseling, we were clear of what his final wishes were. My wife and I have living wills and we are far from retirement age. It is also something Republicans have supported in the past, so it is purely political.

I respect President Obama for trying to get Republican support. However, it is clear that they are more interested in putting their own self-interests ahead of their country rather than putting the “Country First”. In defeat, we see their true colors.

If the Republicans are not interested in being part of the solution, then the Democrats should move on without them. As George W. Bush once said “I have political capital and I plan to spend it.” President Obama and the Democrats have overwhelming majorities, and should take full advantage of them to do the right thing.