Bill Clinton had it right in 1993 and 1994, when he proposed dramatic reform of our health care system.

Now, 12 years later, General Motors is laying off 25,000 North American workers citing health care expenses, and saying health coverage costs $1,500 per car. GM says the rising cost of health care is a crisis that is putting our future at stake.

Gee, I hope Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and the other spinwits are listening.

But the big spinwits are millionaires, and have nothing to worry about from rising health care costs.

Neither do the leaders of the Christian Right, for their flock pays the leaders’ health coverage, even though a lot of the flock lacks health coverage.

Oh, and the anti-health-care-reform legislators are well taken care of by Uncle Sam, even though something like 45 million of us lack any health care coverage at all. Many more millions are one illness away from bankruptcy.

Yeah, we have a crisis. You might, too, if you get ill when between jobs and can’t afford Cobra premiums.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | General Motors to cut 25,000 jobs

General Motors yesterday said it plans to cut 25,000 jobs in North America over the next three years as it continues to wrestle with declining sales and crippling costs.

In an address at the struggling motor manufacturer’s annual shareholders’ meeting, GM chief executive Rick Wagoner also delivered the stark warning that the soaring cost of providing healthcare to its workers in the United States is “putting our future at stake“.
. . .

Mr Wagoner said the “most challenging” problem remains healthcare, which he says accounts for $1,500 on the price of every car. GM’s annual healthcare bill is estimated to be about $5.6bn and growing at double-digit rates. “This rapidly rising healthcare burden is not unique to GM. It is a critical national competitiveness issue for the United States, affecting our entire economy’s long-term strength … the healthcare crisis is putting our future at stake and so, we must act now.”