Health Care back to the House

The long-running and too often uncivilized health-care reform debate gets one more run from Our Readers Who Comment with the Senate making some changes to the second and final piece of the health-care reform legislation and returning it to the House.

Some of the comments are threatening in tone on the day after at least 10 House Democrats reported death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at district offices in the closing hours of the debate on the health-care legislation. It has already been signed into law regardless of what happens to the secondary fix-it measure that was returned to the House early today -- something some of those who comment do not understand.

There is also some humor, as there has been throughout the long conversation on this subject. One commenter suggests that, since the fix-it bill has to go back to the House, the Congress has a wonderful opportunity to add a public option, where a government-run health insurance plan would be among the choices available. Hope never dies.

We'll start with twm1, who wrote, "The game is lost, it's hard to see what the Republicans expect to gain from this strategically. This simply seem to be reinforcing the perception of being the party of gridlock and obstruction but now it is clearly obstruction for its own sake, not for any policy goals."

But Realist20 said, "God Bless the Republicans for fighting this Socialist bill with all they had. The passage of this bill guarantees the complete demise of the Democrats, and the Republicans strong stand with the American People against the Socialist loony-left of the Democratic party will resonate with the American electorate for decades."

TraderX asked, "Why so much fear and loathing? I thought the GOP was certain that passage of this bill will ensure the dems demise in November, if that's the case then why the desperate last minute tactics? Shouldn't republicans be rejoicing that they can now run against healthcare in November? Or maybe they realize by that time the vast majority of middle-class recipients of healthcare reform won't be so willing to return to the previous status quo."

awhinden wrote, "As long as the Bill has to go back to the House... IT'S TIME TO PUT THE PUBLIC OPTION BACK IN."

j1a2r3 said, "All we have to do is just say, "NO!" I refuse to be a slave to the U. S. Government."

ToddPollard inappropriately wrote, "THANK GOD WE WILL BE ABLE TO KILL THIS BILL!!! WE JUST NEED TO CONVINCE THREE DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMEN TO CHANGE THERE VOTE! WE ARE LOCKED AND LOADED!!!!!"

To which Casey1 replied, "ToddPollard, take your "locked and loaded" rhetoric and shove it. Talk like that has already gotten people attacked. Soon one of your reactionary idiots is going to actually kill someone."

But SavedGirl said, "This gives the Democrats ONE MORE CHANCE to change there votes on this. If they pass it again there blood be among them."

Honest_Abe wrote, "This would be a great opportunity for some of the no votes in the House to switch to yes in response to the violence and fear tactics. Wouldn't that send a great message to the lunatic right!"

ORNOT, noting that great attention was given to every line of the fix-it bill, said, "Well they can't say they ddn't read he bill."

But VirginiaConservative wrote, "I think it is becoming increasingly and embarrassingly (or at least it should be embarrassing) clear that no one read this bill - other than those who voted against it. Those who voted for it - voted for an ideological concept - not the nuts and bolts of this bill. Thats not responsible governance. Maybe in Venezuela, maybe in Iran, maybe in Chicago - but not in America..."

vickie105 said, "Quite frankly, I hate that the Senate and House will probably get packed with Republicans in the next elections, but I will probably be one of the people voting them in."

bozhogg wrote, "I wish Republicans had been this critical of Bush's demented decision to attack Iraq. They don't seem to mind that 1 trillion was squandered in that needless war."

gvelanis said, "I think we need health care for all Americans and yes the Republicans want no part of it. The way the Democrats are going about doing this stinks to high heaven. Both parties are morally and spiritually bankrupt. This country is in big big trouble as it tanks while Nero plays the violin. Vote third party and term limits, stop the madness."

John1263 wrote, "you morons who think this will undo the health care bill are exactly the type of morons who republicons count on to vote against your own good and against the good of the nation. The health care bill is no longer a bill, it is a law. This bill simply fixes the things that republicons and democrats alike saw as flaws in that law, like the special deal for Nebraska..."

We'll close with rcvinson64, who wrote, "So, this is how we get nothing done. What a great system."

All comments on this article are here.