Given that 99% of republicans in congress oppose the health care bill...

[DanTex]

...how bad can it really be? If it were really just a big gift to the health insurance industry, you'd think it would pick up a few republican votes. I understand it's flawed and watered-down, etc. But when was the last time Mitch McConnell voted against a bill that would hurt ordinary Americans and enrich big corporations? Unless it is all purely political, and they want Obama to fail no matter what, which is a real possibility.

[librechik]

1. We could make a bill 100% friendly to their interests--but because we are the opposition

they will do nothing but oppose us. It would be different if they had some sort of program themselves, but they don't so all they can do is go NO! to absolutely everything.

[Brickbat]

2. I don't understand why the Democratic leadership doesn't see that no matter what they do or offer,

they'll be opposed. Maybe it's because they demonstrated for eight years that they had no idea what an opposition party was supposed to do. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of it, and wish they would realize that no matter what they compromise or offer or give away for free, it still won't be good enough. So they might as well do what's RIGHT instead of what's ACCEPTABLE TO A BUNCH OF BACKSLIDING ASSHOLES.

[librechik]

3. It's hard for anybody to believe that others could abandon our American unity

for such a paltry political gain. We used to be competitors during elections, and e pluribus unum afterwards. No more. It's like institutionalized civil war without the bullets.

[Winterblues]

4. Are you serious?

Name one bill of any sort Republicans would back if presented by Obama...Name something Republicans want to do in the Health care field that will benifit Americans instead of Corporations..They offer nothing yet oppose everything.

[DanTex]

5. Well, I'm half serious.

Sure, it's not always the case that just because Republicans oppose something it must be good (although that's been a pretty reliable indicator over the last few decades).

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that if Obama increases troop levels in Afghanistan, he'll get Republican support. The same way that Clinton got republican support for welfare "reform", or deregulating the finance industry. So I'm not sure it's all political opposition to Obama. I think they actually don't like the health care bill. Even without the public option.

Which raises the question: which provisions in the bill do Republicans oppose? Do they oppose getting rid of pre-existing condition denials? Creating health insurance exchanges? Banning lifetime caps on benefits? Mandates for employers or individuals? Subsidies for low-income individuals? Requiring insurers to cover preventive care?

Of course they oppose all that. And with the possible exception of individual mandates, I would think everyone on DU would agree these are good things. But enough to enrage the right like it has? I'm not sure.

I think the opposition of the Republicans is very telling. Part of it is that they see an opportunity, sure. But part of it is fear. Not fear of death panels and mandatory abortions. That's what the teabagger idiots are afraid of. The Republican's calling the shots are smart and politically savvy.

The biggest fear the Republicans have is that the plan will pass and significantly expand coverage and improve healthcare. And that will be a huge victory politically for Democrats. Maybe not as soon as 2010, but certainly over the next decade, Democrats will be seen as the party that improved the health care of ordinary Americans. In fact, Bill Kristol made this argument explicitly during the Clinton healthcare debate. And while it may be a bit Machiavellian to be thinking about political gain with a topic as important as healthcare, let's face it, politics is important. If anything, I think the Democrats need to be more Machiavellian, not less.

So, while my original post was partly in jest, I do actually think that the universal opposition the the health care bill among Republicans is quite encouraging (provided the bill passes).

[Naturyl]

6. The bill isn't completely horrible

But it's nowhere near what we need. It has enough decent provisions for all right-wingers to oppose it, simply because they oppose anything that might conceivably help people. It isn't nearly as strong a bill as it should be, though. Republicans opposing doesn't mean it isn't a giveaway to big business. It is. It just isn't enough of a no-strings-attached giveaway for them to support it.