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Cynthia Tucker

GOP and the 80 percent solution

7:14 am September 23, 2009, by ctucker

For weeks now, leading Republicans have insisted that they support “80 percent” of the substance of the dominant health care reform bills. So why haven’t they tried to negotiate over that 80 percent? Why not take the 80 percent substance, put it into a separate bill and pass it with bipartisan support?
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor bought into the 80-percent argument at a forum hosted by the Richmond Times Dispatch, a Virginia newspaper, earlier this week:

“I do think you can fix some of the 20 percent,” he said after the event, even daring to forecast a health-care deal by the end of the year. “I think, yes, something will emerge,” he said.

But, despite all the talk of 80 percent agreement, Republicans refuse to do anything but balk at health care reform. For all his hard work and compromises to appease his GOP colleagues, Sen. Max Baucus, leader of the so-called Gang of Six, has received no cooperation from Republicans, as The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank noted this morning.

Bunning’s nap was a fitting comment on how he and his Republican colleagues had received the efforts of the committee’s chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont.), to craft a bipartisan compromise on the mammoth legislation. Baucus made major concessions to Republicans: He dropped the “public option” for a government-run health plan; he tossed aside the mandate that employers provide health coverage; he cut the bill’s cost and made sure it was all funded by revenue from within the health-care system; he stipulated that government funds would not go for abortion or to illegal immigrants; and he included efforts to curtail medical malpractice awards.

And what does Baucus have to show for his concessions? One by one Tuesday, Republicans delivered the same thanks-but-no-thanks message. So much for intellectual honesty.

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25 comments Add your comment

Richard

September 23rd, 2009
7:43 am

This is not a new idea. Do a search for gradual health care reform to find quite a few representatives that have suggested to take a step-by-step approach to the reform. The responses I’ve seen seem to mainly convey the concept of 80% of a system wouldn’t ensure the reform we need is included, and reconciliation can get 100%.

Peadawg

September 23rd, 2009
7:55 am

“bipartisan support”

Like y’all gave Bush the past 8 years. LOL!!!

Jimmy62

September 23rd, 2009
7:58 am

I’ve got an idea. Why don’t the Democrats sample some of the wonderful free market solutions put out by the right and totally ignored by everyone else because that would defeat the party of no narrative? Today compromise seems to mean the GOP ignoring it’s principles. Why doesn’t the left compromise a little (since even with big majorities, they still can’t pass anything) and actually look at some of the gerat ideas being put forth by those who believe in freedom and the ability to live your life how you want to?

mike

September 23rd, 2009
7:59 am

Cynthia Tucker complaining about others’ intellectual honesty is like Tom DeLay complaining about others’ dancing.

Notice the Cynthia consistently ignores the Democrat opposition to the bill. The unions are opposed to taxing “Cadillac” plans. Al Franken is opposed to the tax on medical device manufacturers. Liberals are holding out for the public option.

If Cynthia had any intellectual honesty herself she would be capable of criticizing someone other than conservatives or Republicans. Unfortunately, she has none.

mike

September 23rd, 2009
8:01 am

“Like y’all gave Bush the past 8 years. LOL!!!”

Don’t you remember? Cynthia called out angry liberal protesters and Democrat obstructionists in Congress when Bush was in office.

Oh wait. No she didn’t.

Horrible Horace

September 23rd, 2009
8:15 am

Yea…kinda funny how the Reps are behaving just as the Dems behaved while Bush was in office. Well Ms Tucker I guess its payback time. Ya we know its counterproductive, childish etc., however, thats just how politics works.

Enjoy the “fun in the sun” or what you Dems have remaining.
OboboCare MUST BE DEFEATED!!

branton

September 23rd, 2009
8:26 am

Tucker is an idiot! Anyone who believes her is a Kool-Aid drinker. Where is the facts Cynthia? How about Obama’s promise not to tax anyone with income under $250,000? These bills will all do that. How about the fact that healthcare will cost people with higher incomes more than people with lower incomes yet they will get the same coverage with the same doctors?

jconservative

September 23rd, 2009
8:39 am

Some of the adjustments made by Baucus were not just for Republican consumption – a lot of it was for the Democratic Senators from states that McCain carried in 2008. He needs their votes to get to 60.

