"After four Democratic primary debates in which the first hour was dominated by pundits — as well as centrist candidates — raising the alarm about how to pay for the widely popular Medicare for All proposal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has finally agreed to release a funding proposal. In a sense this is odd, since, as Sen. Bernie Sanders repeatedly reminds voters, he is the one who "wrote the damn bill."
Warren feels obligated to do this because she, rather than Sanders, is increasingly the main or even sole target of opponents like South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is sending out missives declaring: "Elizabeth Warren Just Dodged Questions on Middle Class Taxes Again."
But there's a problem with Buttigieg's approach, as well as with all the pundit concern over potential about tax increases to pay for Medicare for All: This framing is painfully, incredibly, mind-bogglingly stupid. As Warren and Sanders keep pointing out — and as journalists and centrist politicians keep pretending not to hear — those tax raises will at least be offset by the end of private insurance, most likely leading to an overall decrease in health care costs.
This is so obvious, in fact, that we can safely assume that when Buttigieg or debate moderators or journalists keep asking concern-troll questions about Medicare for All and higher taxes, they are deliberately playing dumb, for the sole purpose of baiting the two progressive candidates near the top of the polls. The entire exercise is despicable. It confuses the issue, to the great shame of journalists who are supposed to be clarifying issues for voters. It feeds Republican talking points, to the great shame of Democrats who should not be eager to give Donald Trump ammunition he can use against the eventual nominee in 2020."
Can we skip the bad-faith debate over funding Medicare for All? It's stupid and useless | Salon.com
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