Howard Dean Says: Forget Bipartisan Health-Care Reform
By Susie Madrak Tuesday Jun 02, 2009 5:45amAmen! I do love this man:
WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean said a public health insurance option is more important than bipartisanship, and that Democrats should pass health-care legislation that includes the option with 51 votes if necessary.
Dean added that Democrats should have "no intention" of working with Republicans if it's not the strongest possible legislation that could be passed with a simple majority.
"If Republicans want to shill for insurance companies, then we should do it with 51 votes," Dean said during a news conference at the first day of the liberal America's Future Now! conference here.
Dean, though, also praised what he called President Obama's "realist" approach to trying to pass health care reform.
"What I like about Barack Obama's plan is he's a realist," Dean said, adding that private insurers aren't going away and that polling shows people are generally happy with their private health care -- if they have it. He said it should be all about giving people a "choice" of signing up for a public option, but "on the other hand, you don't want to take something away either."
Dean repeated a line of the president's, giving him credit in doing so: "If you like what you have, you can keep it."
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Hmm, lets see... Making sure our society is functional at a base level my making sure healthcare is available to all is more important that hurt feelings of republicans? I like it!
"THE" democrat-republicans do not care about what is good for the citizens in the Country , it is was is good for them and this Global Empire which controls their actions..
Just check out the actions and policies passed by Obama and the democrats.. It is not what is being said when their mouth is moving but what actually happens with their actions..
The wealth of American citizen is being transferred to the Global Giants and our jobs and manufacturing plants are sold to the highest bidder at our expense..
A nation that can not product their own products and is a nation that can not protect it's citizens and country..
It is no longer what is best for the citizens of this country but what this Global Empire "demands".
Either Obama has been told after he was elected that he really will not run the country or he lied his a... off to his votes when campaigning for the presidency..
Obama looks more like a McCain or republican running this country then that of a democrat or the person's campaign speeches that I voted for..
After over a week of trying to get in touch with the President , then two sentences into stating my comment , I was hung up on... Believe me these two sentences I started were only about sending jobs overseas and transferring our manufacturing plants and jobs overseas.. There was no profanity or nasty comments unless you want to consider saying that our jobs and manufacturing plants were profanity.. Even the Bush's administration did not do this , although they would give me an argument about my comments...
Demand a single payer system. Send an e-mail everyday--make it impossible to ignore. Easier and more efficient than staging rallies. No politician will ever do this for us. Not ever.
I like the message, but I fear that Democrats also shill for insurance companies. And I'm really terrified that the president shills for insurance companies.
As for private insurers not going away... I see it as the same problem as the drug war. Offer up a subsidized, government-controlled option better and cheaper than any private institution can compete with, and we'll see what happens to the evil scumbag motherfuckers.
Oh, and the drug dealers, too.
Its a certainty.
When I was working overseas in a European capital I was able to get a good feel for the differing countries health clinics. Outside of diplomats who were fully covered at the American clinic, no American I knew went there. Every last American, including me, used the Swedish clinic. Management and medical services were superb, as was the price - annual check-up including blood test was a whopping $25. Same service at the American clinic staffed with American doctors - $385. And yes, the Swedish doctors spoke English, at least enough English to easily understand them.
The price for basic medical services in America is a worldwide joke.
If anyone says they don't want 'socialized' healthcare, ask them, since they believe in the 'free-market' so much, how come America pays the most for healthcare but doesn't receive anywhere near the best healthcare?
. . . Dems will vote for public option?
Boy, has he got it right. I HATE my insurance company (Blue Cross of North Carolina). They are a monopoly. I have no choice at all of other plans. I want out, and I want a public options. The people who are restricting choice in the market of health care are the insurers, plain and simple. They have the public by the private parts, have been screwing us financially for decades, and it is time to take away their death grip on health care.
Let's take another look at this. One of two things will happen:
Powerful corporations will increase their stranglehold on us;
or
We will get what is right and just and fair.
Any guesses which it will be?
Trying to get the GOP on board with healthcare is a waste of time; in fact, if they can't stop it, they just seem to get a thrill about seeing how long they can delay it (e.g., Franken Senate victory, Sotomayor confirmation, etc.). If the Capitol caught fire they would insist on throwing glasses of water at the fire before allowing a vote to adjourn—okay, bad analogy as these guys clearly put a high premium on their carcasses—they would probably run screaming out the doors at the first whiff of smoke!
The real problem are the DINOs.
yup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Ug1J9hTpM
...Repugs shilling for insurance companies? What about the fucking Dems who are doing the same damn thing. They'll never get any meaningful change done. Too many politicians in the insurance companies pockets.
It's a joke to think otherwise.
This makes you wonder why Obama didn't make Howard Dean is point man on Healthcare.
This is *precisely* why Obama hasn't made Dean his point man on health care.
Obama doesn't really want a viable public option, either. He's just as much a corporatist on this as he is on most everything else. Democrats are taking massive amounts of money from the insurance, pharmaceutical and medical industries. Why let Dean derail the gravy train?
I lived 11 yrs in various European cities and a total of 26 yrs overseas, including the Middle East. I love when Repukes talk about not wanting to be like Europe, it shows how uneducated even the educated are. Some hospitals, clinics and such were better than others, some had excellent staff, but not all had the machines that go Ping. Only in Canada and Britain did I come across really long waiting times but that was in the walk-in and ER. The hospital treatment was good overall. I had friends who went off to study medicine overseas because (ok it was cheaper) they learned more about "medicine" than administration, insurance etc. America is all about money, so it is not surprising that its medical system would be too.
The Democratic Strategy for bipartisan governance should be..."Flip the bird...pass the bill".
But don't forget we're counting Joe Lieb as a democrat. And CT is insurance capitol of the US.
Period.
If the Democrats really want to solidify their hold for 40 years...they will pass universal healthcare.
It will be the death knell for the GOP. It will do what the New Deal, unemployment insurance, Social Security and Medicare did...it will banish the GOP into the backwater of politics and relegate them to a 40 year exile in minority party hell.
The only problem is that ALL these guys/gals want to get re-elected. Turning your back on a major healthcare/pharma corporate lobbyist is right up there with telling AIPAC you won't take their money and that you believe in a "two state" solution with a return to the pre-67 borders!
The first thing they ALL really care about is getting re-elected!!! They all HAVE their public health insurance and we're paying for it! Hello?! "We've got ours...F you!"
Why shouldn't ALL the taxpayers who are funding the Congress' health care get the same coverage? Why don't we bring all the troops home and cut off the Pentagon's nose? Why can't we get some rich MFer like Ted Turner or someone to show "Sicko" in primetime on all major networks the same night (not during any major sporting event though...ha) and then call for major demonstrations on the SAME DAY in ALL cities and towns across the United States?!
This would be easy to do before the legislation is finalized and the votes are cast. This is an issue where we need to hit the streets and find out the locations of ALL the Congresspersons offices locally and start an organized lobbying campaign FOR A MEDICARE FOR ALL SYSTEM ON A PAR WITH CANADA, FRANCE AND CUBA!!!!
I have been boycotting the insurance companies for over 20 years. I loathe ALL of them so much (and I'm a nurse...I have my reasons for loathing them!), that I have made a personal vow to NEVER give them a dime...ever.
The second there is a public health care system that I can sign up for I will be the first in line.
And therein lies the problem in a nutshell. The insurance companies KNOW that the second there is an option to sign up for the public system that it will be the first nail in their coffins.
Let's get the nails and hammers and get to work!!!!
Now you're talking!! In the beginning of the Internet movement, politicians laughed at us and called us insignificant but we went on to win and take the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. We can do this again and get the Public Option included in the new legislation. I sign and send every pitition I can concerning this issue and I live in that Third World Country of Texas. It's almost useless to send my petitions to my Texas Congressmen but I do it anyway. We have to do this.
