Robert Reich: What Obama Must Do To Save Universal Healthcare
Robert Reich was out beating the drum yesterday, speaking on "This Week" and posting this piece in Salon:
If you want to save universal healthcare, you must do several things, and soon:
1. Go to the nation. You're not only a powerful orator; you're also capable of motivating, energizing, and mobilizing the American public. You must go on the road -- building public support by forcefully making the case for universal health care everywhere around the country. The latest Wall Street Journal poll shows that three out of four Americans want universal healthcare. But the vast majority don't know what's happening on the Hill, don't know how much money the medical-industrial lobbies are spending to defeat it, and have no idea how much demagoguery they're about to be exposed to. You must tell them. And don't be reluctant to take on those vested interests directly. Name names. They've decided to fight you. You must fight them.
This is the president's biggest weakness. Please, more drama, Obama!
2. Be LBJ. So far, Lyndon Johnson has been the only president to defeat the American Medical Association and the rest of the medical-industrial complex. He got Medicare and Medicaid despite their cries of "socialized medicine" because he knocked heads on the Hill. He told Congress exactly what he wanted, cajoled and threatened those who resisted, and counted noses every hour until he had the votes he needed. When you're not on the road, you have to be twisting congressional arms and drawing a line in the sand. Be tough.
3. Forget the Republicans. Forget bipartisanship. Universal healthcare can pass with 51 votes. You can get 51 votes if you give up on trying to persuade a handful of Republicans to cross over. Eight years ago George W. Bush passed his huge tax cut, mostly for the wealthy, by wrapping it in an all-or-nothing reconciliation measure and daring Democrats to vote against it. You should do the same with healthcare.
4. Insist on a real public option. It's the linchpin of universal healthcare. It's one thing to give up on single payer, and say that a public option is the best feasible alternative. But further compromise would essentially gut any healthcare plan. Don't accept Kent Conrad's ersatz public option masquerading as a "healthcare cooperative." Cooperatives won't have the authority, scale, or leverage to negotiate low prices and keep private insurers honest.
5. Demand that taxes be raised on the wealthy to ensure that all Americans get affordable healthcare. Not even a real public option will hold down costs enough to make healthcare affordable to most American families in years to come. So you'll need to tax the wealthy. Don't back down on your original proposal to limit their deductions. And support a cap on how much employee-provided healthcare can be provided tax free. Yes, you opposed this during your campaign. But you have no choice but to reverse yourself on this. These are the only two big pots of money.
6. Put everything else on hold. As important as they are, your other agenda items -- financial reform, home mortgage mitigation, cap-and-trade legislation -- pale in significance relative to universal healthcare. By pushing everything at once, you take the public's mind off the biggest goal, diffuses your energies, blur your public message, and fuel the demagogues who say you're trying to take over the private sector. You have to win this.
...I don't expect that he's going to make the effort to get it done. I hope he makes me eat my words, but I'm not expecting much from him.
The real effort is probably going to have to come from whoever replaces him in 2012.
Don't give up yet. Something is stirring. The heat of the summer makes us a little crazier than we normally are.
... http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ and commented:
PLEASE take this issue to the working people of the U.S. We overwhelmingly want public healthcare. A few well-publicized town meetings across America will show Congress what the people really want. You can smack down the huge pharmaceutical and insurance monsters and save billions of dollars and -- most important -- many thousands of lives. Including mine.
_______________________
Please, C&Lers, go there and comment too! No need to be eloquent, just get your opinion in there briefly because that's what they'll count.
for the reminder. I had been planning to give Obama my message for quite a while. Been spending too much time here, I guess. I did send my message today.
thanks fro the link kate. i sent some comments and questions.
REAL change, no matter what you believe, comes from the people of this country. WE make this country what it is, not elected officials. Let's not just stand by and hope for the best. Write to our U.S. Senators...ALL at once!
Obama and the democrats believe no matter what they do , the progressive or left will vote for a democrat rather then letting a republican be elected.
So they consider that vote a given... So they are trying to grab votes for the center right to make this Global Empire happy so they can stay in good grace with them and they will be guaranteed to be reelected into office.
