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July 27, 2009 11:28 PM UTC

Polis Health Care Fiasco Deepens

  • 51 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

For a little while this weekend, you might have been able to convince yourself that freshman Rep. Jared Polis was stepping back from the brink of disaster over his recent attacks on the landmark health care reform bill being considered in the House of Representatives. In a Boulder Daily Camera guest column Saturday, Polis wrote:

In Congress, we are debating legislation that would implement President Obama’s health care plan to directly address the staggering 47 million Americans without health insurance. I strongly support the principles of President Obama’s plan, which will help families by reducing individual health care costs and encouraging preventative care programs to keep kids healthy before sickness starts. By allowing individuals to keep what they like or to shop around for new coverage, the public option in the plan gives Americans increased choice and the much-needed stability and peace of mind that is currently lacking in our health care system.

The United States spends 16.5 percent of our GDP on health care costs, while the average among European nations is only 8.6 percent. We pay more, receive less, and we don’t even cover every American. We simply must reduce costs in addition to expanding coverage.

The original House bill fell short of the vision articulated by President Obama in that it lacked some of the cost-saving policies he has called for…

Polis goes on to explain his now-infamous ‘mini-revolt’ letter and committee vote against the bill as made “knowing that the bill still had the votes to make it out of my committee.” Fair enough–this explanation will newly upset those who don’t like such games on principle, and (more importantly) won’t satisfy the many critics who feel his comments and vote has already endangered passage of health care reform, and contributed significantly to the decision by leadership to put the measure off until after the August recess. But at least he was offering a direct explanation for his actions to his increasingly nervous CD-2 base: he didn’t think he was hurting anything. Okay.

And then we read the Washington Post today, and watched Polis demolish whatever goodwill he may have recovered. Once again, wholly self-inflicted:

House leaders face two rebellious factions: the Blue Dogs, who want more cost savings in the health-care bill, and newly elected Democrats from moderate districts, who are protesting the surtax on wealthy households that would fund about half of the House bill.

Rep. Jared Polis, a first-term Democrat who represents the affluent Boulder, Colo., area, signed a letter with 20 fellow freshmen and one sophomore member objecting to the tax, which would apply to families with incomes of $350,000 and higher. Polis and his allies worry about the tax hitting small businesses, like the thriving Boulder Book Store and the Mountain Sun brewery in his home town.

Polis said he is encouraged that Pelosi is considering revising the surtax provision so that it hits only millionaire households, a threshold Obama endorsed at his news conference Wednesday. But Polis said he still worries about the small-business impact — a question he knows Republican critics will raise, as well.

In several meetings with the speaker, the freshmen expressed their concern to Pelosi that the bill reinforces the image of Democrats as “the tax-and-spend party of the your grandfather,” as Polis put it. [Pols emphasis]

There is no way to sugar-coat this. If you are a partisan Republican, like (for example) friend-of-Jared Alex Cranberg is a Republican, you’re loving this. He’s doing your work for you exquisitely, except maybe the part where he pretends to support the bill in guest opinion columns.

Nobody else is loving this. There isn’t a single Democrat we’ve spoken to who has found Jared’s statements to be constructive, or helpful in any way to the goal of passing health care reform legislation. The health care reform advocacy groups are apoplectic over the harm he’s done, and that was before he went on record that the bill is a product of ‘your grandpa’s tax-and-spend Democratic Party.’ It would seem to confirm the worst attacks leveled by Polis’ primary opponents during the 2008 campaign–the charge that despite all his liberal platitudes, and lavish support for Democratic candidates and causes, Rep. Polis is manifesting as a Trojan Horse for his rich Republican buddies.

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51 thoughts on “Polis Health Care Fiasco Deepens”

  1. Can we recall him?

    What an incredible piece of shit Polis is.

    He talks like a fucking teenager who’s gotten everything from his parents and absolutely hates them for it.

    He’s the clown prince of douchebaggery.

    1. How to recall Jared Polis:

      Colorado Constitution, Article 21, Section 1.

      The amount of valid signatures required for recall election are 25% of the votes cast in the last election for the official being recalled.

      That’s about 51,000 signatures. Hmmm…

      After the petition is approved by the Secretary of State, circulation of the petition may begin. Petitioners have 60 days to gather the proper number of signatures. After the proper number of signatures have been gathered the petition is submitted to the office in which it was filed to be deemed sufficient. This entails verifying the signatures. Once the petition has been deemed sufficient, the office in which it was filed will deliver the petition along with a certificate of it’s sufficiency to the governor who will then set a date for the recall election.

      I wonder if Jake Jabs will give me any money for this…

        1. particularly given my apparent misreading of the recall provision.

