As a former Oregonian I’ve been wondering why opponents of the “public option” haven’t been yelling at the top of their lungs about Oregon’s Health Plan, which not only a) involves rationing due to a shrinking state budget; b) has ballooned in cost rather than saving money; c) was designed with rationing in mind — see the infamous “list” of procedures the State will pay for, and if your problem ain’t on the list, too bad, so sad, Dad; d) involved at least two real-life instances of that supposedly “insane” we’ll-pay-for-your-assisted-suicide-but-not-for-your-treatment shibboleth, which turns out to be TRUE. Click the link, the details are really quite sobering.
My wife and I just finished watching Arlen Specter’s ridiculous town-hall performance on C-SPAN. Note to Specter: don’t keep looking at your watch and counting how many more questions you have left before you can go. Kinda “message: I don’t care.”
Folks are pretty exercised. The passion of folks in these town halls is quite something to see. It frankly wouldn’t surprise me if a couple of red-state Dem politicians who are stupid enough to vote for a public option at this point had up-close-and-personal encounters with America’s modern-day version of “out-of-doors political activities” shortly thereafter. I’d prefer to see ’em tarred and feathered, but then, I’m an old-fashioned fellow, and either way, the point gets made.
Billy Beck’s got an interesting mantra. Think I’ll print and frame it for the office wall.
I think that Mr. Beck speaks the truth.