Dean says if we don't deliver real health care reform, we will lose seats in the midterms.

[madfloridian]

I have found three sites that covered Howard Dean's MoveOn conference Monday night. The Washington Times, The Nation, and a private blog.

I have seen a lot of criticism here about his public option...most want the single payer now. I agree it would be nice. Dean has said all along that the inclusion of a government run public option will be hard to get in the Senate....but that if we got it we would be on the way to real single-payer. He thinks that is the realistic thing we can do. Considering who is doing the health care in the Senate, he may be right.

If a Medicare type option is given, then we will find that most people want that Medicare type option...it will drive competition. As Dean said on the conference, Max Baucus is the one who needs convincing. From what we have seen, he is willing to negotiate away a government run option.

Twice this week Dean referenced the conservative Democrats in a negative way...maybe he is getting out of his DNC mode now. He referred to "Democrats who love Republicans" and said that Blue Dogs should not get to decide our health care.

Here is some of what the Washington Times had to say about the Monday night conference with MoveOn.

Fractured majority ties up Obama's agenda

Former presidential hopeful and former party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday night that Democrats and Mr. Obama will suffer if they don't strike more boldly on health care.

"If we can't deliver a real choice to the American people and real reform, I think we lose seats in the midterm election. I think we're going to have a hard time getting the president re-elected," Mr. Dean said on a call with MoveOn.org and Democracy for America members, trying to rally support for public health care. "As long as he sticks with us, and we stick with him, I think we're ultimately going to win this."

On health care, Mr. Dean and his allies are trying to force Mr. Obama to be more bold in embracing a public health care system. Mr. Dean announced a new Web site, www.StandWithDrDean.org, and said he disagrees with more conservative Democrats who fear they might be vulnerable to charges of socialized medicine.

"We have a Democratic president, Democratic Senate, Democratic House. There's no reason to trade it away," Mr. Dean said.

He said to make it clear to Democrats that our votes are going to be connected to how they do on health care. They must provide a government run public option.

"The election of Barack Obama has turned over this country to a new generation," he said. "We're going to have an all-out fight about this. ... We're not going to go down again."

MoveOn said the Congressional Progressive Caucus has signed Mr. Dean's petition calling a public option "non-negotiable.

The Nation covered this MoveOn conference, though no corporate media even mentioned it...except Dean's appearance on The Ed show.

The Battle for Health Care Begins

Dean said the outcome of this fight will be determined by activists. We know what's coming -- charges of "socialized medicine", "you won't be able to choose your doctor", "a bureaucrat in Washington will make your healthcare decisions," etc. It will be up to the people to write letters to the editor, call your congressman, talk to neighbors. Myths will need to be debunked, front groups exposed, and money trails followed. Already, special interest groups are making robocalls and devoting millions of dollars to an anti-choice campaign.

"What we want to do is give people a choice," Dean said. "And stop saying you've got to be in the private insurance market or have no insurance whatsoever if you're under 65." (People over 65 are already in a single-payer system -- Medicare.)

As Dean pointed out, the facts are on our side in this battle. For starters, the proposal of a public plan option allows people to keep their private insurance if they want to and even subsidizes it. It's also cheaper than private insurance since a greater percentage of premiums goes towards healthcare instead of CEO salaries, shareholder dividends, swank offices, etc. (In Vermont, Governor Dean was able to cut administrative costs by 1/3 when the state ran Medicaid instead of a private company.)

This person blogged the event on her personal blog. Other than these three postings, I have not found much else about it.

Dr. Dean talks of health reform

"If there is no public insurance option…then this is not reform at all."

That's what Governor Howard Dean said last night in a conference call with thousands of activists -- and he's absolutely right.

As Dr. Dean noted, the battle for real reform begins Tuesday morning, when Senator Max Baucus chairs a Senate Finance Committee hearing that will look into the public plan option. Activists are writing messages on why such a plan is critical and Senator John Kerry will read some of them into the record at the hearing.

Dr. Dean is being introduced. Senate is having a hearing tomorrow.

Dr. Dean.