Plus it does not hurt to have this Global Empire happy with their voting record so the politician's Children will be guaranteed a job....
The democrats just keep using the terms that it has to be done now and it is not enough time to get it right..
Why is it always a plus and a benefit to this Global Empire which comes from their actions and Zero for the American citizens.
*****Be it jobs , democracy , freedom , rights , health care , retirement , wages , homes being reprocessed or what ever****..
Let a regular Joe or citizens be caught stealing funds (especially billions of dollars , receive tax dollars for a bid/contract that they had previous received money for and finished the project,, electrocute soldiers , give them sewer water to drink , bathe and cook with , Over charge them for the gas they supply them in the war in Iraq , give them inferior armor to protect them in Iraq... Kill innocent people at your slightest wish.. This is a never ending list of crimes and corruption and Obama , the democrats and of course the republicans do not even mention it , much less investigate and prosecute them for any of these acts..
Our government sucks when it comes to the protection , laws and wish of the citizens , but let the elite , military or the Global Empire speak out and the elected officials fall over their feet to serve them.
This health bill will be nothing but a package to protect and serve this Global Health Insurance companies and it was plain as h... when they even the democrats had the police throw the person trying to get the single tax payer into the program..
If the private insurance companies do not like this arrangement so be it and let their a... hit the street as the door shut behind them.. If we pay our money to the government for health insurance then as least it most will not be going into the pockets of these greedy health insurance companies...
If the (not our) government wants not to be responsible for this health program then get the h... out of the way and let the citizens develop their own package..
Obama stated in his campaign how McCain should be able to multi-task ,,, so why in the h... can't Obama and the democrats multi-task for the wishes and benefits of the citizen and the ones which voted them into office..
We no longer need this Giant government organization which has lost sight of their constitutional job to do the wishes and to benefit the citizens of American ,,, not this Global Empire and the citizens in foreign countries...
Obama and the democrats promise their voters the moon when they run for office and after we elected them they just about tell us to go fly a kite...
None
The "have nots" have limited income, so they can only be taxed so much. That leaves the "haves," who do not want to pay any tax at all, especially to care for the "have nots." Therefore, through attrition, which includes in a big way, as little health care as possible, the "have nots" are eliminated. That is what will satisfy the "haves," also known as corporatists. The whole process becomes know as "genocide."
you forgot about the part where the "have nots" get pissed and extract a measure of revenge upon the heads and homes of the "haves"...
For real though...they can't kill all us wretched poor folk off...there are a LOT more of us.
that counts.
but overwhelming numbers don't hurt none either. }:)>
No affordable health care, or any health care for many people.
Toxic chemicals in food.
Frankenfood (Thanks Monsanto).
Toxic drugs released with no clinical trials (Thanks Big Pharma).
Polluted air.
Polluted water.
A housing complex built on every piece of earth in existence.
Nuclear dump sites
Toxic waste dump sites.
No jobs.
No mortgages.
Many pensions just gone.
Toxic food, drugs, and vitamins imported from China.
Toxic baby toys and formula imported from China.
The FDA owned by corporate America.
The EPA smothered by corporate owned politicians.
Even the "good" president says coal is clean.
I could go on, but feel free to add your own.
Word. I'm all for taxing the bigshots, but can we as well get a tax on junk food, soda, and fast food? Can we also get tax incentives to push farmers, large and small, to produce food without scary and uncharted chemical infusions?
I'm as lefty as the next guy on this issue, but I will kind of be annoyed knowing I do my best to eat natural, minimally processed, whole foods, but still have to pay for some guy to get colon cancer surgery because he had to eat Whoppers and chilli cheese fries every day of his life.
the President listens. I wish Robert Reich was still in a position of power within the government. I'm reasonably sure Obama lacks LBJ's unmatched skill and knowledge of the legislature and how to move the levers of power to bend them to his will. Say what you will about LBJ, but he was unmatched at that kind of legislative deal making/head busting.
because he had all kinds of shit on all kinds of DC poloticians. All he had to do is call in favors, IOU's or play my way or I'lllet it slip that you have a boyfriend and not just to your wife but to the newspaper. the only one in washington who had more shit on Senators and congressmen in DC was J Edgar(Mary)Hoover.
