Great Minds Think Alike

Now wonder I stalk this man...

(Disclaimer / Explanation of Joke: Jonah Goldberg and I have a running joke with each other in which we say I'm stalking him.  It all stems from a coincidental running into each other at an event for his book "Liberal Fascism" in Pewaukee in May 2008 a mere week after we reacquainted ourselves at an event at American University.

Goldberg and I first met each other in 2006 at a speech he gave at Marquette University.  Occasionally, we'll talk comics via email.  Honest.)

Jonah Goldberg brings up something I thought of as a question for Congressman Kagen prior to his town halls last week that should be asked/required of all Congressmen and Senators during this August recess.

I'm just wondering. We constantly hear Democrats, starting with Obama, insist that Americans should have the same health care options as members of Congress and the federal government. I seem to recall John Edwards demogoging this point relentlessly. Well, why not turn it around? Why shouldn't Democrats in Congress and the White House pledge to drop their current health insurance and agree to use whatever public plan they come up with? It will save taxpayers' money and satisfy all sorts of progressive nostrums about equality and whatnot. At minimum, this seems like a good question to ask Obamacare supporters at these town halls. Of course, if Congress did sign up for the public plan, the public plan would inexorably become gold-plated — or two-tier — right?

My sample question to Kagen, which I heard through the grapevine a form of this question was asked last Monday.  His answer:  "I'll look into it."

Question 1:  Congressman Kagen, you've made it more than publicly-known that you do [will] not have [health insurance and will not have insurance until] the same health insurance as Congress does until 'all Americans have the same health insurance their elected Representatives do.'  Dr. Kagen, does that mean either 1) You'll be joining the efforts to make sure Members of Congress, their families, and staffs are also subject to what is passed in this bill, or 2) You'll be signing up separately if it were to become law.

Goldberg goes on to update his post saying this exact question is now part of the version going through the Senate Finance Committee.  Currently, no final version of the bill exists in the Senate, or Senate Committees like Finance or Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

A Taste of Their Own Medicine. (Coburn Amendment #226) For many liberals in Congress, a new public health-insurance plan, to compete against private health insurance, is an absolute “must” for health-care reform. Virtually all independent analysts estimate that, given the special advantages of taxpayer subsidies and regulation, that the competition would be rigged, and millions of Americans with private health insurance today would be dumped by their employers into the new public plan. Sen. Tom Coburn proposed an amendment that would require all members of Congress and their staffs to enroll in the newly-created public health-insurance plan. This means that they would be required to give up their private insurance coverage (nationwide there are 283 plans competing for federal employees’ dollars), which is today provided through the popular and successful Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). With many members of Congress openly willing to create incentives that would drive Americans out of their existing private coverage, Senator Coburn put his colleagues to a test. Although ten Senate Democrats voted against it, the Coburn amendment passed by one vote. Taxpayers should watch very closely whether this amendment is preserved or buried.

This area -- will Congress sign on to the Public Option -- seems to be one many on the left who support outright single-payer have never really gotten into.  Because the way it currently appears, Congress seems well to do about creating a Caste System for itself.