For a party that claims to be universally pro-life, pro-family and fiscally conservative, the Republicans should be working to steamroll any health care proposal that doesn't provide for affordable and mandatory health coverage for every child in this country - which, by extension, would include their families. Any scheme so expensive that it threatens the ability of parents (or other caregivers) to provide adequate care, food, shelter or a stable home environment for our children should be in the same round file as the proposals to impeach a certain former pResident (albeit, for very different reasons).

'Affordable' would entail the exclusion of the corporate insurance behemoths from any public option. The corporations currently skim between $0.30 and $0.42 from every health care dollar, and cost nearly as much on the side of the health care providers in administrative fees, write offs and lost income. 'Affordable' would also require that everyone be covered whether unemployed, under employed or making minimum wage at a full-time job. However, at a 60% to 84% discount over the cost of corporate coverage, a public option might make affordable care a reality for many of the 47 million currently without, and before consideration of any taxpayer supplement.

Further streamlining the claims process, software and oversight for the existing MediCare model (at a current cost of $0.045/$1.00) would further reduce any supposed public burden. We're already paying the per-capita costs of "first dollar" coverage, all that's required is an efficient method of allocating those dollars. Blue Cross Blue Shield, et al, has failed in finding that efficient method. Not that they were looking.

We can't do much about our own rabidly corporate (D)s who are fighting to maintain the profitability of the insurance industry to the detriment of the people, but we can embarrass more of our own to prevent them jumping on the corporate bandwagon at the last minute - the ones who haven't "come out" just yet. Additionally, there are also a handful of actual, honorable Republicans out there and, with the party as fractured as it is, another round of elections coming up shortly and the depressing prospect of doing anything more than simply holding on to their seats, the same logic might work - especially for those who hail from depressed areas. Too many of their constituents have lost their jobs - a public option for health care might be their last lifeline before total destitution. These Congresscritters just have to sell it to the Ditto-heads on a level they'll understand, if such a thing is even possible.

If we can help (or outright embarrass) enough of the reasonable, intelligent (R)s to cross over to the light, we just might have enough votes to overcome the Corporatists on both sides of the aisle. Then we can work on getting rid of the whole Corporate gang in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Oh, what a wonderful world that would be.

Yes, there are many other issues on the burner right now, but we've got this one chance to get health care reformed correctly, or we're going to have to wait another twenty years for the chance. I too want BushCo* in prison, DOMA and DADT tossed on the shitpile of history, "Teh War on Drugs/Poor People" ended, the Pentagon scaled back to subsistence levels and our national reputation as the shining beacon of Democracy and Justice restored. But each of those is an ongoing war with many battles to be fought and, many of which, we are already winning at the state level. Universal health care is different: We can't afford to fuck it up this time. Even if enacted on a state-by-state basis, the insurance companies will fight tooth and nail for their share to the very end, bankrupting states, as necessary, to send a message to the others: "Don't Go There." What other industry has 15% of the GDP at their disposal to spend in fighting for their very survival?

I have described this as a fight to the death (of the corporations). Others have defined it as a death sentence hanging over the 'head' of the insurance companies. I would like to think the 15% of our fellow citizens who have no coverage at all and the 62% of those who have gone into bankruptcy because of medical bills would have stronger, better words for it.