OK, it's official: The corporations are astroturfing the FUCK out of this anti-single payer bullshit

[Sebastian Doyle]

Mike Malloy has taken THREE Repuke callers tonight, specifically calling to bitch about single payer. The first one claimed to be a "school teacher from Alabama" and sounded sincere enough in his misinformed beliefs.

But the other two were definitely reading from scripts.

Single payer is supposedly "off the table" yet they're running scared from it?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. How about that doctor from my old town Columbus OH? Pitiful!

[GReedDiamond]

2. I don't think they're "running scared"...

...I think they are using tried-and-true bait and switch tactics to bamboozle "regular folks" into, once again, voting against their own self-interest.

Plus, yes, they (the fascist talk radio/cable teevee media), are also sending their borgs out to spew their parasitic vomit against universal single payer...maybe we need a sexier phrase, such as "you pay your taxes, your health care is covered cradle to grave."

OK, that's not so sexy...

...but as long as I'm PAYING MY TAXES, why should not I, we, you, and you too, get something back from the FedGovt besides:

Wall Street Bailouts, ongoing multiple "wars," continuing support for outsourcing of manufacturing and high tech jobs, a continued assault on marijuana (as opposed to doing the most logical and humane thing, legalize, regulate, tax), etc etc??

[Oregone]

3. The dont need to. The Democrats are talking against this "draconian" system themselves

[drm604]

4. Did you expect otherwise?

Of course they're astroturfing.

Supposedly 72 percent of the American people favor single-payer, but it doesn't look like we're going to get anything close to it.

[Cleita]

5. If they are reading from scripts then there are boiler room operations.

I wonder it there is anyway to find out where the calls are originating from and exposing them. If we can get some proof, I'm certain Ed Schultz will out them on his shows.

[Cleita]

6. Also, Bernie Sanders takes calls on Thom Hartmann's show every Friday

in the first hour. We should try to get through to him and alert him that we are suspicious that this is going on. This is Thom's call in number while he's on the air:
866-987-THOM.

[AllentownJake]

7. They don't even have to do this

The fix was fucking in a long time ago. Do you think these corp don't hedge their damn bets.

[TheKentuckian]

8. Hell, they're going balls to the wall against any government program.

Obviously, they can't abide the least thought of single payer. They are probably legally obligated to their shareholders to be against it. Insurance companies aren't overly populated with the type of folks that would be willing to give up huge money for the common good.

Don't get it twisted either, all support above 40% is soft as butter at room temperature. I feel good about a firm majority for a public option but that firm majority isn't close to 80% either. A good portion can be scared off of it as we have previously seen.
A direct leap to single payer is desirable, in my opinion but also pretty close to completely unlikely.
I see neither the votes nor the public demand and WILL to scratch them out. You got to pretty much have one or the other to do much. We do however, have a guy willing and able to get out in front of a robust public option and that's just based on the simply campaign out line. Available to all, affordable, at the quality we provide for our Senators beats the dogshit out of the nothing I have now (despite working my 40+).

If I could pay my Uncle Sam a hundred a month or less and be squared away, it would be a great blessing. A serious huge win. Yes, I want to live in a country where you walk in for treatment and that is that but almost all of our lives can see very real, needed, and in some cases lifesaving improvements at stops short of the grail.
Clearly, we should go as far as we can towards building our more perfect Union but each stop along the way is worth fighting for.

[zbdent]

9. "Yeah, hi state host's name. I'm a lifelong Democrat from insert home state, and

I have to say, I'm going to vote for a Republican from now on ..."

[malaise]

10. And if you have any doubt check out Mary Carey on WJ this morning

straight from Kaiser News.

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. Mary Carey?

As in... porn star and Celebrity Rehab alumnus Mary Carey??

[Starry Messenger]

11. I think we have a few here too.

Keep an eye peeled.

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Wouldn't surprise me.

Along with the tobacco shills, and the pharma shills, and the NRA shills, and the whatever government agency propagandists that hang out in the 9/11 forum shills. And the Daley staffers and the Rendell staffers and the DLC interns and the..... oh never mind :evilfrown:

[Kaleva]

14. Lots of money is riding on this (heatlh care reform)