Anthony Weiner introduces amendement to repeal Medicare; puts Republicans on the Spot

[PHIMG]

Run time: 05:16 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTh-Yu9RfF0   Posted on YouTube: July 30, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 30, 2009 By DU Member: PHIMG Views on DU: 18386

 

[Warpy]

1. There goes the last of the GOP base

all those angry old white retirees.

Wiener is crazy like a fox. The vote needs to be taken and publicized.

[matt819]

84. The only problem is that the base is not quite on top of things

I saw a report the other day - on Huff Post, I think - of one of those angry old white republican retirees telling his RW congressperson to keep the government's damned hands off his Medicare. The clown had no idea that Medicare is a government program. These are the same people who are convinced that the president is not a natural born American citizen.

[rurallib]

2. how did the vote come out?????

[PHIMG]

6. 57 NOs and 0 YEA

Republicans know a vote against Medicare is political suicide. And they are on record for being hypocrites.

[bjobotts]

32. Incredible!! How perfect.Voting for single payer gov run health care--ha. Just perfect

[Patiod]

59. self-delete

not paying attention

[Kurovski]

92. SOCIALISTS!!

Filthy COMMIE socialists!!!

[silverweb]

3. Well done!

This should be all over every news and talk show, from every media outlet.

Anthony Weiner, my hero of the day.

[tabatha]

23. They should put this in an ad.

[bjobotts]

30. I pray the dems run an ad of this."Republicans vote unanimously for Gov. run HC &single payer"

[bjobotts]

31. That was just excellent.Trapped by their own game.Bravo.Obama is laughing his A off

[tabatha]

71. I wonder if this was a game

of rope-a-dope. If it was, guess who are the dopes.

[Enthusiast]

36. Oh yeah!

We only need the single add, this is it!

[kenfrequed]

29. Having seen a few of his speeches in committee now...

I can honestly say I am really starting to like this guy a lot. He is stand up, no nonsense, and does not screw around when he says something.

[blackbart99]

42. He's got big ones people...

Bloody Brilliant ploy. My new hero too!!!

[bkkyosemite]

4. Please go here they plan to vote tomorrow on Single Payer Please call at least the top five tonight

deadline. Thank you!!! Single Payer is not dead yet.

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

[PatSeg]

5. I saw him on Rachel

And I was very impressed. This guy is sharp.

[PHIMG]

7. Me too!

Well spoken, a true blue liberal, and cute too!

[PatSeg]

8. Oh yeah

Definitely cute!

[Historic NY]

9. well that was great calling them out for what they are. WTG...

[Bleacher Creature]

10. That was incredible. Huge K&R.

[elleng]

11. I DOUBLE DOG DARE YA!!!

[raystorm7]

12. Great job calling them out on their BS!

[garthranzz]

13. Who was the representative that was there for the signing of Medicare?

[robinlynne]

18. maybe BYrd or Kennedy?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. They are Senators; this is in the House

Maybe Dingle? Conyers?

[robinlynne]

66. ah.

[Eric J in MN]

46. Probably John Conyers. He was in the House in 1965....

...and seems to be standing and applauded at the end of the video.

[ihavenobias]

14. K & R n/t

[troubledamerican]

15. Harry Reid does not approve of this.

Challenging Republicans isn't polite.

[Enthusiast]

37. This is true. nt

[AllyCat]

88. Harry Reid isn't in the House so he will either have to vacate his Senate seat

and run for the House to complain or he can just STFU

[robinlynne]

16. Right on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hulk]

17. How transparently hypocritical can they be??

Jesus...this needs to be shot all around on the evening news. Of course the propaganda network wouldn't dream of running it...but what a brilliant move.

It's crystal clear what is going on. These corrupt sacks of shit are not one bit concerned for the American public....not one bit!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. OMG I love this man

I watched a bunch of other videos of him. He is freakin awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RADPnKE2Uak&feature=chan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aJzREmUWUw&feature=chan...

[lordsummerisle]

22. Great k&r n/t

[zalinda]

43. Did you notice?

In the second video he calls it the Republic party, not once but twice.

zalinda

[GoCubsGo]

48. Yes!

I wish more Democrats would follow that example. I can't understand why the rest of his party has put up with the rethugican's "Deomcrat Party" BS for all these years...

[Mermaid7]

104. The Question is...

why aren't they?

I don't understand why they aren't putting up the best fight.

Are they all thieves?

What is going on?

Where is our representation?

