Bill Moyers: Dangerous Alliance of Health Industry and Right-Wingers Will Stop at Nothing to Derail Progressive Reforms

Bill Moyers interviews Trudy Lieberman & Marcia Angell

Just what is Obama's Health Care Plan? Not even the experts know!

Listen to Lieberman and Angell ... Begins at about 5 minutes into the video ... But watch the whole video if you can ... another Moyer's Triumph !

A Must View !

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It’s a time for hard choices if we really want change. The Moyers discussion of health care, from which the text of this article comes and that is referred to in the comment up thread, makes perfectly clear how deeply entrenched the opposition to change is.

And, yes, it seems that the Senate Finance Committee, headed by majority head Baucus and minority head Grassley, are not supporters of change. Health care has been a cash cow for a substantial share of American business. And the symbolic significance of “socialized” medicine deserves to finally be put to the test rather than distorted by special interests.

When the Clinton plan in 93-94 got shelved, I did not realize that we would have to wait nearly 20 years before health care even came up for serious consideration again.

The stakes are high. We need the Administration’s leadership. Americans, according to the polls, want public medical coverage by a wide majority. All we need to be told is what we need to do to show our support for single-payer medical coverage. Mr. President, ask and you shall receive.

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I think one way to isolate the medical industrial complex would be to project the actual employer/employee contributions for the public option – or better yet a single-payer option. Once employees could actually see how these apparent increases in taxes are offset by the elimination of the substantial health insurance contributions, both employers and employees would get excited about the plans. Not only the absolute amounts of these contributions, but we need to also consider that single-payer will put the breaks on the steep increases in premiums we have all experienced.

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Yes. The cost is important. But the argument that it's not good is way off base. We are framing the battle wrongly: on THEIR ground. Look at it this way: THEY have 100% health care coverage for the rest of their lives for anything and everything, all tests and treatments and, though WE pay for it, it works. It's more like they don't want US to have what they've got (that WE are paying for). I think we need to begin throwing it in their faces, as if to say, "YOU'VE got socialized medicine, why not US?" (If they fire back with "it's a privilege" we've got them!)

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Since when did America let traitors run the news ? Kinda like a bad cancer. Good luck

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I doubt that the future is a bright one for Republicans. As you may have noticed, wingers always predict a rosy future for themselves, no matter how screwed they are.

I call this harmless, albeit irritating, form of behavior compensatory prognostication. You see it wherever wingnuts are gathered together.

Members of the 9/11 "Truth" Movement also comfort themselves in this way.

Nonetheless, health care reform is going worse than even I--who thought Obama was a trainwreck during the primaries--could have predicted. It's not good news for the Repubs; it's bad news for everyone.

It's astonishing just how right the PUMAs turned out to be. Almost overnight, Obama supporters have gone extinct. People at HuffPo are saying things like, "Well...he's not as bad as McCain!"--an increasingly dubious proposition, as we realize Obama heads for fame as the worst Republican President in the last 50 years.

Keep in mind, the Obama folks alienated millions of Democrats with their dirty campaigning. Obama Democrats would never hurt a Republican; but they will do anything to hurt their fellow Democrats. I'm a witness.

In other news, they have moved DNC headquarters to Chicaco. Be afraid, Democrats. Be very afraid.

I doubt that the implosion of the Democratic Party will help the right, as they hope. But they are right that Obama will be broken. Of course, Obama was "broken" when he poured trillions into the banking system.

By 2012, with the failure of all Obama initiatives, there will be no major, functioning political party.

What a signal failure for today's young voters! The election of 2008 was their first time out in politics, their first big chance...and they f*cked up completely.

Maybe we should call them Generation F*ck-Up.


