Wendell Potter Says 'The Fat Cats Are Winning,' This is A 'Pig of a Bill.'
(h/t Heather.)
Former CIGNA PR chief Wendell Potter is very, very angry over Obama's movement away from true healthcare reform:
Not only is Obama clearly ready to throw the public option overboard, he is embracing the requirement that we all be forced to buy insurance from private insurers. That means your tax dollars and mine will be used to pay subsidies to the big insurers to provide coverage to people who can't afford to buy their policies, because the big insurers charge far more than they should because Wall Street investors demand that they do.
One of the people who undoubtedly talked Obama away from the public option and into supporting this mandate is his new BFF, Aetna CEO Ron Williams. Williams, who made $65 million off of Aetna's policyholders' premiums over the past two years and who was the mastermind behind Aetna's shedding of eight million members a few years ago to meet Wall Street's demands, is the insurance industry's leading champion of requiring us all to buy insurance. And, of course, without a public option, we'll all be forced to buy coverage from Aetna or one of the other private insurers.
According to a recent article in Forbes, Williams has been to the White House a half a dozen times recently to advise the president and his staff on health care reform. That same article quoted a Wall Street analyst as saying that Aetna likely will dump about 600,000 policyholders during the coming months to satisfy its investors' unrelenting profit demands.
During his speech in Montana, Obama talked a lot of trash about the insurance industry. Don't be fooled by that tough talk. It's all part of a strategy to try get us to believe we'll get the reform he promised during the campaign. Industry leaders are in fact delighted he's denouncing their behavior, because they believe most of his supporters -- who were hopeful the stars might finally have aligned for real reform -- will be fooled into thinking the reform bill that reaches his desk will benefit them more than the special interests with their armies of lobbyists. And they know the nonprofit cooperatives Sebelius and Gibbs are now trying to sell us on don't have a prayer of succeeding. The big for-profits will never let them get off the ground in any meaningful way.
Sadly, I believe the fat cats are winning and that the bill Congress sends the president will be one that gives an industry with an unsustainable business model a new lease on life and a guarantee of unprecedented future profits.
So I hope the president's aides are buying lots of lipstick. He'll need all he can get to put on that pig of a bill.
Is this what they mean when they say "self hating?"
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
and the Congress..Keep the pressure on---send it to the local news stations...demand coverage of this..Call congress 1.800.828.0498
Do not let this go !!!!
This is the same shit that happened in California in 1979. In preparation for moving on to Washington, fucking Ronald Reagan left us with a nice present - forcing us to buy car insurance when it had never been required before. Did we hate that man when he finally left? YOU BET WE FUCKING DID.
Politicians are all bought and paid for. It's been true for decades.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
Private insurance?
OF COURSE. Reagan was always in the pocket of Big Money. Do you think he would ever have set up anything like a public insurance plan?
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
I live in Canada so I don't know about Cali's car insurance policies but with Reagan at the helm, I just have guessed motorists would have been forced to buy private insurance. Here we were forced to buy insurance, but its government run. We've had it for a few decades where the basic coverage is offered by the gov. and then you can buy more private coverage if you want on top of that.
...that Obama is turning out to be a corporate shill?
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BARACK OBAMA
Hospitals/Nursing Homes #1
Barack Obama (D) $3,335,944
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?...
INSURANCE #2
Barack Obama (D) $2,270,065
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?...
Health Services/HMOs #1
Barack Obama (D) $1,425,501
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?...
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products #1
Barack Obama (D) $2,124,560
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?...
SPEAKING OF THE BAILOUT:
Commercial Banks #1
Barack Obama (D) $3,244,103
Hedge Funds/PRIVATE EQUITY #1
Barack Obama (D) $3,091,347
Securities & Investment #1
Barack Obama (D) $14,808,875
I GUESS WE NEED TO GET RE-AQUAINTED WITH BARACK OBAMA.
OR MAYBE WE NEED TO MAKE HIM AQUAINTED WITH "WE THE PEOPLE".
Some stuff you can't make up!
If anyone believes this man hasn't been bought and paid for, they are delusional..........corporate all the way!!!
