Yesterday Investor's Business Daily posted an article with a graph showing public opinion on the President's healthcare bill. Generally speaking, most of us just want the bill to die a peaceful death so that we can start from scratch.
The article comments on the President's desire to make the bill bi-partisan by meeting with the Republicans (whom he has labeled as "The Party of No"). Well, wait a minute. Up until last week the Democrat party had a sizable majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. The Republicans simply did not have the numbers to stop anything the Democrats chose to do. The only way a bi-partisan meeting on healthcare reform makes sense is if it starts from scratch. Otherwise, it is a photo-op for the purpose of slamming Republicans and should be avoided.
The article states:
"The loyal opposition has to offer ideas that work, that put the patient in control. These include health savings accounts, fair tax treatment of individual insurance policies, interstate sales of individual policies, legal reform that will cut doctors' malpractice insurance costs and encourage reductions in overtreatment, and an end to coverage mandates so more people can afford insurance.
"If the Democratic majority rejects such ideas that promote better care and lower costs, then it -- not minority Republicans -- should be labeled "the party of no.""
The first step in dealing with healthcare reform is be honest as to why the current healthcare reform bill has not passed--the American people do not like the current proposal or the arm twisting and bribery that went into getting it past the initial vote in the Senate. When the Obama Administration admits that fact, healthcare reform may be possible.
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