what the public option would mean for Michiana

According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, passing the America's Affordable Health Choices Act would mean in the 2nd district of Indiana:

up to 13,500 small businesses could receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees; 10,200 seniors would avoid the donut hole in Medicare Part D; 1,770 families could escape bankruptcy each year due to unaffordable health care costs; health care providers would receive payment for $104 million in uncompensated care each year; and 95,000 uninsured individuals would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.

That would be the one with the public option. These numbers are pretty staggering.

Here's the one for TX-19 (Randy Neugebauer, R - Lubbock), and here for TX-32 (North Dallas, Pete Sessions). The rest of you can look your districts up here.

Donnelly in Mishawaka

Several of us did our best, but the crowd was so packed 30 minutes before start time that we couldn't even hear Congressman Donnelly speak, just intermittent clapping and cheering from the various sides. Speaking of, though, both sides were pretty solidly represented (complete with pro- and anti- protesters), so I imagine everything went ok.

One thing I did learn: anytime anyone does something you don't like, it's just like living in East Germany.

Not a bad idea to take a moment to write the good congressman a polite, if firm letter/email. Everything hinges upon the presence of a robust, viable public option. Without it, there can be no meaningful reform.

as a corollary to the last post

Despite my deep pessimism of Obama's chances, we still have to stand up and be heard if we want to stand a chance in this fight. Write your representatives, especially if they're Democrats. Those of you in Michiana have a blue dog congressman who needs to hear that we don't want him following his spineless, unprincipled colleagues. The astroturfers will be descending on him on Saturday at 11:30 in Plymouth. It's not far from South Bend, so perhaps a carpool can be arranged?

Joe Donnelly: too weak to make the hard choices

Speaking of unserious... From the South Bend Tribune:

Indiana U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, has broken ranks with fellow Democrats and voted with the state's four Republican House members against President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget plan.

The House passed the plan 233-196 Thursday. Donnelly was among 20 Democrats and 176 Republicans who voted against the proposal. All four Indiana Republicans were among those voting no.

Donnelly says he voted against it because of "the growing national debt which our children are being asked to bear."

Apparently Joe wants the government to stop spending during a major recession. Or does he? We'll never know, but no one will ask him how he expects to lift the country out of the gutter. No one will tell him that there are only two ways to lower the deficit (dramatically cutting spending or raising taxes) and ask him which of those he wants to do in the middle of a recession.

Which is it, Joe? You can't claim credit for stimulus money coming into the district and then vote against the budget because it increases the national debt.

IN-02: Puckett's gonna get smoked

Tribune/WSBT poll:

Donnelly (D-inc) 54
Puckett (R) 40

The Puckett "campaign's" reply:

The Puckett campaign says the gap is not insurmountable.

Heh. Good one.

IN-02: isn't SCHIP a government-run program?

From The South Bend Tribune:

SOUTH BEND -- The health care system needs reform but U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, says it shouldn't be through a government-run program.

Insurance companies currently have a lot of control in the system and the playing field needs to be more level with patients, Donnelly said in a phone interview with The Tribune on Wednesday.

He said he supports the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada to help senior citizens save money.

Donnelly said Medicare Part D must be changed to remove the coverage gap, or the "doughnut hole." The hole lies between $2,250 and $5,726 in total prescription drug spending, where a participant has to pay for all of their drug costs until they reach the out-of-pocket protection threshold.

If Congress could negotiate drug prices with drug companies, prescription drug prices would drop, Donnelly said, shrinking the doughnut hole and helping senior citizens save money. He said seniors eligible for the Veterans Affairs program are already paying 42 percent less on their drugs, because the VA negotiates prices with pharmaceutical companies.

Donnelly said he supported renewal of the national State Children's Health Insurance Program, which would have provided health care for 98,000 children in Indiana. SCHIP was enacted in 1997 to last for 10 years and expired last September.

These Hoosiercrats piss me off to no end. Using "government-run" as a pejorative? What is this, 1985? News flash, Donnelly, people vote for Democrats because they don't want the government to be run by free market fundamentalists and corporatist sellouts. Or were we not supposed to notice that you don't support programs competing with corporate middle-men, but you do support programs subsidizing their profits?