We need people like Senator Jeff Merkley fighting for us. Blue America still has our act-blue page alive and well for health care reform. Please pitch in if you can.
It's so frustrating watching the Max Baucus coalition try and dictate health care reform for America.
Not to just keep flogging a dead horse endlessly, but it does strike me as worth noting that when you read a puff piece in The New York Times about the Gang of Six bipartisan dealmakers in the Senate that vast power is being wielded by people who, in a democratic system of government, would have almost no power. We’re talking, after all, about Max Baucus of Montana, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Collectively those six states contain about 2.74 percent of the population, less than New Jersey, or about one fifth the population of California. The six largest states, by contrast, contain about 40 percent of Americans...read on
And Max Baucus was leaking out costs today to the media from the Holy CBO that he says gets their bill to cost under the magic 1 trillion mark. Of course the Holy Grail doesn't have all the figures yet, Max says, but he's trying to sell it to the media that way. If the plan doesn't cost anything then it won't do anything. Being obsessed by the Holy CBO has been a huge big mistake. Just to remind you, Max Baucus was instrumental in getting Bush's tax cuts passed back in 2001.
Baucus started his career as a relatively low-profile congressman from conservative Montana but, in recent years, has shown a willingness to stray from the Democratic lines, at times sparking intense fights with the congressional Democratic leadership. He supported President Bush’s trillion-dollar tax cut that mainly benefitted the wealthy in 2001, fought to add a prescription-drug benefit to Medicare (in language pushed by the Bush administration) and sought billions in aid for drought-plagued farmers in his home state.
And now he plans to kill health care.
Bill Clinton speaks up about the CBO:
Former President Bill Clinton, himself a victim of an errant Congressional Budget Office score or two, implied today that the agency wasn't connected enough to the real world to know whether programs would save money or not. Speaking a few days after the CBO estimated that the White House's latest "gamechanger," an independent Medicare Advisory Commission to set prices, would save little money over 10 years, Clinton urged policy-makers -- and here he means Democrats -- to not accept the CBO's scores without adding a dollop of common sense. " I recognize that if you're in that budget office, you've got to project the future," Clinton said. But certain programs would realize savings "regardless of whether the mathematical rules they are now up with will prove it or not." He said that those with a stake in changing the system "almost always get the short end of the stick" when it comes to budget projections.
n order to understand what this really means you you have to recall that there was no discussion, zero, when the last administration asserted without any debate that we were engaged in a war without end, for which costs could not be measured nor should they be. It was accepted by members of both parties as a simple imperative and no discussion of cost-benefit analyses were even on the table. But when it comes to directly benefiting Americans with a life and death threat of another sort, that's all we talk about. This is not an accident
.
This whole health care debate has been played very badly. Not getting into the game publicly for so long allowed the right wingers and Evan Bayh Democrats to corrupt the health care messaging. Now we hear that the Blue Dogs have corrupted the EC&C committee also. We'll see what actually happens a little later. People are usually very reluctant to change anything in life, even if it's going to help so it's not a shock that America is split over health care reform in the polls. It's a big deal and in the end people will be more hesitant to actually back change. That's why we need a strong leader to communicate it. That just means the Democratic Party must keep pushing forward. The Republicans went forward with the lunacy of the Terri Schiavo matter even when 79% of Americans were against government intervention in a family matter. That''s their core values. They are birthers. We want real health care reform that will help us all. We believe in America.
Howie Klein has more on Max and the Blue Dogs.
Yesterday we mentioned how duplicitous DLC warlord Max Baucus (MT) had worked out a plan with his GOP brother-in-arms, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), to cut the public option out of the health care reform bill. The Medical-Industrial Complex and Insurance CEOs who invested so heavily in Baucus must feel those millions of dollars were a great investment. The House of Lords is a tragic, purposely anti-democratic anachronism that should never have been created to begin with and should have been abolished long ago.