Video: in which Mr. Logan falls into a Hole in History

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The Republican ankle biters are proving once again that they have absolutely nothing to offer America but economic crisis after economic crisis. They have taken more than twenty years... well, really, since Reagan they have had their way, and ruled Congress, and a large portion of the the time, the Oval Office. And what have they done for America other than fill their pockets with hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars? Ponzi Schemes. And Bernanke, Head of The Fed, walks into Congressional Committee and says he doesn't have a clue where half a billion dollars went. "Gee," he says. He scratches his head. "I...Just don't know."

Right! And my Gramma rides Sea Bisquit sidesaddle.

Repukes are nothing more than liars and thieves and child molesters; oh, and closeted gays. G W Bush, the lush, and Jeff Gannon: remember the president's boyfriend? He got a Press Pass when nobody, not even journalist Maureen Dowd could get a Press Pass. But Jeff Gannon got full clearance from the SS to walk right in. And nobody in the Main Stream Media thought that was interesting enough to investigate.

Glenn Beck is certifiably insane. As is Rush, Hannity and Billo. It isn't that I merely disagree with their political theory, ("Don't trust government to do anything." They don't know it, but that thought derives from German economist, Friedrich von Hayek, who was later discredited by John Maynard Keynes) so much as I disagree with their twisted version of truth and their way of warping reality.

That is it. That's all the ankle biters have to offer America. I will promise this, though, if they do manage to stall the single-payer Health Care Reform bill, even though 78% of the population wants it and desperately needs it--- they will use it as their political bean bag. They are spending millions of dollars on this dis-information campaign...but if they win this time, I will take off the gloves and start kicking Republican ass.

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Amid all the postings about the compromises watering down healthcare "reform," people have overlooked the timetable that says the so-called insurance exchange won't start operating until 2013. So what are uninsured people supposed to do in the meantime? Why does it take the industry 3+ years to set this up? Of course, when the insurance industry wants to get bailed out by Washington, that happens within days.

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Consider the Connection to:
A Plug'in 4 Health Care Reform
Please plug'in (search):
Kaiser Family Foundation
Consumers Union United States
Health Care Profiteers & Lobbyists
www.WeWantThePublicOption.com
CTC123GREEN

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This is the plan Obama put forward in the campaign. Neither he nor Hillary was willing to go for a single payer, which I'm convinced is the only way to deliver decent health care to everyone at a reasonable price. (Especially after watching Moyers' Journal last Friday.) Yes, it's possible, but do we have the will?

Is the right ever going to let something like that happen? Is the media, highly dependent on revenues from drug ads, ever going to give it a fair shake?

So the question for the left is complicated. Do we cheer on a system that is unnecessarily inflationary from the outset, or we do we hope for a better day when we can get this right?

Obama has already decided what he thinks is possible, and he never kidded us.

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This article sounds more like "the Republicans are blocking Obama's plan" again. While the Republicans are indeed creeps, forget them as they're in the minority and the Democrats have a filibuster proof majority that they cannot invent excuses for failure. I appreciate the author for bringing up the drug companies towards the end of the article but why aren't they discussing the real culprits, the Democrats themselves and most of all the Obamabots out there who are ok that because it's a Democrat they can do everything they would shout at the Republicans for doing? Besides, Obama and lots of Democrats are also in bed with Big Insurance and Big Pharma as are the Republicans. Obama's plan for "reforming healthcare" already sucks to the point that it deserves to go down in defeat so that the weasel will revert to his 2003 pledge on bringing single payer health care. Tell us President Obama why only people in the military, government employees, big business leaders, and such elites deserve single payer health care while the rest of the nation must bear the costs of privatized care? No nation in the G8 or even G20 is this cruel. Obama's plan is nowhere remotely close to progressive and I look forward to its demise. Obama had better get back to pushing the Democrats to supporting HR676 and Sanders's 3000 as he promised he would do in 2003 or GET OUT !

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Just as the mullahs control Iran, no matter who wins the election, here the medical industry controls the government, no matter who wins the election. What are you going to do about it?

There is one big difference between Iran and the US, however. There is nobody in the street in the US demonstrating for health reform. Why?

