Health Care on the Campaign Trail

The NYT's Paul Krugman and I often haven't seen eye to eye. In general, I've tended to think he was an old fart. Well, I should clarify, he's something of an economic conservative. But his analysis of McCain and Obama's health plans are spot on and just go to show that what Biden was saying in the VP debate was on the money.

Without the tax break (that employers currently get when they offer employees heatlh insurance), many employers would drop their current health plans. Several recent nonpartisan studies estimate that under the McCain plan around 20 million Americans currently covered by their employers would lose their health insurance.

But the people gaining insurance would be those who need it least: relatively healthy Americans with high incomes....Meanwhile, the people losing insurance would be those who need it most: lower-income workers who wouldn’t be able to afford individual insurance even with the tax credit, and Americans with health problems whom insurance companies won’t cover.

In short, the McCain plan makes no sense at all, unless you have faith that the magic of the marketplace can solve all problems.

It seems pretty common-sensical that it doesn't take much in the way of necessary health care to break an uninsured person. I have had to forgo the appropriate medical care due to an inability to pay for it as a student. I can't imagine facing a catastrophic illness and having the current coverage I have. All the more reason to graduate and get on with it. I can't afford to be underinsured and get older.

McChicken Little: The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling

Ok, only a quick note this morning because I have to teach and I can't find the slides the kids are supposed to use.

John McCain has suggested that both presidential candidates suspend their campaigns and cancel the debate this Friday to concentrate on passing a bailout for the beleaguered financial markets (i.e., Wall Street). He is actually saying he's not going to show up for the debate unless some bailout is passed by Friday.

*crickets*

If you are very, very quiet, I think you can hear John McCain blink. How do you feel about a candidate that wants the world to stop so he can concentrate? On a crisis (supposedly) that no one has *IMO* given a strong and compelling reason the American public should shoulder. Weigh in with your opinion here.

I guess we should stop the world for McCain, because, you know, a president might not have to deal with the pressures of two wars, suicide bombings in Israel and Pakistan, the escalation of a new Cold War, your daughter's illegitimate pregnancy and underage drinking problems, and an economic crisis of epic proportions at the same time.

Ok, IMO, John McCain has already suspended his campaign by his own failure to have his ticket communicate with the American public to the legitimate news media. But let's give the old man some slack. The youthful running mate isn't much help in the economic department either. An interview between Sarah Palin and Katie Couric emerged last night. She doesn't think America is interested in Obama's approach to this crisis? Is she daft? And the McCain ticket doesn't want to help homeowners who are caught between the cross-hairs because they made bad decisions and doing so might help predatory lenders. She can't even offer even one specific example of McCain's pushing for more regulation on anything without "getting back to ya". Spoiler warning: it's painful to watch. She just keeps repeating the ticket's idiotic lies and rambles incoherently.

Another video emerged of this witch-hunting African preacher praying for Sarah Palin to win the governor's house. Hat tip to Mudflats, where you can find breaking and facinating updates on the Troopergate investigation.

Happy Thursday!