          If I were Joan Fitz-Gerald I’d tell Boulder voters to fuck off after the way she was treated.

          But maybe Alice Madden? For God’s sake, we need someone with some legislative experience who doesn’t think s/he’s the center of the universe. Someone who plays well with others.

          This idea that a magical benevolent rich person was going to be a progressive champion and not a selfish prick was always silly. We need people who have actually done hard work, both politically and in life.

      3. …the constitutional provision you cite seems to apply only to state officers.  Which is probably sensible given that US Rep. elections are held every 2 years.

    2. not having to take you seriously.  Way to up the tenor of the debate and represent Colorado well, sxp.  Personally I take you less seriously at every spewed bit of keyboard spittle you ejaculate, but maybe it’s just me and the politicians you hate are hanging on your every word, quaking in fear at your unbridled fury.  Not bloody likely, but we can dream.

        1. an anonymous nobody posting anonymous screeds on a mostly anonymous blog.  difference is I’m not constantly  firing lurid insults at people behind my anonymous cowardice  

            1. There is this aura of good times on this blog and Fidel for one is feelin’ it.  Open up your hearts and let your love light shine.  Can we all join hands ?  Anyone with me ?

  2. …this healthcare bill is terrible

    CP – have you even read the bill?

    It’s clear that criticism against Polis is being levied on the basis of the fact that he’s not blindly drinking the Obama Kool Aid, rather than the basis of intellectual analysis regarding the bill itself

    All I see above is dramaqueening disguised as an editorial – not even a single section of the bill was quoted or footnoted in arguing the merits of the healthcare bill over the criticisms coming from Congresan Polis

    And you don’t know of any Dems that agree with Polis?-you gotta get our more CP – I know plently of Dems here in Eagle that hate this bill

    1. you don’t know shit about politics, so thanks for your considered opinion.

      I’m shocked, shocked that two rich boys who’ve never had a real job are somehow able to get past their differences and unite in douchebaggery.

      1. Ali I respectfully disagree with your assessment of both the policy and the politics, so thanks for your considered opinion(from original)

        I am surprised that Jared and your personal common socio-economic status dominates other considerations in driving a self described progressive and a limited government conservative to find common cause around an issue that negatively effects only 1% of people while benefiting 99% of society.  

          2. Seriously though, when I was a youth (27 or so) I worked with an Englishman.  While my words were often intemperate (I can’t even type the worst thing I ever said), my colleges words were always moderate and polite.

            What was interesting is we were actually saying the same thing.  I listened to him call a guy a lying idiot with only a hint of recognition by the other party.  I studied his Kung Fu for years and I find that the angrier I am the more moderate my tone becomes–I just wish others understood that my occasional crass bombast is just metaphorical hugging 😉

    2. Is that what it is? Because if I remember correctly, he’s the duly elected President of the United States. To imply that we’re “brainwashed” is an insult to the Democrats, Rebublicans, and Independents who voted for him. I resent the implication that I’m a Jim Jones-type, willing to follow blindly. I have a Bachelor’s degree, and will be starting my Master’s in the Fall. Your suggestion that I drink the “Obama Kool Aid” is, at best, childish.

      The criticism is, to put it plainly for you, it looks like Rep. Polis is looking out for the interests of the rich (of which he could be considered), and not those of his constituents. You know constituents, right? The ones who voted for him, and the ones he serves.

      With words like “dramaqueening” in your post, it’s no wonder no one really takes you seriously. I suggest a journalism or literature class.

      1. It might look like one good old rich boy looking after his buddies but Polis has experience as a small businessman so one could make the argument that he knows what he is talking about when he expresses concern for not placing too much of a burden on small business owners.

        I don’t question his motives as much as his PR skills.  He needs to become more savvy in how he frames his arguments.  The comment about tax-and-spend Democrats is a particularly poor reference given the Republican track record for catastrophic spending policies.  I don’t have a problem with his questioning of this particular section of the health care bill as much as his media presentations.  He definitely has room to improve but to say that he is scratching the backs of his rich buddies is a stretch.

        1. He should have learned this long before he ran for US Congress.  It does not seem to be a lack of political skills but rather a blunt disregard of those of lesser means than himself.  

    3. I know plenty of Dems up here that think you were a joke!  

      Money only buys seats in congress, not brains or decision-making capacity.  

      Say hello to Newt when you have him over for dinner again!   😉

    4. Ali supports you.  That should be all you need to know to understand you are screwed in your district!  Birds of feather, ya know!

      Joan, PLEASE!  We are SORRY!!!

