There’s Trouble Dead Ahead — And the Band Played On …

(noon. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

What the band played as Titanic slowly began to sink is never disputed – ragtime, waltzes, specific tunes noted by survivors included ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ and ‘In The Shadows’. But a question mark still hangs over what the last song was as Titanic’s stern began to rise clear of the Atlantic Ocean, and indeed, would it be physically possible for them to play anything in those conditions?

http://www.titanic-titanic.com…

In Rome, their fearless Leaders fiddled …

On the Titanic, the Band Members played, soulful dirges …

In America, we exchange insults, and compromises …

Baucus to Press Ahead With Senate Proposal

By Robert Pear, NYTimes – Sep 9, 2009

Mr. Baucus said his bill – the starting point for the committee’s work – would not include a new government-run health insurance program, or public option, because “a public option cannot pass the Senate.”

[…]

Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said Mr. Baucus’s proposal to establish nonprofit insurance cooperatives was no more acceptable to him than the idea of a new government-run insurance program.

“You can call it the government option,” Mr. McCain said. “You can call it a co-op. You can call it a banana. But the fact is, it is government intervention into the free marketplace, which will lead to crowding out, which over time will lead to government control of health care in America.”

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia, criticized the co-ops from the other side of the political spectrum. Mr. Rockefeller said insurance co-ops had “a checkered history” and would not provide effective competition to private insurance companies.

The idea of co-ops is “ill-defined and unexplained,” Mr. Rockefeller said. “They may work for farms and electricity, but they won’t work for health insurance.”

http://prescriptions.blogs.nyt…

Americans are experts at celebrating “small victories”!

The President, had a Moving Speech (thank goodness) — Woo Hoo!

Joe Wilson, was forced to apologize — Yippee!

Well at least, the Insurers will have to forgo Pre-Existing Conditions — It’s about Damn Time!

Well, Press Secretary Gibbs is making the Sunday-circuit, quietly telling us:

“The Public Option, is just a Means to an End” — “The goal of the public option . . . is to provide choice and competition,” — and there are many acceptable ways to get there, apparently. (can you spell C.O.O.P. ???)

So Mr Gibbs and Co., WHY did Max Baucus, let Insurance Lobbyists write, and then sign off on his Bill? … I’m sure that’ll spark the Competition we need!

Yeah right! — and the Titanic WAS Certified Unsinkable too!

Take the Public Option — er, I mean, Take-AWAY the Public Option — it won’t hurt AS MUCH, as taking away Single Payer did, … come on you guys and gals, just have another drink, relax, it’s not that bad, really — if you look at what we will get in exchange for that ill-conceived P.O. — it really wasn’t ready for Prime Time anyways.

Oh really? … How “Shovel-ready” are those Co-op’s?

Yet critics of the idea say co-ops won’t offer real competition to existing insurers or control rising health care costs.

“The main problem with these approaches is that they won’t work,” says John Geyman, a retired physician from Seattle and former head of Physicians for a National Health Program. “They will add to the complexity and bureaucracy of our fragmented system, cost more instead of less, and fail to reform the insurance market.”

There be dangers, ahead! … If we stay on our current course … Captain — Change course! quick hard to Port!!

The Media are Experts, at Distraction.

Look over here, People (at Joe Wilson, Our current Outrage of the Moment, thx!) — there’s nothing over there, that you need to worry about … nothing at all.

Oh nevermind those Icebergs on the Horizon, we’ll cross that Bridge when we come to it — We always DO!

Afterall a very Watered-down Public Option system of Co-op’s — is better than NO Public Option at all, isn’t it?

Too bad, all those Distractions, serve to keep our eyes from the Real Opposition — the DC-Lobbyist gamers.

Some Players ALWAYS get the best Representation, money can buy!

They brought us Medicare Part D and all those “Donut Holes”.

They brought us Global Climate Change and Arctic Meltdown.

They brought us Wars on Terror with no clear goal lines, for Victory.

And now they’re bringing us Health Care Reform — the Best Reform, that their Lobbyist Money can Buy!

All sponsored by …

The Titanic was a Big Band Wagon too —

Oh to have had the foresight, to have “jumped that ship”, too!

We have that opportunity, now, to avoid a Watered-down Public Option Co-Op’s.  

To Just SAY NO to Co-Op’s!

But will we?

And the Band played on …

And Insurers — get 40 Million New Mandated Customers — without having to change the Easy Money Profit course they’re on …

SO Sail on Captain! … What’s the Next Tune, anyways? … How about something Cheery?