How often do you call male senators "boys"?

Reading the summary of Snowe's multi-faceted positions, I fear a snow job from her and Collins. They will be under enormous pressure, to state things as mildly as possible.

Her trigger approach is unenforceable politically. It just kicks the can down the alley filled with dirty needles and vomit.

The easy answer is to establish national standards on the non-minimal minimum coverage allowable by ANY plan (using FEHBP or VA as the base?), and then make private insurers compete with a public option (that can also have some above-minimum options at extra cost). We should NOT tie the hands of the public offering, assuming we can get it, just to give those rich bastards in the health insurance biz a 'chance to succeed or florish'. They had their chance, and they blew it.

Dog, I hate thinking of the mis-info and distortion of facts and positions that will innundate us as citizens in the next year on this issue.

I know this is trivial, but that's the first picture I've ever seen of Sen. Snowe where she has both eyes fully open. Usually her right eye is squinting. I always assumed it was a disability.

Calling Senators "Girls"? C'mon, Ezra.

In what universe is it ok for a 20-something dude to describe two women old enough to be his mother, both members of the US Senate, as 'girls'? I'm kind of over being called a girl myself, and I'm Ezra's age.

(This, by the way, is a great example of a situation in which someone who is all for gender equality can still do [presumably unintentional] sexist things, and thus a great example of why we should all get slightly less defensive about being called out on being sexist or racist. Learning how to learn from being called out is one of the best possible ways to get less sexist/racist.)

I also like his (no doubt unintentional - um, maybe) use of "girls" and "swing" in the same headline. Could we not do that for the sake of a punchy line?

The private insurance market will simply skim off the healthy.

Don't they already do that? How is that a property of the new plan?

I can understand the sensitivity of referring to adult women as girls, but it's all a context thing.

Husband to wife: where are you going tonight?

Out with the girls for dinner.

Wife to Husband: is your Thursday night with the boys still on this week.

Yep, poker and beer and no girls.

Had Ezra said of Kennedy and Kerry: WILL THE MASSACHUSETTS BOYS SWING?, I doubt we'd hear squeals of sexist putdowns.

Perspective folks, perspective.

sort of like those old video games where the time would run out and the music would kick up and an angry boss character would crash onto the screen.

More like an enrage timer.

Re "perspective," I was unaware that Ezra was discussing "girls' night out" for Snowe and Collins but was instead under the impression that he was examining their views on health-care policy. Given that "context," I found the reference to "girls" and their "swings" a little jarring. I agree with North that, just because we may like Ezra and feel he shares many of our views, he shouldn't get a pass for saying ill-judged or schmucky things. I think North's recommended way of getting "perspective" (ie objecting when you find something objectionable and letting the other person know about it) is the better way.

Had Ezra said of Kennedy and Kerry: WILL THE MASSACHUSETTS BOYS SWING?, I doubt we'd hear squeals of sexist putdowns.

Context is indeed everything. There's no historical context for demeaning wealthy white men by referring to them as boys; had Ezra referred to two black politicians as 'boys,' I think we'd see similar outrage.

And the other two examples you mention, being private situations between people who know each other well, are pretty much completely irrelevant, especially since the second one involves the wife cuing the use of 'girls' by herself referring to the prospective gathering as 'boys.'

As soon as Ezra is married to one of these senators and best friends with the other, he's more than welcome to describe them as girls over dinner.

Also, 'outrage' may have been a little strong. 'Irritation' is probably more accurate.

Why not snag some elements of the Swiss system: require private insurers to meet a mandated standard of care and make discrimination based on prior conditions, genetic background, etc illegal. Allow private insurers to then receive the same mandated copay (and whatever subsidy comes with that based on income level and age) and see if they can do more with it than the government. At the same time, mandate that the public plan not be supplemented with general revenue (beyond initially setting it up) and only subsist on premiums & identical subsidies so that everyone's on the same playing field.

Assuming we're right, and that the ability of government to negotiate prices for drugs, care, etc and streamline care leads to lower costs, people will choose the public plan because it will be able to provide more services at the same cost.

I just want to second the comments questioning the use of girls. It's an interesting post, but that rubs me the wrong way and seems demeaning.

At the risk of being maligned as a member of the 'sanctimonious women's studies set', I have to agree with the pushback against the girls' label. Last week's posts on "girls'" engagement rings and asking a "girl's" father for her hand in marriage were bad enough. (Surely by the time a female decides to marry, she is a woman?). But two US senators ages 57 and 62!? C'mon. It's demeaning.

I thought it was just a play on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings that went over my head. No?

I'm with the rest of the commenters frustrated by the use of the word "girls" to describe two distinguished Senators. Ezra, this is sexist, intentional or not. In the future, I hope you'll stick with "women" and "men" for everyone over the age of 18. And "young women" and "young men" if you must for those under 18.

Collins and Snowe are very different politicians. It's cute to lump them together but even the more common 'Queens of Maine' is a bit too cute and that's a literary reference that isn't dismissive like 'girls swing'.

A little less Max Baucus apple polishing and Tom Daschle hagiography please Ezra and a little more work trying to understand the key vote in the Senate, Sen. Olympia Snowe, work that resembles your best work, not Chuck Woolery on 'The Dating Game'.

Just because you have Obama admin sources at your fingertips, doesn't mean you have the whole story. Peter Orszag is a key player but he's like the Pope in a war. How many divisions does he have? Snowe has one division and it's on the most important flank of the battlefield.

I'm going to make a request, which might look obnoxious, but a big whatever to that: I think Ezra ought to issue a correction. It doesn't have to get its own post, but I think it'd be appropriate to have an update to this post saying, more or less, my bad. Or post something here being all, "I don't think it's that big a deal." But why have comments sections if you don't learn from or respond to them?

Had Ezra said of Kennedy and Kerry: WILL THE MASSACHUSETTS BOYS SWING?

He never would, and that's part of the point, I think...but if he did he'd face a backlash from boys wondering if he were calling Kerry/Kennedy gay or just swingers.

If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care please join our voting bloc at: http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php

I have to echo that I'm disappointed you would use "girls" to describe the Senators from Maine. And to add the word "swing" simply adds insult to injury.

The message in your post is very good -- but it's diminished by your sexist headline.

BAC

Waiting for that correction from Ezra that North was looking for. I think I'll be waiting for a while. If you're a "progressive" blogger dude, your transcendently pure intentions mean that you never have to apologize for anything you say. Nice arrangement!

ease up. it coulda been, "Bangor! I hardly knew her (ability to compromise on health care reform)!"

I suppose we are expected to overlook the sneering sexism when it is directed at Republican women.

You just punched a big hole in your credibility, Ezra.