(LOL!) Too true! That ol' Texas boy knew how to wheel and deal. I'm glad he was (mostly) on the side of the common people.
LBJ was able to muscle a few massive welfare programs through. In the ensuing thirty years, these handouts have ruined the pride, morality, and sense of self sufficiency of entire segments of our population. In addition, these socialist programs have pushed our nation to near ruin through indebtedness.
LBJ didn't attempt government takeover of a fifth of our economy. This is the challenge Obama and his fellow Marxists face. It looks insurmountable even with the benefit of NBC, CBS, ABC and CNN's slavish sycophancy. Socialized medicine will crash and burn like it did the last time. Obama's numbers will reflect the bruising the lies he's having to tell will produce when exposed, and the Democrat party will start looking for a gentle way out from under him. Just like the dems were looking for a way out from under Kennedy at the time he was assassinated. I'm predicting they'll find it in his birth records.
That was awesome, spric! You sound just like one of those deluded birthers straight from a teabag protest about nothing...
Heh. Good job. You could have fit "fascist" in there next to "Marxist" somewhere, though. I'll have to ding you for that. Oh, and not slamming FDR or Clinton or Carter. Go and watch more Faux and get it right!
uneducated input. Now take a hike.
.
..#6.. Put everything else on hold. Wrong, Special Prosecutor must be a priority. Universal Health Care is important but there are war criminals out there that need to be brought to justice NOW. Obama can put anything else he wants to on hold but not this!
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
n/t
Where are they going to go? They can't leave the country, can they?
they'll hole up at the boosh compound in Paraguay.
difficulty when a team of navy SEALS stops by their doorstep telling them it is time to go home for their trial.
Anyhow, healthcare and the economy should be Obama's #1 priorities, I am sure the dept of justice could take care of investigating the previous admin's crimes. Assuming there was political will to do so of course, which seems to be none.
I wonder what's the procedure when somebody comes to arrest someone who's under the protection of the Secret Service? Are they effectively police officers and should help with the arresting, or are they more like body guards who will put up a fight?
to the temperature in hell.
..the content within the "torture memos" whose authors would go free if not tried within one year. Every day we proceed without going after war criminals means another day we live as a nation of criminals. The appointment should've come on Day ONE and not "..looking ahead to the future and forget it crap". W and his band of criminals screwed this country by not prosecuting the G.W.O.T. in any way designed to actually make a difference but designed to make KBR and others wealthier all at the expense of our blood and national morality . I will do whatever it takes to see that Special Prosecutor appointed and he better be a "Ken Starr" kind of SP not someone who is also looking at the future.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
I share your frustration, and if we were getting single-payer and not just screwed without even dinner, I wouldn't be so touchy about all of this. You're absolutely right. But did you ever notice how dogs can only think about one thing at a time? Or maybe we are not paying our politicians enough money for them to be working on more than one project at a time. Or maybe corporations are paying them more. That must be the one. Now, why wouldn't the corporate overlords want Bush and Cheney and Co. to be prosecuted for war crimes? Let me think...to avoid their own prosecutions when the whole truth comes out? But if the country was focused on war crime prosecutions, then maybe they would not be so intensely focused on health care reform? What to do, what to do?
Looks like Obama is continuing Bush's war policies to the letter. Does that fact make Obama culpable?
Reich starts off his message to Obama with, 'If you want to save universal healthcare...'
There is NO evidence anywhere that Obama really wants that. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. He'll sign whatever Congress sends him, but he won't push for a real public option or real universal healthcare.
He'll never do anything controversial enough to make Republicans like him even less......
Obama is better than Bush (by far) but face it, he's no liberal...
Obama's discovered that the right is a predictable and easily-manipulated voting bloc that must be dealt with, whereas the left is a loose collection of interest sub-groups that usually vote based on the merits.
In other words, liberals and Democrats don't automatically attack him whenever he does something, whereas Republicans and conservatives (or at least certain factions) do, so to maintain his fetish for bipartisanship, he has to constantly buckle and bow to the screeching righties while safely ignoring the lefties.
