Montana Democrats put Baucus on Notice over Exclusion of Single Payer Advocates

[John Q. Citizen]

This was posted in Left in the West Blog today.

Beaverhead County is mostly rural and fairly conservative as a whole.

**************************************************************************************************************************


We're voting today to decide whether or not to send a critical open letter to Max Baucus. If the vote passes, and I think it will, this is what will appear:

Honorable Max Baucus

It has not escaped our notice that the Senate Finance Committee, which you head, has excluded from its deliberations advocates of a single-payer public program. The only voices your committee is choosing to listen to are those of corporate healthcare interests, the very interests that have brought about the crisis currently afflicting us.

Nor has it escaped our notice that you have taken more money from companies committed to the healthcare status quo than any other Democrat in Congress. Though you had no serious Republican challenger in 2008, you accepted the following sums of money from for-profit healthcare interests:

Insurance companies: $592,185
Health professionals: 537,141
Pharmaceutical/health
products: 524,813
Health services/HMOs: 364,500
Hospitals/nursing homes: 332,826
Total: $1,826,652

Ninety-one percent of these political contributions came from out of state. No wonder some call you "the Senator of K Street."

It is clear to us that you are too beholden to these groups to oversee a fair discussion of issues involving them. You should immediately pass off the chairmanship of the committee, at least for the duration of the health insurance deliberations, to another senator less in the pocket of these special interests.

Advocates of a single-payer healthcare option, an option favored by sixty percent of the American public and operating quite efficiently and far less expensively in Canada and virtually every European country, need to receive a fair hearing by your committee, with or without you as its chairman.

We supported you in the last election. But if you continue to side with large corporations against ordinary Montanans, rest assured that we will support a Democratic challenger to you in the next primary.

Sincerely,

Richard Turner, Secretary
Beaverhead County Democrats

[mother earth]

1. Isn't it incredible that single payer which undoubtedly will be THE

best option for the people, is paid no attention. Kudos to everyone who shouts it from the rooftops & any other way. SINGLE PAYER is what we want, what we need & would be the overwhelming choice as an option.

I'm loving the attention Ed Schultz is giving this too!

[lostnotforgotten]

3. Right On - Obama Massive Failure Of Leadership!

eom

[FrenchieCat]

5. Obama is at fault about everything, hey?

eom

[lostnotforgotten]

6. He Is The LEADER Of The Free World - Like It Or Not

What did Harry Truman say?

The buck stops here!

[lunatica]

19. You're repeating yourself in every thread you land in

Using the exact same words and punctuation. Just copy and paste, copy and paste

[John Q. Citizen]

11. No way. Everything good and decent in the world is connected to Obama and everything bad he has

no connection to ever and he never will.

I really really believe that and it's my mission to make sure everyone else does too!


Will you join me?

[snowdays]

13. He fails in leadership on this health care issue. YES HE DOES.

[dflprincess]

35. On health care he sure is

He made it pretty clear this week he's in bed with the for profit insurers. He was just so pleased announcing that the crooks had promised to control costs on their own - and we all know Obama isn't dumb enough to actually believe that.

[SeattleGirl]

28. Oh fer fuck sakes!

Obama is not the Master of the Universe!

Why don't you spread some of that pissiness you have going on there to, oh, say Max Baucus??????????? The person who is actually in charge of that committee?

[snowdays]

9. Citizens get the crumbs, while congresscritters have full coverage.

[skipos]

2. There was a link to a free fax anyone could send to him.

I hope someone continues to post it, as it was EZ.

[snowdays]

10. Here yah go.

http://www.1payer.net/campaigns/efax-your-story.html

[lunatica]

21. Here's his email

http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=iss...

[pleah]

4. K&R

[snowdays]

7. You GO, Montana Dems. --say it like it is.

[freddie mertz]

8. Baucus is wholly owned by the for-profit lobbyists

He should be held accountable for his betrayal of the public interest, and removed from office at the next opportunity.

I think that is a long way away though, right?

[harun]

50. He's their ace in the hole and it cost them 1.8 million dollars.

[snowdays]

12. and a Big K and R for SINGLE PAYER ADVOCATES.

[HopeOverFear]

14. So, take down a big behemoth like the healthcare industry all in one fell swoop with single payer

eh?

That truly would be DAvid and Goliath. Not saying it's impossible, but...I don't know, I just thinking taking chunks out of the industry piece by piece with a public option would be better.

[John Q. Citizen]

17. I hear you but that won't happen if the public feels excluded, and they do.

If Obama, SEIU, Move-on, and DFA is serious about a public pool they should immediately call for inclusion of single payer experts in the process.

You don't build consensus by shutting people out from representation in the process.

