So I Was Riding In My Car, Talking on The Phone With Dr. Dean...
By Susie Madrak Saturday Sep 26, 2009 5:00amSo there I was, driving to my friends' house for dinner and babysitting last night when Howard Dean called me.
I'd been scheduled to talk to him after his appearance at the Philadelphia Free Library yesterday, but there was some kind of miscommunication and it didn't happen.
Anyway, he apologized for the mix-up and we had an interesting discussion. (Remember, none of this is verbatim. I was driving while we talked, and I've reconstructed as best I can.)
The first thing I said was, "Every single problem you described at today's talk, logistical and financial, could be solved with single payer."
His response was along the lines of "And your point is?" As in, let's deal with what we have in front of us, I suppose.
So then I asked him what he thought the strategy was behind the administration starting the debate with the public option instead of single payer. "I think it was a terrible mistake," he said. "I think they were worried it would be called socialism." (Naturally, I agreed.)
Let's see. What else? He said the reason the focus of the campaign is on the finances of health care is because Obama was actually put in the White House by the under-35 voters, and while they're socially liberal, they're very conservative on the deficit and are convinced they won't be able to count on things like Social Security.
"You don't have to tell me," I said. "My kids are Ron Paul fans." He laughed and said, "Then you understand."
"Tell them if this bill doesn't pass, their sick parents will have to move in with them. That ought to do it," I advised.
(And I said that while the under-35 votes may have put Obama in the White House, I suspected the bulk of individual contributions came from baby boomers and he might want to look into that.)
I said the real problem with the current health care system was a matter of human dignity. I told him about a friend who's struggling with brain injury and has been turned down three times for Social Security disability. "They keep telling her she can work, but who's going to hire someone who doesn't know ahead of time if she'll be too sick to work?" I said.
He said yes, there's no question that the present system was a nightmare for the chronically ill or handicapped.
I told him I was really hoping the bill's final version included lowering the Medicare age to 55, "since I turn 55 next week."
"I'd like to see it lowered to 50, that would make a lot of sense," he replied. We talked about how it would lessen the cost burden on employers and increase the chances of the over-50s getting rehired.
We also discussed the positive ripple effects we could expect from the public option - that it would lower the costs of auto insurance, and take work-related injuries out of the worker's comp system.
I talked about the strange Beltway bubble and asked if people working there really understood what was at stake out here.
He said no, it wasn't my imagination, the people in the Beltway really do live in a different universe - "especially the Senate. It really is like a club," he said. He corrected himself: "No, it is a club. And they're most concerned about their personal relationships with the other Senators, and then everything else. It's very strange."
Don't they understand how angry everyone is out here? I said. "If they put us in a position where we're paying more money for less coverage, it's going to be war." He said no, they really don't - although he keeps trying to tell them. He said we're looking at a real political disaster if they screw this up. "Because I'm on the outside, I get to say those things," he said.
Dean says not to worry about the Baucus bill, that the final version won't look anything like it "but everyone's sort of tiptoeing around, no one wants to say it out loud. They have to pass a bill out of Finance first, and then they'll change it."
I told him the perception from here is that the Baucus bill was the one that had the White House approval, and he said, "I can understand why you have that perception, but I don't think so at all."
I told him many of us despaired of any real change, and he reacted immediately. "You absolutely shouldn't be thinking that way," he said. He believes there's a "95 percent chance" of a real public option, and if there isn't one, the bill shouldn't pass.
No point to throwing billions of dollars to the insurance industry if we don't get the public option, he said.
"Do you think the people working on this bill actually understand that?" I said. "Maybe I'm being cynical here."
"Yes, they do," he said. "The bill was basically written by the insurance industry. I do think they know [it's a giveaway]." He said it was written by two former insurance industry lobbyists, they knew what they were doing.
But the good news is, he really does believe there's going to be an affordable public option, and all this will be a moot point.
I told him a lot of us were counting on him, and if he told us to support the final bill, I'd feel okay about supporting it.
Here's hoping.
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You were driving while you were talking about health care ? DRIVING?
[OK concern trolls, who have missed the point of the post. I asked Susie. She was in her car. Parked. But she was driving around. Just not at that specific time that she was on the phone-Sitemonitor]
Nice rant labora.
