# Dear Congress: stop holding my patients hostage to you stupid pissing contests **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330 "2010-06-24T06:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/21 "2010-06-24T19:17:48Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > You have two problems: > > 1. Those cuts were baked into the new health care plan to help it get a good CBO score. So if Congress rescinds them too soon after voting for the health care plan, it will look pretty transparent. Not true. > [@](#): > > 1. There will not be a budget this year. Congress has decided it’s got more important things to do in a freaking recession than actually prepare a government budget so that people can plan, and they’re pushing it off until after the election, which means until the new year. True. Hey! 50%. Much better than **Shodan**! ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/22 "2010-06-24T19:24:21Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Actually it is the old “we can’t do anything because those fiendish Republicans have us out-numbered 41 to 59” excuse. > > It’s pretty obvious that y’all can’t achieve anything of substance - can’t you at least come up with a better excuse? > > Regards, > Shodan Are you denying the obvious fact that the Republicans have a hard-line policy of obstruction and due to the fucked up acceptance of the idea of a procedural filibuster, their 41 seats is sufficient to execute that obstruction? Your boys are breaking the system on purpose, and then you’re gloating that the system doesn’t work. Your snark is one of the lamest things on this board and I now regard you as quite possibly the most worthless poster on the board because it’s all you do. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/23 "2010-06-24T19:50:05Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Your boys are breaking the system on purpose, and then you’re gloating that the system doesn’t work. At least they’re consistent. That’s what they do when they’re the majority, too. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/24 "2010-06-24T21:12:22Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Are you denying the obvious fact that the Republicans have a hard-line policy of obstruction and due to the fucked up acceptance of the idea of a procedural filibuster, their 41 seats is sufficient to execute that obstruction? You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government, and you _still_ can’t do what you promised. All you fucking do is _whine_. Look, I understand the difficulties people like you have with concepts like “responsibility”. But there comes a time when one should either shit, or get off the pot. The recession is over,and Obama is half way thru his term. He was going to cut the deficit in half - he has roughly tripled it. If he can’t make cuts now, he is never going to do it. And all the idiots who voted for him can do is complain about how the party at the short end of the largest margin in a generation is stopping from doing anything besides taking out a second mortgage on my children’s future. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. So far, Obama and the rest of the liberal dolts are unwilling to do either the first or the second. Perhaps come November, they can be persuaded to take the third path. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/25 "2010-06-24T21:16:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government, and you _still_ can’t do what you promised. All you fucking do is _whine_. Who’s this “you” thing? I’m not a liberal nor a democrat. > [@](#): > > Look, I understand the difficulties people like you have with concepts like “responsibility”. But there comes a time when one should either shit, or get off the pot. The recession is over,and Obama is half way thru his term. He was going to cut the deficit in half - he has roughly tripled it. If he can’t make cuts now, he is never going to do it. Do you seriously not think that the democrats are attempting to push through the agenda they got elected for? And that the Republicans are using every parliamentary trick to stop them? And that they’re opposing absolutely everything, even the stuff they admit is good, because they can’t let Obama win one inch even if it’s for the good of the country? Speaking of responsibility, maybe you should take responsibility for advocating for the people who are doing that. It’s retarded to advocate complete gridlock and constructionism and then ridicule people for being unable to get anything done. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/26 "2010-06-24T21:37:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government When 41 people can prevent 59 people from getting anything done, a simple majority is meaningless. There is exactly as much “control” as you would have with me shoving your fist into your face while exclaiming, “Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!” Your failure to acknowledge this simple fact, among other things, is why you’re a retard. Also: We currently have six Supreme Court Justices appointed by Republican Presidents, and three appointed by Democrats. How that counts as liberals having control of this branch of government is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/27 "2010-06-25T00:16:22Z")
It’s called Republican “Math.” That’s the next change to the curriculum to be introduced after they get Creation “Science” in there. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/28 "2010-06-25T02:26:09Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Not true. Maybe I’m confusing it with something else. Isn’t there supposed to be a multi-hundred billion dollar injection into medicare to keep physicians’ pay for being cut? One that was left out of the health care bill? