Howard Dean's rally at SEIU hall in Columbus, Ohio. August 15

[madfloridian]

Run time: 02:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1BTFzUBelU   Posted on YouTube: August 16, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 16, 2009 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 1665

 
Good coverage by the local news there.

I found a little more at Progressive Ohio blog

Governor Howard Dean was the guest of SEIU 1199 at a Health Care Townhall today in Columbus.

Dr. Dean spoke for about 15 minutes and then took questions from the overflowing crowd.

The questions were all respectful as were Gov. Dean's responses to all the questioners whether they were for or against Health Insurance Reform.

While about 15-20 protesters who had not gotten tickets mingled around outside, they also appeared reasonably well behaved though I was inside for most of the time and not in touch with their actions throughout the event.

As both a Democratic Party standard bearer and a former practicing physician, Gov. Dean has placed himself at the forefront of grass-roots organizing for health care reform.

Another diary at Daily Kos with a good write-up and great pictures.

Town Hall

I attended the health care town hall this evening at the SEIU headquarters in Columbus, Ohio--special guest Gov. Howard Dean. There were about 300-400 people in attendance, 150 in the main room and the remainder in an overflow room with a/v hookup.

..."He opened by saying that health care in this country needs more organization and rationalization."

..."Some in Congress are afraid of single payer, but Medicare and the VA are single payer--in fact the very members of Congress afraid of single payer on on a government health plan.

People say that government can't do anything right, but these public programs have much less administrative cost than private insurance companies do (up to 20%) since these companies have to pay large salaries and dividends.

Government also does a pretty good job on the military--compare to private contractors in Iraq!"

.."One public health care opponent asked if the health care bill wasn't unconstitutional and argued that a public option would crowd out private insurance. Dean replied that the constitutional argument "holds no water" as we've had Social Security and Medicare for decades. Also, in no country in the world, even the UK which has the most socialized system, has public insurance eliminated private insurance. Fifteen percent of UK insurance is private. In the Netherlands the model is to use 100% private insurance companies that are government regulated. He joked that he thinks the threat of instituting a Netherlands-like system would make reform opponents flock to single payer.

More at the link with great pictures of the event.



Some protestors outside, but inside things went well.

[stlsaxman]

1. If I still brought into Catholicism- I'd work for Dean's canonization.

but i gave it up once puberty hit and i discovered hedonism. Still. Howard Dean is a saint!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

2. Made up my mind a long time ago

I'll always be a Deaniac!

K&R

[katkat]

3. I love Howard. Just think, if he were Pres... n/t

[katkat]

4. Or if Rahm's ego hadn't gotten in the way of Howard for HHS. n/t

[madfloridian]

5. Sebelius and other admin spokespersons say public option not necessary.

They are afraid of the right wing screamers.

[waiting for hope]

7. Afraid? or capitulatting? n/t

[madfloridian]

8. Both really.

.

[Wednesdays]

6. K&R

:kick: