"Triggered Co-Op?" You've Got To Be Kidding Me!

Via Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog, this little tidbit on how the Senate plans to screw up health-care reform:

As we all know, the action on health insurance reform has moved to the Senate. And, the initial indicators from Senate Democrats aren't good. They're already negotiating with themselves and the gimmick of the week is a triggered co-op proffered by Senator Tom Carper from Delaware. National Journal refers to it as a "Public Option Alternative." It's pretty much the most useless and counter-productive alternative.

Let me get this right: the Senate Democrats, who can't negotiate with the Republicans because the Republicans won't negotiate, are now talking amongst themselves about ways to make health-care reform palatable to the Republicans, who won't vote for it no matter what they do. (The Republicans love their insurance companies.) Or maybe they're just trying to keep Joe Lieberman (I-Me! Me! Me!) happy. And so, being the rocket-scientists they are, they come up with a combination of the worst two ideas so far offered -- and rejected by everyone with their heads screwed on straight. (And I have to admit I'm surprised to find that many senators who fit that description.)

Sudbay links to a commentary by McJoan at DailyKos that I can't get to because my ancient computer is having kidney failure or something this morning. (There's also the fact that the new design of AmericaBlog contains so much crap that the pages never finish loading.) She's pungent and right on target, from the quote he posted. If I manage to get to it, I may come back with further commentary.

But for the time being, this fish smell many day dead. (And I wonder how much the insurance/pharma industrial complex has donated to Carper.)