Here's the deal. The public wants single payer. Congress won't give it too them because they are bought and paid for (see the op)
\
So the groups working for a public pool option have to include the public in the public pool process and that means they need representation on the national level and access on the national level. This is an opportunity to educate the public.

Sure single payer will be bargained away for a good strong public pool.

But we won't get that if the majority is shut out of the process.

[HopeOverFear]

23. Where is this evidence that the public was shut out? I'm not seeing any.

[John Q. Citizen]

24. i can find the video of Baucus having doctors and nurses arrested who wanted to testify about health

care if you like.

I can also find the numerous polls that show single payer is the single most popular solution in the country if you like.

The insurance industry scum bags get to show up and participate but single payer experts are so far persona non -grata.

How much evidence would you need?

[John Q. Citizen]

26. Here

http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=4346

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090506054...

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/ed-schultz-insur...

[John Q. Citizen]

31. some background for you.

First off, and particularly on the local level I don't blame SEIU, DFA or move-on for shutting people out or for shutting people up. They aren't But they are insiders in this effort and the decision was made back in January to abadon any effort to get a single payer system and instead go for the public pool option.

The only problem with that is that the public wants a single payer system.

It's true that this Senate is bought and paid for by the Health Care Industrial Complex and isn't going to pass a single payer bill. But that doesn't mean that single payer advocates should be shut out of the debate or the process at the nation level.

But that is what is happening in practice.

Look at the folks on this board mocking, chiding and deriding the requests from the Obama political org for donations to counter the "swiftboating" ads that are coming. I saw that in my mailbox and I said no way. If single payer can't get a fair hearing on the merits at the national level, then why would I donate? i have no voice in the process but you want my money??

I don't hate SEIU, DFA, Move-on or The Obama White House for believing a single payer bill can't pass the Senate.

But if they would stand up for fairness and open debate and call for single payer advocate experts to be included in the debate it would go a long long way. They would be seen as heroes.

Then when the real battle came down the single payer advocates would fight tooth and nail to get the best thing we could, which i think is a strong public pool, mandatory community rating, portability, a manditoy minimum coverage package, a way of comparing apples with apples between different policies offered.

The people are ahead of the Senate on this. Our liberal leaders (like Dean, the unions, and Obama need to make sure we are heard and that we are part of the process. They need to demand we are welcome at hearings and at the White House, just like they are and just like the Health Care industrial Complex is.

[snowdays]

37. Has your head been in the sand??

[harun]

51. Here is why:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[msongs]

15. my county has more ppl than all of Montana - why does he need so much $$ to run there? nt

[John Q. Citizen]

16. He doesn't. His opponent was a joke. Half the Repos voted for Max.

He got something really stupid like 70% of the vote last November.

[lunatica]

22. Remember how the Mafia 'buys' judges and Senators and police?

Max Baucus is a Committee Chair and a valuable asset to Corporations. It's not about Montana. It's about buying his loyalty in Washington DC

[snowdays]

18. ***FREE FAX--TO BACCUS AND SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE...

http://www.1payer.net/campaigns/everyone-in.html

[The Hope Mobile]

34. Done!! nt

[tabbycat31]

52. done

n/t

[HelenWheels]

20. Wonderful letter

and well researched. He has no business being the chairman of that committee. In fact, he has no business being in the senate.

[livefreest]

25. that guy(Baucus) needs a serious spanking

[flpoljunkie]

27. Baucus is the poster child for public financing of federal campaigns.

Congress will never put the public interest before the special interests without public financing. As Molly Ivins said they 'dance with the ones that brung 'em--and it's mostly special interest money. Allowing lobbyists to chair their campaign fundraisers is an outrage--and yet it is perfectly legal!

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=F09

[bluethruandthru]

29. Hooray for the Beaverhead County Dems!

This is the kind of grassroots pressure that will really help turn the tide toward single payer.

[Oldenuff]

30. I appreciate that the Montana Dems did this..

If I were a Montanan,I would be very very reluctant to vote for Baucus again.

[Wednesdays]

32. K&R

[DU GrovelBot]

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[autorank]

36. John Q Citizen, great news. Get his attention. This is no joke.

He's doing quite well on his own, Baucus. He can afford to share the wealth.

I heard the CEO of Caterpillar on NPR this week. He was griping about how they compete very well
they have a huge added cost for workers of $12,000 a year for health insurance that no other
manufacturers have since it's all national health insurance. Old Max (who was young when I met
him briefly is too comfortable. Raise the heat. Won't hurt him to do something for the
rest of us.

Thanks!

[handmade34]

38. Thanks to the Montana Democrats!

[southerncrone]

39. Stand your ground, Montana Dems!!! Good show!

This is too important for us to just put our heads in the sand & say "O, Well", while the corporate hogs root us out.

