Senator Feinstein, Stop Nay-Saying On Health Reform
By Jason Rosenbaum Wednesday Jun 24, 2009 8:00am
In the last few days, there has been a significant shift in the political winds in Washington towards real health care reform, with a robust public health insurance option at its heart. The last thing we need is someone nay-saying that reform won't pass.
Why, then, is Senator Diane Feinstein doing just that, saying she's not sure reform is going to pass? She should help us make history, not stand in the way!
Sign the petition urging Feinstein to stand up for Californians and America.
Now, let's take a look at the landscape.
First, two polls from respected news organizations were released almost simultaneously, both showing strong support for a public health insurance option. The Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed 76% in favor of the choice of public health insurance, and the New York Times/CBS poll showed 72% favor that same choice. As Nate Silver, polling guru and most accurate forecaster of the 2008 elections, put it, "Overall, polling points toward the public option being at least mildly popular and indeed perhaps quite popular."
Second, proposals in Congress are moving in the direction of offering Americans this choice that they clearly want. On Friday, the three committees in the House with jurisdiction over health care, endorsed by the House leadership, came out with a great bill, with everything we wanted in it.
Third, the Senate is moving in the right direction, however slowly. Kent Conrad, the author of the co-op proposal, is working with Chuck Schumer to figure out how a co-op could become a public health insurance option that meets our principles:
Schumer and other backers of a public option insist that any plan must be national in scope, have substantial funding at the beginning from the federal government, and include national purchasing power in order to negotiate lower prices.
Conrad ticked off the areas of agreement that were reached Monday.
"National structure: I believe to be effective there has to a national entity with state affiliates and those affiliates have to have the ability to regionalize. I think his concern there can be addressed," said Conrad. "Second, he believes there needs to be national purchasing power. I think that's a good point that the national entity would be able to do purchasing on behalf of the state and regional affiliates and on behalf of the national entity itself."
The HELP Committee is currently marking up a bill as well, moving the process along.
And finally, President Obama, the President with a 63% approval rating, is campaign hard for a public health insurance option. He went up against a somewhat hostile crowd at the AMA's annual meeting to promote his helath care plan, and he's going on national television for two hours tomorrow night to answer questions on it.
So why, in the face of all this momentum for a public health insurance option from the House, the Senate, the White House, and the American people, is Senator Dianne Feinstein going on TV and saying something like this?
President Barack Obama may not have enough votes in the U.S. Senate to pass his effort to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein said.
“I don’t know that he has the votes right now,” Feinstein said today on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “I think there’s a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus.” Controlling costs of the new system is a “difficult subject.”
Where's the concern in the Democratic caucus? The people want reform, the House wants reform, the Senate is moving in the right direction, and the President is out promoting his plan. What concern?
The statement about having the votes is curious, too, because as it looks to me, we don't have the votes in the House for anything less than real reform, or so says Speaker Pelosi.
Why, then, is Feinstein insisting on being a nay-sayer on health reform? Honestly, the only people saying health care may not pass are hard-core conservatives and Feinstein. Even the insurance industry says it wants health care to pass!
Health Care for America Now is working to get to the bottom of this question. Our field partners in California are making sure she's hearing from her constituents on this issue, including office visits and hundreds of calls every day. They've got thousands of signatures on a petition asking Feinstein to support a public health insurance option. And they're going door to door to tell voters in California about health reform and Feinstein's positions. Given the pressure her constituents are putting on her, who is Feinstein representing here?
There's no reason for Senator Feinstein to be a nay-sayer on health care, especially given the political climate in Washington right now. So why is she? If you want to know the answer to this question yourself, give her a call at (202) 224-3841. I'd be very interested to hear her explanation.
Feinstein needs to stop nay-saying on health care. Real reform will pass this year, because we can't afford to wait any longer. Senator Feinstein should help make history, instead of standing in the way.
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
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...these fucking elitist California representatives, the more I wonder what the hell California voters were thinking when they elected them.
Feinstein, Pelosi and Boxer all need to be replaced ASAP.