Well worth the investment if it's real reform. He's arguing for the public insurance option. If no choice for a public option, not real reform at all. Private sector needs profits, large salaries for executives, advertising. But, some people like private sector, so let them keep it, but a lot of people want Medicare. He sees that as the core fight. What about the savings we'd see from eliminating the private system though and are those savings needed to ensure the success of the public plan?

Cost issue. Public option will save people around 30% of their health care costs. Talking about his experience in Vermont. They had an outside contractor, but they took out too much in administrative costs--proves my above point. He's concentrating on choice in supporting the public option.

Congress has socialized medicine. Good point. Answering the single payer questions now. Why is it off the table now? Dean says it's very efficient. Dean says not necy off the table. Says the public option is essentially single payer with choice. But what about the savings we're losing? Thinks biggest person who needs to be convinced is Max Baucus. Nominally in favor of a public option, but willing to trade it away. Waxman, Rangel key in House. Feels we'll get a good bill out of House. Problem is Senate. Senate finance committee is having hearing tomorrow.

Dean had previously made the point about publicly run health care being less expensive, in fact he talked of his experience in Vermont in this video at Think Progress

Dean admits in the video that privatizing Medicaid in VT cost 3 times more than if state ran it. He admits he was drinking too much of the free market kool-aid at the time. He presents a good case for the fact that real health care change will only happen if there is a public option like Medicare as a choice.

He speaks of how medical decisions are made. A doctor and patient decide on a plan of treatment, then they have to send the bill to someone else who decides whether to pay or not. Makes it clear he was not a single payer advocate while governor, but that he sees the need for a public option now to have real competition.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. All I can say is no shit sherlock

[OhioChick]

3. Yep. n/t

[BR_Parkway]

2. As well we should - real reform is Change we Voted for - not this

pander to the health care companies, business as usual, top campaign donors get to cherry pick crap.

If not lose seats, we may have areas where we'll run some good primaries

[WI_DEM]

4. With all the $$ Obama is putting towards health care I think we will get real health care reform.

[Occam Bandage]

5. Certainly true. Botch this, and we botch the Democratic era that started in '06.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. And deservedly so.

[GreenTea]

7. Absolutely, no doubt....Ex DNC chairman Dean knows exactly what he's talking about...

Obama has reversed himself on so many issues, he should not on Universal Health Care for all....it will indeed let the republicans back in the door as they plan in 2010.

[Winterblues]

8. If we don't see some realistic relief on the Health Care issue

I will not vote for a Democrat again. I will NEVER vote for a Republican but there may be an Independent that will warrant my vote...If not that then I just will not vote, Plain and Simple...I am tired of being played for a sucker..It literally makes no difference whether a Republican or a Democrat gets in if they all do the Corporation's bidding over the American People's...I have had it. It is time for real honest to goodness action from our Democratic Congress or else....

[skidroad]

45. vote ?

"I will not vote for a Democrat again. I will NEVER vote for a Republican but there may be an Independent that will warrant my vote...If not that then I just will not vote, Plain and Simple...I am tired of being played for a sucker..It literally makes no difference whether a Republican or a Democrat gets in if they all do the Corporation's bidding over the American People's...I have had it. It is time for real honest to goodness action from our Democratic Congress or else....
Isaiah 32..8..But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand."


I'll vote 3rd party or independent. Forget the Dems if they fail on health care.

[billyoc]

9. Deservedly so.

[madfloridian]

23. Agreed.

We can not longer let the few, the powerful, conservadems control our party.

[nichomachus]

10. The clock is ticking -- and people want to see the change they voted for

People voted for dramatic change. We are now 18 months -- or 78 weeks -- away from the mid-term elections. If people don't see some dramatic change, things could get ugly.

Yes, Michelle is sweet and the kids are cute. That Obama can sure throw a football. But people need change -- and it can't be, "Well, he just appointed the first Inuit woman to a second-level budget review board." or "He signed an executive order overturning a Bush executive order that reversed a Clinton executive order on federal gas allotments in Guam."

We keep hearing that "we should be patient." The problem is that DU is the Amen Corner. So, if there is grumbling here, there's going to be a lot more grumbling -- or worse, no grumbling, just action -- outside of here.