How about a million man march on the Whitehouse. Let's do this!
the public to do something "locally" than to get a million people to go to WDC for a demonstration.
Congresspersons love nothing more than when we all show up for a big demonstration then go away (at major personal expense I might add).
We need to become more sophisticated about our lobbying efforts. If we want results we need to do what the corporate lobbyists do. In every Congressional District we need to hold town hall meetings then select key representatives to go to local and D.C. offices for formal appointments to lobby for a public taxpayer funded health care system.
This way the groups would have key people who would develop relationships with the Congresspersons which translates into REAL power and not just a mess of placards left behind on the lawn in D.C. and a bunch of forgotten speeches.
Believe me, we'd get more bang for our bucks if there were two hundred people at a local meeting and the hat was passed to pay for airline tickets/hotels/food etc. for a few (they usually only allow groups of 7-10), people to travel to D.C. (preferably on the same day and with a big media push), in order to attend private meetings with their Congress members.
Dean would've made a great president--at least in so far as doing what's right for the general populace is concerned.
I'm not sure the Wall Street Bankers' Morning Breakfast Club would have appreciated him so much.
The Dean Scream
... funny how a single scream (what was wrong with speaking loudly at a f*cking political rally?) can sink a campaign. And yet, a certified idiot like Palin who could not find her ass with a flashlight and a map... was not only viable, even with a "foot in mouth" rate of 99.99%
Baucus, who is owned and operated by the Insurance companies, HMO's and Big Pharma, 51 votes is a stretch.
I wonder how truthful those polls are, and I wonder how many of those who say they are satisfied with their insurance will say the same thing when they have expenses that their insurance companies suddenly claim is not covered? A lot of people think they are protected...until their day of need.
BTW, as a taxpayer, I am unwilling to approve of anything that isn't single payer, because it means that 30-35% of my tax dollar is going to be squandered on needless administrative costs(much of those arising from attempts to deny care) and from making sure that the Insurance companies, HMO's and Big Pharma continue to reap profits betond the dreams of greed and avarice. I note that, even though they will be receiving taxpayer dollars there is no provision to regulate them, in say, the manner that states regulate public utilities. I am unwilling to fatten up parasites with my tax dollars.
What's going on with Al Franken????
These actions by the Republican Party to stop Al Franken from becoming a Senator are the ultimate in obstructionist tactics.
Update anyone??
...line of questioning indicated that most of the court was having a hard time buying what Coleman was selling. They'll have a decision out in a few weeks.
Dean repeated a line of the president's, giving him credit in doing so: "If you like what you have, you can keep it."
Yeah, well, you know what Howard? That's a pretty big 'if'.
Heaven help us, these craven cowards, who aren't facing the reality that they are politically to the right of the general public, are the ones we're counting on for real reform.
If they want to keep it, let them pay for it out of pocket.
The only thing a lot of these poiticians are doing is giving us unambiguous demonstrations of who, exactly, needs to be booted out of office.
fukin thing was tamped down with the "Socialized Medicine" meme right out of the gate anyway, to prevent any public discusssion/outrage to the benefit of Big Pharma/insurance.
By Design
I wonder if Dr. Tiller was into healthcare reform?
2.0
How dare he focus on the business of the country when the righties are trying to distract us....
God I love Vermont! Can we boot Texas out and fill it with ex=pat Vermonters?
I'm still trying to figure out the reason for what appears to be a Obama/Dean feud?
Obama snubbed him for HHS and Surgeon General, replaced him as DNC Chair, and he doesn't appear to be involved with the WH health care team.
What's up?
...that Dean wants real reform and Obama wants something he can call reform but still keeps the insurance companies rich.
That's right!
Tell the home audience what DevilDog21 has won, Dennis!
Y'all sure you want dennis back?