President Obama's pattern so far seems to be
1) Come out in favor of something
2) Let the Washington Process gut and destroy the original idea
3) Sign whatever's left with a "Whaddya gonna do?" shrug and credit bipartisanship
He could have come out on TV weeks ago and made a comprehensive and simple case in favor of government-managed healthcare. So far, he's let the Republicans and Kent Conrad define the debate. It's sickening.
Maybe he's just been too busy encouraging the DOJ to double down on Bush policies and attitudes...
what is Obama's national health plan??
as pres, he is/was able to present/advocate on the health care; as commander in chief, he could have deep-sixed dadt; and gave leadership to the doma, torture memos (like he did w/...)
the crucible of bipartisanship amongst bought off players (congress), leads to watered-down programs & policies (at best) and no action (status quo preserved).
continuing a pattern of tepid action plans at best. imo
While I agree the criminals in the Bush administration need to be taken to court and revealed, that does not compare to the importance to the American people that healthcare reform and a PUBLIC OPTION represent.
If a public option is not a part of this reform, the American people can expect to be more abused by the insurance industry than they are right now! The public option to my mind is the single most important issue facing this nation right now as it will benefit positively the most people. And, because it will help so many people, that is exactly why it is being resisted by the insurance industry and politicians like Diane Feinstein, Max Baucus, and Kent Conrad who are all nothing but corporate whores who have been bought off by the insurance industry lobbiests.
People need to start emailing and calling their representatives three and four times a week demanding a public option, or it will not be a part of the reform!
It must be single-payer. Why was this taken off the table? No one has even attempted to explain this. The insurance industry has to go. It is corrupted beyond redemption. Out, out, out!
If the health insurance industry is corrupted beyond redemption, why doesn't the DOJ pursue these lawbreakers and send them to the federal and state penitentiaries by the hundreds? It's Obama's DOJ.
..take 51 votes. It takes a statement from the DOJ and/or the POTUS.
Its quick and easy. Universal Health Care should be also especially requiring only 51 votes if we elected a President who will change things so that we can believe in him.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
its about closing corporate loopholes and ending every fucking welfare program for corporations and the wealthy
and obama isnt lbj
lbj had shit on everyone in congress, thanks to his being there for a long time
its the thing that obama doesnt have....but he could use rahm to dish out the dirt
hes gonna have to piss off everyone to get this through
the tax on the wealthy should be part and parcel of any serious economic reform. knock up the tax bracket for the top .01%, double it. if you remember, the highest the taxes have ever been on the rich was during america's most prosperous times. and as many have shown (most strikingly by kevin phillips), the greater the econ inequality the less healthy the overall economy. fdr taxed the rich at 91%, i don't think it should be that high, maybe move it to jfk levels.
on top of that, i wholeheartedly agree that the corporate tax loopholes/havens and favoritism must be eliminated.
and, in a dream scenario, the santa clara county versus the southern pacific RR decision would be overturned, and corportations would no longer be considered "persons" under the law with bill of rights protections
Mr. Reich, the approach that you recommend will be the fuel to add to the already burning flames of the "public option." Ultimately, it might even begin to be the demise of Obama's re-election bid in 2012 (if he seeks it). Partisan hackery needs to go by the wayside. The one point that I do agree is that Obama should start naming NAMES.....especially in Big Pharma. Obama needs to get down to DETAILS with this plan and specifically call out what he supports and what he doesnt. This constant name-calling partisan bullshit that's been happening in this debate gets us nowhere (cant forget the constant calling of "if I lived in Great Britain I wouldn't get my cancer drugs" when it comes to right wing talk radio). THERE IS A SOLUTION. It might not be a 100% liberal idea or a 100% conservative idea.....but there are plenty of solutions to our current broken system. Get off the "party first" mantra and join in on a substantial discussion. I cant believe the black hole this country has fallen into when it comes to dealing with problems.
forgiven. After eight years of Bush and Co., there IS a divide in this country. Trying to belittle people who are angry about this fact does nothing to advance your case. And, let's just forget about the past and focus on what and how the current president is doing, which seems like what you are proposing, is a blatantly republican battle cry. I am not accusing you, I'm just saying...
