A couple of iterations? Have you been asleep for a long time man? Have ya paid no attention to what's been happening? Harry Truman tossed out the first "iteration" and the special interests have fought it off ever since mostly in cahoots with Democrats in Congress who have controlled that institution for most of the time since Harry first proposed it.

You seem to make the naive assumption that the DC Democrats actually see providing health care to all as a goal. That's quaint. Really it is. Wake up and smell the coffee! It's difficult for me to believe you actual fall for this act.

Their primary goal is not to rock the boat and to make sure there are copious campaign contributions for all of them. Whether or not there is any sort of health care legislation is of little consequence to most of them because their priority is not the nation's well being but their own. That's right. The good guys are that way and have been that way all your life. The only thing that makes them the good guys is that the bad guys are even worse. If it were a genuine priority of the Democrats in DC we would have had national health insurance (as we should have) decades ago!

Here's how the little game works (generally speaking) in case you haven't noticed:

1. First and foremost tell the people that single payer would be great but just isn't "practical" or "realistic" in today's political environment. Do not explain why this is so even though you have the votes and the President this time around which means you control the political environment, but make vague references to Republican opposition and the power of various industries.

Now, having dispensed with the obvious, clear and best solution (and incidentally the approach of every civilized western nation except the United States)we have guaranteed that option won't even be discussed so we are free to move on to talk about ways to keep the insurance company parasites bleeding the life out of the workers and businesses of the country forever and ever Amen! And this despite the obviously life threatening malignancy it represents for the American economy overall, for businesses being vastly overburdened by obscene health insurace costs, and for families who are desperately trying to hang on to coverage if they have it or who are foregoing insurance if possible because it simply is too expensive.

2. Call all the interested parties (except anyone interested in single payer) to the proverbial "table" to work on a common approach. Make sure most of the seats are taken up by the lobbyists who have thwarted every common sense reform for the past 40 years and allow them to set the parameters for discussion and control the agenda from start to finish. Otherwise, they might be unhappy and their mean, omnipotent friends in Congress (the Republicans and centrist/conservative Democrats) will get mad and make a scene. Make sure you don't discuss even looking at single payer except for the "not practical" disclaimer, otherwise we can't service the insurance companies who in turn will support our campaigns financially. If we even discuss the actual solution they will turn off the money spigot and that's a problem the nation simply cannot allow to occur.

3. Drag the process out as long as humanly possible and then some as though the alternatives and possibilities have never before been considered. During the process, create all sorts of complicated alternatives the public finds too confusing, ejxpensive and intricate so they lose interest and never settle on one option to use as we transition away from the old system. Make sure legislative deadlock is achieved so nothing passes and it remains cloudy as to who exactly killed the various pieces of legislation.

4. Tell the public "we did our best under the circumstances", but the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical manufacturers, and of course the omnipotent, mean old Republicans prevented passage once again. But fear not citizens! We hope to try again in the next session of Congress. (wink, wink to the lobbyists and whisper ("They fall for this one every time. It's really something. It's like they never learn a thing and by the next time they'll have forgotten everything so we can start all over.")

Remember, as a member of Congress complicit in this genuinely immoral sell out of the health of the American people there could be side effects. If you have trouble sleeping at night, salve your conscience by rationalizing to yourself that the only real solution isn't practical in this environment so that really was the best you could do. Single payer isn't a realistic option in our country remember! Everywhere else on earth, but not in the richest country the planet has ever seen. No, we are better off letting people get sick and live in poor health. It makes perfect sense! It's the American way! Don't think about the fact that your own party has the votes but not the political will or guts to institute single payer and a President who says it's best but falls back on the "it's not practical" dodge too. If you do start to think about it, the side effect might recur. So say to yourself... "see? There was really no point in even attempting to do the right thing since it wouldn't work anyway." Close your eyes and try and get some rest. You have fundraising calls to make in the morning.

5. Rinse and repeat every two years. Just make sure you are thorough and effective in step #1 so "you know what" doesn't get discussed and also that things remain as complicated and confusing as possible for the public. If you do that, they'll never wise up.

That's the game. We've seen it played time and time again. And yes, it really is that simple. I'm sad that it's true, but it is true.