  3. Polis has less than eight months under his belt.  He is going to make mistakes but to say that his actions are the downfall of health care reform is hyperbole.

    I personally think it is in the best interests of the country to continue the debate into the fall.  This is not an election year and the issue requires extensive debate and consideration of new ideas.  The Polis position that the impact on small businesses should be considered isn’t far fetched at all.  Progressives were constantly complaining that Republicans march in lock step regardless of their personal convictions so it is kind of hypocritical to insist that Democrats toe the line and don’t speak about topics that are considered Republican territory.  On a whole host of other issues like the funding supplemental, Polis displays his support for progressive causes.

    1. It’s not that ideas are being rejected.  Obama noted something on the order of 100 amendments to the bill already, many of them from Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats, and New Democrats – in addition to the “State Single Payer Option” amendment introduced by Kucinich and supported by Polis.

      The problem remains that Jared continues to give cover to Republicans who don’t really want this plan to succeed simply by being a Democrat saying things like “looks like the tax-and-spend party of your grandfather”.

      The truth is, this bill will never be perfect.  And the longer it is delayed, the longer many of us have to wait, stuck in a job merely because our pre-existing conditions are already covered there – and the more sick folks get kicked off of their plans just for being sick.  It seems pretty obvious that we’ve run through the many productive amendments and are now on to the controversial and obstructive ones.

      There are 82 votes in the House that won’t accept a watered-down plan – or a misguided one like the one Jared seems to be promoting.  (Hmm…  “misguided”  Where have I heard that term before?   <cough>Amendment 41</cough>)

    2. Congressional races begin this fall.  Campaigning begins in earnest this spring.  It creates way too political of an environment- even worse than it is now.  That is why EVERY president tries to get their big agenda items done that first summer of the first term.  So if it doesn’t get passed before Christmas, then the next window is four years from now.  Isn’t it time NOW to get healthcare done?

      Honestly, we have been looking at this problem for decades.  To say we are moving too fast this time is a joke.  If GW Bush hadn’t spent us into oblivion with a reckless war and tax breaks to his pals we could afford this.  The GOP is only interested in keeping profits high for insurance companies.  Blue dogs are concerned for their seats and the average (not Ali or Jared average) American gets screwed once again…

      Honestly, I asked before but where are the profiles in courage?

      1. As I mentioned last week, if Polis’ concerns are answered in negotiating and changing this bill and a better bill is passed, then more power to Jared and the blue dogs, etc.

        However, based on the blithe nature of his comment today I wonder if he understands how monumentally important this is.  His comment just has the tone of I’ve-got-mine(R) and I think that is pissing off an inordinate amount of people, people who are voters, supporters, volunteers, etc.  

        Someone aptly put last week that this is very similar to his comment about the closing of the Rocky, completely tone-deaf and semingly without any compassion whatsoever.

        I have given him the benefit of the doubt, but that being said if we don’t get a health care bill passed there will be HELL TO PAY, and CD-2 will see him as part of the problem.  I hope he understands that.

  4. Gerald Polis is stating quite clearly that this is all about him and his world. As rich as Polis is, he would let this entire ship sink, rather than pay a few extra grand per year. This is money he would spend easily on parties, drinking binges, and other extracurricular activities. His level of self-importantance, narcissism and greed literally makes me feel like retching all over his designer dress shoes.

    He is, like Ritter, imploding in on his own grand hubris.  

  5. AP Sources: Senate group omitting Dem health goals

    After weeks of secretive talks, a bipartisan group in the Senate edged closer Monday to a health care compromise that omits a requirement for businesses to offer coverage to their workers and lacks a government insurance option that President Barack Obama favors, according to numerous officials.

    Like bills drafted by Democrats, the proposal under discussion by six members on the Senate Finance Committee would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to any applicant. Nor could insurers charge higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

    But it jettisons other core Democratic provisions in a reach for bipartisanship on an issue that has so far produced little.

    Key features:

    Individuals would have a mandate to buy affordable insurance, but companies would not have a requirement to offer it.

    It was not clear whether companies would be required to reimburse Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor, for the cost of covering any employees enrolled.

    Nor was it clear what, if any, provision the proposal would include to make sure companies did not simply withdraw insurance as a fringe benefit to millions of workers who now have it.

    1. Unless there’s a specific exemption for J. Polis (or Jared P.) from ever having to pay taxes, I think he’d try to derail even this bill.

    2. Health care reform won’t pass the House without the 82 members of the Progressive Caucus, and they won’t accept a bill without a public option and employer mandate (vs. the individual mandate in this turd).

