in the mean time, focusing on a stupid policy goal has provided enough of a distraction that a policy that could actually move us in a positive direction instead of a dead end or worse is ignored:

Healthcare Hoax from Hell

Lies, damn lies, and promises from Democrats. An amendment allowing states to create state-level single-payer healthcare has been stripped out of the House healthcare bill, after having passed in committee back in July by a vote of 27 to 19. And rumor has it that a vote on national single-payer that was promised in July in exchange for skipping a committee vote on it will now be denied.

In the healthcare advocacy world, a big group has focused on the godforsaken bastard policy known as “public option” which at best will offer a token mitigating element in some states for a disastrous healthcare policy imposed on all states. But the states that choose to do right by their residents will not be able to choose a real solution like single-payer, not without a drawn-out legal battle with the insurance companies over the federal laws that Kucinich’s amendment would have waived.

Forcing the Kucinich amendment back into the bill and forcing a floor vote on the Weiner amendment are admirable immediate goals (as of now Pelosi will be allowing no floor amendments of any sort), but healthcare is very complex with the devil in the details, and the details are being written by devils, blood-soaked devils. The central demand of members of Congress must be: Vote No. The reason they should have to listen must be: We will occupy your offices and prevent you from working unless you commit to voting No, but if you commit to voting No and vote No, we will consider possibly not throwing your sorry ass in the street in next year’s elections.

does the current incarnation of the po, now ghettoized, limited and weak (although still being sold as “robust”), justify passing what amounts to a massive multi-hundred billion dollar insurance company bailout?