I expect little in the way of push back from the more progressive HELP Committee against Baucus' and Grassley's all out battle to deprive Americans of health care. The bought-off corrupt corporate Democrats like Baucus, Lincoln, Bayh, Pryor, Nelson (plus, of course, Lieberman) have thrown in their lot with an utterly deranged and even more corrupt Republican Party seeking not just to destroy health care but to destroy Barack Obama's presidency...read on.
http://chestofbooks.com/travel/italy/rome/Joh...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9O30d_yiE
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Nationalize the health care system.
Full National Health
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
for people to continue bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles I could go for that.
you tell me what your cholesterol is?
Just because you don't smoke, drink and maybe exercise does not
necessarily make you healthy.
Oh, how do you plan on punishing the mentally ill?
Their brains have some chemical issues. Is it their fault?
What do plan on doing about tennis elbow or any sports-related
injury for that matter? Those people chose to be active, didn't
they?
I think smoking is obnoxious and people should eat well and exercise, but it's juvenile to exclude people based on lifestyles.
Can not wide his hands for some of this destruction to our economy with his supporting the Free Trade Bill. At the time I wrote to Bill and Barbara Mikulski about the free trade bill with would outsource our manufacturing plants and jobs..
Barbara Mikulski stated that it would not hurt our job market and Americans but in fact give us more jobs and higher / more technical jobs at a higher salary..
Either ,,, our democrat are not very smart,,, or they do not care about reading/investigating the legislature they are voting on..
Since then we have elected many republicans on our democrat ticket which was a cleaver policy of the republicans as if right out of the play book of ROVE the corruption creator.
If you notice the democrats gave Rove everything he demanded before he would talk to them about his dealing with his corruption like the firing and hiring of the different judges and jailing democrats in which the republicans wanted to destroy.
Rove had a meeting behind closed door , not under oath and everything he said if he really answered any questions was censored and keep from Americans and the news media.
Is this Obama's Change and transparent government he talk of in his campaigning for president!!!
Have we elected a right centrist democrat or is Emanuel guiding his every more..
Or is this a Cheney / Bush partnership to continue the 3rd term of Americans getting the royal s....
None
Speaking on behalf of that 2.7% (Max is my senior senator, unfortunately), Max does not even represent most of his constituents who actually support the public plan. Might have something to do with the fact that we are 15th in the nation in percentage of uninsured (even more underinsured) and that BCBS has a near monopoly (75% of the market) in the state. Max hasn't been to any of his scheduled townhall meetings here for months, because he got tired of getting reamed on this.
...that our real beef isn't so much with the Rethugs as it is with the turncoat Blue Dogs. Unfortunately, I'm "represented" by Evan F****** Bayh...but believe me, he's gotten a number of e-mails and calls from me in the past weeks telling him he's not doing his constituents any favors by being on the take from insurance/health/pharma.
Every one of the clowns, from Baucus to Conrad to Bayh (and the rest of the bastard puppies)need to be told in no uncertain terms that their poltical life is over if they ignore the people who voted for them...
"Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Hunter S. Thompson
I emailed him immediately when I saw the AP story letting him know that it was the worst kind of betrayal and that I would do everything in my power to insure that he was not re-elected. Of course, given the number of irate emails I have sent him over the past few months, I suspect I am on his spam filter at this point.
You guys have GOT to go after him, and that means turning off the computer, organizing, and visiting the SOB wherever he is hiding out.
I'm sure Moveon.org could guide you.
Honestly, this man is going to be responsible for destroying countless lives. He's obviously got no conscience, so you Montana voters have to organize and go after him. Bring BIG protest signs, alert the media of your intentions, and just do it.
I did this about a month ago (against my senator)...first time in my life...and although it felt strange at first, afterward, I felt we did something constructive.
Good for you! Just curious - what was the issue, and did you feel you had an impact?
It could inspire people.....
There is nobody as morally and ethically corrupt as Max Baucus. I don't want to distract from that story.
If I lived in Montana, I would start a recall campaign. I Googled "Can you recall a senator", and there were step-by-step instructions.
