We would never have Medicare today if we had the Democrats we have now back then /nt

[still_one]

[anonymous171]

1. True. nt

[47of74]

2. We wouldn't have civil rights reform either

They'd bend over backwards to keep from pissing off the racists who bolted to the GOP and who would still do so anyways.

[Juche]

9. Agreed.

Its a shame. Back in the 50s and 60s the GOP was sane/moderate and the democrats had spine and principals. Now neither is true.

[Union Yes]

3. LBJ woulda had an arm twisting party. One way or another it would've passed under LBJ.

But I agree, without LBJ leading it, these clowns would never pass Medicare.

knr

[still_one]

4. I meant Congress and the administration, they don't have the commitment required /nt

[Captain Hilts]

6. LBJ was The Big Hurt. nt

[smoogatz]

8. Yep.

He'd have set up key senators with hookers or teenage boys (or whatever other flavor they couldn't resist) and then made sure J. Edgar Hoover got it all on film. That was old school politics, Texas style.

But you know what the senate vote count was on Medicare?

Dems/Yea: 57
Dems/Nay: 7
Reps/Yea: 13
Reps/Nay: 17
Non voters: 6

Got that? It almost split the senate Republicans down the middle, and won without the help of the Dem super-majority. And that's the difference--senate Republicans are WAY less progressive now than they were back in 1965.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/history/tally65.html

[Edweird]

11. Oh but the President is so powerless and can't legislate and all that.....

[Captain Hilts]

5. We had a lot of them, but LBJ made it hurt to vote against his expansion of Medicare. nt

[City Lights]

7. Sadly, I have to agree.

:-(

[Cleita]

10. True and don't forget LBJ was a President who would kick

ass if necessary.

[TexasObserver]

12. That is a fact.

[still_one]

13. A very sad fact /nt

[madrchsod]

14. lbj knew where the bodies were buried plus....

he had mike mansfield running the senate.

[tex-wyo-dem]

15. Ain't that the truth...

Bunch of spineless corporate teet suckers, they are.

[hvn_nbr_2]

16. If we had the Dems then that we have now, we'd still be fighting in Viet Nam. nt

[Spike from MN]

23. Oh gawd, that's an awful thought but you're absolutely right.

By that standard, we'll be in Iraq and Afghanistan for at least another 35 years.

I don't doubt that one bit.

[RainDog]

17. and that's a fucking shame. that's how sick this society is.

money, money, money for war, Halliburton, torture, Wall Street crooks, insurance cos in the biz of murder for profit...

and the American citizen is supposed to pay for it and just accept it.

how shameful that this nation is so sick when the cures for what ail us are available AND WANTED.

[Hugabear]

18. Ditto for Social Security

Pretty much any social program

[dysfunctional press]

19. i think i disagree with that.

medicare was/is actually a GREAT deal for the insurance companies...after a lifetime of collecting their premiums, the insurance company gets to hand off it's financial responsibility to their clients to the taxpayers, just as that client enters what can be the most medically costly years of their life.

what's not to like?

[freddie mertz]

20. Indeed.

This team has to be our worst yet.

[progressoid]

21. And we're not going to get a public option because of today's Democrats.

Or any meaningful HCR for that matter.

[Echo In Light]

22. "America has one political party with two right wings" Gore Vidal

[Spike from MN]

24. Aw c'mon. Sure we would, but it would be slightly different.

Instead of the current program, we would have mandates requiring senior citizens to buy health insurance. They'd take the premium out of your SS check, like they do with Medicare now. However, if your premium was more than your SS check, you should plan ahead and be prepared to pay for the difference out of your retirement or savings. If you couldn't afford the premiums, you'd have to pay a fine. In addition, you'd need a supplemental policy to cover things not covered under your regular policy, like doctor visits, for instance. Oh, and the coverage would royally suck and you'd have to fight tooth and nail for every little claim. The premiums would be sky high and there would be a huge deductible but that's justifiable because everyone knows seniors are such a high-risk group. But aside from those few minor details, it would be just like Medicare.

[Kirbster]

26. Sad but true.

Mandates turn insurance companies into legalized extortion rings.

[piratefish08]

25. We would never have Democrats today if we had the Democrats we have now back then

makes no sense.

but it's true.