This is an example of how a real democracy works!

GO MONTANA DEMS!

[billyoc]

40. Can you pull the "**************************" out of there, it's ruining the front page.

[clear eye]

41. You Montanans sure don't mess around.

Thank Heaven. "No Healthcare; No Vote!"

[Liberty Belle]

42. KUDOS TO THE DEMS FOR SHOWING A SPINE.

If every legislator got a letter like this from his strongest party supporters, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in.

[uponit7771]

43. It would be nice to triple those donations for his dem opponent and defeat this guy

...eom

[John Q. Citizen]

44. Update on the vote. SEIU union organizer runs interference for Senator Baucus; Scuttles Protest

I spoke with Richard Turner, treasurer with the Beaverhead County Democratic Party on the phone this morning.

He was angry and upset. It seems one Jason O'Brien from SEIU (Service Employees International Union) one of the largest unions in the country and a favorite of the Obama administration came to their meeting, yesterday.

According to Richard Turner, O'Brien took over the meeting and completely side tracked the discussion about sending the open letter to hold Max Baucus accountable for whoring for the health care industrial complex and for shutting supporters of single payer out of the debate.

He later forwarded me this e-mail he sent to his fellow Democrats on the Beaverhead County Democratic Party central committee.

Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 11:02 AM
Subject: About yesterday's meeting

Mike, Mary Jo, Jane, and Sandra,

I'm not exactly sure what happened yesterday, but I didn't like it much.

It seemed to me that Justin O'Brien took over our meeting, buried the idea of single-payer under a pile of bull shit, and got us to volunteer to help him pile the bull shit higher and higher at pancake breakfasts, or maybe hamburger dinners, where promote the "Baucus Plan" and hand-write letters to Max so he'll read them? Huh? WTF!

But I need to explain more of what I mean by bull shit. First, O'Brien's claim that the Republican minority on the finance committee would not permit discussion of single-payer is utter nonsense. What would they have done? Walked out? As a result of the last election, Democrats now run all the committees. If Baucus had wanted single-payer proponents to be the discussion, he could have easily included them even if he didn't agree with them.

Second, O'Brien dismissed the people who were arrested for protesting the exclusion of the single-payer idea as "that Iraq bunch." So it's OK to arrest them because they were opposed to the war in Iraq?

Third, O'Brien said that all the money Max has taken from for-profit health groups is not a problem because Max used the money to help other Democrats like Begich in Alaska and whoever opposed O'Connell in Kentucky. Ted Stevens, at the time of the election a convicted felon, was already on his way to losing to Begich. So if Max spent money there, it was wasted. And it seems to have been wasted in Kentucky, too.

And I have to admit that the idea that money from big corporations does not corrupt is a brand new one to me. There can be no clearer proof that it does corrupt than Baucus's actions to stifle a view his corporate donors don't want heard.

Needless to say, I will not be attending any O'brien-led pancake breakfasts or hamburger dinners. I refuse to be manipulated by a front man for Max Baucus.

Richard

This union is blowing it and they need to hear that America isn't going to stand for being left out of the national health care debate. I don't know if O'Brien is a loose cannon or if official union policy is to smear doctors and nurses who volunteer their personal time to fight for their patients' rights as "That Iraq bunch." Either way they need to hear that America wants into the debate and to quit doing the dirty work for those attempting to shut us out!

Toll-free: 800-424-8592 phone (their DC office)
fax number- 202-730-7000;

[snowdays]

45. How stupid does the SEIU (O'brian) think Democrats are--to outright LIE about

putting on the table. Baucus is the CHAIR--and did not want spayer on the table. O'Brian is a lying sack of shit.

[snowdays]

46. Can we get an email for Richard. I would like to email him -tell him I support him.

Thanks.

[John Q. Citizen]

47. I'll ask him if it's alright then IM you. n/t

[snowdays]

48. Thanks very much. He needs support at this time. Later.

[clear eye]

49. This is the same union that kicked out the leadership of a huge local for spearheading single payer

Leaders of the United Healthcare Workers-West, though overwhelmingly backed by their membership, were expelled along with 65,000 of their membership by the head of SEIU, Andy Stern. http://www.uniondemocracy.org/UDR/185-Stern_Employees_I... Stern has been groomed as the official Administration union boy since midway through the Presidential campaign when Obama's campaign gave his image a needed boost by bringing him, and only him, into the press releases about the anti-union activities of Wal-mart. Stern has long been, shall we say, controversial for anti-democratic (with a small "d") control of his enormous union. Since the election, Obama has publicly invited him to the White House over a dozen times, issuing a number of joint press releases, while glaringly snubbing the leadership of the AFL-CIO, who were invited only once for a signing ceremony. Labor Sec'y Solis is a longtime Stern associate, and most likely his pick. Any enforcement of SEIU unionists' democratic rights under her leadership is highly unlikely.

