Weiner offers amendment to eliminate Medicare, "It's put-up or shut-up time for the phonies"

Basically, you can't support medicare on one hand, then say "no government option" on the other. The vote basically undercut the Republican argument against a public option.

I think Weiner makes a very good point. Medicare is government run, if you are against a "government option" then you should be against Medicare. To be otherwise is hypocritical.

Of course, no one was going to vote to get rid of medicare. America's seniors would all have been screaming for their blood and they knew it. As we are all aware, for legislators, votes are more important than principles.

Game, Ind:

Why? All or nothing, is that your position? Utilizing that thinking, then the government should run EVERYTHING, completely, as it has its hand in every walk of life, every business nich, everything!

Sure you want to take that position? Medicare and Medicaid were programs meant to address specific niches of the American public, NOT ALL of the citizens/immigrants/terrorists and others in this Country.

I think it would be wise to dump Medicare, it is one of the big roots to the current problem due to it's practise of price dumping. A straight voucher program would do much better both for the seniors who rely on it and the country that could start rebuilding the system.

It does seem hypocritical that Democrats say one government run industry is good while another is not. Should they not quit being hypocritical and simply order all citizens to report to their new work committees tomorrow for job assignment, housing assignment, and food allotment?

Kyle:

While we are at it, let's get rid of the income limitation on Social Security. I have never understood that. Social security is supposed to be one of those "programs" into which you pay, and for paying in you get certain benefits in the future.

How much human capital are we losing because of this artificial limitation imposed because of the financial condition of SS?

wmolaw

Why? All or nothing, is that your position? Utilizing that thinking, then the government should run EVERYTHING, completely, as it has its hand in every walk of life, every business nich, everything!

Where did I or gamerk2 say anything even remotely like your quote above?

A "government option" is not running health care nor "EVERYTHING" completely.

OPTION

–noun

1. the power or right of choosing.

2. something that may be or is chosen; choice.

3. the act of choosing.

4. an item of equipment or a feature that may be chosen as an addition to or replacement for standard equipment and features: a car with a long list of extra-cost options; a telephoto lens option for a camera.

Don't put words in my mouth that were never there.

This is one of those rock and a hard place votes which Weiner et al hope will come back to bite the Republicans at election time. It's the kind of vote that results in the asterisk at the bottom of an attack ad that says "In 2009, Representative Goperative voted FOR government run healthcare*" So no matter how they vote on the upcoming comprehensive healthcare bill, their enemies can say they voted for socialized healthcare. I think the logic is to make them think 'might as well go along for the ride now.'

Ind:

Your words:

I think Weiner makes a very good point. Medicare is government run, if you are against a "government option" then you should be against Medicare. To be otherwise is hypocritical.

And I called BS on that, as set forth in my post. Merely because ONE area of our lives is run by the government, does not mean ALL areas should be.

Just because one area of ONE issue is run by government does not mean the entire ISSUE/AREA should be run by the government.

It was YOUR statement that if a person doesn't believe ALL of health care should be run by the government, but that medicare should continue, they are hypocritical, and that is just not so, period.

As noted in my prior post.

What part of "OPTION" don't you understand?

The current government option is part of what broke the industry, why should we add another false option? Medicare is an insurance plan everybody pays into, only few people get benefits from and yet they still use government force to price dump causing all other insurances to be artificially inflated in cost. We certainly do not need another version of that or whats left of our system will be entirely trashed. Calling it an 'option' is just pure political hoodwinking.

Unless our taxes to pay for it are optional then it's NOT optional it's compulsory. You must pay for a plan but you don't have to use it and that's an option...please.