Lunch Break

Why would you even post this video? It is nothing but a baseless emotional appeal without any substance. People opposed to the Public Option are not defending the insurance companies' profits. They are opposed to more government involvement in an industry that has already been ruined by government regulations. Reform is necessary, more government isn't.

It's frustrating to watch you at times on MSNBC. Why concede to those who want to kill reform by AGREEING that the mandate is a "tax on the middle class." You seemed to miss their point completely -- they were not trying to understand the need for a mandate, they wanted to know if Obama was breaking his promise not to tax the middle class.

The answer is no, it's not a tax, any more than requiring auto insurance is a "tax." The answer is certainly not, "Sure, you can call it a tax." Perhaps you should watch Obama on Stephy's show for some decent talking points on the issue.

(And I know "tax" is not a scary word to you, but it is to many in this country, including those in the administration, who do not want to be tagged as taxing people who make less than $250K.)

"It is nothing but a baseless emotional appeal without any substance."

Oh, spare us that BS.

It has more foundation than the scaremongering from the reactionary profiteers. "Best healthcare in the world"? "Death panels"? Oh, and it has way more foundation than "if you just get the government out of healthcare, everything will be better", which is just empty glibertarian posturing.

The best bit of that video?

"Health insurance companies are huge. They need to make big profits so they can afford to give their employees health insurance- believe me, that stuff's not cheap!"

And it's nice to see Donald Faison there, because "Scrubs" has been one of the few medical dramas on TV -- albeit as a sitcom -- to address the issue of insurance .

No, no, mikeinwny is quite correct. Before government got involved in health care, you could buy cures for cancer, arthritis, tuberculosis, and a hundred other diseases on any street corner. Sometimes they all came in the same bottle. You don't see that sort of innovation since the FDA stepped in, now do you?

evietoo,

don't we have ENOUGH talking points?

pseudo my friend!,

"Health insurance companies are huge. They need to make big profits so they can afford to give their employees health insurance- believe me, that stuff's not cheap!"

That would be nice IF they made big profits like oil companies but they don't. As I've said before, the top 10 insurers profits in 2006 were 15.3 billion as per the AFL-CIO (not likely to side with insurers). That equates out to six tenths of one percent of the full sector costs. My God how do they live with themselves!!!

And health insurers ALL use HSA plans and give their employees what is in the liberal opinion "CRAPPY" coverage but actually keeps costs more in line. Like I've said before if you want to see what keeps costs in line see what those that do it for a living give their employees.