President Barack Obama’s imminent approval of the $787 billion economic-stimulus bill will clear the way for the government to compare the cost-effectiveness of drugs, surgery, medical devices and other methods used in treating particular diseases. The legislation, which calls for the creation of an advisory council of up to 15 members, allocates $1.1 billion to fund the systematic analysis of published research as well as head-to-head clinical studies.

However, in the “name of the public interest” 2 Republican senators are furiously working to defeat this aspect of the bill. Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced a bill that would block the proposal to conduct comparative-effectiveness research on drugs, medical devices and other treatments. Kyl argued that the research would lead to rationed health care, eventually delaying treatment and weakening the quality of care.

How conducting comparative effectivness research on drugs will weaken the quality of care certainly is a brain twister.  The bottom line is that they are jumping to oppose anything that will interfere with the bottom line of industry, and they immediately throw the fear mongering catch words–ration care! Government interference! Socialized medicine! Apocalypse now!

A few tidbit quotes from Politico:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a floor speech scheduled for this afternoon warned that what Americans “don’t want is a Washington takeover of health care along the lines of what we’ve already seen with banks, insurance companies

, and the auto industry. Americans don’t want a government-run system that puts bureaucrats between patients and doctors.”

The catchword on this one is that Americans don’t want a system that “puts bureaucrats between patients and doctors.” Uh, perhaps McConnell is living on Cloud 9, but we already have that–its called insurance companies, who continually interfere with patient care.  Our whole system is designed to give bureaucrats the final word. But I suppose that govt bureaucrats will be different from the ones working for a profit-making insurer, whose only interest in their financial health?

Senate GOP Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) predicted that Americans would begin to sour on President Barack Obama’s call for a public option.

“Washington takeover are two words we’ve been hearing a lot from the Obama Administration these days,” said Alexander. “That’s a different direction that Republicans want to go.”

Let’s cut to the chase. The only reason for the opposition to the public plan is that the health insurance industry fears that it will offer competition. But isn’t that what free market is all about? And I guess that Lamar Alexander has been living on Cloud 9 with his pal, and isn’t aware of the millions of Americans who would chance at the chance for a public option, because at long last, they will have insurance. At long last, they may have insurance that they can afford and that actually provides decent coverage.

Talk about fear mongering. It isn’t a Washington takeover, but just offering up another choice for people. So what is wrong with that? But since the Republicans haven’t come up with any alternatives, all they can do is try to stir up fear in the hearts of the uninsured and minimally insured Americans, and those who are overpaying for piddly insurance. It really is sad, I have to say.

But then, these two senators aren’t worried about their own healthcare.  They’ve got coverage for life.

Well, like a flying gumby. But just like a lot of ballet dancers have joint problems later on, I wonder about the consequences of pounding your body against concrete, like he’s doing.

But its nice to see someone fit and healthy, with a strong and flexible body. That seems to be the problem with a lot of older people–their bodies are so stiff with no flexibility, and it isn’t necessarily due to arthritis. Like my mother is in very good health, but she moves like the stereotype old person. Even if you’re not a gymnast or dancer, doing exercises like yoga or pilates do keep your body elastic and flexible, and ward off that “stiff old man” syndrome.