1. It is legal to drive and talk on you cell phone in many states
2. It is legal to talk and drive on your hands free cell phone in all states.
3. Not sure what green-crazy web site and talking on cell phone while driving are connected. Care to explain?
So what do you think about the content of her discussion with Howard Dean?
"take work-related injuries out of the worker's comp system."
What an exelent idea, rather than dragging a hurt worker into court again and again, the worker might get proper care and not be permanatly disabled for life, wow.
You know, if you get Deans ear from time to time, explain to him about THC, tell him it does no known harm to humans or animals. He should know this already, tho. Also tell him the Hemp plant is the perfect way to go green, raise revenue, stop the wars, be self sufficient, yaddda yadda yadaa.
Free Marc Emery! o\/o
Labora what is the difference between talking hands free on the phone and talking to a passenger next to you? Both are distractions. Both have caused accidents. It is up to the individual to manage them.
I had a friend that was killed by a driver who fell asleep. Do we have any legislation to fix that?
Agree with you wholeheartedly on the health care issue.
I would rather Suzie drive while talking to Howard Dean whith head gear on her ear than see a Republican driving while listening to Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Do you know how many Republicans get in accidents while listening to right wing talk radio??? Do you?
the chimp while being titillated by their favorite big-titted talker, rush or KKKlannity??
Proof the internet has a story for every comment fastfeat.
Swedish police suspect a German truck driver was on drugs and masturbating while he wrecked his rig south of the western city of Borås earlier this week.
There's an ap for that!
You know, like the one I use WITHOUT FAIL?
On the phone while driving? For real? How could you? Do you know it is illegal? Do you know how many people you put in danger?
Whats that? A headset? Oh......
Never mind.
I suggest you stay off the roads around Philly.
And Chicago, it is illegal here.
Even though it's a city street with frequent stops and I never went faster than 25MPH?
I am much more concerned about you driving too slow. I think maybe we should start a new topic about your driving.
Reading your bitching is raising my blood pressure. Would you please stop.
Its sad really. That you began your article on such an important topic, as heatlh care reform, by mentioning something about your personal life at the moment. As if your individual circumstances have anything to do with this subject. And not being aware that what you said 'might' be a distraction to your article, shows very poor judgement. Unless of course, that is your intention?
If you expect to be taken seriously, you must show the ability to perform the duty correctly. Talking on the phone distracted, because you had to go babysit, and then using that as the basis for an article? Thats just incompetent, b-grade nonsense.
Whats even worse, is that within the first few lines of this story I looked up at the byline to see if it was the same person who made that 'suggestion' to remove the mortgage tax deduction. The article that was so riddled with poor investigative reporting and obvious misunderstanding of the facts available, that it smelled from a mile away. It was.
THIS is why reporting is mostly horrible on TV, and this is why it is horrible in your articles here on this blog.
the lobbyists are coming!!!
the lobbyists are coming!!!
the lobbyists are coming!!!
holy shit!!!!!!
>>"Yes, they do," he said. "The bill was basically written by the insurance industry. I do think they know [it's a giveaway]." He said it was written by two former insurance industry lobbyists, they knew what they were doing<<
this is what obama does???
f me jesus oh mary jah hoe za p.h.a.t.
It is very telling, for me anyway, that I trust Howard Dean on ALL issues far more than Obama. And I truly wish he were our President.
...you trust a white man more that a black man?
you sound like a teabagger! (a racist teabagger to boot) snark.
if the black man is working with lobbyists
The more I hear from Howard Dean, the more I wish he was prez instead of the SameOld currently in the Oval Office.
and pee in the other...
Judge which one gets damp...
When the ONLY solution is the one not being considered?
When the goal of the exercise is to tamp discontent beneath an acceptable threshold of who is being blatantly bent over and buggered?
WOW. Crushing hopeful optimism one voter at a time.
a President has to be careful when confronting money and power.
Younger readers don't know, but Carter came in determined to change DC. Every branch of government worked to undermine him. Even then money and power controlled the strings. Always have...
Clinton came in to make changes, too. Look at the shit storm they threw at him. They spent millions investigating every thing he and Hillary ever did. They undermined him, too.
In my opinion, Obama is already a 'dead man walking' because of his race. I pray not, but look at the hatred already thrown at him. Beck and Rush are basically calling for insurrection. Do you think that there's not some nut out there salivating at the thought that they can be the next Oswald, or Ray?
