Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Jonathan Cohn hits it out of the park

By

We liberals keep whining about how we don’t get on the Sunday shows – this Sunday’s lineup featured NO liberals anywhere.  But how can we expect to get coverage if we don’t set out our own vision?

Maybe we’re waiting for Obama to enunciate his vision of the budget.  But Obama has shown no vision and little spine on this issue.  It’s time for Real Liberals to stand and deliver.  Cohn gives us a good start:

A seriously left-wing proposal would also seek to reduce overall health care costs (as well as those incurred by the government and individuals) more aggressively than the Affordable Care Act does, by using the kind of blunt, global price controls you get in single-payer systems. In other words, a truly left-wing alternative on health care reform might actually justify the label “government-run health care.”

This would have the advantage of being intellectually honest, would score well, and we wouldn’t even need the Heritage Foundation to cook the numbers.

We need someone (someone in Congress) to step up.  Whoever takes up this challenge can mount a credible alternative to Scott Brown.  I’ve mailed my Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.  Perhaps she’ll run with this.  Is there anyone else?

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. is not so far to the left as, say, raising taxes on the rich by a whole lot. Someone should suggest rolling back taxes on the rich to 1970’s levels, or 1940’s levels or something, if you want to establish a left-hand bar for negotiation purposes.

    • The percentage of Americans who think capitalism is the best economic system is down to 58%, from 80-something % just a few years ago. There’s a great column in today’s Globe by Derrick Jackson tying the current budget debates to the seemingly unstoppable rise of the oligarchs.  A bloodless class war might be just what’s needed in this country right now, to arrest this destructive and immoral trend.

    • has come up with a proposal which does that, see here for commentary.

      <

      p>

      The broad sketch proposes to end the Bush-era tax cuts on high income earners, enact a surtax on millionaires and billionaires, increase the the estate tax and eliminate corporate tax loopholes and subsidies for oil and coal companies. It also aims to create a public health insurance option, end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and invest $1.45 trillion in “job creation,” energy, housing and education programs.

      <

      p>The full proposal can be found here

      <

      p>The Congressional Progressive Caucus is chaired by Reps Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva. It has a total of 76 members, including MA Reps Capuano, Frank, Markey, McGovern, Olver, and Tierney.

  2. I don’t think liberal absences from Sunday shows are because of a lack of liberals available — Senator Sanders and Congressman Kucinich come to mind.   Rather, the corporate behemoths that control the Sunday shows aren’t going to pay for someone who undermines their gravy train to get much of a voice.   Those voices are out there, they’re just ignored.

  3. She would be better than Scott Brown, but I would not call her a serious champion of liberal values.

    <

    p>Last Feb, she voted to extend expiring provisions of the Patriot Act. Fortunately, the vote failed to get the 2/3 majority needed to pass, with Capuano, Frank, Markey, McGovern, Olver, Neal, Tierney voting No.

    <

    p>She has shown no visible support or even interest in discussing a single payer health care option.

Archives