[swishyfeet]

57. I noticed that too - hilarious!

[DeepBlueC]

85. I love this man!!!

[shagsak]

52. He has a youtube site

DEVOTED to answering questions from the people he represents. What a concept.

[Third Doctor]

21. This guy needs

to be the majority leader in the Senate. We need at least 30 of these guys in both houses.

[stlsaxman]

24. First he needs to be elected to the Senate.

[Robb]

77. Details, details

[bobbolink]

114. Second that emotion---for whatever chamber!

[Subdivisions]

25. OMG!!!1! That was pwnage of the highest order!!! Wow! n/t

[Iwillnevergiveup]

26. He reminds me a lot

of Eliot Spitzer - a New Yorker tellin' it! Talk about a breath of fresh air.

K&R

[democracy1st]

34. I know that was great

[peacetalksforall]

112. And Paul Wellstone.

[newmac]

27. Brilliant. But republithugs have always been Disingenuous

..in all and everything they "stand for". Its the bucks; baby. They go where the money is.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

28. Vote on H.R. 676 Single Payer is TOMORROW

Thread under "General Discussion" has details.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

33. K&R

[Enthusiast]

35. And it should be plastered

all over the M$M that the GOP overwhelmingly supports public health care! Because they do and they proved it.

[dbmk]

38. Brilliant!

Its put up or shut up time!

Effin brilliant.

[tosh]

39. Weiner's now on my "send roses" list

along with Bernie Sanders and a small handful of others,

[knixphan]

40. well done.

[florida08]

41. now that

ladies and gentlemen is how it's done. Thank you congressman Weiner for calling out my lack of a real congressman Cliff Stearns. He's a non starter.

[Xipe Totec]

44. Most Excellent! Anthony Weiner ROCKS!

[bread_and_roses]

45. Perfect! K & R! Straight talk for a change! I nearly fell over

...as someone said upthread, THIS is the way it's done.

[nyc 4 Biden]

47. Anthony Weiner FTW!!

Those other two video's linked within the replies are awesome as well. Must see TV!

[democrat_patriot]

49. I suggest donating to his campaign. That sends a message.

Plus we need this guy to stay right where he is.

[GTurck]

50. This is the...

second time this week that Republicans were forced to vote FOR a resolution/amendment that they have vehemently prated against these past 6 months. We need more of these "Calling Your Bluff" strategies and actions.
I don't think anybody on the right has stopped for a minute to hear themselves or examine their actions which is strange for a group that talks about waiting and see the value of new views before taking an action. Deaf, dumb and hypocritcal all at once.

[JBoy]

51. Just like Bill Kristol got pwned by John Stewart. Fucking hypocrites.

[valerief]

53. Great move! nt

[gabby garcia]

54. Love this guy!!!

[blondeatlast]

55. B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T. THAT is the kind of guts Dems need to have--stick it right

where it hurts.

[Peregrine Took]

106. Oh that we had those kinds of guts in the Obama/Emanuel/Axelrod WH.

[Hamlette]

56. who is the "one person" who was there when Medicare was signed? n/t

[Bleacher Creature]

58. John Dingell.

[Hamlette]

82. thanks n/t

[defendandprotect]

60. Nonetheless, OBAMA is cutting $313 BILLION from Medicare ...!!!

[tabatha]

73. I am sure

wasted $ that go to the insurance companies or hospitals.

[defendandprotect]

61. Interesting move by Weiner . .. !!! Good for him!!

[GreenEyedLefty]

62. I was cheering and clapping as I watched!

Anthony Weiner is a genius!

[BR_Parkway]

63. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with this man - what's the status of same-sex marriage

in NY?

That was absolutely brilliant!

[Peregrine Took]

107. I haven't been this smitten with a politician since I first fell in love with

Howard Dean.

What a breath of fresh air.

[Richd506]

64. HAHAHAHAHAHA

He got the repugs trapped in a corner...

[GivePeaceAchance]

65. Transcript

Henry Waxman: Will the gentleman from NY be recognized, offering hs amendment.

Rep. Anthony Weiner: Thank you Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks to clarify one of the great enduring mysteries in the debate about healthcare. And that is where my Republican friends stand on the issue of govt. run healthcare. Now on one level it's very clear, quotes throughout the debate have seemed to imply they're against it. Mr. sterns said, "That if the government runs it, it'll be bureaucratic, inefficient, and in many cases not cover the people that want it."
Mr. Terry of Nebraska said, "Government healthcare leads to rationing eliminating the sacred doctor patient relationship." Mr. Blunt said, "On healthcare reform, the market place is the only known mechanism avail abie to deliver what people want."

