From my email box (H/T – Helga);
| Thune kicks off August health battle in GOP address |
| Posted: 08/01/09 09:09 AM [ET] | |
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The August recess battle over healthcare started early Saturday, with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) arguing that Democratic proposals to reform healthcare “fall short” of what’s needed.
“Republicans want health care reform that works. Reform that brings down costs for families and small businesses, and reform that provides better care to more people,” Thune said in the weekly Republican radio address. “On all these points, the current proposals by the president and the Democrat leadership in Congress fall short.” |
Thune, who is a potential 2012 presidential candidate, argued that the bills under consideration would only worsen healthcare costs for consumers in the long term, while adding to the national debt and reducing quality — rhetoric which has dominated GOP opposition to the legislation in recent weeks.
Thune touted Republican proposals, such as limiting medical malpractice lawsuits, encouraging preventative medicine, and allowing small businesses to pool toegther to provide insurance, as examples of a “better way” to reform healthcare.
“These and other commonsense solutions would provide real reform for our health care system rather than the dangerous and costly experiment that Democrats are proposing,” Thune said. “It’s time for real reform that works, not the same old answers of more money and more government.”
While I do agree with some things John is saying, I know he doesn’t want those changes to help us, but to help the status quo. While I agree that some rewards in medical malpractice are high, I do believe people deserve the right to sue. If a doctor maimed you due to malpractice, how would you feel. I think we know. I also agree with preventative care, but that will only come if people have good insurance, like John Thune does. Which is the irony of this whole debate. It seems socialized medicine is good enough for our vets and armed services, seniors and members of Congress, but not good enough for the rest of us. I have often said that Republicans who oppose reform should release their free medical care and get private insurance like the rest of us. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. In fact a congressman that is promoting healthcare reform introduced a bill last week that would eliminate medicare, he basically was being cynical about the debate, and asking Republicans, “If you are so against socialized medicine, then vote to get rid of it.” Of course, not too many Republicans supported the bill, go figure. As for Thune’s suggestion that we co-op insurance, we have been doing that, with group plans, I am a part of one on my own. Trust me, my premiums keep going up and up, monopolies don’t work, competition does.