Tell these corporate whores that it has to be our way or the highway (for them).
Single payer, public funded is what we need.
If they (Congress/Senate) can't get their collective shit together then THEY have to forfeit the 'at the taxpayers expense' health care that THEY enjoy.

Kick the 'posers' to the curb and get some new and hopefully real representation.

They will pour billions into the most deceitful, broken banking system and failing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan but 'we the people' can't have a universal health care plan... BITE ME!

imo

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The AMA tends to be a pretty reactionary group. We'll see where they end up on the issue. Here's other voices:

Physicians for a National Health Program

New England Journal of Medicine

Many other groups are not prima facie opposed to a public option:

10 Physician groups announce heath care reform principles (interestingly, this list includes the AMA)

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I think finally Progressives have the ear of the Democratic leadership, at least on this issue ... We must keep up the pressure!

All this points in one direction ...

We need Publicly funded campaigns and elections ...

The big money keeps coming back, time after time after time ... With publicly funded campaigns and elections we can guarantee politicians access to campaign funds for taking on special interests ...

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We won't prosecute you for murder if you graciously step out of the way.

As for their employees (you know, the ones who have the job of preventing the insured from getting what they need), the public would be better off paying them to do nothing.

(This is for Jackie, my friend since college, though it's too late for her to know it. She died prematurely of a stroke and renal failure on August 23, 2006.)

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We are being played, as usual. They will pass "reforms" that put the onus on the public and the money in the insurance company pockets. Imagine being a family of four with a $50,000 income and have a "MANDATE" that you purchase health insurance. The average cost is nearly $13,000 in 2008, see the National Coalition on Health Care website http://www.nchc.org/documents/Costs-Workers-2009.pdf

A family would then face having to pay insurance over food, mortgage/rent, clothes for their kids and all other necessities. This is absolutely the most heinous thing congress can do to us. If the Democrats do this, it puts the final screws in the coffin of democracy. At every turn we will be in the corporate grasp and there is little way out, fascism will be finalized.

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Seems to me when our Founders envisioned this Free Country- it was not just our form of Gov't which was to be 'Of,For & By the people' but also our Free market. Over the last century our market has been dominated and controlled by Incs and Corps- effectively prohibiting 'We the people' to access it AS Vendors/providers/producers. That reeks of Treason to Me.
The corps and their Political whores have relegated US to mere consumers. We are not afforded the birthright to act as Sellers or merchants in a collectve manner. And isn't that what Corps and Incs essentially are- a collection of investors. If We the People are floating the program (premiums, taxes,international loans), then doesn't that make US essentially also shareholders too?
There are Two sides to the market Table- by refusing to allow US to step behind it as provider of goods and services, they are undermining the entire concept laid out by our Founders.Setting up a market place no different than the Old Euporean elite 'merchant class' system.Our Founders not only rejected that cast structure- they waged a Revolutionary War,shed blood, to Free US of it. Thus To reject, refuse, prohibit a Public Option is Unconstituional, Illegal, Treasonous.Not to mention an affront to the whole concept of a FREE market ideology- there is never Too much competition if market forces are to work properly.
Don't call yourself an American, or even a "Free Marketeer" if you oppose a Public healthcare option

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Why can't the US just buy the health insurers and be done with it. Develop a government plan, announce that US will buy up all shares of health insurers which want to sell out at fair market value and allow the remaining insurers to either offer supplemental policies or to compete against US plan. Also require everyone to participate in either US or private plans.

Seems like this would solve the problem. The US would gain the apparatus it needs to process claims, insurers would have the option of cashing out and those who don't want to participate in a government plan would still have that option.

Oh, and in my ideal world, we would also begin to focus on preventive care, better nutrition and reducing the size of our medical establishment - if people were healthier there would be a lot less need for health care providers.

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I imagine all the neocon shills around a table, tossing out ideas, saying "Okay, we have to come up with an option with no real teeth in it, that won't disrupt the status quo in any way, will not interfere with pharma and insurance company hegemony over health care, yet will have just the right language to make the public think they have a real alternative. Who wants to start?"

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Just don't forget that a line in the sand marks a fallback position -- the line behind which you won't retreat. It's also a line from which to keep pushing forward. Me, I don't think "public option" alone is enough. This public option has to be open to everybody. No income cap, and no restrictions on employment status.

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"Reconcilliation" sounds like just another word for "watered-down ripoff."

Nancy Pelosi dodged the question of what she herself intends to do as Speaker of the House – again – by citing "not enough votes" instead. My guess is that if it comes down to her influence making a difference, she will fold – again.

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The most likeky scenario for this bill is that it'll go to committee, and die there, Obama or no Obama.

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