Ads in Iowa Call on Democratic Candidates to Endorse Single-Payer Health care

[RedEarth]

Physicians for a National Health Program and the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee today launched the first in a series of broadcast and internet ads in Iowa challenging the leading Democratic candidates to take a more meaningful stand on health care by endorsing a single-payer style, guaranteed healthcare for all, system.

In the first ad, which begins running this morning, a cardboard stand-in for former Sen. John Edwards is asked “Why are we wasting thirty-one cents out of every health care dollar on administrative expenses?” by a small businessman. “Eliminate the middleman, make our businesses more competitive globally, and this country could afford health care for everyone.”

“We need real reform that cuts out the profiteering insurance companies and drug companies and creates a single-payer program guaranteeing healthcare for ALL Americans. Where’s the leadership on this, Senator Edwards?” the businessman asks.

The ad calls on viewers to “let the Democratic candidates for president know that real leadership on healthcare doesn’t mean just being better than the Republicans.”

Created by Bill Hillsman and North Woods Advertising, the ad can be seen on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJTxRf6×3Q or at www.pnhp.org or at www.guaranteedhealthcare.org.

The series of ads coincide with the Iowa appearance of the Democratic Presidential candidates in several forums this week, culminating with a joint appearance Sunday on the ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

CNA/NNOC President Deborah Burger, RN explains that a theme of this ad is “to encourage Sen. Edwards, who extensively talked about healthcare, to embrace the only approach that will actually solve our national healthcare nightmare, a comprehensive single-payer plan, as in HR 676, a form of an improved Medicare for all, as exists in all other Western countries.”

In a Presidential forum sponsored by the AFL-CIO in Chicago last week, Sen. Edwards himself asked, “when are we going to actually stand up to these drug companies, these insurance companies? We’ve got to stop playing nice. We have to beat these people.”

“The public will support a champion of real healthcare reform,” says PNHP co-founder Quentin Young, MD. “Yet Edwards’ plan, leaving the insurance companies in place, fails to seize this opportunity. The candidate who embraces single payer may well win the nomination.”

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2007/august/doctors_nurses_chal.php

[aquart]

1. Yup. It's Edwards BIG mistake.

I'm for him, but he's screwing himself badly, because he's more afraid of the insurance companies than the voters.