I dont know how simple I can put this for people. I dont care if you're a democrat, republican, libertarian, etc. etc. The fact of the matter is that the only way issues can solved in this country is through manipulation of a gullible public (Iraq anyone?), running roughshod all over the constitution (both Bush and Obama have done multiple times).....or campaigning for 2 years on "transparency" in hopes that the people will forget about that little subject when you're actually elected.
The public option in healthcare can work. Both both sides will have to be willing to concede certain aspects. Alternately, the free market system can also fix this broken healthcare system but again....both sides will have to concede certain apsects. Instead, we get tired talking points from the right with no solution of their own (come on, more resources in HSA's and tax incentives wont put a dent in the broken system)......yet....the dems approach to a public option without thinking about the LONG TERM effects on the economy and budget with a battlecry of "spend spend spend" and using Bush's millions of mistakes as the equalizer has very little logic in it.
I dont support either political party. They both have their hands in the same pot and play within the 40 yard lines. But since this is the only vehicle at the time to get the healthcare issue in this country addressed.......what option do you have? Protest? Those were beaten dead and deemed ineffective and useless during the Bush presidency.
the Bush years? Remember the convention in NYC? People were arrested in many places for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts. What are you talking about? I was almost going to ask you for specifics with respect to both sides giving in a little, but as you mentioned "free market," I no longer care what you think. It's not that we need your view simplified, we just don't buy it.
Did I make that simple enough for you?
I was kind of hoping Obama would have appointed him (also hoping for Gen Wesley Clark) to some official position but I guess not.
Remember the good times of the Clinton years and he was Secretary of Labor; maybe Obama can at least listen to him and act on it because I think there are many who are less than pleased with Obama lately.
reich gets it. healthCare reform is an economic necessity for this country. this recession/depression could and probably will continue for at least a few years. obama's actions may reduce the severity which is often overlooked/denied by some who can only comprehend the obvious. healthCare reform is no longer a luxury. this is a very serious issue. as the economic gap widens in america the voices are going to get louder because of irreversible collateral damage happening to citizens. some americans only see don't fix it if it's not broken. well it's broken and it's going to get worse. the information is there: bankruptcies linked to medical bill debt, unemployment people losing their health ins.,credit card defaults many due to medical bills,foreclosure changing peoples priorities regarding expenses and the under insured. if this is not "fixed" reformed to bring down cost we will be even more vulnerable as will other countries. the u.s. takes the role of world police. well we are no longer going to be able to fulfill that role. people are already fed up with the cost of war. now they are going to become more vociferous. without healthCare reform of real substance we will continue to be less competitive in the global market. u.s. consumerism is going to change to become more efficient/less wasteful. so we can no longer depend on 70% "consumerism" as our economic engine. if our internal economy doesn't strengthen with the help of healthCare we will no longer be able to police the world. with other countries reluctant to help because of their economic status there will be continued/more vulnerabilities. i really don't want/like being the police of the world but it's a reality. with resources possibly becoming more scarce worldwide war(s) will happen. i'm NOT talking protectionism but we need healthCare reform that not only looks at today but 10 years from now.
Just read this blog entry:
http://irv.ourexchange.net/2009/06/death-by-i...
... more casualties.
And don't be reluctant to take on those vested interests directly. Name names. They've decided to fight you. You must fight them.
He won't. No fukin way. He's not a fighter, he's a compromiser...
What seems somehow to escape his notice is that he gets absolutely nothing back from the compromises he offers to the slime in the HIP/PhRma/AMA camp. Obama's got no dog in this fight. He doesn't want to piss of the big money, whose support he's gonna need in three years, if he's to have the kind of money that propelled him to victory this time.
Woody writes: "And don't be reluctant to take on those vested interests directly. Name names. They've decided to fight you. You must fight them.
"He won't."
OK, then WE have to. Quickly! Can we get KeithO and RachelM and JonS and Colbert to name names?
Who has a list that we can all copy and e-mail to these people?
DavidN -- JohnA -- SusieM -- can you publish a list that we can send to those who will publicize these names?
I'd start with OpenSecrets.org.
Nate Silver has been looking at how special interest money has been affecting support too. Well worth a read.
