Reps. Weiner and Welch as Obama: "Where's the Single-Payer Advocate?"

[lwcon]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2010/02/wheres-the-single-payer-advoca.html

“Dear Mr. President,” they write. “During the State of the Union address, you stated, ‘But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know.’

“We’d like to take you up on the offer.”

Their idea is pretty easy to understand: Medicare for all.

If Obama prefers to keep ignoring them, his longtime doctor, and Drs. Marget Flowers and Carol Paris, he could always listen to this guy.

Please K&R if you support single-payer Medicare for All.

[cali]

1. I'm really happy that Peter is doing a good job filling Bernie's

old seat.

[Oregone]

2. His call for ideas was political and rhetorical

He wanted to appear to have the only plan to the public with his challenge. He already knows full well about single-payer.

But I imagine these respondents already know that, and are doing quite the same thing

[lwcon]

12. Why did he make that call merely political and rhetorical?

Why doesn't he want a plan that would, y'know, solve our problems to be on the table?

[Oregone]

13. Because with such a plan, the private sector cannot profit from it

This new age of politics dictates that solutions will only be delivered for the people so long as private industry can profit from them, even if such a mechanism reduces the efficiency of the actual solution. Its the Third Way.

[lwcon]

14. But, but...

Obama's the transformative, 11-dimensional answer to the evil DLC!

Wha hoppen?

No one could have anticipated!

[Krakowiak]

61. many anticipated this, but what were the alternatives? per your blog, you bet on Edwards.....

Many of us here thought he was more obviously phony than Obama, so we placed our bets. Looks like we were going to lose no matter the outcome.

[salib]

47. Only partially true

You are forgetting one of the more useful tenants of being Johnnie-on-the-Spot, otherwise known as disaster capitalism (without the need to create disasters):

Someone can always profit.

Medicare for All would be a HUGE boon for medical providers, if they are willing to (a large majority would love to) "re-invent" the industry into something which efficiently provides good outcomes, i.e., actually provides health care.

Of course, others, those who are worried about "who stole their cheese", would loose out big time. Think the future Dollar Bill McGuire (http://www.startribune.com/business/11093081.html), and of course the other "modes" of profiteering like health insurance, pharma, etc.


How's that for taking THEIR meme and running with it?

[LaydeeBug]

3. yep. They say they endorse it, and haven't lifted a finger even for the compromise of public option

:shrug:

[lwcon]

4. And what is the "public option"?

It's a compromise between real reform (single payer or socialized medicine) and almost nothing or even worse (a plan with an undetermined, but plainly very small % of citizens who aren't profitable for Big Insurance being covered, while still more of us are fed to the profit-making machine).

[slipslidingaway]

5. knr - and Kucinich and PNHP both sent letters early this month...

asking that some Medicare for All advocates be included at the summit.

http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=169711

"Washington, Feb 8 -

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today sent a letter to President Obama commending him for calling for new ideas and a renewed discussion about health care reform. Kucinich requested that supporters of Medicare for All be represented at the upcoming February 25 health care summit.

“I hope you will invite a representative of the community that is advocating for the only health care that has consistently proven to address each of the criteria you have outlined for a satisfactory health care plan: Medicare for All,” wrote Kucinich.

Kucinich, who co-authored HR 676, Medicare for All, with Representative John Conyers (D-MI), further pointed out that many states have embraced a single-payer system of health care. Most recently, the California State Senate passed a single-payer health care bill on January 27, 2010.

Read the full letter here..."

http://kucinich.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Medicare_for_All_Ltr_to_Obama.pdf


PNHP requests invitation to Feb. 25 White House health summit

http://pnhp.org/news/2010/february/pnhp-requests-invitation-to-feb-25-white-house-health-summit

"The following letter was sent to the White House on Feb. 9, two days after President Obama announced his plans to convene a bipartisan summit on health reform on Feb. 25 in Washington.
February 9, 2010..."

[Jefferson23]

7. I hope they are included.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Me too, although there has already been a lot of damage done

as the RW has had a year to misrepresent what a Medicare for All would be like.

[lwcon]

10. It's pretty easy

When so few Dems represent what it would look like.

Millions of sound-bites for phony "death panel" stories, but almost no airtime for single-payer.

[slipslidingaway]

15. That is exactly the problem, there are so few Dems who accurately

represent what a Medicare for All system would look like.

[librechik]

6. KNR--Keep your promises, Mr. President n/t

[lwcon]

16. He just promised an open and transparent process that considered all options

Oh, wait...

