Let me remind everybody: those of us in public office were not sent to Washington to do what’s easy. At this moment, we are being called upon to fulfill our duty to the citizens of this nation and to future generations.
President Barack Obama • Making an emotional plea for Democrats to support health care. The New York Times compared the appearance to one of his early campaign speeches. Dude got emotional. Thing is, though, is all this vigor lost on the American public? Seems like all he ever does nowadays is push health care. While a good point, it increasingly feels one-note. Hopefully he’s on the last laps. source
Then – Jim Bunning’s decision to put a face on Republican obstructionism in the Senate. … Bunning’s gesture of ill-will erased any credibility the GOP Senate had.
Atlantic writer Mark Ambinder • Regarding what he calls a “perfect storm” of decisions that have put health care back in the Democrats’ court. He names a number of reasons (WellPoint’s rising insurance rates), but Bunning’s move stands out the most notable in a series of events that have seemingly put the ball back in the Democrats’ court once again, after Scott Brown effectively took it away. However, it’s not a slam-dunk. First they have to please folks like Rep. Bark Stupak, who won’t support the Senate bill unless key abortion provisions are removed. He pushed for a compromise in that regard for the House bill. source
The lifespan of the average American is less than that of people in nations that spend far less (on health care). … To put it bluntly, we spend more and die sooner.
Mitt Romney • In his new book, “No Apology” (which could also be what that LMFAO rapper got), regarding the health care plan he enacted in Massachusetts. According to Polifact, this nugget is in fact true. At a 77.8 year life expectancy, 23 nations are ahead of us, and Japan is nearly five years ahead of us. And regarding health care expenditures, we spend $7,290 per capita on health care, which is WAAAAAYYY (we’re talking thousands) above each of those 23 nations. In fact, one nation ahead of us, South Korea, spends a quarter per capita. (Why is this, anyway?) Romney knows what he’s talking about – he enacted a bipartisan health care plan in Massachusetts, which has a TON in common with Obama’s plan. This is funny because the title of the book is inspired by a criticism of something Obama said. Awk-warrrd.source
If it was a choice today between Plan A, which is what we’ve got, or Plan B, which is the Senate bill, I would vote for the Senate bill. But I would much rather see a Plan C that really attacks costs, and I think that’s what the American public wants to see.
Super-investor and overall smart guy Warren Buffett • Regarding the current state of health care, which he says is damaging the possibility of a clean economic recovery. “It’s like a tapeworm eating at our economic body,” he said. That’s like the coolest quote ever. He also called the 2008 financial crisis an “economic Pearl Harbor,” but said that we will eventually win the war. We economically like the way this guy talks. source
Our favorite video Finally, we found a clip of this epic awesomeness. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor brought the Senate bill with him to the health care summit, and then Obama called him out for it.
After the fact …The other guy to get a bitch-smack at the health care summit on Thursday, John McCain, went on Hannity later that evening, and he complained a lot about Obama saying stuff that scared him.
Pants on fire? ooh Rachel Maddow knows how to talk, and the left knows how to listen. In this clip, Maddow talks about uncovering the “lie” of reconciliation, pointing out that it’s a great Republican myth.
We need to move past the bickering and the game-playing that holds us back and blocks progress for the American people. Some of these disagreements we may be able to resolve. Some we may not. And no final bill will include everything that everyone wants. That’s what compromise is.
President Barack Obama • In his weekly radio address. With the health care summit still fairly fresh in people’s minds, this may seem to be an olive branch. But Republican Sen. Tom Coburn doesn’t seem to take it that way. “Instead, they want to use procedural tricks and backroom deals to ram through a new bill,” he notes. The truth, of course, is somewhere in the middle. source