I doubt it. Anyone know different? Now, I bet Obama knows the names of the CEO's of Big Pharma, or could at least recognize them. Why? Remember Obama promising Big Pharma talks would be on C-span for total transparency? He promised & it was a lie of course...just like voting for FISA after he was against it. The WH met in secret and broke another campaign promise-government required drug price competition on Medicare D & importation for competition. The WH promised 10-yrs. of no competition. Sounds like a Republican or corporate owned Dem doesn't it? Now, the public option, the only thing left that could control costs, Obama & his staff talk out of both sides of their mouths, appearing to not support it. I thought defeating McCain/Palin meant we were going to start representing Main St., and not Wall St. OK, I was wrong. Now what?
Put an end to the BAIL OUT NATION.
HR 676
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
the only real solution. the public option is no substitute, and i know you have been an unwavering supporter of single payer, but at this point i would actually be happy for a public option... sad, really
i think slovenia is about ready to pass us in quality of health care.
Pelosi promised Weiner she would bring HR 676 to the floor of the House this Fall.
So I say - seize the moment and push for passage of HR 676 in the House.
Deal with the Senate later.
And if it doesn't make it thru the Senate this time, unelect a bunch of Senators in 2010 and go back again with the New Congress.
18 of the 40 Republicans in the Senate are up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida -- will not run
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas -- will not run
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri -- will not run
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio -- will not run
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania -- already switched parties* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas -- may retire to run for Gov.
* Bob Bennett of Utah
That's 18 of them. Almost half the 40 Republicans in the Senate.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
i don't have any faith in pelosi promises, but i hope she lives up to that promise
....when Obama and the Dems are the ones failing to do what's right and what was promised last fall.
POLITICIANS are bought and paid for - not party affiliation.
But that is only half the Congress-critters that we need to target. Now, add in ALL the Blue Dogs, the DINOs, and the DLC Corporatist Democrats that are also opposed to the HR-676 or equivalent reform legislation. NOW is the time to create a "DEAD POOL" that includes ALL of these "Speed Bumps" to PROGRESS.
Don't forget, people, that Corporatist Oligarchy campaign funds ONLY buys these ASS-HATS. That blood money DOES NOT BUY VOTES, unless We The People cave in and roll over. Victories in 2006 and 2008 by that 50 State Grass Roots organization CAN be // MUST be Repeated Again. Need I state the Obvious???
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
here
………
Read on here
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Exactly. The legislation is already written. HR 676. Call your congressman and senator and DEMAND that they cosponsor it.
individual mandate + no employer mandate + no public option = fat cat victory
what has been shaping up to come out of the finance committee is looking to be worse than the shameful system we have now. insurance thuggies must be thrilled.
...I am presently in the precarious position of being without insurance; even so, I will adamantly refuse to be pushed into any half-assed plan that requires giving money to private insurers after they have worked so hard to undermine efforts to bring this mess under control.
At a certian point, we all need to stand up and make it clear that "reform" without a strong, viable public option (and, no, Conrad's phony co-ops don't count), this pig is a no-go with the American people.
"Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Hunter S. Thompson
we should show more of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlJM-8nuC8w
Sad but great video and they are not "Illegal Immigrants"
This is nice video too:
Has Obama Sold Out Already?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRK_Xw1KG9U
he's worked all his life to get where he's acceptable to the Owners.
there is no fucking way he's gonna turn and bite the hands that curried him and carried him to such power.
So, yeah, the BIG BUX win...
They always do...
Tell you what. These jerks who are out there screaming and shouting are not as stupid as they sound and look. They are POLITICAL OPERATIVES and they have been honed by over 30 years of winning their wars to come out and bully everyone else and elbow their way back up to the trough.
Their purpose is to unseat President Obama. If they ruin their own future doing it, SO WHAT? They don't need no healthcare.