Try looking up the record of Richard Mountjoy, the extreme right wing ass hat that ran aginst Feinstein and maybe you will understand.
...independent or democratic challengers? Has to be a real progressive that would have a chance, especially now.
... if she faced challengers other than Medea Benjamin and Cindy Sheehan.
She's not an elitist. For every dollar California sends to Washington it receives only 71 cents in services, and now Obama wants to take away even more. Obama pays for his plan by diverting money from California and NY to states that are already heavily subsidized by the federal government and that pay very little in taxes. For instance, Florida does not have an income tax. If they want a public health care option, then they should start contributing. Feinstein is looking out for California which is her job, especially in this time of economic crisis. Her job is not to be Obama's foot soldier and sell out California to pass a flawed plan.
Obama should divert money from Wall St banksters and war profiteers to pay for his program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqImkDgDwHU
"It used to be when you bought a politician they stayed bought!"
-Jack Warden, Used Cars, 1979
Difi has a safe seat and she knows it. She can vote on a bill to kill all puppies and she'd still win re-election. She's bought and paid for by the health insurance industry.
an aging dinosaur asshole at the ass end of history.
"No, We Can't."
"eff it...and eff you"
Why does she hate poor people?
DiFi, I want to have the choice between insurances. I want to be able to choose the same health care you have or the health care I have now. What is so difficult to understand?
horse's patoot....they got theirs (at OUR expense) so to hell with everyone else. It's not just a 'republican' thing.
Chalk this one up for the Republicans. Clearly a whore who has zero respect for her Countrymen/women.
Sen. Feinstein is either a complete tool or a complete fool (or possibly both). It's hard to decide which when a Senator says something so clueless, that she's not sure that healthcare reform can pass "right now." When does she think might be a better time? In maybe twenty years or so?
Some major problems with Obama's sketchy health care plan: Pitting the public vs private sector looks good on paper until you look at some figures of the same strategy in Massachusetts.
Needless to say, even if the public option, as its been called, stays in, it may prove to be the Trojan Horse that winds up killing the whole bill once it's signed into law.
..very accurate. Designed for failure, the public option will break the bank and forestall any real improvement in the system (i.e. single payer).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgoDjTPyg8M
To make it look like something's changing, when all that's happening is muddying the waters?
Anybody who believes the US Congress gives a millimeter of a shit for the 'people' is just outta their fucking mind...
power beyotch. Throw her out on her cellulite-encrusted tuchas.
Republican TV: Fox News, Republican Radio: (Nearly all talk radio) and even the Washington Post are failing us:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/why-is...
Grassley faces re-election in 2010.
He's gotta go.
(ThinkProgress)Grassley: "We need to make sure there is no public option."
Jane Hamsher: Who are the lobbyists for the public option?
(FireDogLake) Whip It Day 1
"Sign the petition urging Feinstein to stand up for Californians and America."
i wonder what will speak more loudly to Feinstein: a petition which she will readily blow off b/c she has a "safe seat", or the $133k she rec'd from health professionals, added to the $75k she rec'd from pharma?
feinstein, like the majority of those in congress, spurn representative democracy. they give lip service on the campaign trail and they give corporate favors once elected. this flack is no different from the other dems and reps that do the exact same thing.
IF NOT NOW, WHEN!
I think my votes from now on are only going to supporters of single payer health care...
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/natio...
easy to read graph
i think people specifically lawmakers need to look longer term than the next 2-4 years. healthCare ins.
is on a pace to double in cost in less than 10 yrs. wages and workforce will NOT be able to keep pace.
as has been pointed out by a few there's a good chance we will be economically challenged with the cost of energy also. the BUSH legacy has made this very difficult but at the same time it's now essential. the market is looking for rays of sunshine to give hope but it doesn't look good. this is very typical of our country and many people in general avoid the immediate pain. i believe obama may be waiting for the proper timing on this. the key is people have to be convinced they will NOT lose their current ins. what does irritate me is that ofTEN a company will change ins. policies/companies/plans in today's market looking for a deal/better coverage/price. this is a common occurance.