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In order to get the public plan passed, we have to hit them where it hurts. We have to drop our medical coverages. It is the only thing they will listen to. Most of Congress has been bought out, we cannot count on them to do anything worthwhile. I dropped mine, we all must do the same. It is time to kill the private health insurance industry, then, the rest will follow.

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Does anyone need more proof of the fundamental corruption of American politics? Lobbyists, lobbyists, lobbyists. Government bought and paid for against the best interests of the citizenry. Fascism is the unholy marriage of government and corporation.

The late 19-Century decision to treat corporations as persons with rights is the single most harmful decision the Supreme Court ever made. Because the Constitution grants the people the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, and because the Supreme Court decided to treat corporations as legal persons, corporations are allowed to lobby Congress.

Until that mistake is rectified, the people are screwed. And since the Republican Party is the party of corporate power, Republicans are diametrically opposed to the interests of people -- human people -- and wholly in thrall to corporations.

Fascism is a social cancer and the Republican Party is infected with it. That cancer must be removed for the people to thrive.

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I have been reading portions of this bill and it totally sucks. There are several clauses for death "options" and lowering standards for training doctors.

Do you want your loved one to be given a death option just because they are old or have a disability? I hate to think they would decide to euthanize my autistic nephew because he has a chronic condition. This bill provides these types of options.

Also there is much provision for illegal aliens.

What about someone like me who does not want insurance or to go to a doctor. I will be forced to pay for it regardless. Also it will heavily tax employers and drive many small businesses under is that fair?

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The battle for health care reform has truly brought to light how our country has become a struggle between the elites (corporate top executives) represented by the GOP and everyone else. The elites only care about enriching themselves and don't care at all about the bottom 98%. If shipping jobs overseas will get them a bigger bonus, who cares about those who lose their jobs. If the current health care system makes them $25 million a year, who cares about those who die from lack of medical care. They don't care. In fact, their ideal world is one with extremes between the rich (them) and everyone else. The more broadly shared prosperity of the post war period was something they wanted to dismantle starting with Reagan. They have been very successful partially due to an excellent campaign of misinformation that has duped many in the bottom 98% to vote against their own best interest. Enough of the electorate woke up during the last election to hopefully start turning things around but the elites are very powerful and will stop at nothing to keep things their way. At least all those who work for the elites instead of the public interest (Blue Dogs) will have been unmasked during this struggle for health care reform. If we don't even get a public option (single payer is what we should be getting), then the elites will have won again and I'm afraid that we might have to look at other options to take back control of our country.