They are already multimillionaires and the elections are at least "fixable."I do not understand why people keep refusing delivery on this fact. If they want to run again, they will likely win. I concede that some races are legitimate. But do those who have been in office for a few terms really care about winning or losing? If they lose they can get jobs with lobbying firms and cash in on their connections and insider knowledge. If they lose, they can go and spend some of their money. Or they can go on "Dancing With The Stars," and appearing on "Hardball" whining about how unfair it is that their concealed weapons permit was revoked because of their felony convictions. I know I want all convicted felons to be issued concealed weapons permits upon their release from prison. After all, they've payed their debt to society. I wonder where Tom DeLay gets this immense sense of entitlement? I hope you fall off your high heels and onto your ass on national TV. Know that millions will be laughing at you, even if you don't fall.
I am appalled to see how simple common sense universal health care is difficult to make understand to some americans. At C&L, I see a lot of videos of angry "patriots" who don't want the government to get into health care yet I never saw any counterprotest to that. How come nobody is yelling in the streets to force Obama to push for universal health care?
is wholly owned by the medical industrial complex, that's why
The pro healthcare reform people outnumber the "pay-riots" 3 to 1 at most rallies, but you'll never see them
So there are demonstrations on the pro Universal heath care side?
a certain percentage of those people are pro single payer
aren't they noisier? They should raise hell!!!
It's so frustrating to watch!
Do you need Special Ed teachers in Calgary???....:)
Canada always welcomes immigrants!
btw, Calgary is a nice place to live, despite the winters ;)
Maybe we paid more attention to our mamas when we were growing up?
I don't like being forced to turn into a loud asshole just because some other people can't shut the fuck up. As far as I've seen, that seems to be the rationale for not turning these events into riots, which is what would happen if we started yelling back.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
We bitch, therefore we are.
On August 17, 2009, the Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to the following health insurance companies:
[ http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/200... ]
[ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/19/76948... ]
Study the symptoms not the virus...
The fat cats and their clowns in media, government, and the teabag cretins created a snowball of negativity that has universal health care on life support. I hope Howard Dean is right and we do get a public option, even Frist said 20 million will get health care when all is said and done. We can work our way up from there over time to full single payer.
True liberals/progressives don't simply critique the elite, we actually fight them and win.
Isn't that what we are always told? "We'll get 'em next time!" Man, that has long ago gotten old! NOW is the time to do this right, or not do it at all. One thing is for certain THE NEXT TIME, I won't vote for Obama and I am real close to throwing in the towel on the whole Democratic Party. Heck, I can this kind of nothing out of Republicans.
'work our way up' to universal health care since 1948 or thereabouts.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
If all this is true, maybe Howard Dean can take Obama out in the primaries next time?
From what I have seen, this guy is DLC repuke-lite all the way, which is why he stammers so much on the fly; his heart really isn't in this.
He knows we are busy trying to put medicine on our families.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
I get a little closer to moving abroad and renouncing my American citizenship.
I'm a retired 64-yr. old, married white man with two-children in their 20's. If the health bill(There will be one)has no public option in it, this country will be a failed state. It will mean that even when the stars are alined(Dems total control), we cannot get our own party to represent us. The fixed two-party monopoly will remain. Union membership will continue to decline, nothing will be done for the environment, the Dems will lose the House in 2010 & maybe the WH in 2012, health care will become even more unafforable as the nation is screwed even more as mandated ins. kicks in to reward private ins. companies. If you are young enough, and especially if you want to have a family, try to go to a civilized country like Canada that is family & human friendly.
The Ed Show had on a guest who made a perfectly simple point: as with civil rights in the '60's , if the public believes that it's time for a public option, then prove it. March on Washington. Make it so obvious and put so many people in front of the camera that it's impossible to ignore. If you can't do that, then you don't want it.
I'll go one step further and say only a general strike will do it. It's the equivalent of nuclear brinkmanship on a foreign policy level. I know how obscenely wealthy these despicable insurance companies are and how they are willing for you to die for more for them. It's what they do. I call them terminators. We bailed out wall street. Now the insurance companies theoretically have to bail out the taxpayer with a de facto tax cut with single payer or we (the workers, or "have nots") all eventually go bankrupt paying their extortion premiums. They will not budge...in fact, your premiums are going up as we speak. It cannot be done from the keyboard. I will protest and if that fails Europe here I come. They are "making me do it."