lovelyliz

September 23rd, 2009
9:02 am

But they oppose 100% of the Democrats. Perhaps that’s just their nature

Leslie Pounds

September 23rd, 2009
9:16 am

Thinking and logic usually prove superior to shouting and anger. As we approach flu season’s double whammy of seasonal flu plus H1N1 perhaps we should reconsider two facets of health care reform that draw major opposition. If we exclude illegal immigrants, consider that a large portion find employment in the restaurant and food service sector. Illegals without vaccination and preventive care are vulnerable to either type of flu and other communicable diseases. This increases the exposure of those patronizing their employer to disease feeding the possibility of pandemic. The forty million citizens with no health insurance also contribute to the spread of communicable disease.
Les Pounds

Joan

September 23rd, 2009
9:30 am

The CBO says that the Baucus bill will drain Medicare Advantage of billions of dollars, and cause a decrease in the services now provided thereunder. I suppose the old in this country–those who actually thought working for a living, and not living as a dependent on the government teat–will be the ones who will again be asked to sacrifice so the ‘now” generation, whatever it is, can continue living the high life. That is so wrong.

Donovan

September 23rd, 2009
9:33 am

As the days go on in her Obama dreamland, our little commie journalist seems to become more and more dysfunctional in her rationale. Forget the 80% fairy tale. Ms Tucker is a poor salesperson for lipstick. The pig she is trying to dress up is a non-starter with the majority of responsible Americans. She belongs to a circus act that got put into a temporary leadership role that resembles clowns getting out of a packed car and looking like fools for their antics. Such left wing programs only make sense to them and their form of program implementation can only be achieved through coerced bill ramming practices. Nice try, Tucker. Your definition of bipartisanship is when you all say, “it’s our way or no way”.

jconservative

September 23rd, 2009
9:48 am

Joan September 23rd, 2009 9:30 am
“The CBO says that the Baucus bill will drain Medicare Advantage of billions of dollars, and cause a decrease in the services now provided…”

I am retired, on Medicare, & use a Medicare Advantage plan. But only because it is more convenient. The Med Adv plan allows me to get a supplemental plan & a Part D plan with one policy. It actually costs me a few more dollars than just straight Medicare Part A & B with separate supplemental & Part D plans. Doing away with Medicare Advantage would not hurt any senior, it would just not be as convenient.

I do not support any “reform” plan I have seen but I do agree that removing Medicare Advantage would save about $14 billion a year & I would support that as a stand alone piece of legislation.

Medicare/Medicaid & SCHIP are going to spend $803.1 billion in fiscal year 2010. Somewhere, somehow, expenses must be cut.

DannyX

September 23rd, 2009
9:58 am

“Coerced bill?” “Left wing program?”

Donovan, we are discussing the health care reform, not the Medicare Part D drug plan The Republicans DID ram down the public’s throat in the middle of the night a few years ago.

What exactly is the definition of bi-partisanship to a Republican? A few years ago when the Republicans had control it meant sending Democratic caucus’s to meet in the capitol basement, it was Karl Rove doing his hatchet job. Not a single Democrat on the president’s cabinet.

Now we have a President that has truly reached out to Republicans, has many Republicans in his cabinet, did not fire many leftovers from the Bush administration and we have Republicans involved with Congressional committee’s.

Kayaker 71

September 23rd, 2009
10:10 am

Each and every Senator and Congressmen/women, along with Bozo, were not elected to a large part by Demos or Repubs…. they were pushed over the top by independents. The two political parties have the billboards, the rhetoric, the funding and the platforms….. but they only represent a portion of the electorate, sometimes a less than adequate portion necessary to win an election. Both parties depend heavily on this segment to get elected, re-elected and to pass/defeat legislation.
This voter segment is not happy with Bozo and his plans for this country. Rassmussen states that nearly 65% of them are either very unhappy or not so happy with the direction our country is heading. Joined with the Repubs or the Demos, they make a convincing force to recon with. These “brownshirts” that Dean describes at Town Hall meetings are not all disenchanted Republicans…. many are very unhappy independents who think that they are not being heard. Ignore this segment of our electorate at your peril….. they are the swing vote that either re-elects or does not re-elect. Stay tuned for 2010…. they are not happy campers.

Donovan

September 23rd, 2009
10:15 am

DannyX…get off of the kool aid and drop your membership to whatever union you belong to. Nice try.

DannyX

September 23rd, 2009
10:27 am

Is that all you have Donovan? You have given us empty rhetoric, and a lot of anger.

You need to calm down, and give us your take on bi-partisanship and the history of it the past 9 years. Come on, give us something.

I’ll even go again. Was ex Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales a Republican example of bi-partisanship?

Its funny the snarky reply from most Republicans when Democrats were thrown to the street during the Bush years was “Win some elections if you want a voice.”

