Tell Congress: Don't Go Until You Vote on Health Care - Sign the Petition!

[HughMoran]

I don't do all of these petitions, but I think this one is worth wile.

Tell Congress: Don't Go Until You Vote on Health Care

The Senate just announced they'll take a month-long vacation before voting on health care reform.

But Americans can't afford to wait: while the Senate is on vacation, over 400,000 people could lose their health coverage.

Every member of Congress needs to hear--quickly--that voters want them focused on health care now, not running off on vacation. Sign the petition today.

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators and Representative.

http://pol.moveon.org/dontgo/?id=16660-3949571-nq7B8Xx&t=3

I left appropriate comments to those in Congress who think now is a good time to take vacation. :mad:

[FreakinDJ]

1. Done K&R

[skipos]

2. done nt

[HughMoran]

3. Maybe the Gates thing IS taking some of the air out of the healthcare debate

Maybe DU can't multitask?

[RufusTFirefly]

4. Vote for what? Officially-sanctioned pocket-picking?

This isn't even a compromise. It's a massive capitulation to the insurance industry

AMY GOODMAN: But do you think that a public plan, that’s being proposed, could lead ultimately to single payer? Because most people would opt for the public plan, which is the health insurance companies’ greatest nightmare, and ultimately would go in that other direction.

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH: I don’t know that, Amy. I mean, right now what I see is a public plan that gives the insurance companies the option to pick the people’s pockets. As long as you have a public plan, which now is going to be supported by what? Cuts in Medicaid, on the other hand? And undermining benefits to the elderly? Are you kidding me? I mean, this is—the balance that’s being constructed right now indicates an inherent flaw in the proposal, to begin with. Now, I will vote for it, if we can keep the single payer in, because I think it would be worth the price. But without the single-payer provision in it, I don’t know what’s in the bill that would really be worthy of supporting.

Dennis speaks the truth as always.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/as_obama_continues_push_for_healthcare

[HughMoran]

5. So we'll get nothing and be happy with it!

I don't see how this contributes to the debate. Running though the streets screaming "Dennis said it picks our pockets" is not going to get us healthcare any sooner.

[RufusTFirefly]

6. Voting for an inadequate solution that pisses off people more won't help either

Watch what happens at the mid-term elections. It's not going to be pretty.

Voters expect Republicans to screw them over for corporations. As a result, it isn't fair, but the GOP gets a pass on this matter. But the fantasy about Democrats as the party of the people still exists. And when it turns out the health care plan is simply making insurance companies richer, angry voters and shameless Republican pundits alike will focus their animus not on corporations, where it belongs, but on the Democratic Party.

I hope I'm wrong. Truly I do. But I don't think I am.

[HughMoran]

7. I hope you're wrong too

I'm certainly not going to look at this as a glass half-empty before having tried it though.

[RufusTFirefly]

8. But ask yourself: Why are we at this point?

What Americans -- if they truly had the facts instead of fear-mongering propaganda that would make the Politburo blush -- would oppose some sort of Medicare for All plan?

Really. Follow the thread of any logic opposing single-payer and you will eventually hit bullshit. I'm not saying that our American version of the British or Canadian system can't be modified, enhanced, or improved. It can. We can learn from them what works and what doesn't work. But the fundamental principle is totally sound.

The only people who have reason to oppose Medicare for All are insurance companies and the other giants of the health care industry, which profit off our illnesses and -- just as important -- our perceived illnesses.

Unfortunately, their votes count and ours don't.

[dflprincess]

9. I agree with RufusT and I hope we're both wrong

but at least the House version of the bill makes me think we're not.

I don't think a recess is that bad an idea. Most of them go back to the districts and spend at least sometime mingling with us serfs. In Minnesota this usually happens at the country fairs and it's a big tradition at the "Great Minnesota Get Together" (aka the state fair). If you time your visit right, it gives you a chance to meet face to face with your reps (and candidates in election years) and, at least, members of their staffs are always at the their fair booths.

It's one thing to call and write them, but I think if they see a lot of us in the flesh and we're all saying "this bill is crap, we need single payer and we need it now" - it will hit home a little harder.

Obama said yeseterday that even if this bill passes in the fall it will "take years" before it's up and running completely. That is just bogus - it took 11 months to get Medicare going and that is the system we should be building on.

[RufusTFirefly]

11. Thanks dflprincess!

From a Carleton grad and one-time student of Paul's. :hi:

[dflprincess]

18. It's when issues like this come up that I really still miss Wellstone

I'd bet he'd be standing with Bernie Sanders & fighting for single payer.


:hi: back

[TahitiNut]

10. MoveOn gets it right again. They're becoming the foremost liberal activism organization.

:applause:

[JimWis]

12. Done

[dgibby]

13. According to the MSM,

Reid does not have the votes to pass health care legislation in the Senate. the problem? Blue Dog Demos and Dinos.

[HughMoran]

14. Then let them sit in session through the entire month of August explaining why they hate Americans

:mad:

[kenfrequed]

15. signed

Darn it. What the heck are they thinking?

[DailyGrind51]

16. Done! Thank you!

[Union Yes]

17. Done! knr