I've added those two URLs to my Favorites -- thanks, Nicole!
owns MSNBC. I'll start you off, though, just for the sake of optimism. Diane Feinstein, Bachus, Boehner, Cantor, Graham. You know the rest.
KeithO and RachelM are GE.
JonS and Colbert are Viacom.
You can't expect these things in the U.S., regardless of the source. It's all corporate owned, and the Corporation will defend its own.
Great article by Reich. Forget pandering to the Blue Dogs, DINO's, and Republicans, and hold their feet to the fire for a real public option for health care. Otherwise, this reform is useless.
Makes Sense.
Robert Reich sounds similar to Wilhelm Reich especially for his ingenious proclamations.
Robert Reich..."If you want to save universal healthcare, you must do several things, and soon:"
Wilhelm Reich..."was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst."
PS. Thanks Susie
Study the symptoms not the virus...
Just like so many other things he swore by before he was elected this too will go the way of increased executive powers, gay marriage, transparency, and so many other things that it became expedient to forget he ever promised. He's a politician and like any politician will say and do whatever he feels necessary in order to get on the gravy train. Welcome to suckersville - yet again. Bill Maher was right the other day when he said the only thing wrong with Democrats is they are really Republicans (or however he phrased it).
http://www.thealders.net/blogs
Just call me Dazed & Confused
robt's successful implementation scenario not followed. so, no reform; change maybe (we all buy mandatory health insurance if we're employed; we are exempt if living off a relative's trust).
audacity of hope. not action. 2012? never??
single payer please
health insurance, especially if the insurance companies can continue to arbitrarily deny coverage whenever they please? This mandatory coverage idea is the ultimate insult. So far. This is why the whole thing should be stopped if we do not get single-payer.
Obama, ABC to host health care town hall
Sure .. I'm suspicious of any pre-selected audience, and of any event sponsored by the FCM (Fawning Corporate Media) ..
But .. that said ..
I HOPE someone in the audience lays it on the line to Obama, demanding Single Payer ..
And then the WHOLE AUDIENCE erupts in applause.
And then Obama is pretty much forced to go to Congress and say - WE MUST DO THIS IT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE - and besides, it makes sense.
Oh .. and let's legislate that all hospitals must become public institutions or forego any payments from the Single Payer.
They can go ahead and do elective cosmetic surgery paid for by the patient or the patient's private insurance .. but no public money.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
Do any C&Lers live in DC and could they get into the audience?
n/t
and allowing e-mails and phone-in questions from a unselected audience. Don't you hate being "handled?"
Obama will cave like a tent... the way this guy is flip flopping on his campaign "promises" makes me sick. If the first black American president won't get it done for the people... nobody will. He's turning into a 1960 Republican and on some issues a 2009 Republican.
If life could exist on Mars... I'd move!
Careful SM - you'll be accused of being a troll for showing a lack of Obama-Love.
On this issue, there isn't much Obama-Love, since he's being a chickenshit coward and caving in to the repigs.
Most employer provided healthcare is expensive but not necessarily a good deal. Most have very large yearly deductibles and require pre-approval for any treatment beyond office visits. They also limit who the insuree can use for care. All taxing benefits would do is drive the already semi-insured into the public plan.
and restrict who insuree can carry. and have lifetime limits of $, so you can top out & lose coverage before you (or family member) die(s).
------i recall obama's telling of his mother's worry about insurance payments on her deathbed.
Ignore the republitards! They don't want to do anything useful. They just want to make you look bad and keep thing as they are. That way they keep the money pouring in from insurance and health care.
Besides republicanism is a mental illness.
It is the corpoRats they represent who are willing to watch you die, if they get a couple of sheckels from the deal.
The Pukes will cheerily do what their Owners and Masters desire, only a little more cheerily than the Dims will do the same things, albeit more cheaply...
There can be no meaningful change in the politics of USer Health care absent public financing of elections and the removal of the profit motive.
And that is just not going to happen.
This is a pointless waste of time. The fix is in. "Health care reform," if it comes at all, will boil down to a few tax credits and an unfunded mandate that we all buy private insurance.
And when that happens, remember the voices that told us during the Bush years that all we had to do was "elect more Democrats."
