Rx and the Single Payer - by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship

[kpete]

Published on Friday, May 22, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Rx and the Single Payer

by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship

In 2003, a young Illinois state senator named Barack Obama told an AFL-CIO meeting, "I am a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program."

Single payer. Universal. That's health coverage, like Medicare, but for everyone who wants it. Single payer eliminates insurance companies as pricey middlemen. The government pays care providers directly. It's a system that polls consistently have shown the American people favoring by as much as two-to-one.

There was only one thing standing in the way, Obama said six years ago: "All of you know we might not get there immediately because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate and we have to take back the House."

Fast forward six years. President Obama has everything he said was needed -- Democrats in control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress. So what's happened to single payer?

more:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/22-4

[snappyturtle]

1. K&R Great article that explains, for one, the President's change of heart. I hope

everyone reads it.

[lostnotforgotten]

2. Well, Well Mr. "O" Supporters How Can This Be Explained Away?

eom

[Dr.Phool]

3. Hairy Reed is punch drunk.

Pelosi is surrounded by rabid Blue Dogs. And the rest have been bought and paid for.

[suchadeal]

4. Politics as usual

Maybe in the second Administration. For now, we'll probably have to settle for mandatory insurance. This will give those
co's a nice profit for two or three years. Just like auto insurance.

I can't wait until "stupidity insurance" becomes mandatory.

[Mythsaje]

5. Welcome to DU...

And I hope you're right about the second term. The idea of mandatory insurance makes me crazy.

[unapatriciated]

6. the disabled and poor can't wait any longer...

They will die of neglect while the Insurance Companies become richer.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=450540&mesg_id=450647

[LongTomH]

7. More at Bill Moyers Journal at PBS

Transcript & video here: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/profile.html

[dgibby]

8. Bill Moyer's' show last night should be "required reading".

Anyone who could argue for anything other that single payer after that is too stupid to live.

Health care has become THE defining issue with me (and I'm not a one issue voter), but this is where I've drawn the line in the sand. It's time Congress does the right thing for the people instead of K St. special interest groups.

As for the quote from Obama, I find that to be more than just a little disappointing. I hope it's not indicative of a trend, but I'm beginning to have my doubts.

[Wednesdays]

9. K&R

:kick:

[Uncle Joe]

10. That was a most excellent program and made many sound, solid logical points.

I believe the current system of the insurance corporations profiting off the American People's illness is immoral, illogical, inefficient and dysfunctional. I also believe there is no government official promoting policies on health-care that can represent both the health insurance corporation's agenda of making a buck off the peoples' sickness or injury and the American People; it's either or.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[yurbud]

11. answer to last question: bought and paid for