So why didn't the GOP reform health care before?

[Supersonic]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

[Nevermind]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

[Supersonic]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

I'm taking that into account. The question still stands.

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

I'm taking that into account. The question still stands.

Don't hold your breath. The only answers you'll get are spineless, weaselly dodges like this.

[Ugmo]

There were more important priorities: wars to be started, tax cuts to be given to the rich, detainees to be waterboarded, etc.

[VinnieKulick]

Largest expansion of economy in our history.... you're right ugmo, TONS of more important things to do than bankrupt the country to give 20 million 'free' health care.

[Ugmo]

Largest expansion of economy in our history.... you're right ugmo, TONS of more important things to do than bankrupt the country to give 20 million 'free' health care.

Now hold on... health care expenditures will eventually bankrupt the country if something isn't done to contain them. 16 percent of the GDP goes to health care. That has to be dealt with, and the GOP didn't seem to consider it very urgent. This bill doesn't really go far enough, but it's a good starting point.

[Supersonic]

Largest expansion of economy in our history.... you're right ugmo, TONS of more important things to do than bankrupt the country to give 20 million 'free' health care.

I've also heard that now is not the right time as you are in a recession. So why wasn't it a good time with the expansion of your economy?

Basically my original question still stands. What was stopping the GOP from doing something to reform your country's health care?

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

[Ugmo]

I've also heard that now is not the right time as you are in a recession. So why wasn't it a good time with the expansion of your economy?

Whoever you heard that from was wrong. According to the non-partisan CBO, this bill will reduce the deficit, not increase it. Anyone latching on to the spending argument is grasping at straws.

[Crazy Levi]

Largest expansion of economy in our history.... you're right ugmo, TONS of more important things to do than bankrupt the country to give 20 million 'free' health care.

I've also heard that now is not the right time as you are in a recession. So why wasn't it a good time with the expansion of your economy?

Basically my original question still stands. What was stopping the GOP from doing something to reform your country's health care?

I'll field this one.

The GOP didn't really want to reform health care.

[Nevermind]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

That's because rich people are successful and have made something of their lives, while poor people's problems are mostly self inflicted, and most of them are lazy ass losers. I believe I know which catagory you fall into.

[chickenona]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

Clinton did try. He put Hilary in charge of the effort, remember?

[lerxstcat]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

That's right, and he attempted healthcare reform which the then-Republican majority Congress vehemently opposed. It was already a big problem back then, the GOP stopped it under a Democratic President and iognored the problem under the succeeding Republican one.

The Republicans are lying through their teeth about ever favoring healthcare reform, because it is so blatantly obvious that the people ar demanding it now.

[Hames Jetfield]

This is what I've wondered too. After Newt and his party got back into power following the '93 defeat of the Democrats, why didn't they propose their own healthcare legislation and draw the press to it? They could have tried to get it approved and even could have dared Clinton to Veto it. And why didn't Bush try to do the same when he came into power?

The truth? They knew the Democrats would eventually try this and they made a calculated political decision to let them do it alone and then decry it once it passed. It simply wasn't that big of a deal to the Republican Party.

[lerxstcat]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

That's because rich people are successful and have made something of their lives, while poor people's problems are mostly self inflicted, and most of them are lazy ass losers. I believe I know which catagory you fall into.

Oh, man, the guillotine is coming for people like you! And it's "category", btw. I guess your prep school didn't care about education as long as your tie was straight.

[chickenona]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

That's because rich people are successful and have made something of their lives, while poor people's problems are mostly self inflicted, and most of them are lazy ass losers. I believe I know which catagory you fall into.

Oh, God, like we need another one of these asswipes on this board. Rich automatically means "better", poor automatically means "lazy".

Not everybody who's rich earned their money, and not everybody who's poor is lazy. Most of the really hard work done in this country is done by poor people.

You sound like a shithead.

[Nevermind]

From following this across the border, I keep hearing that almost everyone thinks that healthcare reform was severely overdue. So my question is:

When the GOP were in power over the last 20+ years, why didn't they push through their own far reaching reform? The opportunity was there all along.

You might want to check your numbers. Democrat Bill Clinton was president from Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 20, 2001. Not only that, but he had a democrat congress the first two years of his term.

That's right, and he attempted healthcare reform which the then-Republican majority Congress vehemently opposed. It was already a big problem back then, the GOP stopped it under a Democratic President and iognored the problem under the succeeding Republican one.

It's "ignored" btw. I guess your tie is on too tight. Is this how the game is played on the war board? Liberals just spend their day doing spell checks?

[chickenona]

When it's not liberals spell checking, it's usually conservatives equating material wealth with virtue.

[Ugmo]

This is what I've wondered too. After Newt and his party got back into power following the '93 defeat of the Democrats, why didn't they propose their own healthcare legislation and draw the press to it? They could have tried to get it approved and even could have dared Clinton to Veto it. And why didn't Bush try to do the same when he came into power?