At one time I was trying to get a national day of lobbying these Congress members AT HOME....
That is where the most people could come out to their LOCAL offices and to town hall forums to lobby them.
But I got no positive reaction from anyone, so I dropped the idea.
Tomorrow there's a "demonstration" in D.C. on "Single Payer" and then they'll be doing some lobbying. And I wish them well. But the few people they'll have in D.C. won't match the numbers they could have had at the grass roots level down at the High School auditorium.
Especially when the Congress member is a NO SHOW. Then you go to his/her LOCAL office and SIT DOWN AND STAY.
BTW, what ever the final bill is, everyone remember that if the for-profit health insurance corporations have anything to do with it, we will all just keep losing.
My understand is that Sen. Baucas and his "group" have removed "The Public Option" and have made a deal with Obama to trade it for "Co-ops". I do believe those will be controlled by the private insurance corporations.
And Maxine Waters has declared that if the final bill does NOT have "The Public Option", then the Progressive Caucus will vote NO on the bill.
Obama is afraid of the Republican Lite Blue Dogs. But when the time comes, he'll pull the Progressives in to the White House for Happy Hour and they'll "go along to get along"....as usual.
My hope is quickly fading on any "meaningful" health reform that doesn't line the pockets of Wall Street stock holders even more. I also noticed today that America's hospital stocks are going up now that "The Public Option" has been thrown out.
Too bad we can't get some honest freakin' answers from Congress for a change...like Conyers admitting there's no sense in trying to read the 1000 page draft legislation without two lawyers present.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Won't do any good in this case, since Max is hiding in Washington. There is a lot of vocal discontent here in Montana and people have been trying to engage him, but he hides behind staffers and never shows, even at scheduled events.
You can start a recall campaign.
I'm tempted to move to Montana just to start working on it!
come from inside his district --the rest are from Corps and healthcare industry lobbyists... Baucus raked in $1.3 million from healthcare lobbyists in the last 2 years!
Slime bucket...
Lately I've come to believe that no plan at all is better than a watered down plan with no viable public option. Sure, the repugs will be crowing for awhile but then they'll return home and have to deal with the continued pressure increases.
Maybe it will take a completely broken system to get true change (single payer).
we just never hear about them.
Well do fill us in then.
I'm with Blue Lensman, f*ck this bill. The ONLY thing that's going to come out of it is a requirement that everybody must have for profit health insurance.
I will absolutely refuse to participate in ANY mandated private plan. I've been refused by them before; I'll refuse them along with any governmental plan that lines the pockets of the insurance thieves.
"Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Hunter S. Thompson
Where do you hear about single payer at all, but here?
There is term for your approach in that statement: INNUENDO.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Why is the COST even being discussed?
It is OBVIOUS that FULL NATIONAL HEALTH COVERAGE will be less expensive, more efficient, and more effective than what we have now.
OBVIOUS
And even if it did cost more than what we have now, we should do it anyway because it is the right thing to do.
Democracy is too important to be entrusted to politicians.
Rise Up!
Protest!
It is the RIGHT thing to do, period! guys like Max, who obviously have so much money they don't have to worry about the things that bother the little guys are always trying to tell the little guys how it is. What the hell does Max know about it?! Absolutely nothing... next to dickity-doo-dah!
To my knowledge (and anyone out there with the figures, please inform all of us), a "Medicare for All" system has NOT been analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office.
I've asked Rep. Olver here in Western Mass. the question (plus lots of others) and so far I'm being ignored.
I believe that if a budget was done that compared "Medicare for All" MINUS the sham "Prescription D"...(ALL medications should be negotiated by the government for ANY public system) with what we have NOW and what is currently being proposed ("Co-ops"???) that the "Medicare for All" system would be the most stream-lined, least confusing, most affordable and would COVER EVERYBODY!
If we had those figures at hand, then we could have a REAL debate about which system would cover the most people, cost the least with the best of care.
Does anyone know if those figures exist??
