Clif, the Rabbi

Clif, I'm going to be straight with you, buddy. I don't think that I've ever seen a person who's quite so married to his orthodoxy as you. It's strange and, no, I'm not exactly sure what to make of it (actually, I am but, whatever). You do seem to be making SOME progress, though. This, in that, yes, you do seem to be admitting that the medical community is getting low-balled by Medicare. Now, granted, you're (predictably) blaming the Republicans for having created this mess but, hey, at least it's a start for you. And I don't even actually care whose frigging fault it is. All I know is that, yes, we have a problem and, yes, we have that problem NOW!..........................................................................................Some additional points, Clif. 1) My source for that story about doctors threatening to boycott Medicare came from CNNMoney.com. I hasten to guess that they're not a segment of the conspiratorial right. 2) Clif, we're looking at a 38 trillion dollar discrepancy (over the next 70 or so years) between Medicare expenditures and projected revenues. We're either going to have to raise taxes significantly or cut these benefits EVEN MORE. And if so, MY GOD, we'll be lucky if 10% of doctors accept Medicare insurance by then. 3) "Dr. Emanuel's bold prescription is thoughtful and will challenge everyone involved in healthcare. As America addresses our unsustainable cost, quality and and coverage problems, we must heed Emanuel's call to act." You know who said that, Clif? Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, said that. Hm, is he a right-winger, too? 4) Clif, we currently can't buy our health insurance across state lines. If President Obama really wanted to stimulate competition, wouldn't this be a significantly more prudent way to go about it (this, along with insurance reform)? I mean, I know that you LOVE the public sector and all but, really, isn't there going to eventually be a point of diminishing returns here? 5) Blue Cross Plus in Minnesota has a 4.3% administrative cost. And they are now paying 91.6% of their revenues toward health claims. What about nonprofits, Clif? Would you not at least contemplate using these? 6) And, finally, we have an 11 trillion dollar debt (the Chinese boot squarely on our adam's apple), bro. This, and we're also running deficits in excess of a trillion a year. Don't you think that maybe we need to start looking at this from OUTSIDE the orthodoxy? I'm thinking, maybe yes.