Might as take out national TV and bill board ads and announce to the Republicans and the world "We surrender. Just tell us what you want and you can have it."

Health care reforms will be minor, Kohl predicts
By Associated Press

Eau Claire -- Controversial health care reforms, including a public option to compete with private insurance, and other major policy changes affecting the health care industry likely won't happen this year, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) said Monday.  "It won't be earth-shattering; there are too many politics involved," Kohl said.

Aside from the public option, Kohl said, he doubts other reforms he supports, including government-negotiated prices for medication and living will conferences, will be in the legislation that's eventually passed. Congress will pass some smaller reforms this year, he said, but nothing sweeping. . . .

Someone, maybe Axlerod, should just tell Obama, "I don't mean to be disrespectful Sir, but you're quite obviously over your head with this issue. Just appoint one person; Dean, Weiner, even Pelosi, as your spokesperson, then go on vacation and don't come back until there's a bill for you to sign.

"WE don't need experience, we've got vision."

Alice In Wonderland: A Mad Tea Party

Reading this chapter, I cannot help but see the parallels.

Look at this table and this table -they show how much money was given by the insurance industry (all types, not just health) to Congresscritters.

So far in the 2009-2010 election cycle, guess who's taken a total of $2,861,028 in donations? (I'll give you a hint - it isn't the Republicans, who have only taken $2,041,078).  And guess who took more money in 2008? (hint:  same answer).

Here's the top 20 members of Congress who have taken money from the insurance industry for 2010.

Now, for the 2010 election cycle, let's look at donations from Big Pharma - guess who got the most (same answer as above). And look at the Top 20 receivers this year. Here's the Top 20 for 2008.

Sure BTD you mention Grassley as if were the only kind of vote that would be needed down the line. But that isn't the case. To get everything else that would be needed to make the skeleton reform an actual working , functional, competitive product you are going to need republican votes because those other things that are needed can't be passed in a subsequent reconciliation.

"Here's the bottom-line: absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to support the public option that will help lower costs, give American consumers more choice, and keep private insurers honest. If people have other ideas about how to accomplish these goals, we'll look at those too, but the public option is a very good way to do this."

Now we have it all and they're still wringing their hands.

The only explanation for all of this is that the leadership really doesn't believe in the need of health care reform. It just isn't worth the hassle to them. They'd rather not rock the boat. They're insulated in their own little world and there's a lobbyist position waiting in the wings.

Previous work by CBO has shown that plans' bids for operating Medicare Advantage plans vary less from county to county than per capita FFS spending does

Care Management in Medicare Advantage
Medicare's FFS program provides a generally unmanaged approach to the delivery of medicine because providers are paid for the number of services they deliver and not for the quality of the outcomes they bring about.[14]  Health plans may be more able to manage care through their knowledge of members' health conditions, contact
with providers, and centralized administrative arrangements. Medicare Advantage plans also have strong incentive to manage care to reduce costs, as any savings that they can generate accrue directly to them.