      The rumored Senate Finance Committee “compromise” will make it to the floor – getting it away from their control – and be merged with the HELP bill which is much better.  The House bill will get sent to the Senate (it has tax stuff, so it has to come from the House), and the text of the House bill will be substituted for the Senate version and passed by a filibuster-proof margin.  The two bills – now with the same bill number but completely different text – will go to Conference Committee, where the House version of the bill will essentially win the day.  The conference bill will be returned to both chambers, where it will pass on a simple majority – filibuster not allowed.

    1. Plenty of people here were not impressed with Polis and said so.  Though I was never a particular fan, I’m surprised he’s turning out to be even worse than I suspected from the get go. I could say “at least he’s not my congressman” but my congressman went from being Tancredo to being Coffman so there’s little comfort there.    

  7. Most of the rich in this country are rich because they were able to get their pay servants (politicians) to write laws favorable to them while the middle class were being stripped of their rights and ability to earn a livable wage.

    We desperately need a redistribution of wealth in this country but more importantly everyone is suffering from the consequences of eliminating the middle class.  If we do not restore the middle class in this country we will NOT recover from this depression.

    Are you listening Jared Polis? You WILL be sorry if meaningful Health Care Reform does not pass both politically and in your pocketbook.  

  9. Haven’t been on this site in some time.  I’m a bit surprised to see how unilaterally left it has become.

    In any case, you far lefties have it wrong on Polis and this issue.  He was right to raise the problem of taxing small business into oblivion.  It will impact the time-to-recovery of our economy and carry serious consequences for long-term job growth.

    He’s absolutely representing his constituency in that Boulder is one of the richest per capita counties in the US and this tax would disproportionally hit his supporters.

    Bottom line, if Europe is spending 9% of GDP on healthcare and the US is current spending 16%, there is plenty of money already allocated to deliver healthcare to all Americans.  The issue is that Congress and Obama are trying to solve the problem by throwing money at it instead of putting forth the necessary effort to redesign how we are utilizing the existing pool of dollars.  

    This plan is bad for America and it’s going to kill Dems across the country next year.

    The Obama Kool-aid is getting sour fast and I urge those of you that think this plan is a good solution to sit down and look at the numbers.  

    1. There’s a reason why the right is unilaterally opposed to (actual) health care reform, and it ain’t because voters are going to punish Dems for trying to fix the problems that exist.

      What they’re worried about isn’t the money–if that was the case they would have tried to fix things when they were in power for eight years–it’s that the Dems are going to actually give the people what they want, and then re-elect them for years to come.

      Bottom line: if Europe only spends 9% of their GDP on health care, and most European countries actually provide basic care to all their citizens, then why the hell do we spend 16% on health care and there are still 40 million uninsured Americans? That stat alone, however accurate it may be, is reason enough to have an overhaul.

      The difference is that the Democrats are at leats trying to figure out a way to pay for it all. The Republicans, and some Dems, would rather keep the status quo than let the Bush tax cuts expire.

    2. as opposed to a lying Democrat.

      But it’s easy to see why European health care is cheaper than American care, yet covers more people. Insurance companies don’t make profits off it.

      As you say, it’s an allocation problem. We allocate quite a lot to business bureaucracy and profit-skimming middlemen, and not so much to actually keeping people healthy. The bill proposes to change that.

    3. over the perfect, any day of the week on health care reform.

      Jared proposes a problem and some opposition, and even purports to have a solution, but hasn’t worked to get that solution introduced.  He said here that he couldn’t alter the tax provisions of the bill because he was in the wrong committee – but today we see an agreement by Waxman and the Blue Dogs in his committee that does just that.

      And after a heated discussion here, he gets on an interview with the Post and essentially repeats GOP talking points about the Democratic Party.  He accepts an interview with David Sirota and dances around his support of the bill.  And he stops coming over here, and fails to answer any direct questions we ask him.

      Read that again: Jared is putting up opposition – albeit opposition with some reason behind it – and is refusing to say he supports a reform bill.  He didn’t try to create a solution, and made excuses that he couldn’t – but it turns out he could.

      Jared owes this voter a serious explanation…

    4. America is currently spending 16% of their income because there is no public option.  They are spending 16% of their income on health care because the only option available is private for-profit insurance companies that generate obscene profits for the greedy CEO barons (one CEO left town with a one BILLION dollar bonus $1,000,000,000).

      You probably also think that the meltdown of the economy was because of Obama’s stimulus plan and his communistic economic policies.  Polis might have a valid point about how much to tax small business owners but you also fail to mention how much small business owners could save if employees chose the public option for health care instead of having them provide it.  Small business owners could actually benefit in the long run even if they personally have to pay a little more in taxes.

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