The House of Representatives, under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, passed historic health care reform late Sunday night. That's a fact. Also a fact is that the bill is far from perfect, and legislators from all sides will be working to shape the bill more to their liking. Progressives regret the lack of a public option, let alone single payer, and the use of women's reproductive choice as a political football in the negotiations--Obama was forced into an executive order reaffirming the Hyde Amendment's commitment not to use federal dollars for abortions.
But what does it all mean? Will the protests die down, or just get worse? What can we do to get REAL change we can believe in, with a country this polarized? Laura asks Chip Berlet, an expert on right-wing populism and senior analyst with Political Research Associates, and Nina Agrawal, pediatrician and director of community outreach with the National Physicians Alliance.
Berlet is right. You cannot dismiss the racism, sexism, homophobia, and red baiting as fringe. It is partly rooted in white supremacist backlash. He’s absolutely right, and no one can understand the Tea Party unless they grasp that. It’s funny when Berlet and others express the views of these folks, but he’s not being hyperbolic.
Also, Laura’s right that this will be understood far better when people are going to the doctor’s office, except that we in this country have a well known lack of historical memory, and a consistent tendency to take things for granted. Until they have to fill out the tax form, where real or imagined frustrations simmer to the top.
Berlet and Agrawal were quite a juxtaposition, someone very distrusting of the spineless Democrats and conscious of the Tea Party as a threat, and a physician activist justifiably elated at the victory over the fear, reaction, and spinelessness.
By criticiseafterdinner on March 23rd, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Mike Moore said on DemNow today that Bill says $100 /day fine to insurers for denying pre-existing, or tying it up in paper work while patient dies.
Also, outlines process of suing or raising prosecution for breaking criminal law. Not sure why Nina doesn’t bring this up. Why not?
Even one yr $36,500 in fines less than $100Ks in surgery and drugs for otherwise dead patient family or estate tied up with district prosecutor for criminal prosecution? Is that how that will work? We need to know. Is MM telling truth? Or customary spinning?
By planck on March 23rd, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Excellent discussion and excellent questions from Ms. Flanders. That said, I do wish the producers would include single payer activists in the conversation. For example, pediatrician Margaret Flowers could have functioned both as a much needed critical voice countering the half truths and exaggerations of Democratic Party functionaries while providing a medical professional’s perspective on what we can realistically expect from the legislation.
I hope you will consider Ms. Flowers as a future guest.
By John Halle on March 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 pm
[...] historic health care bill was signed, but the fight rages on. GRITtv asks: will the epic political battle continue? Can we overturn the Hyde Amendment to protect [...]
By GRITtv Asks: What’s Next for Health Care? – WMC Blog on March 24th, 2010 at 2:06 pm