[Cleita]

8. The single payer advocates aren't allowed anywhere near Congress

or the White House without getting arrested. That's the simple fact. Dr. Flowers I believe has already been arrested twice trying to get the single payer POV explained to the lawmakers on how it works and what it would cost. Our corrupt lawmakers have shown themselves to be in it for the money and anyone and anything that threatens to derail that gravy train will end up in jail. The rest of us will get thrown under the bus and if we are lucky maybe they will throw a few peanuts after us to distract us for the time being.

[midnight]

11. I'll second that-medicare for all....

[liberal_at_heart]

17. K&R for single payer

I just can't believe the crap they keep coming up with for healthcare. Now there is suppose to be a pannel to make insurance companies justify rate increases. Oh yeah, that's going to fix the problem. So instead of hiking rates up all at once they just go on increasing it incrimentally so we don't notice. Where do all these crappy ideas for healthcare keep coming from? The only answer is single payer. That is the only answer. I just heard that banks are hiking up homeowners insurance rates. Where is the president and Congress on bank regulations? Where is the representation for the people instead of the corporations?

[Lorien]

18. K & R!

Ignoring us WILL NOT make us go away, Mr. President!

[indy legend]

30. but it will piss us off in the 2010 & 2012 primaries and elections.

Trust me. Those of us who trusted you will not forget where you stood when the time to stand up came. Abandon you base and get your concession speech ready.

[MadBadger]

19. Public Option will barely get to 51 votes in the Senate (if it does at all)

But sure, lets all live in the land of make believe for a little while longer.

[lwcon]

20. Advocacy is about more than short-term certainties or likelihoods

It's often about laying the groundwork for near- or long-term votes.

Unfortunately, "public option" is an empty wrapper, so it's a huge and costly distraction whether or not it gets passed.

[liberation]

46. The civil rights proponents did not have enough votes during the 50s...

... the gall of those minorities to expect their government to do the right thing, no?

And those red coats had massive firepower, so Washington et al should have just stayed home.

And during the constitutional assemblies, there were no solid majorities during the drafting process. All those founding fathers should have scrapped that silly constitutional convention as non binding.

And what about that FDR guy? Daring to push a populist programme right after a decade of solid republican majorities. And let's not talk about his insane commitment to have US troops fight a two front world war against the biggest military powers of the time combined, we should have stayed home and give Hawaii to the Japanese (and maybe most of the West Coast for good Measure). Again, the gall of that fella!

Oh, and what about Obama. He was a half black guy, with a terrorist sounding name, and going against a war hero. I should have stayed home, and not doing all that foot work, phone banking, and donations to a campaign which may not have been guaranteed to get that 51% of the vote. Right?

For fuck's sake, is there any aspect of our society which does not involve at a very basic level the expectation of having everything both ways? We were being sold "hope and change" by the very same people who now are telling us "shame on you" for expecting exactly that: "Hope and Change."

[bertman]

70. Thank you, liberation, for showing us the spirit of VICTORY and how it does not accept

the normal parameters of "there are too many obstacles" or "we can't possibly do that".

[liberation]

45. When did we switch from the "yes we can" during the election to the "no we can't because"

I don't get the DLC memos, so I must have missed that one.

So basically what you are trying to say, that the whole "hope and change" were simple rhetorical slogans for electioneering purposes. Right?

[MadBadger]

52. Yes We can doesnt mean we can just ignore reality and do whatever the fuck we want

And the reality is that we arent even sure there are 50 votes in the Senate for the Public Option. And if there arent 50 votes for the PO, there certainly arent 50 votes for single-payer. Its called REALITY.

[Vincardog]

54. Well let them STAND up and VOTE. If they want to vote against SINGLE PAYER they can forget my help

in the future.

[liberation]

59. It is funny that you use your own perception of an event which has not even happened as "reality"

By the same token, when Obama started exploring his run for the presidency, he was an unknown with little weight in the polls at the time. So what is good for the gander now should have been good for the goose then and Obama should have stayed put in the senate, right?

People who are only willing to stand on issues based on whether or not it is expedite for them to do so, should not be shocked when their are labeled for what they are: political opportunists. And that is fine, for tastes there are colors. I just get tired of people trying to spin ideologically unconstrained opportunism into "brave political leadership."

[grahamhgreen]

75. Bull. Those Senators don't dare vote themselves out of office. nt

[lonestarnot]

21. K & R!

[DisgustedInMN]

22. So, when those of us that...

.. don't worship the ground that Barack walks on, are angered when he is clearly lying, as he clearly is here, are we still "the bad guys?"

Shame on you Barack Obama, you've turned your back on us and you'll see in November just how big of a mistake that was.

[lwcon]

24. It's always bad to be skeptical

Even when people are repeatedly screwing you.