There are 78 weeks left until election day -- fewer for those people who make up their minds and/or vote in advance of election day.

I think the administration really needs something eye-catching to put on it's biannual performance review -- called the Congressional Elections -- or Obama could be working with a GOP Congress.

[madfloridian]

13. You are right. People voted for "dramatic change."

:hi:

[alarimer]

11. We certainly can't expect Republicans to enact single-payer.

So I am not sure why the Democrats would lose seats because the Republicans are almost certainly worse on this issue.

The thing to do is challenge Democrats who are opposed to single payer or a public option in the primaries.

[madfloridian]

12. Well..the ones opposed to it are the ones who will lose it for us

and the ones who will hurt all of us by perhaps causing the party to lose the midterms.

It would not be without precedent.

People are desperate, and by 2010 midterms they not be willing to sit down and talk rationally without a change in health care.

Remember the words "vote em all out"? People who are angry blame irrationally.

[imdjh]

43. No one (who counts) that I have heard is promoting this as GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Yes, it's good for a lot of individuals and the nation as a whole- but that starts to sound like a "in a perfect world" kind of argument.

We have a REAL WORLD argument for Single Payer- IT"S GOOD FOR BUSINESS

The Republicans (and Democrats) claim to be supportive of small business and entrepeneurialism, but the simple fact is that many Americans simply can't risk striking out on their own without health insurance, and what they can get, if they can get it, is expensive, inadequate, and risky.

Major employers are tired of dealing with insurance plans too. They are expensive. Some companies have to maintain huge HR departments to cope with the offerings and the self-admin part. The rules change every year. Negotiations take place every year. Prices go up or benefits go down every year.

Which is not to say that major employers don't see a benefit to the present system. Many of these employers have "loyal" employees who stay on only for the benefits, because they need those benefits. I have worked with countless women who work for my company just to keep the family in health, dental, and vision insurance while their husbands go out and take the risks for the bigger bucks or work in the trades.

We need to get Walmart and the other big retail chains on board for Single Payer. Walmart would love to get us off their back about benefits, and as long as everyone else has to participate, Walmart doesn't care if they have to pay health insurance premiums.

[dflprincess]

17. Because a lot of Democrats will be fed up and either vote for a 3rd party

or not bother to vote at all. Unless, as you said, we get some actual reformers running in and winning the primaries. Sadly, any challengers will be handicapped by the amount of money the insurance companies will be shoveling into the incumbants campaign treasuries.

[Vinca]

14. We might change seats in the midterms, but not lose them.

We might work to elect Dems who will support our views on healthcare, but we certainly wouldn't vote for a Republican if we want anything other than a tax cut for a bloated insurance premium.

[madfloridian]

15. Not threatening to vote Republican

.

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. Once again, Dr. Dean nails it.

The whole swine flu (really should be called NAFTA flu) thing has been ridiculously overblown by the corporate whore media. But if - God forbid - it did become a true crisis in this country, and many people died because they couldn't afford to see a doctor, would that be enough to convince assholes like Max Baucus and Ben Nelson that we cannot go on with this fucked up corporatist system.

Nelson's admission that the corporations couldn't compete with the public option should be the only case that needs to be made.

[madfloridian]

48. The few Dems are laughing at us....we are right, but they scoff at us.

This has gone on so long.

[madfloridian]

18. Two sources, two drastically different figures on number on Move On call.

This is amazing to see such a difference. A Move On release says over 10,000 took part in the town hall.

http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.Iml?Article=157842

"New Ad Campaign: Health Care Reform Must Include Choice of a Public Health Insurance Plan

Ad to Run In Home States of

Chair and Ranking Republican of Senate Finance Committee

Follows a 10,000 Person Online Town Hall Meeting Monday Night with

Dr. Howard Dean and MoveOn.org Political Action

A new 30 second television ad, running in Iowa, Montana and Washington, DC, uses humor to highlight the importance of including the choice of a public health insurance plan in any health care reform legislation. The ad, by MoveOn.org Civic Action, follows an online town hall meeting on the subject Monday night that over 10,000 people participated in – the highest attendance ever recorded by sister organization Moveon.org Political Action for an issue briefing. The ads will run in the home states of the chair and the ranking Republican of the Senate Finance Committee, as well as in Washington, DC, for one week. The public health insurance option has been vigorously opposed by the insurance industry and their allies in Congress."

