healthcare

Original Text of Mark Weaver Show Statement on Health Pseudo Reform

September 16, 2009 by Kenneth

The following is the original text of my “Statement on Health Pseudo Reform” delivered to the American people on the September 12th Mark Weaver Show:

How The Democratic Party Will Lose Its Base

September 16, 2009 by NorthDecoder

Matt Taibbi (http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/09/14/phrmas-big-bribe-comes-in/) (TrueSlant.com) (read this, too, (http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/drug-makers-plan-to-ba...) please) (and this (http://www.healthbeatblog.com/2009/08/what-was-billy-tauzin-thinking.html)) (and this (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/16/782808/-The-Baucus-Debacle)) (and, last but not least, this (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/16/782892/-Kent-Conrads-Backdoo...)) My headache today wasn't caused by the fact I read the Baucus mark-up this morning. If you read these (above) five links, you'll understand why I have a headache today. If I were a conservative talking head or blogger, I'd be all over this. Instead, they're all silent. You know why?!? It's because this is exactly how THEY do business. They see no problem with this. They're just jealous they're not getting a bunch of ads bought and paid for by these particular lobbyists, now. It's the progressive base that's walking away right now, or about to. We're starting to feel like maybe the principled leaders we thought we were electing might not be who we thought they were.

Slimy

September 16, 2009 by Kenneth

I noticed at Saturday’s OFA healthcare rally that the pledge forms they were asking people to sign didn’t include the words “public option.” I asked OFA state director Ashley Walker about it and she told me it was probably just an old form they were using. I was skeptical. Now this from Talking Points Memo:

The Democratic party’s organizing arm, OFA, seems to have changed the language on it’s website, which used to be as firm as possible on the public option. The site used to say that health care reform “must… [g]uarantee choice – Every American must have the freedom to choose their plan and doctor – including the choice of a public insurance option.”

Now, it’s backed away from that insistence. The new language on the site urges members of Congress to support President Obama’s health care reform principles, which include a public option–but doesn’t characterize it as a make or break issue.

Please remember this when OFA and President Obama ask for your time and money. They led you to believe they were standing up for you. They never intended to.

Tele-Town Hall with Gus Bilirakis

September 16, 2009 by Kenneth

The things I do for this blog! Last night my representative (ha!), Congressman Gus Bilirakis, held a conference call town hall meeting on healthcare reform. I decided to participate in order to take the pulse of those on the call, as well as to hear the latest GOP talking points on healthcare from Gus so I could share my findings with you.

These were my take-aways:

–Talking Point 1 – “President Obama’s plan/bill” Despite the fact that the president has taken a hands-off approach and let Congress write the bill, it’s his bill.

–Talking Point 2 – “rank and file Democrats” This was used more than once to distinguish between ordinary Dems (Gus LIKES some Democrats) and the Dem leadership such as Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman. Gotta demonize those San Francisco/California liberals!

–Talking Point 3 – “Democrats won’t listen to Republicans. I wish we could have civilized discussions.” Maybe Democrats will be “civilized” when Republicans stop calling them Communists, Socialists, Nazis and Fascists.

–Talking Point 4 – “The public option would ration care.” I won’t comment on the obvious.

–Talking Point 5 – “Tort reform” will solve everything.

President Obama Tells AFL-CIO He Support A Public Option

September 15, 2009 by buckeyestateblog

Feeling a little worried the other night when President Obama went on TV and played down the importance of the public option? Well just a few hours ago, Obama told the union crowd here in Pittsburgh that the public option should be one of the choices available to people.

I’ll have more on the speech later, but listen (you can’t see much) to this video clip.

America’s working class doesn’t seem scared about healthcare, so why are they trying to make us think they are?