...but, Obama promised that he was bringing hope and change and taking on the lobbyists and he even insisted upon and fought for a public option...then he changed his mind...then he didn't...then he did, but not really...but he told Rahm to tell the WaPo that the "left of the left" is making a public option "their waterloo", but Obama is still for the public option unless or until Chuck Grassley tells him otherwise.
Even he is spouting Luntz's talking points. If that isn't the last straw, I don't know what it could possibly be.
Rahm can explain to the American people why Israel has National Health Insurance for EVERYONE, and we don't......even though we give them a check every year for 3 BILLION.........anyone care to explain that one?
Something ain't right.
that was a serious question.......I have an MA in Special Ed.........:)
oh......sorry.........forgot I asked TWO questions.....LOL
As long as Big Insurance and Big Pharma are involved in this, I assure you it will be worse than what we have........not better....They will not go down without a fight..........They didn't get to where they are by being nice! I only wonder just how many more ways they will confuse the issue of Single Payer before a vote is ever taken......if it is ever taken........beginning to doubt that one too.
If there is no public option, only this type of sellout to insurance corporations come next year - along with the jobless recovery, trillionaire banker criminals choking on their massive bonuses, and the continued stagnation of working class wages - the repukes will have the morons thinking it was all the democrats fault, and like
lambsmorons being led to the slaughter, they will run back into the hands of their GOP malefactors.Everyday I become more and more convinced that 45% of the people in this country are so freaking stupid (and nuts), that short of a second civil war, the corporatists will finish the final pieces of their corporate fascist temple of greed, standing tall and erudite on it's twin towers of strength - republican and democrat.
We never had a chance. FDR was a fluke. The people got lucky the first time. Obama, not so much.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Maher: "You can't govern stupid."
Moyers: "Money ruined democracy."
Those two-quotes probably concern more wisdom than a non-metric bushel of books.
Compelling examination of Potomac thirty-two step in Obama's claims for Health Care reform, then stepping back, then claiming transparency on C-Span no less, then secret Pharma deals for no price reform, then to the side with openness to ideas, then backstep to "public option is not essential', then back again to "it's never been taken off the table".....
It is growing alarmingly clear that something isn't passing the smell test.
Popular argument put forth by corporatists, capitalists (whatever that term means) and wealthy is that money=speech.
Ergo; more money, more speech. Most money most speech.
Corruption of the principle of democratic representation by economic powers.
Unless/until campaign finance and lobbying industry is reigned in, this is all a shell game. IMO.
All the money = all the speech.
Now a.m. radio and t.v. makes sense.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
It would require the political whores to give up their corporate pimps...It would be easier to teach a rock to drive a car.
This is an unsubstantiated rumor, and before everyone gets their panties in a twist, this is Susie pushing the "I hate Obama" news story again. She is as famous for her constant negativity as she is for her remarkable lack of effort when presenting this material (usually a short intro followed by a quote - end of her effort).
Folks, we have had an open pipe line to the President and his reps for a bit now. Before we all get bent out of shape, let's see who this comment is from. The former PR man for Cigna. That's right, the "former" Cigna rep is trying to drive a wedge between Obama and his supporters, and we are taking him at his word?
Come on folks, we are in this together, keep pushing the message and remember that the insurance industry is desperate.
Peace.
Rick Beagle
I may agree slightly with your first point, but the end makes no sense.
Obama's major 'supporters' are in fact major corporations - check up above where someone listed all he money his campaign recieved just from
health-related corps.
If anyone thinks that a person can get elected to Congress or to the Presidency in the USofA in this day and age without being pre-approved by the Powers that Be - well, they need to read up some and pay real close attention.
As for Wendell Potter, he's not a corporate shill...anymore. He gave up a high-powered-high-paying job with CIGNA - trust me, the Director of Corporate Communications for CIGNA is one of the top six positions. If you've ever worked for a major corporation, it is not very hard to understand how a person of conscience could eventually come to know the evil that they do on a regular basis. I believe Mr. Potter finally had enough and is risking a great deal to step out and Tell the Truth about how insurance companies and most other corps operate behind the scenes. Have you never heard of a whistleblower?