Guess what? That’s exactly what the Dems did.

Kayaker 71

September 23rd, 2009
10:28 am

Off topic,

If you want to see the perfect example of a narcissist in action, watch Bozo’s UN speech. He is so full of self love, you just want to reach through the TV and give him a great big hug and thank him for being so full of himself. I think I’m going to be sick…….

Ultraspinacle

September 23rd, 2009
10:36 am

Politics is not the complete truth. Certainly there were some politics involved in Democratic opposition over the last 8 years. But, the GOP usually had bad ideas – why support those (I think history will bear me out on that one)? Healthcare, on the other hand, is an excellent idea, as is financial market reform. Why not support that?

DannyX

September 23rd, 2009
11:29 am

Wow, sure are a lot of messed up roads around town. Its vital to the region that our government react quickly to the situation.

US Secretary of Transportation, REPUBLICAN Ray LaHood should visit the area personally and make sure his department coordinates the rebuilding effort with the Georgia DOT.

onlinesavant

September 23rd, 2009
11:34 am

Some of you are so historically ignorant, even irony is beyond you. To remind you: The regressives had control of congress for 12 years, and control of the Presidency (Illegitimate as is Bush was.) and the congress for 8 years. They did not need the Democrats for anything, and they acted accordingly. Remember? Bush 3 major tax cuts that will equal 2 trillion dollars when they end? That’s your baby, and I did’nt see you “teabagging” each other about “fiscal responsibility” then. Oh, and what about the illegal invasion of a sovereign nation based on lies? Yeah, some Democrats voted for it, but not the majority, and again, it was an illegitimate administration that had plans to do it years before (Remember the Project for a New American Century? If you don’t, look it up.)that pushed for it. Oh, and the current cost of this little adventure, over a TRILLION dollars. Bet you hacks were pushing for it when Bush was out there lying. How about the pharmaceutical written industry giveaway that will equal 8 TRILLION dollars over 10 years known as Medicare part D. Where was the outrage when what was supposed to be a 15 minute vote was held over for hours, and eventually was passed at 3 o’clock in the morning, after much arm twisting and coercion from regressive to regressive? Oh, and to throw in the regressive subverting of their own so-called principles in regards to the Terry Shiavo affair, The Patriot Act, and the shredding of the Constitution in the form of illegal wiretaps on American citizens? Where were you regressive “teabaggers” then. No, as I said, irony is beyond you, but hypocrisy is right down your alleys.

Sean

September 23rd, 2009
3:22 pm

The problem is not that there is no reasonable path to citizenship or other guest worker program that would allow them to do so. Real immigration reform that insists on an orderly process (this includes controlled passage across the boarder). This is the only way to do ensure everyone gets treated fairly as well as allowing us to maintain secure boarders.

The president has hinted that this will be his next priority after Health Care, but rest assured, this will have much more to do with expanding the Democratic base than it will getting immigrants on the tax rolls.

Not only should illegal immigrants pay taxes for their own benefit, but opposition to illegals taking advantage of the system would disappear because, at least in theory, the resources they’d be taking advantage of would be paid for. Everyone wins, unless of course you want illegals to get free stuff for whatever warped reason. Instead we have states going bankrupt, unable to pay for the entitlements they’ve promised because no one is paying what they should for services rendered.

I’m all for welcoming more people to this country. In many ways, they understand the American dream better than most natives, but to suggest they shouldn’t have to pay for these services is naive and unrealistic.

Public Option Doing Swell

September 23rd, 2009
10:36 pm

jsconservative–

Not the case. Medicare Advantage plans differ WIDELY by state and some are as different as night and day.

Public Option Doing Swell

September 23rd, 2009
10:41 pm

Well written @ onlinesavant 11:34AM.

Jack Meihoff

September 24th, 2009
2:07 am

There is a very simple answer to the question of why we can’t settling on fixing 80% of health care…because 80% won’t get done what needs to be done. Do you lock your door 80% at night? Does a farmer only plant 80% of his/her fields? Can I get paid 100% and only do 80% of the work? Even if we promise to do the ‘other 20%’ later, there is no guarantee that this important part of our lives will get done…in fact, most likely, it won’t get done. So, let’s hold the 80% ransom until we get a 100% fix.

It has been said that doing nothing is the worst thing that can happen. WRONG!!! The only thing worse than doing nothing is doing something that sets us even further in the hole, or costs us money and doesn’t work. We only have one chance at this one, let’s get it right the first time around, and forget about those ‘quick-fix’ deadlines that the Dems keep trying to enforce.