Monday, March 22, 2010

Happiness is....

Happiness is...

- Being able to go to the doctor when you're sick with the flu and not worrying you'll break the bank in the process...

- Being able to afford regular check-ups because believe it or not people with pre-existing conditions are not just their illness. They get sick, occasionally break a bone or two, get in minor accidents, and have high blood pressure just like the rest of us. (Really they do!) They don't just have diabetes or cancer or ms or arthritis...

- Knowing even some care is better than nothing...

- Caring about someone else's health needs besides your own, and be willing to look ahead to the future a little in the process...

- Knowing Governor Otter of Idaho (and other governors suing the Feds) is a total jack-ass for wasting money when he's massively cutting education, but still be willing to live in this beautiful state - besides the fact we have a lush for a governor....

- Knowing that although this bill isn't perfect, it's a good start in the right direction for equal health care for all Americans, sick or otherwise. Finally a president who kept his lips to the icy pole until the thing was passed. Finally.

- Being a Democrat in this time, in this age, in this lifetime...

- Saving a waa-hoo for just the right moment...

- Waa-hoo..

6 comments:

Christina said...

It is a besutiful day not just for Dems but for all Americans!!!!!

Of course, now we do have to listen to Reps. whine. I actually read a post on Facebook, "I wish Reps. had more of a say." HA! Has she been living under a rock? Dems made multiple concessions- INCLUDING taking abortion completely out of the bill- and what did the Reps. do? Voted in a united block- REFUSING to compromise! What a joke!

But, it passed!!!!! The VOTERS finally got what they wanted, not the insurance companies!!!! Super duper waa-hoo!!!!

L said...

Agreed. Last time I checked I was an American too. Over fifty percent wanted health care reform or so I saw in at least one poll. If that's enough to vote a president in, it should be a good enough reason to pass legislation that benefits us all, not just the rich and lucky. Or in the words of some conservatives, the "Michael Jordan's" of America, when that guy made that "we can't all be Michael Jordan" in response to universal health care.
Comments like that in regards to peoples health just make my blood boil! But we have a big win here for our country. Maybe now we'll move up the WHO ladder to number 30 instead of number 33!! Behind Tahiti.
Great.

L said...

Oh, and I woke up this morning and the world didn't end. Surprise, surprise..

L said...

Rush Limbog's blood pressure went up though. Everyone has a dream.

Unknown said...

Christina...I think I've been living under a rock too! haha. I missed the part where funding for abortion was taken off the table completely...don't know how I missed that! By the way, it turns out that Stupak wasn't holding out for that, and knowing now that the executive order doesn't mean much (according to the NY Times article I'll post at the end of this)it was interesting to see that he was given a $750k grant for something in his state (don't remember what) at the last minute. He was ALWAYS going to vote for it, but was bluffing the President so he could get something for his vote. Stupak bluffed the entire American public for $750k! Republicans are stupid for not picking up on this! Instead they jumped behind him and supported his fake opposition and wasted a ton of energy on the non-issue. He wasn't going to be the lone democrat to stop it (he said that a few months ago...he would vote for the bill even if it included public funded abortion.)

I'm pretty sure this wasn't taken off the table completely, which is why conservatives continued to block it. Executive orders don't mean anything...Bush issued one to open the Gulf of Mexico for oil drilling, we're still not drilling, but are allowing Russia to erect an oil rig to start drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, so executive orders are meaningless. And the healthcare bill still allows access to subsidized insurance policies that cover abortion. Looks like the woman has to write a check out of her pocket, then be reimbursed for a qualifying medical expense.

Here is the opinion article...

http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/sympathy-for-bart-stupak/

Carlos said...

Curtis, you have it backwards. The president was perfectly willing to restate the Hyde Amendment language, which was his position all along. The law wasn't changed; it reaffirms Hyde, but doesn't extend it privately purchased plans, and pro-choice Dems are OK with that. The Stupak amendment didn't make it into the law; the Senate language did. Pro-choice Dems were OK with that, too.

And as Dr. Dean said, the President threw Stupak a fig leaf. It's what's clled negotiating in good faith and meeting in the middle. But, if you wish to see it your way, that's fine too; it's a great victory for Demcrats!