You're supposed to hope for change, not demand it, silly!

[DisgustedInMN]

31. Ahhh shucks...

.. guess I forgot.

:dunce:

[timtom]

23. Recommended and Kicked

Or, K&R, as it is sometimes called.

[Echo In Light]

25. K&R

[Overseas]

26. K&R. We groveled to the Gang of 6, then the Gang of 4, then Olympia, then Joe but No No No

Don't allow an advocate for the best system with the lowest overhead, highest patient satisfaction, and a record of success?

Why aren't we beginning the meeting with what most Democrats want-- the most efficient, much more compassionate system?

Why not begin with -- Look GOP plutocrats, here's what we wanted-- Medicare for All. National Health Security as a priority, especially after the Bush Crash and Bush Bailout.

But we thought you GOP Greedy Obstructionist Plutocrats wouldn't go for that. So we took it off the table. That was Giant Step One to be bipartisan.

And go through each step of tossing out one after the other of favored Democratic health reform that Democrats have already done.

Then ask them-- we've made X-# of Major Compromises-- how many have you made?

[fascisthunter]

27. see... this is why I call fraud

if he really wanted to change the system to make it more efficient and less costly to the tax payer, he'd go along with a robust Public Option or at least Medicare for all, which seems to be a better approach. No need to reinvent the wheel here...

Right now people are dying, getting more sick, loses houses all because of Health Insurnace. Insurance is unecessary to have good healthcare.

[Little Star]

28. k&r

[ronatchig]

29. Going for the uprights

kick

[ClassWarrior]

32. Drop the "single payer" language.

Just call it "Medicare for all." Shorter to say, simpler, more widely understood.

Just sayin...

NGU.

[lwcon]

33. The problem is...

euphemisms are what got us in this bait-and-switch fix in the first place.

"Public option" (whatever it is) proponents have misappropriated both "Medicare" and "Medicare for All" at times, somehow jettisoning the everybody-in, no-body out, no profit motive for basic healthcare aspect, so I think it's important to remind people of what plan we're talking about.

[ClassWarrior]

39. You're just confusing people when you say "single payer." Most people don't know...

...what that means. They do know what Medicare means. And if PO proponents attempt to use that terminology, then let's hold 'em to it.

:shrug:

NGU.

[slipslidingaway]

67. I understand what you are saying and have tried to use the Medicare

for All terminology more often, but I also remember what happened when Dr. Himmelstein spoke out against those who equated the PO with Medicare.

Yes, I agree that his statement was harsh and he should have been more diplomatic, but I believe he became so fed up with what was being said, practically every night in the media and at talks all across the country. Then when polls were taken people equated the PO with Medicare, the media then repeats the polls showing support for the PO, just like Medicare proposal. Very confusing for people who are not paying close attention and also helps to silence the MFA movement.

:hi:

Link from July...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6122494&mesg_id=6122494

[Romulox]

34. k/r. nt

[girl_interrupted]

35. K&R

[Blue Owl]

36. feet to the fire, baby

and hold 'em there...

:applause:

[Autumn Colors]

37. K&R for Single-Payer! (nt)

[SaveOurDemocracy]

38. K&R!!

[freddie mertz]

40. K & R. They fear single-payer, Medicare for All, because it WILL work.

This is not about taking care of people. It's about diverting more and more individual and government funds into the coffers of the corporations.

That has always been the core of this plan.

Obama is not proposing a solution. He is part of the problem.

[lwcon]

43. Sorry to say it

Seeing Dr. Dean in your avatar, but he's been a major ringleader in this:

* Pushing "public option"
* Conflating "public option" with Medicare
* Promoting the idea that people love their insurers

I know he's given Obama some static, but only in favor of the fake "public option" plan. In fact, that was the brilliance of the "PO" campaign, to co-opt a handful of respected people and rely on truthiness and tribalism to carry the day. To this day, you can't get "PO" advocates to answer the most basic questions about it, and they rain hate on you for pointing out the holes you could drive a secret deal with Big Pharma through.

[Bozita]

60. The MSM will never allow single payer to have a fair shake in any of the HCR discussions

Advocates are demonized and ridiculed.

[Lorien]

65. It already does work in more civilized Nations

there's no question there. The problem for the DLCers is the obvious ;loss of profits for the uber wealthy.

[fascisthunter]

71. less campaign contributions as well

[Stinky The Clown]

41. Ah geeeze ..... more anti Obama hate speech

:sarcasm: <---in the **extreme**

[SandWalker1984]

42. Obama's "new" fix for health care still looks like the "old" one.

In either Obama's new plan or the Senate's old one -- THE CORPORATIONS WIN BIG TIME.

