Playing Politics With Health Care

As we all prepare to enjoy our holiday season this year "our" Congress is playing politics with our health care. The Senate took up a version of the bill and we are told that the fact that they addressed several amendments is positive. Perhaps, but what did it cost us to get here? and what will it cost us (the people) to get a bill to the presidents desk. Congress hasn't yet passed the defense appropriations bill to fund the military that we are asking to do so much because the health care bill is more politically important. Now I agree that health care reform is important, after all, I'm not a spring chicken anymore but I am not so sure that things are going in my favor. There are almost six health care lobbyists for every member of Congress and they all have an agenda. The health care industry has spent more than $263 million to make sure members of Congress know what they think. The insurance industry has spent more than that in an attempt to convince both Congress and consumers that premiums are going to increase dramatically. I appreciate the fact that they are willing to spend money to make sure we don't have to pay them too much in the future...riiight. Now Madame Pelosi seems ready to drop the public option in order to get a bill passed. Am I missing something? Wasn't the public option a cornerstone of the Democratic view of a better health care world for us all? Whatever happens, it is pretty clear to me that the final bill will be a compromise that could have been reached many months ago...but of course that would have meant fewer months of having an issue that provides press coverage for members who are already posturing for the mid term elections. And our soldiers fight on.