That's from Jack Benny Show (shows how long it's been since I threw out the TV).
Awlright...uhmm...Vanna?
First off Rahm Emmanuel, the king of all things DINO, hates... scratch that: loathes Howard Dean.
Second, Obama is trying to maintain the status quo. I am losing patience with him, because we obviously have two very diverging definitions for the term "change."
Oh, well...
It would be interesting to see the reaction from the hidebound nay-sayers if a single-payer system were launched tomorrow. I'd be willing to bet that the bulk of them would come running out of their caves to be the first in line to sign up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPGfiDzi_Jk
Just for the hell-of-it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAIx0XefUbw
For four years and I would be the first person to offer my services to be involved in the implementation of a public system.
I'd be happy to come out of retirement to serve my country for something as worthwhile and needed as true healthcare for every American.
has always had to stay insured, my husband and I spent almost $7,000 last year on premiums - we have a daughter who was born with a cleft lip and palate and we have had to keep her continuously covered. We make too much money to deduct what we've spent "being responsible" as Newt Gingrich likes to put it.
By the way, many insured plans come with a lifetime cap, it used to be a million dollars, but some have increased. I actually saw a 10-year-old child burn through his lifetime max and it's easy to do if you have a very serious chronic condition or you need an organ transplant or you are involved in a serious accident and must spend a lot of time hospitalized. In this child's case, the parents would job hop to obtain more coverage. I often offer up this story to those people that want to rant about socialized medicine. What do you tell a family like this? They did everything correct, they were responsible and yet the only system we have fails them.
I'm tired of Obama's attempts at bi-partisanship. The Repubs obstruct just to obstruct. It's time to move on. He definitely received a mandate last November and it's time to make those changes.
...hold my breath.
that WHEN they reach that cap, in order for their child to qualify for Medicaid, the parents have to separate and sell off all their assets and spend whatever savings they have FIRST. THEN the child MAY qualify for MEDICAID IF the parents don't EARN too much MONEY.
I guess my point was that private insurance only works for so long anyway, so more private insurance is not the answer. My father-in-law actually had to look at divorcing my mother-in-law when her long term care for her Parkinsons and the associated dementia ate up their life savings. Thank goodness she didn't know what was going on because she would have been devastated.
I have an individual policy in North Carolina--one person. I pay about $9,500 a year, and last year I had co-pays of $3,500. That is one person. I have an income of less that $40,000. I have had coverage my entire life, and year after year they boost premiums and co-pays. I can't change policies because of pre-existing conditions. The insurance industry will bankrupt me eventually, unless I get to Medicare first. They are thieves.
that $7000 is pretty obscene as we are part of a couple of large, and I do mean large, insured groups. I didn't include our copays, some of which are about 75% of the transaction which is some pretty lopsided cost sharing. Our employers offer HMOs, but they are completely worthless and with our daughter's issues we can't wait around for referrals. They always gouge you when you are an individual. Back in 1989 and 1990 I was unemployed and was paying $585/month for COBRA, so I feel your pain, I went through my savings account then. Our current system breaks people financially and is unacceptable.
About two years ago I saw an ad for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. "Call and get a quote!"
So I did.
I was told that because I hadn't had any health insurance coverage for twenty years that I'd have to pay $500/mo. for A YEAR!!! and then I'd have to have a complete physical examination AT MY OWN EXPENSE. If I had no pre-existing conditions THEN they would begin coverage of me with limited benefits and a $2000 deductible.
as a term that is only thrown about to provide cover for doing a deed that everybody knows damn well is wrong.
... defined "bipartisanship" as politicians trying to pull a larger than usual deception.
I'll go with Carlin on this one, he actually had a proven record of being correct...
Word.
What do you guys think the chances are that Republicans will start pre-emptively promising that they will never cross-over and sign up with the public plan?
Somehow, I get this idea that that's not gonna happen. Just a hunch.