Does anyone really suppose a President would be allowed to change things quickly? Yes, FDR did. But his circumstances were unique.
Money and power cannot be tampered with overnight. Slow, incremental change is the best we can hope for, I'm sad to say. There's your "Hope" for you: slow and incremental. It's either that, or we'll see the riderless horse with empty boots in the saddle making its way to Arlington National Cemetary.
Were you driving or riding. If you were drving, you are a fool. If you were riding. Then okay.
TEXTING + TALKING + DRIVING = CERTAIN DEATH FOR SOMEONE
Because it doesn't matter whether it's on a phone or to a passenger, it's still not safe.
I don't talk to my passengers, yes, really.
I have ADD, so I am infinitely more aware of the limitations of my attention span than "normal" people. The kids used to get upset that I ignored them so much when driving (even when they were polite and quiet). Wrecks can also happen when distracted by the kids, the dog that is not restrained or the phone.
The thing with "normal" people is that in traffic and at driving speeds, you really don't have a much greater margin than I do. The difference between us, is that I know when I am attention impaired, you do not. I have a lifetime of monitoring my attention built-in. It doesn't sound like you were in a very attention demanding area for the call, but I would still have pulled over if the call was more than a few seconds. Right, but I have ADD.
and you know it.
(@Susie)
I apologize if you found what I posted a violation.
I didn't mince words, but IMO I can't see what I did to violate the terms
Susie, you blow me away. Get me a job, with Hilary Clinton.
Hey PC people.
I hope everyone is getting on their neighbors for letting their children ride bikes without helmets. I mean, those kids could get hurt, and it is immoral to let a child ride being exposed to so much risk. It wasn't immoral until a few years ago, but it is now.
Now how are we going to explain to the entire population of The Netherlands that they are being immoral and unsafe with their children?
http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/
for not wearing a helmet on his bike...
I do care about you or someone like you nattering away on the fone and not seeing me or that kid, sans helmet or not, and we end up under your muffler...
hang up the fucking fone and DRIVE!
cellphones in cars without the hands-free crap. Six months in CA, watching for the phone police was enough for me, though I tried to use the wires, earphones, etc, whenever possible. Got to think that I spent more time and had eyes off the road more in fumbling to plug in the hands-free crap than just answering the unit normally.
And props to Susie for getting a call like that. I usually just had my boss or my probation officer using my minutes...
If you buy them on eBay. I give them to all my friends for their birthdays so they can drive more safely.
it's an old phone (no voice dialing or Bluetooth), so I still need to scroll down to connect to a person. Plus, when the call ends, the phone does not disconnect, so I have to open it and manually shut it off. A PITA, but I can't afford a new, modern one these days...
That the Baucus bill was so watered down just to be able to get it out of committee. I'm glad Dean confirmed that.
It does make me less worried about what amendments it gets. It needs to have "a public option" though, even the Schumer, or a triggered Schumer version.
You want the compromise to be between the "bad" option and the "good" option. Since the robust public option scores better with the CBO, it can sell. But, if one of the bills has nothing, then the compromise looks to be between the "good" public option and having no public option. In that case, the "bad" option may look like a "centrist" compromise. We don't want to me maneuvered there.
Susie Maderak, I'm stunned you didn't tell Sen. Dean your brilliant idea of paying for healthcare by eliminating homeowner's mortgage interest deduction!! How can you let such a great idea just die? Maybe the sound of him slamming the phone in you ear would have made you lose control of your car.
That you don't know how to spell my name.
Just drive the fucking car.
It's a deadly weapon. It should require your fullest attention.
Your time saved talking while driving is NOT as valuable as my safety and well-being, which are at risk while you blather away on the fucking phone.
Just hang up and drive the fucking car...
hooah
We love you Suzie, and the opportunity you had to talk with Dean is amazing, but next time, please pull over and continue your phone conversations. PLEASE. Someone I know and love was T-boned by a driver using their hands-free device. Hands-free or not, it's a distraction. Anything one does in their car that doesn't involve full attention to the road (including talking w/ passengers) is a potential danger to others on the road.
Respectfully,
a big fan.
block articles from specific submitters from showing up to a logged in user? Its really an intellectual kick in the chest to have to read such poorly written articles, as what Susie is posting here. Will clicking on her name if she makes a comment in the thread also ignore her articles, or just her posts within the article?
