Ever find yourself sitting at your desk – usually after a little time off – staring at an endless stream of e-mails, a stack of snail mail and a glaring red light on your phone? And then just freeze up, not knowing where to even begin?
Well, it feels like we've hit that wall in the health care debate, now, too. In fact, that's exactly how I felt when I fired up the laptop this morning to hammer out this blog. I just don't know where to begin today. (I mean, I can't even bring myself to make a Moammar Gadhafi tent-pitching joke.)
So, I'm just gonna dive in with a few random thoughts.
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I love that Joe Biden gives a speech yesterday so watered down that every single thing he touches on is old news. Way to move the ball, Joe.
Speaking of showing up late for the party, the Senate "officially" takes up the health care debate today. Never mind that the rest of us have been at this for, what, six months now?
A couple of little facts lost in the shuffle (probably because they would get in the way of good headlines): Read somewhere this morning that despite the wild accusations, most carriers profits account for about 5 percent or so of every premium dollar. And, on the other side of that, while malpractice reform should be considered, most economists (as reported in today's New York Times) say it only accounts for about 3 percent of medical spending a year. I just think a little perspective goes a long way.
Meanwhile, as we argue over the finer points of this debate, a new Gallup poll reveals that only two in 10 Americans think their coverage will improve if Congress passes a bill this year. A whopping 80 percent told pollsters they're either satisfied or very satisfied with their coverage right now.
So why are we doing this again?
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