I don't doubt there will be some kind of change but if you think the end result is going to be coverage for all Americans in a way that is actually concerned with providing healthcare instead of charging them fees and denying them healthcare to the detriment of the insurance industry, you're going to be severely disappointed.
The state of corporate ownership of the country is so entrenched that not much less than a complete revolution is going to put power in the people's hands or focus the govt on people's needs. Its just not the way our country works.
by the mullahs of the 'health-care/insurance' industries (drug companies, HMOs, Health Insurance parasites, the AMA), plus as Trudy Lieberman wrote yesterday at CJR, the REST of the bidness lobby--USCoC, Business Roundtable, manufacturers, big retailers, etc--has only just now begun to check in in its fervent, well-financed opposition.
So she's right. The "votes" (of the sold-out, compromised, co-opted, greasy fucks in the Senate) are NOT there.
Any health-care measure that passes the Senate will be reconciled with whatsoever passes the House, and whichever plan is stronger (for the people) will inevitably be weakened (for the people). It will be a propaganda COUP, but it will in practice be no better thatn a cosmetic fix, applying a band aid to a compound fracture.
Wouldn't the small business prefer another choice for themselvess and their employees also if it would save them costs and improve profits.
yes small medium and some large businesses need this type of option to be able to compete. if you provide healthCare ins. for let's say 11 employees. if one of those employees has a major health event it would raise the price beyong what the business can handle. there would be in my opinion a resurrection
of small and medium businesses. call me CYNical but i believe certain large businesses would like to see this not passed in some respect. they don't want small business competition. the ceo of verizon was interviewed on charlie rose. he said as a payer he would like to see reform. he said everyone should be covered. so i guess it depends on your business model. small/medium businesses have been hit hard by unfair advantage of big businesses like big box stores.
Let senators know by putting your name ON TV! Sign Here
Single payer. Public Option=Smoke and Mirrors.
put your name on TV here
If you like VA health care then you are going to love government run health care. With roaches runnning all over the place. People will be forced to take vaccines. Watch Autism and other dieases rise. With all the genetically modified food and dangerous food additives that are contributing to much of the illness in this country, the food selection will get worse and the health of the nation will get worse. This is the British model of health care where it is rationed. Doctors will not be able to practice medicine. They will have to do what ever the computer that is hooked up to the government run healthcare system says is the approved treatment. I believe that health care should be reformed but not like this. Government does not have a good track record with anything that they run.
leave the fear mongering to the rightwing....
I could not have said it better.... shoo mr. troll. back under your oh so scary bridge
fess up, you're trolling.
Those VA problems were due to Bush admin contracting out to private companies.
But it was better, because...., uh well..., BECAUSE it was privatized!
Besides, those were private corporation cock roaches, put there on purpose to keep the veterans company. It was a perk offered by one of Cheney's friends companies. So quit whining.
....STFU!
Talk about a idiotic and more importantly DEBUNKED rightwing talking point.
HA!
but I thought the gratuitous piling-on of a food scare was a nice little touch.
liked the whole Star Trek (TOS) touch of a computer telling everyone what to do. Very in right now.
exciting really. Very good storytelling.
I get VA health care and I have no real complaints.
Except maybe no roaches in the ashtrays.
Without them I'd probably be dead right now.
so there's absolutely nothing good about the government system. doesn't seem logical to me. it seems like a one sided argument. why is CHINA going to a universal system? remember the capitalist maybe like yourself often set the government system up to fail or at least make it look like it's failing. all in the name of capitalism.
I guess having my doctor's computer hooked up to my health insurance provider is so much better. It's not like my HMO is out for a profit or anthing. I'm sure the primary directive is always my well being and not the least expensive treatment.
...and I am one of the "lucky" ones that actually has insurance.
...well, I have it until I really need it anyway.
But you're right, government can't run anything well, just elect a Republican and they will show you.
Government does not have a good track record with anything that they run.
Medicare, Social Security, unemployment, and EVERY government agency that has been privatized was cheaper and more efficient BEFORE it was privatized.