John, can you ask Sen. Merkley for those figures from the CBO for a "Medicare for All" system where the private insurance companies would be phased out of the equation?
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Ralph Nader on Single Payer here.
…
PNHP goes on to say that large employers would pay something like 7% versus 8.5% now.
But Nader wouldn't let them get scott free, skipping ahead to his comments:
Of course only Nader was talking about going after the Corporations. Because he didn't take any money from them he could talk about it.
---
The upshot is that it is difficult to compare the HR 3200 to single payer directly without a serious explanation that one in three dollars now is wasted.
Almost no one but the stout hearted few, Bernie Sanders, Dennis Kucinich and of course want that story to be told.
We could have single payer for less than we are paying now, the health 'insurance' companies would go into a different line of work.
I am now convinced the a full National Health program is the way.
If we had started arguing that, single payer would have been seen as a compromise and the lame swindle loaded 'public option' would have seen for what it is, flim flam.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
This is sick (pun intended). Everybody needs to call congress. Call these fuckers offices and let them know how angry yoiu are. In no uncertain terms. I understand that this is the best way to contact these jerks. They toss the emails and it takes weeks for a letter to get through to them. So call call calllllllllllllllll!!!!!
Back in a minute with some phone numbers.
Ok here is website with the D.C. phone numbers. If yoiu click on their names it will take you to their home pages where there will be phone numbers for offices in their state. I implore every one of yoiu to make 10 phone calls. Call the Senator you think would make the most difference. I suggest Max Baucus of Montana, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Susan Collins of Maine. Just for starters. I'll be back with more. These jokers are in small states so your phone call will make more difference. If they have more than one office call two or three offices plus the D.C. office. Let them know you are angry. Very angry.Playing nice will only get you another Republican elected.
Here is Baucus' web page full of phone numbers. Tell them you are a big cattle rancher from Kalispell and yoiu are pissed off that this son of a bitch is not representen you.
Billings
222 North 32nd Street
Suite 100
Billings, MT 59101
(406) 657-6790
Bozeman, Montana
Federal Building
32 East Babcock
Suite 114
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-6104
Butte, Montana
27 North Wyoming St
Suite A
Butte, MT 59701
(406) 782-8700
Great Falls, Montana
113 3rd Street North
Great Falls, MT 59401
(406) 761-1574
(406) 452-1117 (TDD)
Helena, Montana
Empire Block
30 West 14th Street
Suite 206
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 449-5480
Kalispell, Montana
8 Third Street East
Kalispell, MT 59901
(406) 756-1150
Missoula, Montana
Missoula
280 E. Front St.
Suite 100 Missoula, MT 59802
(406) 329-3123
gd
Glendive
122 West Towne St
Glendive, MT 59330
(406) 365-7002
Washington D.C.
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651(Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)
...for their constituents, I'd calculate the percentage as
0.0000019672131% or 6 out of 305 million.
By this constant attack by the republicans and their corporate news media they are winning the war with the independent voters to whom they are trying to reach..
The blue dogs and centrists are making the democrats look like a bunch of stupid a... holes..
The republicans have gain in the polls against democrats to within a 5 to 6 percent gap , which used to be around 20 plus..
So the right wing republican party with their elected blue dogs with the help and aid of EMANUEL is destroying the democrats in their rating.
So you see just what Emanuel has done in his support to get the republicans elected on our democrat ticket.
This is why Emanuel has been attacking Dean for over 3 years because Dean was spreading the political funds to include real democrats and was not giving a majority to Emanuel republican selections to run on the democrat ticket as the blue dogs.
The Blue dogs have are/have with the support of Emanuel done more harm to our party and policies then Lieberman - Pelosi - Reid - Schumer - Feinstein combined...
Of course over the past 9 years they have left their marks on our party's credibility..
None
The Republicanzi were very successful with their lies and deceits in the past, but don't you think it's time to move the circus out of town? The Thuglicans are done.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
The Thuglicans are done.
The NO party will be in next, at this rate.