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
I may be running with the tin foil crowd, but I have zero reason to believe this guy. He suddenly pops up with insider information that damages the support progressives are giving our President, and along the way damages the President's credibility with unsubstantiated rumors? While this may be true, it seems more likely (to me at least) that this is just another bs con job to keep us from gaining traction in this fight. I think this clown is a plant, and he is being used to disseminate just enough information to get his face and name on tv as a trusted spokesperson.
Yeah, the tin foil might be a bit tight, but I still have trust that my President and reps will do the right thing. Of course we need to keep holding their feet to the fire, and in that respect this posting should remind everyone to get to those town halls and to keep calling their representatives.
Personally, I think the Big O has a spine problem atm. That famous optimism of his has been taking huge belly flops into crazy land, and that has to take a toll on your sense of reality. Spend a little time at the vineyard and come out swinging like Barney.
But if he does turn out to be a corporate shill, looks like an independent will be inhabiting the WH in 2012, cause it sure as hell isnt going to be a Rethug.
I think he's actually giving a much larger segment of the US population information that provides us more traction to discredit the insurance companies. This should make the them want to support the folks in Congress who want to have single payer on the table or at least a 'public' option, after they understand that private corporate-provided health insurance is a scam. It adds nothing but COST to the whole system - they don't do actual health care - they just suck up billions of dollars, push around papers and distribute a pittance to sick people, if they feel like it!
The President has been doing a swell job of discrediting himself by reneging on his initial positions and promises. Maybe it is he who is playing the system now and has some magical solution he'll pull out of a hat at the last moment. And, trusting politicians is only useful up to a point...we're well past that.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
the American people who want 'true healthcare reform' for their country, need to get busy & do something. Stop blogging, stop trying to convince those 'who will never listen'...do something you've never done before & get totally involved. At the rate that this whole critical issue is being watered down, you all will end up with the insurance industry knowing that they 'own healthcare' & can do whatever their greed dictates, even moreso than they do now.
To have a majority of the people vote for a democratic candidate who promises to 'make things right & have healthcare accessible for every American'...and then to have that hope extinguished by those who scream louder & threaten violence, without a fight...will live in your consciences forever.
No, not a fight with violence...but if there are so many of you out there who believe in this...then organize & make that march on Washington & make yourselves heard & don't leave until the government & the (ahem) media pay attention!
I'm Canadian & I have no agenda, nor will I gain anything from the outcome of this...I'm just shocked & saddened that a country with so many resources & so much money can rationalize, in any way, not providing their own citizens with such a basic need.
Frankly, I'm feeling pretty damned discouraged about the whole thing. The system is rigged. It's the powerful corporations who are in charge. It really doesn't seem to matter whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. If this last election can't move us toward change, then I don't know what can. In the meantime, the lunatic right wing fringe are being seriously manipulated by their corporate overlords. I don't know what to think about Obama, other than I think he's up against powerful rich forces who contribute huge sums of money to politicians. They control the media and the message. And, as long as obscene amounts of money are involved in politics, we will not be a country that's By The People and For The People.
Anderson Cooper sure can squint.
...Cooper's questions seem so naive. He seems like he can't believe the insurance companys would do such a thing. Have relationships with right wing news? He is so surprised. He is supposed to be an investigative reporter?! Daft!
Reagan wasn't governor in 1979.
"the requirement that we all be forced to buy insurance from private insurers"
That will be the end of the Obama Presidency, the end of the American Republic, the end of corporate abuse of citizens. It may not happen overnight, but it will be the final nail in the coffin.
Bring it on.
Susie Madrak is back to her Obama-bashing self. I was kind of worried that her nonstop "Barack is a disappointment" concern trolling might wane in light of today's actual words spoken by the actual President.
Good to know that despite what he says, Barack is really still secretly selling us all out, because Susie and all the other zero-tolerance super-libs tell us so.
Any Democrat that believed there would be meaningful health care reform is just as "challenged" as most Republicans are.
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