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/29 "2010-06-25T03:47:12Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government, and you _still_ can’t do what you promised. All you fucking do is _whine_. > > Look, I understand the difficulties people like you have with concepts like “responsibility”. But there comes a time when one should either shit, or get off the pot. The recession is over,and Obama is half way thru his term. He was going to cut the deficit in half - he has roughly tripled it. If he can’t make cuts now, he is never going to do it. > > And all the idiots who voted for him can do is complain about how the party at the short end of the largest margin in a generation is stopping from doing anything besides taking out a second mortgage on my children’s future. > > Lead, follow, or get out of the way. So far, Obama and the rest of the liberal dolts are unwilling to do either the first or the second. Perhaps come November, they can be persuaded to take the third path. Oh, well stated!!! And like you, I’d like to see less whining and incompetence and actually see some leadership. Hell, I’d like that from either party, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/30 "2010-06-25T03:55:41Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Oh, well stated!!! > > And like you, I’d like to see less whining and incompetence and actually see some leadership. Really? So you’d like to have the democrats suddenly become more competant to push through an agenda that you oppose? This doublethink thing where you can then rail against any result is really well embedded in you guys. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/31 "2010-06-25T04:11:42Z")
I don’t know a heck of a lot about US politics, really; however, based on this: > [@Shodan](#): > > What are you complaining about? It works great in Canada. > > Regards, > Shodan I think I can safely say that **Shodan** is, in fact, a total moron, all his posts on this topic are probably garbage and it’s a wonder he can dress himself in the morning, assuming he actually can. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/32 "2010-06-25T10:42:06Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Are you denying the obvious fact that the Republicans have a hard-line policy of obstruction and due to the fucked up acceptance of the idea of a procedural filibuster, their 41 seats is sufficient to execute that obstruction? > > Your boys are breaking the system on purpose, and then you’re gloating that the system doesn’t work. Your snark is one of the lamest things on this board and I now regard you as quite possibly the most worthless poster on the board because it’s all you do. There was some douchebag running for the senate down here in NC that had an ad on TV where he basically said “I’m a conservative Christian and we have to stop Obama and Pelosi and their socialist agenda”. That was pretty much the gist of it. Not what ideas he had, or any policies, just that. Seriously, I would have had more respect for him if he just came out and said “We have to stop that darkie and that woman and get her barefoot and pregnant.”. I don’t like to paint any group with such a broad brush but the people on the right that support the GOP seem to be the most mean spirited, closeminded morons I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/33 "2010-06-25T11:21:08Z")
The idea that leadership can somehow make a party that has decided their going to block everything not block everything is stupid. If you really care about us whining, either get one person to defect, or get the stupid filibuster rules (that are just people exploiting loopholes\*) thrown out. \*Heck, since they are loopholes, shouldn’t the conservatives be against it? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/34 "2010-06-25T11:36:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government, and you _still_ can’t do what you promised. All you fucking do is _whine_. Pssst. The House and Senate are both in the same branch of Government. Can we get an episode of Schoolhouse rock in here? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/35 "2010-06-25T19:21:40Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Pssst. The House and Senate are both in the same branch of Government. > Can we get an episode of Schoolhouse rock in here? [Good idea.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/36 "2010-06-25T20:43:42Z")
“… and that’s how [del]a bill becomes a law[/del] **Shodan** failed Civics.” ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/37 "2010-06-25T20:46:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > “… and that’s how [del]a bill becomes a law[/del] **Shodan** failed Civics.” Psh, he was just fighting all that _liberal indoctrination_! He’s a _folk hero_! ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/38 "2010-06-25T22:12:58Z")
Just one of many unintended consequences (or intended, if you think the GOP is that smart) of the healthcare bill. Assuming the OP was referring to DocFix, which is what **Sho** had in mind I think. More to come: waves of doctor retirements, dropping Medicare patients, etc ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/39 "2010-06-25T22:26:56Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > Just one of many unintended consequences (or intended, if you think the GOP is that smart) of the healthcare bill. Assuming the OP was referring to DocFix, which is what **Sho** had in mind I think. > > More to come: waves of doctor retirements, dropping Medicare patients, etc > [@psychobunny](#): > > The cuts are NOT in the new Health plan. In fact, a fix was put into the plan but was ditched because the Republicans objected. **Smashy** , you need to get your assumptions checked. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330/40 "2010-06-25T22:52:47Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You dolts have control of all three branches of the federal government, and you _still_ can’t do what you promised. All you fucking do is _whine_. I’d love to fix that. Here’s an idea, tell the Republicans, and support them in this cause, to refuse to use a filibuster. Let every Democratic bill pass because the GOP isn’t in the majority. Then let’s see how things work, mkay? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-congress-stop-holding-my-patients-hostage-to-you-stupid-pissing-contests/544330.md?page=3)