These Blue Dogs are Republicans with a (D) behind their name.
Ya, the thugs will infiltrate other partys... Snap!
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Talking and writing here is not going to do as much as picking up the phone. Hell, just make one phone call.
And what the hell is Obama doing? He should be out telling these assholes that there will be no money for their reelection. I'm tell you I will not be voting in the next election if this thing does not get pass to my satisfaction. I will never vote for a Republican, I just wont vote. What's the difference? These fuckers are no better than Republicans so what does it matter? Just like I would not piss on John Kerry if he was on fire becasue of the way he ran away from his election I won't support anybody who was a part of this charade in any way. Including Obama.
I think there's room for a Liberal Democratic party and a progressive conservative party, and screw the republicans all together.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
there will be little incentive for the health care industry to reduce fraud, waste, and exorbitant costs.
Here are the costs of childbirth as of 1952 at one of the finest hospitals on the West Coast, The Santa Monica Hospital: (Long before Insurance and Corporate interests took over heath care.)
http://www.oftwominds.com/photos09/maternity-...
this guy makes some good points
http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html
Why do you think we moved away from the cash only system?
People who can't afford their coverage will still be subsidized by the rest of us, just as they are now. Health care costs less when you stay healthy with preventative care. Health care is most expensive when you never see your primary care doctor, just the Emergency room.
Health care is not amenable to the "free market" because "what the market will bear" is everything you've got if your sick. What makes you trust so much in the "free market"? We are the one and only nation in the developed world without nationalized health care, and we pay twice as much for worse outcomes.
let me know how cash only works out for you if you need an
organ transplant or you're in a horrific car accident and spend
two months in ICU. Popping out a baby in an uncomplicated way is
a far cry from intensive, critical medicine. If women are healthy and have had uneventful pregnancies they
should have their babies at home.
to march and protest in Washington by the TENS of millions, time to get fucking serious and make healthcare are right, not just for the privileged . Someone has got to stand up and lead us there. I pray it will Obama because if it fails , he will take the fall rightly or wrongly. The Democrats should be ashamed.
the bill currently going through Congress won't take full effect for another 5-6 years! Can someone confirm that for me?
. . . give the boyz a few years to loot the system so by the time it goes into effect there won't be anything left.
.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
If they take august off - that neutralises the "the bill is too big to read" argument!
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
August recess. 30 days for Republicans, with a retooled set of talking points, to flat out lie to their constituents. I'm so glad my Rep is a Democrat.
There's going to be a massive, well-funded disinformation/proaganda blitz - radio, print, tv. This thing was already D.O.A. when Obama took the oath.
Is this a program for the government to make sure my Heath Bars quality is always up to snuff?
Anyone who enjoys going to a doctor for "health care" needs a shrink.
The only thing they they care about is your money.
Real Heath (TM) Bars. We need a port facility to inspect for imported knock-offs.
Divided on Potential Solutions July 29, 2009
I think Pete2069 (↑) up there make a fairly accurate summation. Though looking forward, the actions of the (R)epressive party and their evil Brothers' and Sisters, won't bode well come election day... a couple more will drop from the roll-call , because of their obstructive actions and self-interests. It's not over yet!
[ http://www.srbi.com/MostAmericansEagerforHeal... ]
Study the symptoms not the virus...
reform! All green back dollars!
republicanism is a mental illness.
There's no public option in the finalized house bill. It's time to mobilize and demand the single-payer system we should have gotten decades ago. Enough is enough.
Here's the information on a demonstration that's happening:
http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/singl...
I'm in Western Mass. and it's a bit too far for me to go to D.C., get a hotel blah, blah, blah.
But I did go to NYC yesterday for the F.A.I.R./ P.N.H.P. demonstration at ABC.
I'm about to go edit my footage of that event in a minute.
I must say it was discouraging. With F.A.I.R., P.N.H.P., The Raging Grannies, Code Pink and a coalition of over 30 NYC groups promoting this event, I figure if I didn't count the speakers and didn't count media people there and those in security that maybe 40 people showed up at ABC on 66th between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West at noon.