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Too Bad, So Sad!!
Everytime I see that dame Re make commerical, my blood boils. Harry & Louise can go Fuck Themselves!
Boomers spent the last 2 decades blocking, denying and reducing social programs which would cost them their daily Starbuck latte.
Heres an idea to pay "Harry & Louise" Back for their greed and arrogance..How about those born between 1940 and 1955 are relegated to lving the rest of their lives out under what they've Considered 'Senior Care'.Let them suffer like their Grand & parents who struggled to pay for meds by living off dog food.
The 'logic ' the Repugs are using is that people say they are happy with their current coverage- How tell tale about the Arrogance they serve...What about your children? Your grandchildren? Your Sisters/brother? How's their coverage?
WE are covered under what is left of a union healthcare contract, but my 26 yr old daughter has none.Yes Boomers there are jobs which offer no healthcare.
In fact thanks to your Economic Policies, for about the last 2+decades,there are even less now.
Lets Be honest the Boomer Policies have created the clusterfuck we now all face. Spent like drunken sailors- 'Star Wars', Gulf War, Iraq/Afghanistan. But even worse is that they simultaneously were gutting the underpins of our economy- Deregulations, NAFTA, Tax loopholes...'Trickle Down Economics'- the socio-economic mainstay of Monarchies and Dictatorships.
We haven't just lost Jobs and revenue, but our moral compass when it comes to the true values this country was founded on- "Life Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness"....and If Ya Ain't got your health, you got nothing. The founders do not say the right to 'Survival of the Fittest'.In fact that was not even intended for the Market, aka "FREE"- Predatory Practices (against competitors or consumers) negates unhindered access by any and all.
Yet that has been the underlying Socio-econmonic Poltical "Moral's" doctrine of the Country since Boomers became the largest voting block (and Religious Fanatics).
I have to say 'The Greatest Generation' gave birth to the most Naraccistic Generation, currently called the Boomers. And for that The Greatest Generation has Sufferd and so have all the rest of US.
The only way we will be able to move this block of Self serving Brats is to scare the hell out of what their Golden years will be or explain in painful detail EXACTLY how much it will cost them to do nothing- Money really does Talk in th Boomer Generation (like Richard Pryors Crack Pipe).
Frankly some of us 'late Bloomers' and X Generations should push to ration funds and services to that generation progams - like they have to everyone else for the decades. In fact because the Aged Boomers hoarded and stole their wealth- how about they begin to pay a more portional % to the system.
As a Younger generation- who worked with their parents in Long term care, while they were out making their 'millions'- I'm thinking Medicare and Social Security need some cuts. and lets Hold off on Collective bargining with Hospital/Docs/ Pharm, long term care coverage, Home Healthcare either, or fill that RX abyss.
In fact lets leave Senior care exactly the way it is now, until the Boomers die off. 'Reap what you Sew'.Lets Call it "The Boomer Doughnut Hole" of healthcare.
Harry and Louise may have forgotten what they done to healthcare and the country- but the rest of US have not.

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Being a Texan, Moyers is surely aware of how the insurance industry virtually took over the state's supreme court a few years back when it funneled fortunes into the campaigns of GOP candidates who became what 60 Minutes called "The Best Justice Money Can Buy." Sen. John Corny-n got a seat on the court with the same money. These guys are beholden to the insurance industry, which successfully lobbied in Texas to reduce recovery for pain and suffering damages in personal injury suits, thereby invading the province of juries to award whatever they felt the circumstances called for.

The dead giveaway to the massive insurance industry campaign against health care reform comes in the form of appearances by GOP spokespersons on TV pundit programs, as witness Sen. John Kyl's appearance on Fixed News Sunday. These geeks never fail to bring it up: "One of the major problems with the Democrat bills is the lack of tort reform." If you read the New Yorker article on health care in South Texas recently, you know that physicians simply laugh at whether they think the high drain on health care monies in places like McAllen (huge retiree area) has anything to do with lawsuits prompting unnecessary procedures. The only conclusion one could reach from the article is that only one factor is at play: GREED.

Why are the GOPS fighting the President's plan? Not because it is too expensive. They know that taxes on the super rich can pay for the plan, and, sure, that is not to their liking. What they are really worried about is their chums in the insurance industry. If a public plan is put in, it will force the industry to compete, something they've never had to do. This will drive health care costs down and result in lower profits for the insurance industry.

I wish Sen. Kennedy were well enough to travel to D.C. and deliver one of his fiery speeches ending with the idea that he would like to die knowing a lifetime dream had been realized: universal healthcare based not on privilege (as in senatorial privilege) but on basic human rights.

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If Congress caves, our only reasonable alternative will using natural home remedies, refusing to buy these outrageously priced drugs, and traveling to other countries for surgeries.

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I would like to commend the commentators for proving that this bill is nothing close to health care reform. The fact is it has been completely watered down to the point that it's 99% status quo. The drug and insurance companies are wasting billions in tax dollars advertising and lobbying just to distract the public and make it look like it's some kind of major reform which it's not. The pols are supporting their efforts as well so that they can pretend that they did something heroic which they didn't.

beachcomberT raised an excellent point about the fact that when it comes to government responding to a crisis, the insurance industries are given their bailouts so fast but the people who need to be given coverage are put on hold until at least 2013. JenniferBedingfield and mmckinl have also reminded us of Obama's long broken promise on fighting for single payer health care for all. Just like the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Obama's supporters are running shit scared and defending his lies with political excuses that can't even pass a smell test. It seems that only certain classes of people are given universal coverage while the rest of us are left to crummy care. This is exactly how Rome fell but our case is gonna be even worse. This perpetual class warfare especially healthcare had better be ended by supporting true health care for all such as HR 676 instead of the current bill which is selective care.