Well? You're never going to get more Democrats than you have now.
The time for excuses is over. If this crashes and burns, I'm done with Democrats.
I don't care what kind of knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, wide-stancing Neanderthals the Rethugs put up. I won't be voting for them either.
This is it. This is Waterloo. I grew up during Reagan and vowed never to ever, ever, ever, ever vote for anyone who would associate with the Republican Party. And I haven't.
I'm at that point now with the Democrats. All Democrats. Forever.
This is a pointless waste of time. The fix is in. "Health care reform," if it comes at all, will boil down to a few tax credits and an unfunded mandate that we all buy private insurance.
Bingo!
I voted for Jerry Brown in the '92 Democratic primary because he stood up when it was his turn - in friggin' 1992!! - to say what he was going to do to fix health care in America. He followed Clinton's little speech, gestured to the other 6 candidates and told the audience (paraphrasing) "If you think anyone here is really going to do anything about the health care industry in this country, you're crazy. Health Care is a multi-billion dollar industry that pours millions of dollars into the campaings of these guys. They aren't ever going to do anything to change that".
Right then, he got my vote as the only honest person running.
If anyone has a clip of that debate, I'd love to see it again.
I vote Jerry whenever I can. May have to make an exception to my "no health care, no Democrats" rule for him and Dennis Kucinich.
But make no mistake: we. will. never. get. universal. health. care.
Health care will ALWAYS be a for-profit, market-rationed, fee-for-service ripoff and any "reform" will serve only to increase the wealth not even of health care professionals but rather of insurance companies.
You want to be able to afford health care? My advice is to open a health care savings account and invest it all in insurance company stock.
seemed most viable. he wasnt' allowed to voice his policies given corporate stranglehold on okaying what can be discussed. (so he was mocked into marginal status; and not allowed to debate) we have a center right corporate political spectrum ... at least as far as the reportage and funding goes
Reich failed to mention one of the greatest obstacles to passage of any socialized medicine legislation. That being the public's fear of the specter of standing room only clinic waiting rooms.
Obama and his fellow statists need to assuage the public's fear of waiting rooms filled with hypochondriacs, drug addicts waiting to audition a new angle for getting a script, and various miscreants seeking treatment for lifestyle induced filth diseases. Free anything increases demand geometrically. Free gratis health care would be no different.
where that happens anywhere else. Again, thank you for your uneducated input now, take that hike.
We are so far beyond that scare tactic from you wing nuts that that isn't even an insult any more. It causes a few snickers at the most. Keep trying.
'socializing medicine' is not the objective. they're more interest in socializing healthCare insurance. the "standing room only clinic waiting rooms" already exist. there's nothing "free" about this healthCare ins. reform. it costs every TAX payer now. some of us pay more than others due to cost shifting to the paying pool from those that can't/won't pay their medical bills. a family of four pay approximately $1300.00 per year as their part of the cost shift. essentially a hidden TAX. a single person pays about $400.00 per year as a cost shift for those unable to pay. the economic gap is widening making this country even more vulnerable. bankruptcies,foreclosures and rising unemployment will only add to the demographic without healthCare ins. when these people do receive care and can't pay for it. that cost will be shifted to the paying pool. CHINA is now implementing universal healthCare. the economy is global and we can't/won't be able to compete nor will we be able sustain the miltary spending if we don't get the economy back on track soon.
You are either a fool or an insurance company stooge. With the advance of communications and travel, the world has become too small for your baseless fear mongering to have any effect other than making people think your a fool. Existing single payer systems in Europe and Canada do not resemble the picture you paint. They are both more effective at delivering high quaulity health care and cheaper. Or are you trying to say that Americans are too stupid to create a functional single payer system like other countries have.
C'mon man. Shake off the brainwashing and take a look at the rest of the world. It's passing us by on its way to the future while we are heading towards a third world sevice economy that ships out its resources for manufacturing elsewhere then too be shiped back for sale. We don't make much of anything anymore and we treat our own people like shit. and on that note what's up with your condesention towards other americans that have found hard times. Miscreants...Really. What sort of perfect uber talented person you must think your self to be to look down on others that you know nothing about.
