Special Interests Derail Health Care

For now, it seems, ObamaKare is dead.

Over the weekend, Pelosi, Reid and other democrats in Congress looked for a way to save or revive it. Following the election of Scott Brown, Pelosi admitted that she didn't have the votes in the House to pass the Senate version of the bill, and as time goes on, those votes are dwindling. Blue dogs (fiscally not-as-liberal-as-the-rest-of-the-democrats democrats) as well as the handful of pro-life democrats never liked the bill from the beginning, and are far less wiling to sacrifice their seats for a bill that, clearly, nobody wants.

Obama and the White House have been quick to respond to the situation. Special interests, they say, have moved in to kill health care reform.

Fascinating.

I say that, because, for the most part, they have all the special interest on board.

The insurance industry? Check. The health insurance industry supports the current health care reform package. They see it as a way to increase their revenues with a large influx of new customers, even if there will be tighter restrictions and regulations. They understand that the government is unlikely to create a situation in which they will be completely unable to make a profit, though they recognize that their profits could decrease to a degree.

Unions? Check. With special deals, the biggest and most powerful unions will not have to pay additional taxes on their so called "Cadillac plans," even though everyone else will.

Doctors? Check. No, wait. Uncheck. Well, sort of. The administration claimed that health care providers were on board several months ago. In fact, a number of provider organizations, such as the AMA, is on board. But the doctors "in the trenches" are not. Still, they don't have a powerful enough organization with them to oppose the process.

So what special interest groups is the administration complaining about? Who is it that is derailing the health care reform package? What dastardly group would dare disagree with the liberal left and have the power to influence Washington to not pass this bill?

Actually, there is one group. Polls show that it is .... hold on to your hats ..... voters.

Yes, Washington could get so much more done, if it wasn't for the fact that they have to answer to the people that put them into office. That's a situation that they would, no doubt, change if they could.