Maybe Pat Muir can write a snarky blog about Patty and Maria not holding a town hall in Yakima.

"Nobody does political anger like the “tea party” crowd...."

No bias there, right Pat? Is this the "serious journalism" that the YHR owner (Crider) was referring to that separates you from other media?

Where were you the last eight years when lefties were burning effigies of Bush and war protesters in Olympia were vandalizing businesses?

"Nobody does political anger like the “tea party” crowd...."

Well, that's NOT sarcastic at all.

“By creating a competitive pool of insurance options -- including a public option -- we can bring down costs and premiums in the long-run,” said Murray, D-Wash. “We will be moving to a system that rewards innovation and healthy outcomes, and because Americans will have a choice of insurance plans, insurance providers will be forced to lower costs to be competitive.”

What is so stinking hard to understand about this. Healthcare needs to be reformed. No ones taking over, no ones trying to kill our beloved senior citizens. They are just trying to create a better system where people - all people - have access to quality healthcare without having to give up their first child

The organizer of this event sure did a crummy job of it. Friday 7:30-10:00 a.m. All working classers have no chance to participate. Guess this is for the fearful senior citizens (thanks Betsy McCaughey for propogating that myth-you should be ashamed of yourself) and people without jobs.

Secondly, when was the last time an issue outside of race or war was protested? It seems to me the dems are trying to make a positive change for our futures, and pubs are digging their heels in. Hey, the pubs had 8 years after the Clintons botched the healthcare issue, and they did nothing. This change needs to start somewhere and can always be worked on along the way by any politician, no matter the party he/she belongs to. It's time to let partisanship go and work on the problems of this nation.

Although I agree that it is VERY important that we have discussion and am a proponent of Town Hall sytle meetings for that purpose - it is clear that those on this blog that are calling Murray and Cantwell out for not holding a meeting in Yakima are the ones who would like to attend simply to drown out any viable discussion of the issue - there is plenty of evidence to support my claim, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for a moment. sjuan, lobo - what questions would you ask Senators Murray, Cantwell, and yes, Hastings about the bill?

The teabagger protest was such a good idea in concept, however, what I saw at the April event certainly didn't represent anything that could be classified as moderate ideology - the speeches I heard were from vapid, right wing nutjobs that don't speak for the majority of the American people. I have seen nothing to indicate that this protest will be any different. These are not people who want to discuss anything - they simply want to complain and say no, no, no, no. The continueing fallout of 8 years of Bush greed, self interest, and self righteousness. We will get this healthcare reform done - it's going to be up to those who have issues with it to either participate in the solution or just scream and whine and continue to play victim when you're not.

YakRob,
Here's a list of some good questions:

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10314

"Support for Congressional Health Care Reform Falls to New Low"

Public support for the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low as just 42% of U.S. voters now favor the plan. That’s down five points from two weeks ago and down eight points from six weeks ago.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/august_2009/support_for_congressional_health_care_reform_falls_to_new_low

I would like to know why Patty and Maria can so wholeheartedly support something that far less than 50% of Americans want without holding townhall meetings and/or hearing what the citizens of Washington would like. I watched the Arlen Specter townhall this morning for about an hour on tv. All questioners were respectful and there was only one guy upset...that was because he had called Specter's office and was told he would get to ask a question and then he wasn't selected to ask a question. I think most people would like to see tort reform to lower costs for doctors and then some kind of checks and balances to reduce costs for insurance and prevent cancellations and limits on coverage. However, I don't think that needs to include a public option that will drive competition out of business and cost taxpayers a lot of money.

YakRob...I think the first question to ask any of them is if they have read the bill...have you? I started reading the 1000 pages and found, in the first 60 pages, things that make my skin crawl. First, the bill would require a maximum out-of-pocket per person under health coverage to be $5000/year. My current maximum out-of-pocket is $3500/year. That will cost me $1500/year right off the top, without raising my taxes or anything else. The bill requires all insurance companies, private or public, to meet this requirement within a 5-year period of time or it will no longer be an insurance option. The next thing I ran across is the "health care card" that directly links, in real time, to your bank account (see Page 58-59) so that the provider can know you are able to pay your share. What kind of baloney is that, YakRob? Those are at least two questions Murray and Cantwell need to be asked. Hastings is against this bill.

The supporters of the health care reform bill are just liberal drones. They don't care that it will increase costs (according to the CBO) and reduce quality for the 80% of Americans who like their current plan. There only argument is that the insurance companies are evil and "something must be done". It doesn't even occur to them that the government can make things worse, like it does with most industries it meddles with.

There are so many myths, half-truths, exagerated info, and outright lies out there on this issue. Can't say I believe anyone who has supposedly read this proposal. You left out quite alot there Eternity, how come?? Do you honestly think this is a single-payer plan? You will get to keep your crap insurance, just like I get to keep mine. Now, don't bother telling me you can see into the future and KNOW anything. I don't have a crystal ball and neither does anyone else.