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Comment on: "The Republicans have more than health care reform in their bombsights -- they want a loss for Obama so crushing it will bring the administration to its knees and restore GOP control of Congress after next year's elections."
They play a truly dangerous game because it could blow up in their face. What if the public sees through their deceit and punishes them in the polls? Can you imagine? Bad Republican puppy!!! Bad, bad, bad!!!! Shitting poison pills into all those bills!!!! BAD! Maybe a couple of whacks with a rolled up newspaper too?!!!! Oh, my God, that would feel so GOOD to administer a whack on their collective heads!
Seriously though, the Democrats need to recognize their tactics and counter with a massive no expense spared campaign of pointing out to the public what they are doing. A Republican would never be elected again! So what if it cuts into their campaign funds. If the Democrats poured everything into their own truthful nuclear option now, the Republican party would be virtually wiped out!

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"By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — More than 18,000 adults in the USA die each year because they are uninsured and can't get proper health care, researchers report in a landmark study released Tuesday."

This was reported back in 2002 !

USA Today No one listened then. Congress failure to act has since killed as many as 100,000 Americans with the paid help of big insurance companies. You probably know someone who gave their life for profit!

Yes friends..this is the American Way ! This is exactly how much you mean to your people in Washington DC.

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HMO's are not concerned with Health-care but rather Wealth-care in the form of whats in their wallets. The million plus that they are spending each day is a drop in the bucket from what they stole from patients and doctors all these years. We want a single payer option government plan that the private sector does not have a hand in.
If this does not happen than "we the people" need to do it ourselves with a peoples non profit cooperative. The health insurance corporations can go to hell this time around.

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"...question that took him off script, Steele replied, "I don't do policy.""

That is the whole problem in a nutshell, Mr. Steele doesn't "do" policy, neither do the whiners on the right that are defending killing any proposal! Are their pockets so greased, their ears so deafened to the plight of the real American people (vs. the Corporate Oligarchy) that they fail to comprehend 48 million without insurance, and for those that have insurance - many are actually under-insured, or how many have gone bankrupt because they actually had "insurance" when their catastrophic health-care issues were not totally paid for by their "insurance company"!?!

And what about those people that do have insurance, whose premiums are rising faster than their paychecks?!?! Come on people!! Speaking of "Imperial Presidency" please don't ever think that the prior Mis-administration didn't act "Imperially" or does no one remember: torture justified as "enhanced interrogation, spying on all Americans - because there really isn't the technology to just pinpoint 1 number, unless you already know what number you want, the graft and greed of KBR or Haliburton - cheating both the military for services they never provided and the American taxpayer - whose money they stole!!!

Don't fall for the diversion and the lies, stand up, and tell your Representative to fully support a public health-care option that controls prices for doctors, tests, and drug costs - the rest of the developed world does!!!

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Wow even Moyers is getting on the Betty Lou bandwagon. While I find Obama annoying, he is just not the kind of guy to grab the bull by the horns; he is one smart politician maybe even better than slick Willy was. Umpteen committees working on healthcare reform and the CBO coming out with costs every other day for something that does not even exist. No wonder the natives are getting restless. Obama is losing popularity because he seems to be just fiddling while Rome burns. No matter what words come out of one’s mouth, everyone knows that the only way to attempt to control costs, is a public option. A public option will lead to a single payer down the road. The Chinese have a saying “money sleeps with you today but sleeps with someone else tomorrow”. That is what the fight is all about and everybody knows that too. I would not underestimate Obama. If a bill comes out of congress without a good public option, I bet Obama vetoes the bill. “Too expensive and no cost control”. Obama can snatch victory out of the jaws of death, and reel the wagging mouths in like guppies. His popularity will jump 15 points, because he is “one of us”. Do you remember the rising republican star in the Clinton balance budget years or how about the salamander shutting down the government, or how about the lawyers who called four witnesses who testified for Clinton? They do bits on Fox news these days. Do you really think Obama does not remember how Clinton reeled in the guppies?