Have every right to do so. BUT those of us who don't, still have the same RIGHT to health care as well.
So those who want to keep their INSURANCE may do so with one stipulation. That IS, that, when THEY get SICK and find OUT just how much of their BILL is NOT covered, after all, they CANNOT switch to the public option until every DIME of the "Insurance" bill is paid IN FULL.
So they can keep on paying $8000, $12000, or more dollars each year, more that millions of people even MAKE in a year, like minimum wage workers, disabled people, etc., for no return or they can take the public option but can't have it both ways.
If someone's going to become a billionaire off insurance dollars, I'd much rather it be the DOCTORS AND NURSES who PROVIDE the CARE than the INSURANCE EXECUTIVES who sit on the cabooses looking for LOOPHOLES so they can DENY the CARE.
I don't really understand how a sitting president can still feel so obligated to appease his former campaign contributors to the point of hurting his own public image and betraying the public.
Is there some sort of honor in obeying the corporations that bribed him? Or does he think he needs their help for a second term? Or does he think he needs a good job after being president?
I don't understand why he wouldn't just say, fuck it, I'm going to be the greatest president ever and do what's right. The more my former contributors complain, the more heroic I'll seem!
...it's a good way to go bout being a one term president.
So does that mean he can cut loose in his second term?
In the past decade, we have gone through what.... at least 4 elections which were billed as "the most important election of our lifetimes."
I have already heard Dems starting to gear up for the 2010 elections being "crucial" as if somehow, they are unable to do their damn jobs until after 2010.
Frankly Obama is looking more and more like a one termer, he might as well do the right thing now... I doubt he will get a second chance to "cut loose."
How about one 6 year term and you are out.
I don't know if it has been said but we have to be absolutely sure that the Democrats do NOT NOT NOT let the Republicans and the Democrats who are beholden to the insurance companies, we can't let them water this down to where it is no insurance at all. Like they did with he credit card legislation. It would not be acceptable!!!!
No amen from me. Recall who the screwees in “Sicko” were — people with health insurance. And what polls is Dr. Dean reading?
What gets an amen from me is support for single payer.
The powers that be want us to beg for a “public option.” Na ga da it.
See Lambert's comments, as well:
http://susiemadrak.com/2009/06/01/19/16/dean-...
All corporations must be relegated to a much lower status in this country. If they have all the rights of a citizen, which they do, they must also have all the responsibilities of a citizen. CEO's must be subject to arrest for harm done by the corporations, etc. Their only legal obligation now is to make as much profit as possible for their shareholders, any way they can. This is not my opinion, this is the law.
won't be the problem. There are lots of Democratic congressman and senators who will be.
It used to be that all those biparties was why we all had to go to free clinics the next morning for shots.
How can you call the Socialized Corporate Insurance companies free market when these weak kneed clowns CAN NOT compete unless there is NO competion (DUH!).
Lets go with the one payer program and END the free ride of SOCIALIZED CORPORATE America as far as the JOKE they call insurance.
Then lets take on the Pharmacutical Clowns.
Remember these IDIOTS can claim free market when only they control the market and set up difference of opinion and company policy bottom line profit differences. I NO one who benifits the present Insurance SCAM they call coverage.
Of how badly the American taxpayers are getting screwed.
Congress appropriates money to a big pharmaceutical corporation to do research and development for an Alzheimer's drug, let's say.
They spend the money and come up with Aricept. Then they market the drug and $$$cha-ching$$$!!, make billions of dollars.
Well, shouldn't the American taxpayers get a return on their initial investment into the R&D on the Aricept? Of course we should, but we don't. Do you know why? Because the major pharma corporate lawyers put their two cents into the legislation that is written and passed and they are out to screw the American people. Corporate capitalism at its finest.
Just one tiny example of how Congress is a private club working for their corporate contributors/masters and not us.
