Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, December 8.1. Marta Evry reminds everyone that doing a "One Voice for Choice" phone bank is "easy, it’s fun, and best of all, you will make a difference." What more can you ask for? :)
2. Jon Walker writes, "As a substitute for the public option, this OPM exchange is worthless, but I strongly hope this OPM exchange is structured to at least help fix the terrible, state-regulation-gutting “nationwide plan” idea."
3. Jon Walker says that the "grand compromise possibly being discussed is frighteningly similar to my theoretical compromise, although it is noticeably weaker," and that "Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and the Senate Democrats could have saved themselves lot of heart burn by hiring me four months ago." Yes, but then what would they do with all the time they would have saved? Focus on the economy and jobs? Deal with climate change? Pass comprehensive immigration reform? Pass appropriations bills so that federal agencies don't have to operate for months on continuing resolutions? What ARE you thinking, Jon Walker? (snark)
4. Jane Hamsher asks rhetorically, "You Mean 'We’ll Fix It In Conference' Was Just BS?" The sarcastic answer? "No!"
5. Jon Walker explains how Medicare expansion can be "done right" ("Simply dropping the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 50 would help tens of millions of Americans, and be a win for progressives.") or "done bad" ("Conversely, I can imagine a convoluted set of restrictions that would prevent the proposal from helping basically anybody."). Unfortunately, Walker concludes, "it sounds like the negotiations are much closer to the latter than the former."
6. David Dayen reports that a motion by Barbara Boxer to table Ben Nelson's anti-abortion amendment has passed with 54 votes. According to Dayen, "So the question becomes, what now?" Good question.
