Matt Yglesias

7 Responses to “Putting Health Reform Fiscal Issues in Perspective”

1. renate Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm

   Breaux and Frist know exactly how to do it too. If it helps the stakeholders in the business community bipartisanship comes real easy. If we could enroll all dependent children in Medicaid and SHIP regardless of family income, in Medicare we could not get one Republican vote, I am sure

2. jps Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

   Why doesn’t single payer, with its clear cost savings relative to the status quo qualify as not having to be paid for at all?

3. pseudonymous in nc Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 3:10 pm

   Former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., who fought against allowing drug prices to be negotiated in Medicare Part D. A year after the bill passed, he left the Senate to begin his lobbying career. He now has his own lobbying firm, Breaux Lott Leadership Group, which this year has received $300,000 to lobby for the pharmaceutical industry.

   What a heaux.

4. Rum raisin Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

   Frist is arguing in bad faith…see if you only handled it like we did, thing would be so different. At this point, even if Obama and the dems push policies that Republicans want (say, more tax breaks but only for the super rich), the GOP would still vote no. There is nothing, NOTHING that the dems can do to get the GOP to sign on. If anyone does, he or she will be hunted and will eventually have to drop out or switch parties.

5. kafka Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

   “First you take something a bloc of voters want—in this case prescription drugs—then you figure out a way to provide it in a manner that’s very good for the interests of stakeholders in the business community.”

   Which is exactly what Obama did with his back room deal with Tauzin. Of course Matt/CAP marketed this sellout as another of Obama’s brilliant political ploys.

6. eRobin Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 4:59 pm

   It was a sin that it passed – but it wasn’t easy. Much easier than reform is passing now though, granted.

7. steve Says:
   November 16th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

   You left out the part about falsifying the real cost of the bill, and threatening to fire the “expert” providing the cost estimates if he provides realistic numbers.