Over 12,000 petitions WERE delivered to a security guard out front who had some stiff in a suit next to him, but I'll admit that it was disappointing that there weren't more doctors and nurses and others out for the event. And it wasn't even raining!!!
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
I am sick and tired of hearing about these so-called Blue Dog Democrats. They're nothing but Republican-Lite. You're either a Democrat on fundamental issues or you're not, and they certainly are not.
Why is it that when a critical vote comes up, Republicans stick together and Democrats don't? I just don't understand. Obama, Pelosi, and Reid should be twisting arms and getting the team on the same page. Support the effort; get a bill passed; and then tweak it as necessary.
I'm not suggesting that Democrats should vote in lock step with their party every time; just when it involves critical issues such as health care. The way things are going, a 60 vote majority in the Senate means nothing if you can only count on 75% of them to vote the right way!
as a block--for corporate interests$. seems like it's filtered through lobbyists and voted accordingly.
current activities seem to be pigs at trough ... not reforming health care delivery ... just $ , power and control to insurance, pharma et al.
did not put single payer on table. (even though that's what the progressive caucus said they really want while backing the in play public plan). dem leadership said a "robust" public option would be a component. but largely its undefined. and, now, they seem willing to let public option go by the wayside.
this is not an accident. . . compromising the citizens interests out of health care. . . for profit and power of vested corporate interests
Oh good! Now I have these US traitors in State Alpha Order to start encouraging people to have LARGE posters of them whenever they protest Health Care reform rape from these clowns.
Iowa - Chuck Grassley
Maine - Susan Collins
Montana - Max Baucus
New Mexico - Jeff Bingaman
North Dakota - Kent Conrad
Wyoming - Mike Enzi
Every member of the finance committee:
*MAX BAUCUS, MT (202) 224-2651
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, WV (202) 224-6472
*KENT CONRAD, ND (202) 224-2043
*JEFF BINGAMAN, NM (202) 224-5521
JOHN F. KERRY, MA (202) 224-2742
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR (202) 224-4843
RON WYDEN, OR (202) 224-5244
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY (202) 224-6542
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI (202) 224-4822
MARIA CANTWELL, WA (202) 224-3441
BILL NELSON, FL (202) 224-5274
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ (202) 224-4744
THOMAS CARPER, DE (202) 224-2441
*CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA (202) 224-3744
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT (202) 224-5251
*OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME (202) 224-5344
JON KYL, AZ (202) 224-4521
JIM BUNNING, KY (202) 224-4343
MIKE CRAPO, ID (202) 224-6142
PAT ROBERTS, KS (202) 224-4774
JOHN ENSIGN, NV (202) 224-6244
*MIKE ENZI, WY (202) 224-3424
JOHN CORNYN, TX (202) 224-2934
I believe it is Snowe, not Collins who deserves to be famous for this, by the way. Please call.
The six kingmakers are Snowe, Conrad, Baucus, Grassley, Enzi, and Bingaman, as far as I know, though originally I heard Wyden instead of Bingaman.
...losing influence in shaping health care reform.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, since Obama has voluntarily ceded power and influence to the conservatives in the Democratic Party. There was never any good reason to do so, although I get the impression Obama still believes that trying to appear moderate will win the day.
As I look back over Obama's behavior concerning health care reform, from taking single payer off the table to refusing to say that he has any absolute requirements for reform (other than fiscal restraint), to allowing that bipartisanship is more desirable than great legislation, all I can think is that the president has acted "stupidly."
He has weakened himself repeatedly. If the final legislation sucks, he will bear a lion's share of the responsibility for its inadequacies.
--and americans will bear the brunt of negative healthcare outcomes.
---------btw/fwiw: the president is now referring to health 'insurance' reform (ref july 22 press conf) giving credence to the ongoing weakening of the health care legislation.
I wrote to the White House that very night and told Obama that his change of language was not going unnoticed.