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"Blue Dog" Democrats lead the way in Healthcare industry campaign contributions

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allow the rich who do, to derail this legislation, then they should suffer their fate. People who choose to be led, against their own best interest, deserve to lose their homes and be buried in debt. A national safety net that ensures most Americans will have some form of health care is a necessity. I have health insurance from my job, but I know not every employer is able or willing to offer it to their employees. I have let my legislators know they can't count on my vote if they don't support health insurance. I would hope those who actually need it, would do the same.

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We've got to end corporate "personhood", and yet in September the Supreme Court/ Federalist Society members, are going to expand it's parameters...driving another nail in the heart of our democracy...what's left of it...

Corporate "Personhood" is nothing more than Legalized Bribery...!

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... not about Health Care.

As Mr. Moyers points out, the debate is shaped by powerful medical insurance lobbies in Washington. The insurance industry controls all medical care in the USA and thus, with political and corporate media propaganda, control the debate. What is the debate about???

The debate is about how health care will destroy America. That's just crazy. The rest of the world, which does have health care, finds the US debate insane.

Instead of discussing the issue itself, what would make for a good Health Care bill, the debate is off into loopy Republican lies about how this is all a socialist plan to take over America. Just ask Glen Beck. Or Rush Limbaugh. Or any media outlet. Just crazy.

The Republicans had FOX shouting the 'news' of Obama's plan to socialize the US since even before he touched Oval Office carpet.

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Your "government" (comprised of the banker and the CEO) is a cannibal that eats its own citizens. You are the living Soylent Green.

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Why should a country that has enough bombs to blow up the world many times over, care about its citizens?

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to leave 100 million Americans un or underinsured, 1 illness away from financial ruin. And it's wrong to burden small business with the outrageous insurance costs also -- found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

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Financial ruin is good for you, if everyone would just take the bankrupcy option and hids as much in assetts as they can and it would ruin the banksters, wall street slime, CEO's would be fired or, hopefully, kill themselves and we would be free once more - ride captain ride upon your mystery ship.

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Perhaps Moyers could help them (and us, meaning all Americans) out with a little media coverage?

Mad As Hell Doctors Tour

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Why can't we have a government-sponsored health-care system of the sort that Australia has enjoyed since the 1930s? We spend more per capita on health care than any other nation, yet we have the highest disability-related death rate of any first-world country, and the highest infant mortality rate. The answer is that Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance pay lobbyists to bribe our Congress.

A single-payer plan, such as is enjoyed in Australia, Canada, and Great Britain is the best plan. Obama's "public option" should be just a milepost on the road to Medicare for all. Given today's political climate, a public option is the best we can hope for now; so progressives should get on board with that and settle for half a loaf. Otherwise, we will get no substantial change, and the insurance companies will continue to practice medicine.

It's time for President Obama to take the bully pulpit and corral the shameful "blue dogs" in his Party. They're the same people who vote for military supplemental bills without blinking an eye, and yet whine like the dogs they are when it comes to spending on health care for all our citizens.

As for the scumbag Republicans, they should be ignored. They don't want any real health-care change, and so Democrats should not even try to get them on board. For hypocritical scoundrels like Jim DeMint, we should only point out that he enjoys a "socialized" health plan. He just doesn't want you and me to have one.

