January 21, 2010

"I'm easy. I'm strongly inclined to vote for the thing, even though I don't like the health care tax thing."

The Thing.



You said it was dead, and now it's back.

6 comments:

Hoosier Daddy said...

Definitely two of the best movies out there.

Freeman Hunt said...

Anyone who votes for this thing deserves to be stuck out in the Antarctic wilderness with The Thing.

Unknown said...

Of course he's for it. With the (possible) exceptions of Willie Clinton and Christopher Dodd, no one is more responsible for the mess in which we find ourselves than Slobbering Barney. And, no doubt, he sees all the possibilities for backroom deals if he can get a few boyfriends in positions of prominence.

He understands the peasants are at the gates, but he can't help drooling over the unlimited graft just beyond his reach. Along with Ed Maakey, the best candidate for another Brown Out.

Anonymous said...

This would be a good moment for the Vision Thing to reappear.

former law student said...

the health care tax thing

Taxing healthcare plans based on their dollar amount is stupid three ways: It penalizes those with preexisting conditions, whose policies cost more. It penalizes older people, who are statistically more likely to need medical care. Unless the trigger amount is tied to inflation, everyone will be paying the tax, just as eventually everyone will be subject to AMT.

Further, if the goal is to insure as many people as possible, taxing insurance is counterproductive.

jaed said...

Not to mention the part about exempting government workers from the tax. There's already a train of resentment and rage barreling down that track because government pension obligations are going to be making all of us poorer in not too long. Exempting the governing class from a tax is just really asking for it.

I get the impression that the "Cadillac tax" was originally supposed to be some sort of half-assed populist gesture (hence the nickname). But Obama really does not do know-nothing "the people are outraged!" populism well at all. He's heavy-handed and unconvincing at it. He does far better playing the calm and cerebral professor type.