The placebo solution

Take two nothings and don't call me in the morning

The Associated Press covered House minority leader John Boehner as the Republican congressman made his party's case for its position on health care reform. First of all, the GOP doesn't really think there's a health crisis. The socialized medicine programs we have now (Medicare, Veterans Administration) are fine the way they are and don't need to be expanded. Furthermore, the Democratic plan is just too darned big. The Republicans don't see any reason that a national program should require as many pages as found in the current consensus plan being advanced by House Democrats. In a telling AP photo, Boehner mockingly poses with the stack of paper representing the Democratic plan. You can see the multi-ream pile on Boehner's right. Meanwhile, that's the GOP plan that Boehner is brandishing in his left hand. The entire plan.