President Obama had better win this one. If he doesn't, he'll be seen as a weak president, deserving of only one term

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and anyone else who persuaded Obama to abandon his former advocacy for Single Payer (google it) in favor of the stupid (yes, stupid!) "strategy" of making the public option his "opening bid" rather than his "fallback" position if Single-Payer failed. I keep waiting for the Obamans to debunk the Big Lie that people in the UK are dropping dead standing in line for necessary procedures and treatment. I know a family who emigrated to Canada in the 60s with 6 children, 2 of whom had serious chronic health problems. Had they stayed in the US, they would have been bankrupt. We have rationing of health care NOW, done by the clerical goons at the ins. co.s whose job it is to find ANYTHING they can call a "preexisting condition" so they can cancel insurance policies of those who need serious surgeries. If Obama DOES meet his "Waterloo" as the GOP and Bluedog Dems hope, it will be because he was too timid to go for Single Payer and, if necessary, "settle" for a decent public option. Would you list your house for sale for the absolute rock bottom price you know you'll take? Not if you know anything about negotiations. Someone posted earlier wondering why any health care reform would not start until 2013. That's an easy one: Obama wants to be able to brag about a bill that the average voter will not read or understand, and they won't find out what a fraud it is until he's into his second term after a campaign of bragging about reforming health care. If a "health care reform" bill passes, it should be called "The Insurance and Pharma Profit Preservation Plan", but people won't catch on until after 2012. Whether it's health care, getting out of Iraq, closing Guantanamo, killian civilians with robot drone delivered bombs "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN" is now STATUS QUO WITH "LIPSTICK".

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is there any way that we can somehow take away the medical coverage that congress gets, at least until they pass something livable for the rest of us? or are they the only ones who can do that?

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Sadly, there is just too much profit at stake in the private sector!

RT
Ultimate Anonymity

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Sick and tired of this lazy ass country, who is going to fix everything for me. NO ONE, you need to be the change, its time for action, get in the streets, write letters, SPEAK UP ABOUT THE CHANGE YOU DEMAND, and stop waiting for someone else to do it for you. Pay attention to what other people are doing around the world, educate yourself, ask questions, READ, turn off the television, let me say that one again, TURN OFF THE TELEVISION. Read David Kortens book "Agenda for a NEW Economy". Do you know why the political system is demonizing Socialism, Look up the definition for yourself, make up your own mind stop letting the propaganda machine do your thinking for you.

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Interesting that Universal Health Care is even considered "progressive." With America being the only industrialized country without it, what's so fucking progressive about it?

From Reaganomics to the Bush Pig-Fuck, the rich are getting richer and they want to keep it that way. So, forget the "war on terror" . . . the next 20 years will be an out-and-out war waged against middle and lower class Americans. The big question is . . . who will win?

Hint: the Elite Right are several thousand points ahead.

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This is an assault on all of us and a conspiracy to deprive ten's of millions of us of life saving medical care. It is an outrage and I am mad as hell and I hope you are too. Next time don't vote Republican or for a Democrat who doesn't support a single payer system. My family has let our reps know we won't vote for them again -but we won't vote for a Republican either- Just for those who will work for us and not for special interests like Bernie Sanders who has only taken $1300 from special interests. Those guys are out there. Lets just hope they run and then we need to vote for them. The good ones. If Obama taxed 50 cents on every stock transaction he could raise all the money he needs. This is what they do in the UK. But the system is soooo corrupt and broken that he isn't even going to consider this. So now ten's of millions will suffer and die because these greedy SOB's want to make a profit. What do we need homeland security for when we have our own reps who don't care if millions die! I watched the Moyers program and the money is there and we have to keep fighting and show congress that we mean business and that doesn't mean voting for those Republican liars and crooks back in either. They have plenty of money to wage 2 wars and support 800 bases and pay billions to Wall St but our lives mean NOTHING to them - even in a DEPRESSION!!!!!

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I have cancer, a rare for they can slow but not cure yet everybody that I know with this same kind is either dead or incapacitated that has done "conventional med". I started down that road and changed to natural path.