They great irony in all this is that the Republicans did propose a plan during the Clinton years while they were opposing his, and that plan is incredibly similar to the one that passed yesterday. That right there should tell you all you need to know. Yesterday not a single Republican Senator or House member voted for a bill based on a GOP blueprint from 94. In other words they do not care about the substance, they care about the politics. They gambled that they could neuter Obama the way they neutered Clinton, and they lost.

[Ugmo]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

That's because rich people are successful and have made something of their lives, while poor people's problems are mostly self inflicted, and most of them are lazy ass losers. I believe I know which catagory you fall into.

Ladies and gents, let's hear it for compassionate conservatism!

[Supersonic]

So the answers I'm seeing here is that the GOP were too busy and too rich to care.

Are those the final answers to my question? I was hoping for something more constructive but . . ...

[Hames Jetfield]

This is what I've wondered too. After Newt and his party got back into power following the '93 defeat of the Democrats, why didn't they propose their own healthcare legislation and draw the press to it? They could have tried to get it approved and even could have dared Clinton to Veto it. And why didn't Bush try to do the same when he came into power?

They great irony in all this is that the Republicans did propose a plan during the Clinton years while they were opposing his, and that plan is incredibly similar to the one that passed yesterday. That right there should tell you all you need to know. Yesterday not a single Republican Senator or House member voted for a bill based on a GOP blueprint from 94. In other words they do not care about the substance, they care about the politics. They gambled that they could neuter Obama the way they neutered Clinton, and they lost.

Yeah, the one that took ideas from the Heritage foundation, which the current bill built off of and resembles. I just can't believe all the idiots out there that think it's "the end of America." This resembles "socialized" medicine in no way. Medicare is much more of a socialized system than this is.

[Ugmo]

So the answers I'm seeing here is that the GOP were too busy and too rich to care.

Are those the final answers to my question? I was hoping for something more constructive but . . ...

The final answer is that the GOP cares about itself and nothing or no one else. It's pretty much that simple.

[Ugmo]

Yeah, the one that took ideas from the Heritage foundation, which the current bill built off of and resembles. I just can't believe all the idiots out there that think it's "the end of America." This resembles "socialized" medicine in no way. Medicare is much more of a socialized system than this is.

Yeah, exactly! Not only that, but it's virtually identical to Romneycare in Massachusetts (which Scottie Brown also voted for), and Romney is out there right now trying to explain why the bill is bad for America to salvage his chances of winning the Republican nomination in 2012. It's high comedy, I tell you.

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

Poor people are not traditionally big campaign contributors and rich people can afford to see the doctor.

That's because rich people are successful and have made something of their lives, while poor people's problems are mostly self inflicted, and most of them are lazy ass losers. I believe I know which catagory you fall into.

This is why they didn't reform health care, straight from the horse's ass.

[lerxstcat]

It's "ignored" btw. I guess your tie is on too tight. Is this how the game is played on the war board? Liberals just spend their day doing spell checks?

No, MY typo was due to the stroke I had, which in turn was due to the lack of a national healthcare system whereby I could have seen a doctor regularly.

Yours is apparently because you are as inbred as Prince Charles, since Mummy and Daddy were already related. Have to keep it within the caste, of course. The peasants are revolting, after all.

[lerxstcat]

Yeah, the one that took ideas from the Heritage foundation, which the current bill built off of and resembles. I just can't believe all the idiots out there that think it's "the end of America." This resembles "socialized" medicine in no way. Medicare is much more of a socialized system than this is.

Yeah, exactly! Not only that, but it's virtually identical to Romneycare in Massachusetts (which Scottie Brown also voted for), and Romney is out there right now trying to explain why the bill is bad for America to salvage his chances of winning the Republican nomination in 2012. It's high comedy, I tell you.

I hope he gets the GOP nomination then, because it'll be very easy for the obama campaign to bury him with his own plan. Now Mitt, explain to us why this was the thing for Massachusetts to do, but not for the nation! That dude just comes off like a Visitor to me. Scratch the skin and there's a reptile underneath...

[VinnieKulick]

Largest expansion of economy in our history.... you're right ugmo, TONS of more important things to do than bankrupt the country to give 20 million 'free' health care.

Now hold on... health care expenditures will eventually bankrupt the country if something isn't done to contain them. 16 percent of the GDP goes to health care. That has to be dealt with, and the GOP didn't seem to consider it very urgent. This bill doesn't really go far enough, but it's a good starting point.

You really buy that? That if NOTHING was done, health care expenditures will bankrupt us? 16% of the GDP is health care. What makes up the GDP? People buying things, people producing services, government spending.
How is spending 100 billion a year and NOT covering everybody do us any better?

[MasterOfMeatPuppets]

How is doing absolutely nothing better? Anyway why didn't they, Vinnie? Was it because they thought it was A-OK the way things were? Were they corporate whores afraid to cross their insurance industry pimps? Do you have any ideas?