Making news (up): Trent Franks with a the double play
U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., held a town-hall meeting in his district over the weekend in which he revealed himself to be a birther (is that still going on?) and said (without apparent disbelief from the crowd) that Republicans have pending health care reform legislation.
Wait. What? The Republicans have a health care reform proposal. Recently, the GOP House leader on health care, Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who, thankfully, does not need a hip replacement no matter where he lives, said the GOP had no plan and, frankly, doesn’t need one.
Oh. I see. The plan of which Mr. Franks’ spoke is tort reform. You know, because doctors are afraid of being sued, they practice defensive medicine. Therefore, fix the malpractice problem, and health care becomes affordable and health insurance companies line up behind the angels again. Got it.
Too bad it won’t work. (Just don’t tell Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin or Charles Krauthammer that there’s actual research on the matter.)
Jamie Riley is the P-D letters editor and gatekeeper of the letters blog. Before joining the editorial page in May 2005, she was a reporter and page designer. Jamie lives in University City with her husband, Charles, daughter, Elise, and the world's best Jack Russell terrier, Logan, better known as Stinky. 
I have a friend who is a thoracic surgeon in Louisiana and Mississippi and his medical malpractice insurance is 400K per year. He actually is giving up his practice in Mississippi because premiums will go up even more in 2010 since they have no cap on medical malpractice lawsuits. But I’m going to guess that isn’t the laws fault, it is the mean ol’ insurance industries fault.
Lost Charlie Ross,
Tort has been reformed in many states, remember how there is a capped amount some can now recieve in lawsuits in some states? In fact, isn’t Illnois one of those states, a Blue state?
A family friend who is a physician who deliver babies gave up his Missouri practice a few years back to practice in the Chicago area because of the high cause of medical malpractice insurance.
Penny Starr seems to be saying Ms. Riley is mistaken.
Republicans Have Offered Three Alternative Health Care Reform Bills
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/52896
Typical Republican response: There are against healthcare reform, but they have no plan to fix it. Afterall, they wouldn’t want to offend their health insurance buddies.
That is hilarious. Democrats like Mrs. Riley are the ones who don’t want to solve problems. There are most certainly simple steps that can be taken but the simple minded just don’t want to listen.
You just can’t trust “journalists” these days. They don’t know how to do their research any more — at least not when that research will tarnish the shine on their god.
Jamie,
You should retitle your recent entries “rants” rather than editorials. Instead of addressing the health care issue, you start with an effort to discredit those opposed to the Democrat’s health care “reform” legislation by attacking their position on other issues that have nothing to do with health care. It sounds like Eddie Roth is writing your articles.
Since you obviously see Roy Blunt as the only voice within the Republicamn Party, you missed RNC chairman Michael Steele’s speech outlining the GOP position. Maybe you also missed the news that since the Dems control both houses of Congress and the White House, Republicans can’t even move legislation in committee, much less the full chamber. If their legislation is so wonderful, why are Democrats so reluctant to go it alone?
While you’re out attacking the GOP for not forwarding a health care plan, maybe you cpould ask President Obama where HIS plan is? To this untrained observer, it appears he has no plan of his own, doesn’t understand the details of the House version, and is more than willing to stake his political fortunes on the wisdom of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and a few committee chairmen.
If the President is losing the health care debate, it is his doing, not the fault of talk show hosts, political opponents, or lawsuit-fearful doctors.
Trent Franks with a the double play…..Jamie Riley
Ms. Riley, Mr. Roth likes to chastise folks that “don’t bring their A-game” to the Platform. You seem to have brought your F-game.
She must have a checklist for her posts….slam limbaugh…check, dig at Palin….check, bring up birth certificates…check.
Can you say predictable?
This “editorial” isn’t slanted is it ?
I would love actually for the President to just send a written simple plan for Universal coverage for all American to both of the houses. It is time to stop pussyfooting around and get it done.
The suggestion of tort reform being offered as a solution is laughable. I have a granddaughter with cerebral palsy due to a lazy physician (who didn’t want to get out of bed) and a incompetent nursing staff. That early morning it was deemed that my daughter wasn’t worthy of having bed in the hospital at 2:00 AM, so they sent her home (an hour away) and told to come back to the hospital in the morning. Thirty minutes later with her conditioning worsening the hospital staff told her not to come back to the hospital and to give the pain medications time to work. To the lay person this sure sounds like bad medicine — the legal and medical profession tell us that due to tort reform put in place in Missouri in the last few years – this doesn’t meet the grounds for a malpractice case.. Do we really need more tort reform — I beg to differ….