Now I raise this subject because today is the 44th anniversary of President Johnson signing the 'Medicare act' into law. Now, the 'Medicare act' as most of my colleagues know, is not only government run healthcare, but it's remarkably good government run healthcare.

*Pulls up a chart*

Now I was criticized earlier for having shoddy charts, so I got a little fancy. On this chart you see that not only is 'Medicare' public healthcare, but also DoD VA and Indian health services. Now this is not only government run healthcare but it's remarkably efficient. Three percent overhead in 'Medicare,' to about 30% in the combination of overheads, and upits by insurance companies. Remarkable satisfaction on the part of the contractors and the last national scoring, that they did of the contractors. It got a 4.1 out of a 6.2 scale and frankly we know it works. We know that 'Medicare' before both 'Medicaid' was passed had a poverty rate of seniors of 30%, now it's about 10%. We know also. We know also the private insurance companies take $600 billion a year, and put it in their pockets *not* into healthcare. NOw some people have held up this chart, this Besentine chart about how they think the bill works.
*pulls up new chart*

Well I've got my own chart, this is Medicare 3 boxes the patients, the doctors and the one single payer. So this amendment is simple, it gives my Republican friends the chance they've been waiting for to vote for or against Government sponsored, Government run and Government administered healthcare. It's your dream amendment unless, of course ,you are going to do the sybil impression when it comes to healthcare. First you like it, then you don't like it, then you like it, then you run against it. The fact of the matter is that 'Medicare' is a pretty darn good model of what a public plan might look like. Now it's not perfect, there are reimbursement rates that I think need to be higher in some cases, I think we incentives too much to go into hospitals and not enough on the other side. SOme of the things that are being done in this bill, but this is your opportunity once and for all with my amendment to vote to eliminate the 'medicare act'. *playing truth or dare* Once and for all stamp out the scourge of public, government run, government administered, single payer healthcare. This is your chance and you know what for all the talk of how much they hate such programs I think they'd welcome this opportunity. Now I'm going ot vote 'no' and I'll tell you why because I think the Medicare program works pretty darn well. I think it's administered efficiently. I think that if you asked seniors or if you ask someone tomorrow who is 55 years old, you told people that we were going to start covering people tomorrow 55-65 and then maybe later starting 45, 35 and who knows maybe Medicare for everyone . You'd have a lot of people who'd be really happy. There have been a lot of elements of this debate that have been hard to follow, I admit that. Although one of the hardest things has been the utter hypocrisy and contradiction inherent in arguments of many of my friends on the other side.

This is put up or shut up time, if you don't like national healthcare, if you don't like government run healthcare, this is your amendment. I dare ya, I double dare ya vote 'yes' on this and then go home and explain to your constituents, how you're so philosophically opposed to publicly run healthcare that you voted to eliminate Medicare on its 44th anniversary. And let me just say this as I only have 27 seconds left... There is one person here who voted in favor of Medicare when it was created and who was present when it was signed, 44 years ago. And on behalf of all of us, I want to say publicly thanking him for being there for us. Forty four years ago when it was signed and god willing he will be here to watch this been signed. When we extend another example of efficient, sound, publicly funded, and publicly administered healthcare. And I yield back my time. *applause*

[suffragette]

67. Perfectly done. Just looked up an article he wrote and this stood out:

Without acknowledging it, both sides seem to agree with the argument for a single-payer system. But instead of having a debate about its value, both sides have turned the idea into an odd punching bag. The right uses the term “single-payer” to condemn the White House approach, while the White House — and my colleagues in the House and Senate — quickly decry the scurrilous charge and concoct legislative language to make their public option look less, well, public.

By conceding that the public option would have less overhead, be more efficient and have the freedom to focus on health care rather than profits, opponents of the public option are in fact arguing for it. Isn’t complaining about the marketplace “advantage” of the public plan just another way of saying that people are going to want it?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25226.html

I added the bolding.

To Weiner:

[skygazer]

68. Absolutely brilliant

I like this guy!

[JimWis]

69. Thanks so much for sharing that video. I wish more people could

see it, as do many of us here. K&R

[redqueen]

70. I really, really like that guy.

Really.


Is there a post in GD about this yet? We should have the text up somewhere, too.

[laureloak]

72. I forwarded this to everybody in my address book.

You should too.