But for two days I saw these figures...drastically different:

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/15501/

"Winning a public health insurance option for all Americans is the “core fight” in the health care reform battle, former Gov. Howard Dean told more than 1,300 people in a national online conference organized by MoveOn.org. last night.

The Senate Finance Committee begins hearings on reforming health care coverage today, with conservatives in Congress and the insurance lobby waging “all-out war” on a public plan, MoveOn director Justin Ruben said."

So technically over 10,000 is more than 1,300, but there's a huge spread there.

[bertman]

33. When I signed on for the conference call the tally on the bottom of the screen was 1383

participants logged on. It never changed during the call so I suspect there was a glitch somewhere in the system.

I emailed Baucus via the publicoption email system they set up for us to use but I never heard how many people used the system to contact Baucus. Do you know how many emails were sent to him, Madflo.

As always, Howard Dean speaks for me. There are few politicians in this country who have the integrity, the foresight, the knowledge of issues, and the courage to do what he does. I sure hope he's happy with his job now, but I'd love to see him in a role where he has more leverage.

Thanks for posting this.

Recommend.

[madfloridian]

34. I know I never got to log in during the conference. Others had trouble.

I listened afterward. I have not heard about the emails they were going to deliver. Haven't checked my email since this morning. Guess I'd better do that, just forgot.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. He is absolutely correct

[madfloridian]

37. I think so, too..

We can not trade it off.

[WeDidIt]

20. Well, duh!

That's what happened to Clinton, any way.

[Fire1]

21. You're absolutely right. Forgot about that. I guess those

folks don't see the hand writing on the wall. I must admit it gets discouraging.

[madfloridian]

22. And don't we have wider margins in congress than Clinton did?

I think we do.

We can not give up this chance.

[Greyhound]

28. This is a rare opportunity and we'd better start recognizing them because there will

not be too many more.

I don't see why more people are not seeing that we are in the end-game for the corporatocracy. They've already moved almost all of the means out of the US and are removing themselves from any accountability. If we keep fucking around, they will be gone and we will have no recourse.

[Little Star]

24. K&R

[The Magistrate]

25. Gov. Dean Is Quite Right, Ma'am

[HopeOverFear]

26. There's been no criticism here of his public option

[madfloridian]

27. There has been some upset that he does not come out at once...

for single payer. Several posts have covered that. Not so much criticism of public option, but upset that he is not stronger for single payer. I think he is heading there, but he says how things are in the senate.

[madfloridian]

50. In fact guess who is getting the most favorable attention here at DU

and who is advocating for single payer or bust? Ralph Nader, who took corporate GOP money in 2004.

I fear we are going to split and argue, when only 21 Senate Dems even support a public option at all.

[RadiationTherapy]

29. .delete.

[madfloridian]

30. Update from the blog in theOP

"UPDATE: What Dr. Dean failed to mention in the call, the depressing guest list to the Senate Finance Committee hearings. Among the privileged few to be heard include old favorite of the anti-reform movement, Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plan, Washington, DC, Len Nichols, Ph.D, Director, Health Policy Program, New America Foundation, Washington, DC (wants a public option weak enough to drown in a bathtub), Diane Rowland, Sc.D., Executive Vice President, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington, DC (listed by Healthcare-Now as one of the top 10 enemies of single payer reform, Jennie Chin Hansen, R.N., M.S., F.A.A.N., President, AARP, Washington, DC (steeped in the insurance industry through its affiliate, United Healthcare Group, the nation’s largest for-profit insurance company), Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D., Vice President, Domestic and Economic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC (oy), R. Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC (that's the group that advertised Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam as health care reform heros (double oy)."

That bunch is not even friendly to public option at all, much less just having single payer.

Baucus is a powerful man. The conservadems are powerful.

