On Healthcare, Old-School Pelosi Gave Obama a Lesson in Politics

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You wrote:
"While she was growing up as a girl in the flourishing downtown, Pelosi was cherished as the city's daughter and watched how her father walked the precincts, collecting friends and trading favors in the Democratic stronghold."
In the above quote, you are referring to the way D'Alessandro ran things in Baltimore of the late 40's and 50's. Perhaps you meant to say "collecting favors and trading friends". This is hardly the type of democracy and ethics we should aspire to in Congress. I remind you of an article in 4/09 in the Baltimore Sun, (quite a liberal paper and your former employer), where Justin Fenton asks whether Baltimore is the most corrupt city in the US.
As Speaker of the House, Pelosi needs to transcend the political bickering, listen to the American people and do the right thing for the Country - not for the Democratic Caucus or her own District. The tricks of the trade in Baltimore city politics are hardly what we should aspire to on the national arena.

P.A. Weiner of NY 10:55AM May 25, 2010

tiger lily of DC, just another reason we need healthcare reform. IOW Take the big bucks out of doctor specialization. If a doctor in just in it for the money, its one less doctor we need.
We need to expand medical schools here to turn out more doctors, instead of importing doctors from other countries. Note the Student loan reforms in the healthcare law will help pay for new American doctors.

suzyQ of LA 6:14PM March 31, 2010

"We hear there is a doctor shortage
I think you will find that when more people seek to access doctors (because with insurance reform they will be financially able to do so), there will be more people seeking to become doctors in order to serve them. It's our next job to see to it that existing doctors and their licensing boards do not try to freeze out the new cheaper ones that will be trying to come on board as a direct result of the reform bill."
^^^^^
news flash: the upcoming doctor SHORTAGE OF PRIMARY CAREGIVERS IS ALREADY HERE!!
what is your reasoning as to "new CHEAPER ones that will be trying to come on board"?!
NEW doctors coming into the system will STILL be OVER $200,000 IN COLLEGE DEBT -- what incentive would they have to offer CHEAPER care -- especially in light of further REDUCED payments for many Medicare/Medicaid visits??
the current shortage of GENERAL PRACTIONIERS is due to young doctors opting to go into SPECIALIZED MEDICINE {where the money is - to be able to pay off their college loans}
many of our local clinics are staffed with {a rotating door of} foreign doctors - mostly coming in from former Soviet bloc countries. yet as soon as they get their foot in the door - they leave for better {paying} positions in their SPECIALTIES!
we have heard that the government was considering "forgiving medical loans" IF a new doctor agreed to practice in a rural community for 5 years? {or maybe we've just been watching too many really old reruns of Northern Exposure?!}
ANOTHER OPTION {which we haven't seen discussed} IS NURSE PRACTIONIERS -- which can do everything a doctor can except operate {yet it doesn't seem that the doctor's offices charge you any less for seeing them?!}
whatever they come up with needs to be started NOW . . . the average wait to see a doctor in Massachusetts is 44 days - it will only get longer in the rest of the country if the shortage of PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS is not addressed asap
still the only CHEAPER care appears to be if you pay CASH upfront {with NO health insurance billing costs!}

tiger lily of DC 3:46AM March 30, 2010

How silly.
People was forced to pay into S/S, medicaid. Employers pay into unemployment.
I call you silly because you don't know these things.
Get a job and learn these things.
Romney's MA healthcare premiums are 25% higher and in debt.

Bill Hedges of MO 2:38AM March 30, 2010

The Republicans will try and fail.
This health care law is moderate health insurance reform, to the right of Nixon's healthcare proposals, and almost identical to Romney's MA healthcare. The individual mandates were straight out of Heritage Foundation's plan.
Sure, there's so loud crass noise coming from Nevada. That crowd of Snowbird hecklers in Searchlight last weekend is the biggest pack of hypocrites collecting government dole while crying about too much govt. Someone should have got that crowd to sign a pledge to swear off Medicare, Medicad, Social Security, and unemployment. Considering Searchlight is in the middle of nowhere, that crowd should be appreciating the socialist highway system they used to get there to whine about socialism.

Sue of TX 1:02AM March 30, 2010

“GOP leader calls for health care repeal, replace”
The Associated Press
Monday, March 29, 2010 | 12:06 a.m.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/29/gop-leader-calls-for-health-care-repeal-replace/

Bill Hedges of MO 7:18PM March 29, 2010

Its a done deal. The GOP lost, mostly for the lack of their own initiative.
They're already backpedaling on repeal.
Let's get on with creating jobs, fixing Wall Street and restoring the US.
Thank God we have some strong leaders - that's what it takes to get things done.

Kendall of NJ 6:09PM March 29, 2010

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
Ramming a healthcare bill the American people clearly did not want is certainly reason enough to REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
However, we the American people must remember the PROCESS that was used to ram it into law against our will. To pass this law, the Congress and Administration had to use countless, secret back room deal that rewarded the constituents of one Congressmen to buy his vote while the rest of the American people paid for it. The Administration and Congress used every legislative trick they could find to ram this bill into law against the will of the American people. The American people demanded TRANSPARENCY and BI-PARTISANSHIP instead we got SECRECY and complete PARTISANSHIP. The PROCESS used to ram this bill into law is a complete affront to our system of government. The American people cannot stand by and let this Congress and this Administration destroy our system of government because they think the process matters. This abusive process should scare us all and that is why we must REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!! The time has come to take our government back.
Congress and this Administration have put the country on a course of reckless government spending that has mortgaged the future of all Americans especially future generations. The only way to fix this long term structural problem is to create a pro-growth atmosphere for business. To do this we must reduce taxes NOW. How many different taxes does a business or individual pay on a regular basis? We must eliminate number and complexity of all these taxes and reduce the tax burden. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
We also need to eliminate much of the complexity of government regulation. How many different regulations does a business have to try to comply with? How many forms does a business fill out to comply with government regulations? All of that effort has a cost and the cost is very high. That inhibits growth and jobs. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
How many government programs to help the poor and others are so riddled with paperwork and regulation that much of the money spent on them actually goes to pay for the paperwork and regulations. We need to greatly reduce the number and complexity of government programs and eliminate the ineffective ones. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
Most of all we need to eliminate the dirty backroom politics and deal making. A law should be for one purpose without unrelated "pork" included to buy votes in the Congress. All bills and meetings should be held and debated with complete transparency. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
Obama does not think the American people are competent enough to manage their own affairs so he wants government to do it for us. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER…VOTE THEM OUT!!!

AngryMobVoter of PA 12:46PM March 29, 2010

I think you will find that when more people seek to access doctors (because with insurance reform they will be financially able to do so), there will be more people seeking to become doctors in order to serve them. It's our next job to see to it that existing doctors and their licensing boards do not try to freeze out the new cheaper ones that will be trying to come on board as a direct result of the reform bill.

Muser of NM 1:30AM March 29, 2010

Pelosi sure taught us Republicans ! With what 14% approval personal rating she got it passed. With polls showing people did not want obamcare reform, now with 55% wanting it repealed, she did a GREAT job.
Just not service to our Nation. What can the voters do about that ?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/march_2010/55_favor_repeal_of_health_care_bill

Bill Hedges of MO 11:40PM March 28, 2010