I don't buy any of this crap about Obama has a credibility problem because he promised folks they could keep their insurance.  Obama is not in charge of predatory providers of substandard policies that would rather cancel than amend.  Folks, especially them's want to complain about making anyone buy insurance, ought to understand not making folks keep doing a business they can't afford.

Anyway, the point is that's not the point.  Sure, maybe Obama said you could keep your insurance if you want.  Maybe he was thinking you'd be getting a better deal on the exchanges and wouldn't want to keep it. No matter.  Remember when Obama first said we'd all have the health care that Congress has? That's the promise he should keep.  Why's the news hew to the most ridiculous story of people losing policies held by scam insurance companies designed to collect premiums and deny coverage, and why's nobody talking about the promise that could actually lower rates?

That's Obama's credibility problem.  We expect it of Faux Noise, but even NPR is setting this false standard using utter tripe. There are excruciating analyses of non-comparable plans and rates, about how many young must be sheared to clothe the old, promises and problems with the websites, low enrollments, concerns over privacy, even whether Congress' plan should be cancelled and members forced to buy through the exchanges.

What nonsense.  If all these grindstones are meant to be hung around Obama's neck, he will leave offfice bent down low.  He'd be better off sticking to his original promise and showing opponents some awesome Ballmacare.  Why shouldn't Americans have the same care as Congress?  Do employees usually have better coverage than their bosses?  Who's paying?  Something's wrong and we're missing a huge opportunity for savings: any single payer plan.

Nobody has to sign up.  No expensive registration website is necessary.  Your social security number is your account number - from before you were born.  The group is already there, everybody just automatically joins to become the biggest group in the country: Citizens of the United States. That's bargaining power.  We could be proud of it.  Single payer systems reduce costs by at least 50%.  That makes it a lot easier to afford, if you really want affordable care. Heh.

Ask the NSA.  I'm sure this is possible.  Folks have tax statements. We know who's who and where folks are, generally.  There's got to be way to set rates the same as on the web, but maybe way better.  Maybe there's one basic public plan everyone gets free and a number of supplemental private or public elective options.  We could close a few corporate subsidies and pare something off of defense and domestic spying.  Local levies or state taxes could contribute. The point is that if we did what Obama originally promised we'd all be looking at rates of half and less of what will be possible today.

Why wouldn't we try that?  All other industrialized nations try some version of this and all enjoy better coverage at better rates and generally equal or better outcomes.  We subject our other jobs to free trade agreements that lower costs to consumers. Why is health care exempt?  Anywhere you look, except places like Somalia, there are better, more efficient and affordable health care systems.  Are Americans suckers, or is government simply choosing to leave citizens vulnerable?

It's a matter of public health, dude.  Give Republicans what they want.  Abandon the problems of Obamacare and dodge the indignity of Noballmacare by showing them some real Ballmacare - of, by and for the People.  Why shouldn't health care be a public utility? We regulate power, water, sewer, garbage, etc.  Why not health care? It might not cost as much as we think after accounting for avoiding the costs of uncompensated care, the marginal costs of deferred care, bankruptcies related to health incidents and adding the potential savings of preventative care - for which our system has little priority or incentive.

Make it an executive order, a gerontologic and demographic national emergency, a matter of national security or law and order - there seems to be plenty of money for that.  Who cares? Containing health care costs could be our single most effective means of reducing long-term drag on the economy. Providing basic health care is the first step toward a social framework that can actually support the innovative economy we pretend to believe in.  Show us some Ballmacare and leave the presidency with your head held high.