So today the Democrats and Republicans are going to sit down and talk about healthcare. If nothing comes of it, the White House is urging Congress to us reconciliation to pass healthcare. Reconciliation is a process designed to fast track changes is funding to a program, that only takes 51 votes. The problem with using that in this case, is it was never intended to be used for new legislation. If they use it, it's a violation of everything the US stands for.

Herre is the same people who wish to use it, talking about reconciliation when Bush and the Republicans owned everything. It's the definition if hypocrisy.

http://www.breitbart.tv/obama-dems-in-2005-51-vote-nuclear-option-is-arrogant-power-grab-against-the-founders-intent/

Make sure you watch to the end, because the last few comments are  the best. Eps Biden and Clinton.

Yes, it's wrong.

But socialised healthcare is needed, immediately. If the Democrats only do one thing with their term it has to be healthcare; they've had everything else blocked by the Republicans and their concessions to "bipartisanship" have not been returned in kind.

(From the UK, where the NHS is possibly the only good thing in the whole country. Have experienced the American system; the inequality between rich and not-rich on health is massive and costs the whole country more in the long run [healthy workers benefit everyone]).

I completely agree, but threatening or even mentioning reconciliation before the summit was a poor decision. It's basically giving the message "If you don't compromise with us, we'll just go around you......kick rocks bitch." With heavy emphasis on the bitch part.....

Edit: I'm at work so I can only read the CNN updates but did McCain just have a 2008 campaign flashback???

Only the democrats could ruin the almost complete death of the opposing party by pushing through legislation most of the people in the US don't even want and won't even accomplish anything except rise the national debt.

Had they focused on the economy and stuff the public actually wanted done... they could of nearly dealt the republicans a death blow.

The NHS is brilliant within the UK. I think ill just mention a few issues however.

Firstly, it is in a large amount of debt that isn't going to go away anytime soon. It also has problems when in different parts of England. For example, a certain drug used to ease the effects of cancer was avalable free on the NHS in Yorkshire but in Lincolnshire the same drug cost money because they have to cut costs. This inequality proves that the NHS should have the same rules nationwide and not allow regional hospitals to set out rules.

In short, America needs healthcare reform. Taxes will shoot up but the safety netting and equality will mean a more prosperous healthy nation.

You'd think the Democrats could have got one major policy (i.e. this) through this term, since they had a majority in both houses and a President with soaring approval ratings. Why didn't they?

Because people didn't want this

The Democrats started with a "problem" most people were mostly satisfied with, came up with a solution that nobody wanted and focused on in to the detriment of everything else.

Had they wanted to pass jobs legislation, carbon trading, bank reforms, immediate pullout from iraq.... pretty much everything but this... and they could of did it.

However their asnine healthcare proposal lost them all credibility... it's just so poorly conceived it's mindboggling... it's why they had to jump through hoops and put bribes in to various states just to get their own members to vote for it.

US disease surivival rates are up their with the "best" healthcare systems in the world... better then a lot actually.  The problem most people had was the cost... of which this bill actually does nothing to fix. 

All it does is give people money from the government to pay for part of it... with no controls to prevent the bills from getting any higher and ending up at the same costs for the consumer before hand.

In fact,  Medicare payments had to go up to bribe our Medical Assosiations to say the plans weren't disorganized and probably going to cost lives.

In general... medical costs will go up... not down here, because the Democrats have no interest in taking on the drug companies.

Who wouldn't want healthcare for everyone? i could understand a sound objection based on economics but most Americans seem to have an irrational fear of government-run services. Despite the huge and wasteful amount your government already spends on public healthcare.

The more pertinent question is, "why should I be forced to help pay for your healthcare?" It's not that there's people who enjoy seeing others uninsured; it's that there's people who don't enjoy being forced to give away what they've earned to those who haven't earned it (which is the essence of socialism).

As for government-run services.... screw 'em. Americans finally got tired of big government and rejected it when they signed the Declaration of Independence over 200 years ago. Socialism/tyranny seems to be back in action under a new guise, however, known as "liberalism." Now where's my torch and pitchfork?

One third of all US healthcare costs are obesity-related. That is the problem we need to be looking at... not giving away people's money.