Perhaps the sitemonitors know?
I am not surprised that young people feel Social Security won't be around when they reach retirement age.
I am 56 years old, and kids were saying that when *I* was 20! No kidding. In fact, I think I even believed that at that time.
The real reason single payer will never pass is because those folks in religion, and on the right believe that we should all take personal responsibility for our choices. A nice frame for a box, but entirely unrealistic. People now know in greater numbers than ever before that smoking is bad for one's health, but does that make them take personal responsibility? No. There is example after example of this "personal responsibility mantra" being nothing more than a lie, but it is still held up as some achievable goal. While some people do take their health care choices seriously some people never will, and some people for no fault, or being unaware of what the fault may be, of their own. And frankly as far as the Senate being a club the whole lot of them subscribe to "The Secret." You know that movie that circulates the web that says it is better to have a good attitude than to have. If they just play nice with each other well the most good will be done, and they will all get along. What it really is, is a sell out of the American people where the Senates priorities become more important that the needs of the American People. Quite frankly the word war barely summarizes my anger now over the situation, nor what I will do if a public option doesn't pass. For starters, I am finished with the Demoncrats [sic], but I would follow Dr. Dean. Second if a public option doesn't pass and the Baucus fiasco comes even close to passing I will stop paying income taxes period. They can take my home, put me in jail, and make life really uncomfortable, but I am beyond the point of caring about that. I certainly wouldn't be the first martyr in history, and I am certain I wouldn't be the last. Really there is only so much they can do, and quite frankly they can all SIUTA as far as I am concerned. If weak legislation passes well then we truly know that nothing has changed, and we need to break off the progressive arm of the Democrats and work for change. Quite frankly anything other than a public option would just be more fascism. More ruling by the already run corporate government, more Kabbalah as justification for the injustices that occur. More of the "if I have more money and power than you I can do more good." Just more of the same Bullshit pedaled by the same people that have never done the most good for anyone other than themselves.
?
"I told him I was really hoping the bill's final version included lowering the Medicare age to 55, "since I turn 55 next week."
"I'd like to see it lowered to 50, that would make a lot of sense," he replied. We talked about how it would lessen the cost burden on employers and increase the chances of the over-50s getting rehired."
Yea, just what we need. More voters who "got theirs".
Adding medicare 0-18 is a vastly better idea. It would cover more people more cheaply, they don't vote, and they will be aging out of public insurance into the chaos of the private market rather than aging into public insurance decades after having their voting patterns set.
PS I'm not turning 18 next year while aging in reverse.
?
To pop the bubble in D.C.
It's freaking ridiculous that the "court of the King" are picking us clean with no window on understanding. I think they BETTER KNOW and that they are sitting on a volcano.
double post
"I think they were worried it would be called socialism."
They would have been called "socialists" NO MATTER WHAT THEY PROPOSED, as we've seen. I think the Democrats ought to stop worrying about what they're going to be called, AND START CALLING SOME NAMES THEMSELVES!!!
I'm so tired of hearing Republicans brand Democrats everything from Marxists and Communists to Nazis and Totalitarians, while Democrats "take the high road."
It's obvious they're "racists" and "bigots," but that won't win many points with white America. Let's start with stuff that people can relate to and agree with:
SNOBS: they look down their nose at the poor and middle class; they think the majority of Americans are undeserving and unworthy.
OLIGARCHISTS: people have the internet, they can look it up; they are destroying democracy by consolidating control in the hands of the richest 1% (who now own more than the bottom 95%).
COUNTRY CLUBBERS: let's face it, they're beyond racist, they're part of a set that the majority of Americans could never relate to and would feel entirely uncomfortable around; they look out for their own and down on everyone else.
PRIVILEGED: they're rolling in it, and most of them were born that way; they got where they were because of who they knew, not because of who they were or what they accomplished; they were handed the good life on a silver platter.
SCHMOOZERS: these guys could care less about working for "we, the people"; they're much more concerned with buddying up with people who can make them money or do something for them.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN: yes, the worst of all names; they shun the teachings of Christ in nearly every way imaginable, from treat your neighbor as you would be treated to tossing the moneychangers out of the temple, they HATE Christ and every word that He stood for. Because Christ would never sanction the greed and selfishness the Republicans have created and stand for.
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