Reply #9: You'd think that Krugman, being an economist, would understand $5000 or best offer

[eridani]

That's what I'd put in the paper if my bottom line price was $3000 for my used car. Ask for $3000, and you are guananteed to get less. Demand single payer, and you might get something like Edwards is offering as a way to hold off cutting insurance companies completely out of the picture. Start out with where Edwards is, and the first things to get compromised away will be the provisions against cherrypicking and claims denial. If that happens, all you get is another Massachussetts disaster.

When will policy wonks and politicians quit being such fucking cowards and ASK for all of what they want? They may not get it, but what they do get will be much better than they'd get starting off with a weak-kneed apology for the lowball offer.