[madfloridian]

31. Great Politico Arena health care chat with Howard Dean

http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Fred_Barbash_174F8101-3653-4EBE-BBC3-1A00D90A6CA0.html

You need to scroll down the chat. Very good points made.

Just a few.

"Howard Dean: The first part of the answer is that single payer is on the table. You can choose to be in a single payer or not under Obama's plan. A pure single payer for all with no choice simply doesn't have the votes. The health inurance industry will of course fight this, and we can't afford to lose. If the plan does not have a public insurance component which American's can choose, it is a huge waste of time and money and should not be adopted."

"Howard Dean: I think we can have a public plan. A public
Plan is essentially like Medicare. It is government run plan which is much more efficient than private sector plans because 96% of all the money paid in is actually spent on health care as opposed to the 50 to 88% spent on Health care by private insurers. The beauty of the Obama plan is that the American people as individuals get to make the choice, not insurance companies, employers, right wing politicians and bureaucrats"

"Howard Dean: The Medical profession is often victimized by administrators who know nothing about what goes on in a medical office. If a good version of electronic medical records can be installed that saves time and is not too complicated, Physicians will embrace it, and some already have. There is money in the stimulus package for health care IT, but it has to be used smartly."

"Howard Dean: Rory raises an interesting point about supplemental insurance. The Health insurance companies will not be driven out of business by the President's plan any more than they will by Medicare or Medicaid. They will, however, be required to treat the American people more fairly because there will be a real alternative for the average American if they don't. Let's give the American people a real choice and not let the Republicans and the insurance companies make our choices for us."

[madfloridian]

32. Only 21 senate Dems support public option? Update at Think Progress.

Not very many, or am I mistaken.

At the bottom of a post today by Think Progress...they have this update:

"Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-MO) office has just issued a press release announcing that "FIVE ADDITIONAL SENATORS EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION." This brings the total in the Senate to 21: Sens. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) Russ Feingold (D-WI), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jim Webb (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY"

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/05/06/ignagni-media/

21 does not seem like very many.

[madfloridian]

36. 21 doesn't seem like many Senate Dems.

:shrug:

I don't see Senator Bill Nelson on there. Help me figure if it is the Bayh's Conservadems who are missing. I need to find the list of them.

[riderinthestorm]

35. This I believe!

Heh. Always wanted to use that line from the NPR show...

:hi:

The good doc is correct as usual. Great post.

[The Wizard]

38. Memo to the Blue Dogs

Get on board with this or lose your committee chairs. If they can't sell good policy to their constituents or are more concerned with campaign funding from the insurance lobby, then maybe they should be replaced with someone better.

[harun]

39. Democratic party has been able to use the excuse that the Pukes

wouldn't let them reform for a long time. They don't reform now and they will be punished severely at the ballot box.

[KG]

40. even if that were not so, it's absolutely the right thing to do anyway.

the dems are in position to get many progressive initiatives moved foward. the position the rank and file have looked for since 1994.

but the leadership remains stacked with politcally corrupt moral cowards, more responsive to corp lobbyists than the people that actually voted them into office.

[phantom power]

41. Clearly, we have to make these people afraid of losing their elections.

[MasonJar]

42. Obama will also not be around if he does not deliver on his motto,

Change we can believe in. I am sick of words without substance!

[Zambero]

44. Earth to DINO's!

Mission Control (= your constituency) urges you to support meaningful health care reform or you will be vaporized (= lose) during the critical re-entry phase (= 2010 re-election campaign).

[2Design]

46. who would we lose them to - not republicans - they will do nothing

for the people - the dems just roll over even when they have power - maybe need to live in a more democratic country that believes in its people and not so much money spent on military crap and empire building

[madfloridian]

47. Did Baucus and the senate really laugh at the single payer advocates?

Did they think it was all a joke?

I need to find where I read that. I heard Baucus said they might need more police?

[madfloridian]

49. I feel discouraged about this lately.

Since the Senate laughed about making the single payer advocates leave.

[SmileyRose]

51. I think he's threatening, not proselyting.

At least I hope so.

[Vidar]

52. As we should.