I agree with Dean's main point, but how about all those Democrats who want to shill for insurance companies? The reason the Democrats might only get, say, 51 votes is because of senators like Ben Nelson. The list of Democratic senators who could conceivably join Nelson in opposing a public plan is distressingly long (double digits) and with a complete fool like Harry Reid at the helm, the idea of Democratic party unity is laughable.
Dean is right. The Senate should pass the strongest possible public plan that can get 51 votes. It should also spare no effort in pointing out to the American people that if a public plan fails, it will be because there are too many Democrats who would rather provide for the insurance industry instead of for their own constituents and the American people.
No sane person expects responsible governance from Republicans anymore, but Democrats need to be held accountable when they join the Republicans to thwart efforts to provide universal health coverage.
from the democrats seems unlikely, too. Are you starting to suspect that you got snookered again?
I hate to have to be the one to tell Dr. Dean but Senator Baucus, Democrat from Montana and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee (refuses to hear testimony from single payer advocates) is perhaps the biggest
shill for insurance/HMOs/big pharma.
Of course easy to understand if you realize the amount of contributions he is receiving from said perpetrators.
I think we're screwed as contributors come first, the public second.
He'd be lucky to get them. Many of the Dems are owned by health insurance and Dean knows it.
And the "realist" stuff is a load of BS.
Obama once proudly and loudly spoke of single payer. Now, not a whimper.
Max Big Insurance Baucus cannot move three steps without confrontation... cannot hold a meeting in his home state without it being taken over by single payer advocates. His (and Mr Obama's) lies are sounding like the shrill defense of their money coffers more and more to me, when it is abundantly apparent that the majority of Americans want this.
The fact of the matter is that we could have far superior service than anything you are paying for now (I pay top dollar and receive the most shitty service), but it means that the so-called Progressives fight for what is right.
Will you Sheople stand up for something you know is the right thing to do, for a damned change, instead of kowtowing to the Messiah Obama and his plethora of lies? Do the opposite of what you did regarding Iraq (which was kiss his ass and go along).
Dean is great (until he feels he must kiss Obama's ass), then he sucks to high heaven.
Hmmm... Health Care for ALL Americans is Simple!
1) MERGE Medicare, Medicaid and CHIPS into one single "Income Based" system for children, poor and elderly citizens.
2) REQUIRE insurance companies to provide the same basic coverage for EVERY Uninsured citizen, regardless of health status, at affordable rates.
3) ALLOW insurance companies to "Profit" by offering additional benefits and options to those who qualify and are willing to pay the difference.
As for Funding…
1) Changing from an "Emergency Treatment" to a "Preventive Care" system will save local communities billions, maybe even trillions of
taxpayer dollars!
2) Consolidating and utilizing existing systems will expedite the process and make administration more efficient and cost effective!
3) Small business will be able to compete globally and hire additional taxpaying employees!
4) Wealthy seniors will pay their fair share!
The Tremendous Burden on Future Generations will be Greatly Reduced!
remember this story right here?
Some people forget, but with the power of the web,
you can check it out...here you go:
"The Plot to Kill Social Security"
http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2003/...
Look people, I too think the American people are getting a raw deal. Just look, however, at the people in Montana. Max Baucus was at first completely opposed to the idea of single payer healthcare. This has set off such a firestorm in his state that he has since backtracked and now says that it is an option on the table.
In a measure of how sensitive this issue is for him, even though he is not up for reelection any time soon, Baucus had twenty townhall meetings on the issue, and didn't show up at any of them! He had aides do the Q & A while he just sent out a video equivalent of a form letter!
This shows that we the people do have power over the government. Protests, meetings, refusing to support elected officals unless they do the people's business, it all has an affect. It must be sustained for it to work though. The political process is more like a marathon than a sprint. In order for it to work we the people must be involved at some level. It's the only way we are ever going to get what we need.
Those in Washington who feel health care reform is too expensive and not a right. Well why don't they give up their health insurance to help balance the budget!
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