Still no public option. Insurance exchanges are a joke. They tried that here in FL and the insurance companies took very little time to ratchet the prices up to the moon.

Still a tax on middle class health care plans.

Still huge restrictions on a woman's right to choose.

Still special protection for drug makers who fight against Medicare drug price negotiation, reimportation and access to cheaper generic medecines.

Still no caps or restrictions on what the insurance corporations can charge it's MANDATED, CAPTIVE VICTIMS.

Oh, there is one "change" -- the bill forces you to pay an even BIGGER FINE if you don't buy the overpriced, under delivering products of the private insurance corporations.



If I had wanted to be treated this way, I would have elected Republicans.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[liberation]

48. It is not the same, Obama's plan has more electrolytes.

Isn't that what liberals crave?

[Yurovsky]

57. And FIBER. Can't ever get too much FIBER.

Euell Gibbons wouldn't lie to you...


Oh, and pine cones are edible! Ask any squirrel!

[pleah]

44. K&R

[colsohlibgal]

49. He Asked For It

...they gave it to him. Weiner is awesome, not as deliciously bombastic as Grayson, but still, like old HST, pulls no punches as he tells it like it is.

It goes without saying that we should have been hearing a lot more from Dr. Flowers than Max Baucus as this process unfolded.

Way to call Obama on his empty, shallow political rhetoric.

[me b zola]

50. K&R

It's the only solution that makes perfect sense (and dollars & cents).

[Vincardog]

51. K&R I support single-payer Medicare part E for Everyone.

[Better Believe It]

53. K & R

[daleanime]

55. If we have enough voices...

then they have got to hear some one right?:mad:

[Norrin Radd]

56. kr

[lwcon]

58. Outstanding response, all!

Such a breath of fresh air with so much hot air about re: the meaningless "public option."

Support single-payer Medicare for all! It will save money and save lives.

[Krakowiak]

62. K'ed and R'ed! (nt)

[Greyhound]

63. K&R.

[bvar22]

64. K&R for Medicare for All

[varelse]

66. K&R

[RainDog]

68. kick

[slipslidingaway]

69. PNHP - no reply from the White House to their request..

http://pnhp.org/news/2010/february/doctors-group-obama-plan-leaves-millions-uninsured-boosts-private-insurers

"...Although the physicians' group requested an invitation to Thursday's summit at Blair House, no reply from the White House has been forthcoming, Young said. Similarly, requests from Reps. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Anthony Weiner of New York and Peter Welch of Vermont that single-payer advocates be included in the meeting have apparently gone unanswered.


Outside the Blair House on Thursday, a grassroots "Sidewalk Summit for Medicare for All" will underscore popular support for the measure."

[bertman]

72. "Weiner and Welch AS Obama: . . ." What are those guys, presidential impersonators?

Or are they just doing a brief stand-in date?

:eyes:


"Preview" is your friend.

[Saxon]

73. Health Insurance Corp = Fail

I think the Health Insurance Corps are in big trouble. Their business model is not working in this recession. The young and healthy and now the unemployed are dropping off the rolls. This leaves them with only the people who have no choose because they are older or have on going medical problems.

This set of customers (victims) cost them money instead of generating a profit.

We can see result in the resent premium increases of 20 to 39 percent. IMO these increases are also to send the message to the politicians that they better pass reform or else.

What they want and must have or go out business is the mandate and no public option.

BTW the big pharma is also in trouble. The following is a resent OP on a finical blog from an pharma insider.


"I have been in this industry over 13 years and I have never seen anything like this.

You are going to see colossal layoffs in this space in the second half of the year. I would not be surprised to see 30,000 layoffs in my company alone.

The big boys are losing nearly EVERY single blockbuster patent by 2012. HR is doing a Chris Brown on us here in sales as well as R&D. We have been told to expect a 20% worldwide layoff by June.

Every company is doing the same.

The combination of a tougher FDA, generic deterioration, and lack of drug discovery may very well make this industry nearly obsolete within 5 years.

I will be lucky to make it into the 2nd quarter myself. I have NEVER seen more backstabbing, fear, and desperation in any other corporate environment that I have been a part of.

There is a worldwide panic in this industry and it's going to be a humungous blow to the economy. Many high paying jobs are going to evaporate over the next 2 years.

Many of you may take pride in this because of our industries reputation but it is not good for the USA when any large industry virtually disappears.

Sad times."


In order for Big Pharma to survive in it's present form their patents must be extended.
Let's see, where have I seen that idea proposed before?

[penndragon69]

74. K&R x 100