He did indeed start calling it "health insurance reform" that evening; it might have been in the very first sentence he uttered.
Obama is speaking in code. In this case, it was so glaring, he might just as well have said the "F" word.
"and SOME Americans will bear the brunt of negative health care outcomes."
I think that's more accurate. As is usual in this country, the people who will suffer most are those who are already the most likely to be suffering. However, in time the suffering is going to be spread more and more widely. If real reform fails, I don't doubt that in a few years there will lots of people who bought into the Wingers' scare tactics and stopped supporting genuine reform only to discover that the health insurance they sought to protect has either become too expensive for them to afford or has dumped them altogether.
I think one of the most entertaining aspects of post-reform America will be watching all the creative ways private insurance companies invent to continue to insure only the healthy. I just don't see them giving that up. I'm going to assume that the legislation will be written in such a way that there will be more loopholes than commas.
Perhaps that is because what is really needed is reform that makes private insurance more profitable for the profiteers.
It is going to be interesting to see what the final bill says about requiring insurance. One of the most touching points I've heard discussed is the willingness of guys like Baucus and Conrad to allow the poor to not buy insurance (they can't possibly afford) without incurring any penalty. That's the sign of what passes for compassion in this country these days. I guess the penalty waiver will be a sign that Democrats wrote the final bill and not Republicans. Although, in truth, it's hard to imagine many Republicans ever mandating that anyone buy insurance. After all, they don't care in the least if a hundred or a hundred million Americans are uninsured.
The " 2.7 % " are going to win out too . Lobbyists ,big money , the people's servants ( politicians ) nothing less than up for sale whores and a stupid and useless population ( voters ) will as usual win the day . Have you read today about the sudden " progress " they've made ? By time the Dems get through caving in and making concessions and deals with the Blue dogs and Repugs the whole damned thing is going to be an absolute joke and we will not be any better off than before , long term probably worse off . The Repugs will be gloating over this one too , it's going to be absolutely sickening . Friggin disappointing but completely predictable . Not that I would ever vote Republican , I would never vote Repug in a million years , but these useless and pathetic Democrats will never get a vote out of me again , as a matter of fact I don't think I'll ever bother voting again , what the hell for ? Vote for bad or for worse that's what it amounts to . So much for charisma and the ability to make good speeches and inspire hope and enthusiasm . I guess Clinton was right , Obama was naive , either that or we got sold a bill of goods . One thing for sure Obama is no progressive , hell he's barely liberal , that's pretty obvious now .It's just the same old shit . " America the beautiful" ? Right .Sorry for the rant but I am pissed .
The problem isn't that Baucus is from a small state -- single payer's Bernie Sanders is from a small state.
The problem is that Baucus is owned by the insurance companies!
I'm all for poking Baucus in the eye with a sharp stick, but let's do it for the right reason, eh?
Anything less is O completely collapsing in front of the insurance/pharma companies. It's NOT change you can believe in.
...he never even pretended he was going to pursue a single payer system. In that sense, he isn't going back on a campaign promise.
However, a wise and courageous president would have realized what would happen if he took single payer off the table before the discussions even began and left the public option hanging out there as the "far left, radical" option -- the obvious place to begin compromising.
At this point, our system is so corrupt that the only way I can imagine getting a president who is willing to fight for sensible, efficient health care coverage for all Americans -- in other words, a universal single payer system -- is for a candidate to simply lie throughout the campaign and pretend he (or she) doesn't favor single payer and then, once elected, reverse course. Naturally, the MSM would crucify that kind of behavior and the American people, willing to elect a mindless, corrupt idiot like George Bush to two terms, would undoubtedly be outraged by the duplicity and refuse to support the new president.
Let's face it, folks, the American people are simply too stupid, selfish, and cowardly to support a health care system that would provide the best outcomes for the most people at the most reasonable cost. And the crooks and liars we elect to represent us (i.e., corporations) are even worse than the voters.