[Julius Civitatus]

74. Brilliant!

Absolutely brilliant arguments.
GOP is disarmed of any counter-argument after this.

[Plucketeer]

75. GOOD GOD!!!!

This guy needs to swap seats with Hoyer!!!

[redqueen]

80. I can get behind that! (nt)

[Joey Liberal]

76. Rep. Weiner is a great man! nt

[kevsters]

78. Boycott John Stossel's hit piece tonight on Canadian health care...

Make sure you tell your friends to boycott John Stossel's hit piece on Canadian health care tonight. Do not give that douche bag any ratings.

Here is an awesome clip of a segment of him and Glenn Beck with subtitles debunking their claims.

http://progressnotcongress.org/p?=2352

Spread the word.

[SemperEadem]

79. brilliant!

I love it.

[penndragon69]

81. YES !!

[Qutzupalotl]

83. Actual chess.

[pinto]

86. Great political theater and right on point, as well.

Kudos. and rec.

[nightrain]

87. K&R glad to see the support on DU for Weiner and single payer!

[DeSwiss]

89. Yes, Yes, Yes!!!! I love this guy!!!

- K&R

[Lifelong Protester]

90. I am CRAZY about this guy's chutzpah!!

Loved his smart-ass (and I mean that in the best way possible!) comments with the charts! Brilliant!!!!!

[dana_b]

95. me too!!

I wish he was my rep!

[BlueCollar]

91. I just called the DC office

to say how much I appreciated this man's forthright challenge to the right.

[dana_b]

97. I called too

they were really happy for the support. He has cajones and has obviously listened to his constituents. Great job!

[indepat]

93. So the health insurance industry takes $600 billion a year and, if recollection is correct, Wall

Street another $600 billion, or about $4,000 in aggregate each year for every man, woman, and child in the good ole capitalistic US of A. Pretty soon, we are talking big bucks and about all we get in return is a royal double-fleecing/fucking over.

[nightrain]

94. yep. The regular people got screwed again! nt

[grantcart]

96. that is how you frame an issue

[Uncle Joe]

98. Kicked and highly recommended.

Thanks for the thread, PHIMG

[SLSmith]

100. Vid 7/31 Fri: Weiner Introduces Weiner/Welch Amendment to Committee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB6XTMPj-os

[Control-Z]

99. This is the kind of talk

I want to hear every time I turn on the news. Simple, direct, forceful.

I can't even count how many I've turned on the news and heard the right things being said, but with so little clarity or conviction that it is understandable why people don't get it. The loud fucking republicans don't even need to make sense. They just make their lies easy for people to hear and latch onto. No thinking required.

[patrick t. cakes]

101. damn.

[Son Of Wendigo]

102. I Have Not Heard One Republican

...say a single word about this snarky proposal. Not even a "Harrumph!" He's destroyed their argument, and not a moment too soon. I hope the Democrats plan to send operatives to attend all those Republican town hall meetings next month to point out that, yes, your congressman or senator wants to take your medicare away, too. They may need combat pay though.

By the way, the latest nauseating anti health care reform ad which shows an elderly couple at their kitchen table raises a couple of questions for me. Some unnamed entity has sent a letter denying the husband's operation. The wife kindly caresses his hand and says, "you can't go on living this way." The husband then begins carping about how the bill will force him to pay for other people's abortions.

Sheer crap.

First off, they're elderly. They look quite old enough to have Medicare. Medicare is not in the business of denying necessary surgery. Perhaps the surgical procedure he can't get covered is something cosmetic or dental. And none of the bills say one single everloving word about abortions.

I have to stop now before I lose my lunch.

[Mermaid7]

103. Can I please RECOMMEND this a Brazillion Times. The BEST YET

Hits it right on the nail.

BRILLIANT!

[chasitynola]

105. Finally!

Something I can share with people arguing with me about all of the socialism....oooohhhhh.....

[Lena inRI]

108. Bravissimo Representative Weiner. . .

. . .course, the name's gotta go since it's opposite to what you really are for us working-class stiffs.

Yep. . .you shall be known as

Representative Grande Gonads

. . .forevermore!

[Tx4obama]

109. K&R nt

[Fendius]

110. Hellll Yes!!

This is what we need in our government.. Good ideas "for" the people pushed by people who actually care about it..

[peacetalksforall]

111. Hero du Jour. Bravo!!!!!! Proceed. Now that is a Progressive whether he considers himself

one or not. BRAVO!!!!!!!

[mzmolly]

113. Well done!

[JTFrog]

115. K&R