The quid pro quo for this favoritism is the interference Stern is running on single-payer. In context, it is not at all surprising that Stern's henchmen should show up to put out the flames in Montana.

Stern's SEIU even made an enormous ad buy at the Daily Kos, with a graphic logo link to a petition they are running for "universal healthcare" (not even mentioning a public option). This link showed up unbidden in a diarist's story about the May 30th Day of Action for Single-Payer Healthcare to the confusion of the readers and the author. When I tried to clarify by saying that it must be a paid ad and that if you want single-payer you shouldn't sign the SEIU petition, I was immediately punished with a revocation of my "recommendation" privileges.

Oddly, when I brought up the Stern/Obama situation on DU, a couple of posters accused me of being anti-union. I was a union member for 24 years who always took the advantages of being unionized seriously, and defended unions to my coworkers. What I'm not so crazy about is a national union controlled by the government in power a la Mexico with a basically appointed leadership. Where is the pressure for working people's well-being supposed to come from then?

[snowdays]

54. Montana AFL-CIO State Convention Reaffirms Endorsement of HR 676--

did you see this related piece?


Forum Name General Discussion: Presidential
Topic subject Montana AFL-CIO State Convention Reaffirms Endorsement of HR 676--Baucus is in bed
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...
8418025, Montana AFL-CIO State Convention Reaffirms Endorsement of HR 676--Baucus is in bed
Posted by snowdays on Mon May-18-09 05:09 PM

with Kennedy and the WH on this issue--they own their souls to campaign contributions.

On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 9:20 PM, Unions for Single Payer HR676

<[e-mail] > wrote:
Montana AFL-CIO State Convention Reaffirms Endorsement of HR 676

Helena, Montana. The 53rd Annual Montana AFL-CIO State Convention
reaffirmed its previous endorsement of HR 676, single payer health care
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The Montana
AFL-CIO endorsed HR 676 for the first time at its 2008 Convention.

This year’s Convention resolution resolved “that the Montana State AFL-CIO
reaffirms its endorsement of and commitment to a single payer universal
system of health care such as HR 676” and further resolved “that until
such a time as there is a single payer universal system of health care in
our nation, the Montana State AFL-CIO adamantly opposes federal and/or
state taxation of union bargained, employer provided health care
benefits.”

The Convention directed that Jim McGarvey, Executive Secretary of the
Montana AFL-CIO, deliver copies of the resolution to the media and to the
state’s congressional delegation including Montana Senator Max Baucus who
spoke to the convention on May 2nd.

Baucus is a leading proponent in Congress of taxing health care benefits.
Baucus is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee where 13 people were
recently arrested for protesting the exclusion of supporters of single
payer from two Committee Round Tables on May 5th and 12th.

Senator Baucus raised the idea of taxing health benefits at the May 12th
Senate Finance Committee Round Table. In response, Gerald Shea, Assistant
for Government Affairs to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, deemed Baucus’
proposal to tax health benefits a “radical change” and said, "If we're
going to do a radical change, I think that single payer is really the way
to go."

While Senator Baucus continues to say, without offering any evidence
whatsoever, that single payer is “(not) going to work in this country,"
two more U.S. Senators announced that a single payer system is best for
America.

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown told an April 17th Cleveland Heights rally that
“I would love to see a single payer system,” and New York Senator Chuck
Schumer, a member of the Finance Committee, is quoted in The Albany
Times-Union as saying: "I believe that a single-payer system would be the
best way to ensure that all Americans have access to health care.”

Despite acknowledging that a single payer health care system would be the
best way to solve the health care crisis, neither senator is supporting
it. #30#

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health,
physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision
care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 75 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer bill
in the Senate.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 517 union organizations in 49 states including
125 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
[phone]
Email: [e-mail]

http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org

05/17/09

[clear eye]

55. Don't know about the rest of that union list, but AFSCME backed out.

It's really good to hear that the Montana AFL-CIO is staying strong, because a number of unions aren't. I've seen that site you linked and it said AFSCME was an endorser. So I spoke with someone from a nearby local of AFSCME about participating in a single-payer rally, and she said that they no longer endorsed HR 676, but supported the "Obama Plan", the one with the "public option". I told her that lately Pres. Obama's plan included a public option on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and didn't on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. She said, "No need to get insulting."

I checked AFSCME's national website to see if the whole union had bailed or if it was just the local, and this is what I found.

Sigh...one step forward, and two steps back.

[avaistheone1]

53. Montana Dems are rocking now.