Gee, "government run" health care sure seems to be good enough for the members of Congress.
As for your unsubstantiated claim that the public fears universal health care, well, if by "public" you mean roughly the same group of people who thought Bush did a "heckuva" job, you're right.
As for the other 72% of the country, they seem to like the idea. Most of them are even willing to pay more taxes to get it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/19/opi...
Oh, I'm sorry, those are facts. I forgot, this is a "center-right" country where we don't let no fancy "facts" stop us from listening to our ulcerous, cancer-ridden, "guts."
The gut knows all. This is a center-right country. Obama is a militant black nationalist secret muslim who pals around with terrorists.
Health care is scary.
...communist.
Hey, Bob, this is Amurka and we don't need no communists telling us we'd be better off if people were healthier. Don't you know how much better off we'd be if all the poor people would just die? This country was set up by rich people for rich people and this is no time to start feeling sorry for poor people who can't afford any insurance no matter how hard they work and middle class people who go bankrupt when they find out their insurance policy stinks. Nobody made poor people get lousy jobs; nor did anyone force middle class people to sign up for crummy insurance. And for those people who are chronically ill and can't work -- tough luck! If the Baby Jesus had wanted you to feel good, he wouldn't have made you sick.
It's time to stop punishing the innocent rich people who have done EVERYTHING right. Now you want the lazy lowerclass thugs to bleed the wonderful wealthy dry. That's downright UNAMURKAN!
We all know what poor people are good for:
Soylent Green! Soylent Green! Soylent Green!
This message brought to you by: Rich People Are Good; Poor People Suck
We'd like to offer our special thanks to Senator Maria "Always Right(wing) on the Big Ones" Cantwell who favors co-ops over the public option, Any fool knows co-ops won't help anyone, and it's good to see Maria coming through for the wealthy, while pretending to have the "peoples' interests" at heart. Way to go, Maria! We know you're with us when the chips are down. Thanks again, Maria, we still haven't forgotten that inspired vote on the Iraq War. You're the Best!!!
"So far, Lyndon Johnson has been the only president to defeat the American Medical Association and the rest of the medical-industrial complex. He got Medicare and Medicaid despite their cries of "socialized medicine" because he knocked heads on the Hill. He told Congress exactly what he wanted, cajoled and threatened those who resisted, and counted noses every hour until he had the votes he needed."
Of course LBJ got what he wanted. After he had JFK killed, the politicians paid attention to every word.
-moved-
is he offering anything that even remotely resembles universal healthcare?
Frank Luntz that up a little
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
He is giving great advice on how Obama needs to lead on this issue, but Obama should be fighting for a single payer system, not just some bread crumbs from the insurance companies called a public option. The American health care system is the most inefficient system in the world and the insurance companies are to blame. Nothing will get until Obama uses all of his political capital on it.
If there is no single payer system, I will vote for someone else. Obama is too concerned with his current image. If he could pass a single payer system he would become a top 5 President. Too bad, he will only become a forgettable President who is an interesting footnote in history for being the first black President.
Change you can believe in, yeah right.
If you can't get single-payer with these poll numbers, you're an idiot.
A former award-winning journalist and lifelong class warrior, keeping a jaundiced eye on the Washington elite.
Rahm should tell Obama, "We've tried it your way (bi-partisanship), it, didn't work. Now we do it OUR way, slash and burn, kick the whiners to the curb and pass the damn thing with NO republican amendments or input. We don't need the Republicans and they should be made irrelevant."
Pursue Happiness
rahm is not a corporatist?
big mistake.
the DLC/DSCC/DCCC are about nothing but corporate interests.
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common sense matters as much as truth
Debunk the myths spread by right wing talk radio and others who talk about how evil Obama's plan is.
Yesterday, I heard Mark Steyn (friend, defender of convicted felon Conrad Black) on the Limpballs program. He made the statement that government run systems have dirty hospitals. You walk in with one disease and walk out with another one.
That's BS of the highest order. It may happen, but it happens here with our current system. You hear about it quite often. Notably, I think staph infections are a big concern in our own hospitals.
These stupid repugs will lie and spread disinformation anyway they can.
replace the media who spread the lies.
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common sense matters as much as truth
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