Sj, you don't even know the definition of liberal. More propoganda.

Gee, why would anyone think that Obama's healthcare plan would eventually drive insurance companies out of business? Here's Obama in his own words (some liberals are saying this was taken out of context so I'll link the videos for you to judge):

“I happen to be a proponent of single-payer, universal health care plans.”

“But I don’t think we’re going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s going to be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out, or 15 years out, or 20 years out.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/04/white-house-obamacare-opponents-lying-by-using-obamas-own-words/&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/04/obama-2003-uncut-sure-i-support-single-payer-health-care/&feature=player_embedded

From H.R. 3200:

Individual health insurance coverage that is not grandfathered health insurance coverage under subsection (a) may only be offered on or after the first day of Y1 as an Exchange-participating health benefits plan.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text?version=ih&nid=t0:ih:269


So it requires future insurance policies to meet the government's requirements to qualify as an "Exchange-participating health benefits plan." That means that the government can impose requirements that make it impossible for insurance companies to stay in business. Obama and the Dems are asking us to ignore their past statements in support of a single payer system and trust them to not drive insurance companies out of business.

Try answering a real question: Why shouldn't for-profit health insurance companies be driven out of business?

Couldn't a lot of those companies make as much or more money selling snake oil, and do it more honestly?

Eternity - which of the five proposed bills are you reading? I would like to research the maximum out-of-pocket coverage that you indicated, but don't want to be reviewing the wrong proposal, so let me know where you accessed that information.

If whatever final healthcare bill is submitted will eliminate FAIR competition in the insurance market, I will not support it. Of course "fair" is subjective, but I don't want to have it defined solely by the insurance companies or wall street.

Finally - do the five proposed bills imply that companies MUST participate in the Exchange program to sell insurance in the USA, or does it say, if you want to participate, you will have to meet the government requirements for participation? That does make a difference. If the government exchange insurance partners provide better service, better coverage, and better costs/savings to it's customers then a non-exchange company - why do you care if that company goes out of business? Wouldn't you want the better product?

Martha,
We need health insurance companies for the same reason we need car insurance companies. Most people can't afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a medical catastrophe out of pocket. Trust me, I hate insurance companies as much as anyone, but I'm not naive enough to believe that the government can do it better and cheaper. Our current entitlement programs are all going bankrupt (social security, medicare, medicaid).

It's like Obama said today in his townhall meeting:

“UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. … It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTi-WdOu2s&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/11/obama-government-health-care-will-be-like-um-the-post-office/&feature=player_embedded

i see and understand both points of view. For one I hate insurance companies, bottom line they are in the business of making money not providing health care.

Do i want to flip the dime for the non-insured? I'm not sure.

I definately agree with YakRob though, you should keep an open mind and not make your mind up based on the political party you "belong" to. Divide and conquer, oldest form of warfare.

Dont be a fool, no political party is more moral, religious, conservative, or has any better "family values" than the other. these are all buzz words used to get votes like dumb a$$ sjuan's.

topp,
If the Republicans were proposing this garbage, I'd oppose it just as much. Don't pretend there is no difference between the parties. The Democrat party has been hijacked by a bunch of marxists.

It just gets a little frustrating to see this kind of opposition or resistance with no offered solutions?

The Wall Street bailout, what should we have done? Let the market collapse?

Offer a serious viable option along with the criticism.

healthcare is rediculous, and the uninsured are only making it worse. premiums are skyrocketing and people are just saying screw it, i just wont pay for it when something happens. Everybody loses

topp,
It's also frustrating when Obama and the left present a false choice between giving the government more power or doing nothing. And it's insulting to our intelligence when the Dems pretend like they care about what the Republicans' ideas are.

I guess i have yet to read the Republican solution to Health Care:)

If you want to waste your time reading it, here you go:

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/GOPHealthPlan_061709.pdf?tag=contentMain;contentBody

You don't honestly think the dems care about the Republicans ideas do you?

Here's another one:
http://www.house.gov/ryan/PCA/PCAsummary2p.pdf

Health care reform isn't about health care. It's designed to create more government jobs (more layers of bureacracy), and more dependency on the federal government. The democrat party likes this, because the more people who work for the government, or are dependent upon it, the more powerful they become.

social security
medicare
medicaid
postal service.........
does anyone really want these same idiots running a trillion dollar health care program??

The government requires all drivers to carry automobile LIABILITY insurance because driving is a privilege. Health insurance (in a civilized society, at least) is not the same as car insurance. Life, as in life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, is a right not a privilege.

For all of you who don't want "these same idiots" running things, pat yourselves on the back for getting exactly what you deserve after all your years of open contempt for public service that got revved up under Ronald Reagan.

Martha, that's the difference between you libs and normal Americans. You define America's greatness by it's government and social programs, while we understand that it's individuals who make America great.

Gosh, sjuan, based on the predictability of your comments you are one of the least individualistic thinkers around. That might make you normal in a self-consciously exclusive club but it doesn't make you great anywhere.