If there's one thing Americans hate more than hatefulness, it's impotence. We can argue whether Nixon, Reagan or Chimpie should be hated for the damage they've done, but nobody likes a person who can't get results. I'm sure that's why James Buchanan was often listed as the worst president before our sorry late 20th century lot. I don't know whether that's fair. Could anyone have stopped the Civil War? But the opinion sticks nonetheless.
The Obama administration is quickly looking like a repeat of James Buchanan's impotence:
1. Didn't stop the economic crisis or bring jobs back to the U.S.
2. Didn't get us out of Middle Eastern wars
3. Didn't establish universal health care
and
4. Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and didn't establish the Democratic party for a generation.
Will history blame Obama for what he seems _not_ to be doing? Well, Buchanan got blamed.
I've been reading many comments from the nay sayers of universal health care. We know where your talking points come from. You hang the word "high-cost" on your sign and scream, "this is why it will never work". You say no to change by using words like "socialized medicine" to make vague points as if this were a dirty word only mentioned by communists with some evil motive, or people like me that just plain care about everyone getting the same coverage that our president and members of congress get. By the way, we all pay for them to get that nice coverage that would not let them go bankrupt. Next comes the token "horror story" from Canada, which offers little to no solutions for the problems we face. I ask all that say no why the lot of you are so hell bent in driving the rest of us with a conscience off the cliff in the same failed vehicle, known as your "insurance company"? IF all the horror stories given are true, then we'd be smart to learn from that, and NOT allow it in the American Health Care System. It's better than saying no, and then pouting about it. The insurance companies are taking the money and running, but instead of the nay sayers addressing this, they seem more interested in saving the rich guys. And for what; so we can dump more of our hard earned money into the insurance company's thinking we can save our failed economy? Isn't that a form of socialism? Corporate welfare? It is the nay sayer's dirty little secret that we'd help the corporations first, and save those that built them last. All we propose is providing health care for all, without the possible hazard of going bankrupt. It is that simple. Slowly our society is decaying while I see our elders, and our weakest get left way side because they're not important enough. So to nay sayers, Max Baucus' of the World, and those feeling no obligation to care for the weakest among us, I dare you to watch this video of Bill Moyers interviewing Wendell Potter and ask yourself if we need to continue down the road of corporate welfare?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-M10jDkmm0
Perhaps until the nay sayers fall prey to their beloved "insurance" company's tactics, then they will never understand the need to change what we're allowing to happen in this so called great nation. Until we can become a more just and civilized nation, this is what we will continue to see from the least honest in the highest ranks.
All the democratic leadership has to do is remove Baucus from the chairmanship, and strip him of any other power he may have. Let him know that this time their will be NO selling out. He would be singing a very different tune immediately.
Also, ask him if a well funded primary challenge from the democratic base would suit him?
Without real leadership, this is what you get.
They need to inject Obama with a little of that LBJ attitude, and then take Harry Reid out to the middle of nowhere, and drop him off.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
If the Dems wouldn't strip Joe Isadore Lieberman of his god-damned chairmanship, they won't strip Baucus. When you suggest some form of Democratic "leadership" you are assuming facts not in evidence.
any of these assholes gives a shit what any one thinks. They have set them self up to the point where if thet do not get re-elected they don't give a shit. They just go WORK for the assholes they have been working for in congress and get payed more money.
You have the Left and the Right who stir the shit up and keep it sturied up. Devied the people, keep there mind off of US and they can get away with anything. Just look back to Last October 2007. They cramed a 700 billion dollar bail out for the RICH in record time. health insurance, fuck that,we need more time. If it is good for the Rich, we will do it, if it is to help out the common people, we need more time.
Look at the past, a Drug War under nixon. How long has this been going on. 30 ,35 years. Now look at the war on terror, This is a war Never to end. the rich will not let it end. they are making billions from this war on terror.
That 2.7 percent are probably included in the 3-5 percent that control most of this nations wealth. It's almost like they are the ones to decide who lives and who dies.
Government + the Federal Reserve = organized crime
Comments are closed on this entry