Is the healthcare system broke? Sure, but this IS NOT THE ANSWER. Under Obamanations plan, plan to give away your rights to chose. Your rights to live. Does big pharma like this plan? Of course they do.

This is nothing more than Eugenetics. I'm sure Adolph Hitler would be proud.

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The Senate Finance Committee has stripped the public option from its version. I have sent the following to each member of this committee:
I can't believe that the finance committee is going to drop the public option from the senate health care reform bill. Without a public option, at minimum, there is no reform.

True reform would require a single-payer system, but I understand that Congress is far too myopic to consider the long-term benefit of the public in general, especially when Congressional members' campaign funds' financial health might be at stake.

If Congress passes legislation without a public option, then I suggest you disband both houses entirely. You can save us all the expense of paying for the charade you call the "legislative branch."

This failure can be called nothing short of contempt of constituency.

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When Tommy Douglas was attempting to introduce a national health care plan in Canada,we heard everything that your insurance moguls are throwing at you.I have no complaints about Canadian medicine.When I had a serious infection in my spine a few years back I was worked through the system with enough speed to satisfy anyone.I have no money to speak of and would be a cripple if I lived in America.Your medical system won't suffer.You are being lied to by a very wealthy and uncaring health insurance industry that will cut any of you off within one year of your getting really sick.If you really take the time to think about it,You will support a single payer system and rid yourselves of the insurance companies that stand between your care and their shareholders.They can lie all they want to.Moyers was right in his TV program that delivered the same message.The wealthy are trying to destroy any reform to health care that doesn't allow them to continue business as usual.Write to everyone and tell them you want a single payer system.

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I sent the following message to the members of the Senate Finance Committee:

"I can't believe that your committee is going to drop the public option from the senate health care reform bill. Without a public option, at minimum, there is no reform.

True reform would require a single-payer system, but I understand that Congress is far too myopic to consider the long-term benefit of the public in general, especially when Congressional members' campaign funds' financial health might be at stake.

If Congress passes legislation without a public option, then I suggest you disband it entirely. You can save us all the expense of paying for the charade you call the "legislative branch."

This failure can be called nothing short of contempt of constituency."

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This has to be the biggest threat, not Bill> Read this and face the truth:

http://americaspeaksink.com/?s=swine+flu+Obama

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Consider the Connection to:
A Plug for Health Care Reform 2009
Health Care Profiteers & Lobbyists collect money from the consumer (U & I), and dispense
Trick'le.down Healt Care, their primary care is
the bottom line.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Please plug'in (search):
Health Care Profiteers & Lobbyists
www.consumerunion.org
www.aft.org/fight4america
www.WeWantThePublicOption.com
CTC123GREEN

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The republicans now have provided them with all the ammo need to go into the next legislator to run against both democrat who have caved to to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries in drafting this bill, and those republicans who have caved to the same by not doing anything at all. Obama should start insisting that coverage by single payer government plan. Every resident of the USA above a certain income be required to purchase coverage. Even that catered to 18-35 age group, sorry kiddies that's part of a price of living in a society that cares for itself. I and countless others done what it took, your turn to step up to the plate. Your kids' turns come after yours

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we can get free funerals for them or us.

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No not large enmasse march. A daily visit by persons living in the districts/States of the legislators. Visiting them with a prepared agenda, the legislators can't get by with a quick howdy glad you came to visit. The goal being to keep the legislators calendar full of meetings from constituents, making as difficult as we can for the lobbyists to be able to spend an undue amount of time with the legislator. In that this would take planning and coordinating, we may be labeled as terrorists. I for one would be willing to build a safe, comfortable guest cottage for those making the trek to stay in to avoid motel costs. Not a luxury one for sure. No CATV or Sat. TV because I don't have it, but it would ave a 1.5M connection to the internet. How do we begin this "sinister" plan?

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