Read a book.
...you that the roaches are actually there for snacks. They're quite nutritious in fact. In some of the hospitals you can also get chocolate to dip them in.
Yum!
Oh by the way, I've had plenty of care in VA hospitals and it's been fine. Are you a vet that has a horror story, or just a right wing troll spewing the neocon talking points?
smoke a roach in Up in smoke. only it was too small and he ate it! Whew!
Or looked into single payer. Using credible sources.
No need to demonstrate it with a total bullshit post.
Diane, you ignorant slut.
I'm for it but it scares the crap out of me to think of what could happen the next time repubs are in power. Imagine someone who thinks govt can't manage anything appointing either an unqualified crony or an ex-health insurance ceo, to manage the public health option into the ground. And the consequences to everyone in the plan at that time.
Safeguards have to be built in to prevent reich wing buffoonery and scalywagging!
Gotta love the Dems! This is the party who is supposed to be the pro-consumer, pro-labor, pro-social safety net, pro-lower/middle class? She is walking talking subterfuge. Of course it is all complicated and messy, that's because the laws have been so geared toward deregulation and pro-corp to purposely make it so hard to make real reform.
CA---PLEASE VOTE THIS WOMAN OUT WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpXmWQefAcg&fe...
i just find it interesting that some people deny the faults/short comings of the current system. it's broken. 30% of the cost is pushing paper around to deny/delay claims in order to keep money in investments made by ins. companies. it's inefficient. somewhere between the current system and social insurance not social medicine there's a better way.
So where's Al Franken?
"I don't know if Obama has the votes ..." really means:
1. I don't agree with him.
2. I can't support him because I get too much money from healthcare lobbyists.
3. Shut up, peasant. You should be happy we deign to bestow our wisdom upon you.
4. I'm having a torrid affair with Rush Limbaugh.
...it doesn't matter if he has the votes NOW!
I didn't hear any concern in DiFi's words for the plight of people without insurance. Perhaps, as a gesture, given what a generous person she is, she could donate her own coverage to someone who has preexisting conditions and no coverage of their own. Diane's only preexisting conditions -- being filthy rich and being a slimy POS -- don't have any bearing on getting health insurance. Lucky her.
On the other hand, things may be tight in the Feinstein household -- her net worth is only $49-$110 million, so she's probably having a tough time making ends meet. Of course, she did vote for Bush's 2001 tax cuts (for the wealthiest Americans); I imagine that gave her enough extra cash to relocate when her state and country go down the tubes. My guess would be she'll try to find a country with a single-payer universal health care system -- only an idiot wouldn't.
How do these people keep getting elected?
I guess you haven't met my in-laws. Nice people, really. But very ignorant and not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.
Your typical GOP base voter.
Everytime the repukes screw them, they get mad at liberals. It's like watching the village idiot get a hold of an electrshock button. No matter how mant times he gets zapped, he just keeps on pushin' that button.
we need a single payer system. Once you know that facts there is really only one logical choice
http://1payer.net/what-is-single-payer-health...
DLC Democrats-the very pro-business Democrats-who have been receiving large amounts of campaign money from the HMOs and the drug lobbys, are tring to kill the public option part of the health care bill in the Senate. Senator Feinstein is a member of the DLC, as is Senator Blanche Lincoln who is on the Finance Commitee that is writing the bill and Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Commmitee. I'm afraid what we will get is a bill written by the insurance lobby. No bill is better than a bad bill.
I read the responses to the post I made earlier. Let me clearify a few things.
Glenn Beck is a high level, tears of a clown, POS, fake patriot, operative. Just about all of those guys over at Fox news are sells outs that don't believe anything they are saying along with their social climbing cohorts. I believe in free market capitalismnot cronyism, fiat bankers fake fascist casino eccomics. The market that we've got going now is a globalist banker fraud one where the little people get the bill and are shut down with selective enforcement and the big crooks get away with their crimes. As far as government run health care and someone above mentioning Social security medicaid ect. Social Security can't even keep up with inflation and it is unfunded liability, it won't be around when we retire. Bloomberg reported that the banker bailout had reached over 12.8 trillion dollars PLEDGED Financial Rescue Nears GDP as Pledges Top $12.8 Trillion (Update1)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206010...
We are in a world of trouble folks. I used to think that the democrats were the ones with sense until late 2006. These staged fights that the Dems and Reps do on T.V. are pathetic. Insincere politicians that only care about being reelected and what bones they can throw back at their contributers. This is not about political parties.
Stop smoking, Stop eating the dangerouse fast foods. Stop eating, the fake sweeteners, stop, taking all the suspicious injections. Stop taking all the dangerous drugs big pharm pushes to you when you watch TV. Stop sitting on your lazy ass and get some exercise. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Don't wait for the dad'y government or private companies to take care of you because you always end up with less rights, less power, and less health, and certainly less money.
You state that you believe in free market capitalism. Do your really prefer that the decision maker on what type of treatment you receive is actually taking direction from shareholders? If your HMO or health insurance company is publically owned and traded (all or most are), that is exactly what is happening.
You stated earlier that the decision making power is taken away from the doctor if the government is calling all the shots.
Quite frankly, I have more faith in "government taking care of me" then some insurance processor that gets a bigger raise or promotion based on how many claims are denied that month.
My main point here is that health care decisions and profit go together like oil and water. Free market capitolism is good to a certain degree, but when the bottom line is money for the shareholders and the CEO, the true purpose of providing care is severely compromised.
You conveniently failed to address this main theme of the responses to your first BS rant. However I totally agree with your points about eating healthier and taking better care of yourself. But face it, people get sick no matter the circumstances.
You better damn well hope he gets the votes Di-Fi, because if he doesn't, you corruptocrats will be the next ones thrown out on you fat, worthless, corporate-sucking asses.
Then you can spend the day with your unemployed psychotic GOP friends, pining for the days of all-out fascism once again.
If they don't get health care for the people passed - with unemployment at 20% and the working classes on life support dealing with deflation and lower wages, while the parasites on Wall Street go back to paying themselves $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ tax free bonuses; their very well could be a social upheaval in this country. These rich assholes don't have a freakin' clue how close they are pushing the envelope.
My favorite picture of Senator Feinstein.
*
Where are all the rich liberals? If I had the money, I would gather hundreds of sick children who are staring death in the face because they have no insurance, or their parents lost it and cannot get private insurance.
Then I would pay to hold vigils outside of the offices of whores like Feinstein and Lincoln, and corporate pigs like Baucus and Nelson and Conrad and let them see exactly what they support. Pure freaking evil!
These people need to be shamed for all to see, and exposed for what they are! What I (or many others here) couldn't accomplish with one rich sponsor to combat corruptocrat evil.
when they have absolute power? People were going broke because of health insurance, loooong before they lost their jobs. They really are not listening to the people they work for: us. Remember us, Senator?
Jeezus Criminy.
Instead of trying to encourage votes for President Obama's health plan, Miz Feinstein is laying ground for her own vote agains it. Diane always finds a way to get votes for issues that involve enriching her own coffures and directing support to her husband's business interests. If she doesn't think they have the votes, why doesn't she get off her fat lazy ass and get them? I loathe this woman and her phony smile and lazy droopy eyes. She is old and tired and self serving and it is beyond the time for her replacement with someone who has the interest of the people at heart instead of the interests of her and her greedy husband.
The problem with these elected democrats is that they want to serve or play two masters, we the people and the coporatios at the same time while the elected republicans have undevided allegiance to the coporations. Thus being having only one master to serve the Republicans legislatures with fewer people always defeat the democratic legislatures even though they are less in number. What we the people should do is kick these democrats out and look for people who have undevided loyalties to us even if it means being in the wilderness for a while should the health care reform not include a real public option.
Three quarters of the country is in favor of government run health insurance and she has the temerity to suggest that Obama doesn't have the votes to pass this as if the only voices that matter are those belonging to the corrupt politicians who obstruct the will of the people. Way to represent, Senator Feinstein.
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