Howard Dean on Face The Nation August 23. "Health Co-Ops Just Political Theater"

[madfloridian]

Run time: 07:39 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgWDVCfl-Ok   Posted on YouTube: August 23, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 23, 2009 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 4099

 
Here is more detail from CBS on the interview this morning.

Glad to see him stand up for the public option. Seems like our congressional Democrats are running away from it very fast now.

Dean: Health Co-Ops Just Political Theater

(CBS) Former Vermont Governor and doctor, Howard Dean said the health care co-operative proposal is purely for political strategy and has not worked in the past on "Face the Nation" Sunday.

"That proposal is a political compromise, not a policy compromise," Dean said. "No one knows what it would look like and when it has been tried in the past it mostly hasn’t worked."

Dean, a strong advocate for the public insurance option, said people need the choice of a government-run plan to compete with private insurers. He argued that because private insurance companies are investor-owned, they are spending less money on health services and more on equity.

Medicare, Dean said, "is by nature much more efficient" because currently seniors can move, leave their job and get sick without having their coverage discontinued.

"Everybody over 65 has it and the question is 'Why don't we open up that program,'" he said.

He also says if we can spend so much money in Iraq and Afghanistan, we can spend money getting health care for our country.

[valerief]

1. This guy speaks for Americans. I heart Dean.

And Kucinich. And Feingold.

[pattmarty]

10. Don't forget America's Senator, Bernie Sanders.

[madfloridian]

18. Sanders is great.

[madfloridian]

2. More about "pulling the plug on Grandma" stuff....said it was despicable.

Howard Dean: Grassley's Health Care Distortions "Despicable ... Awful"

"Howard Dean criticized the Republican Party Sunday morning for picking up false rumors about health care reform started by the far right.

Asked about Sen. Chuck Grassley's comment that end-of-life care could "pull the plug on grandma," Dean pointed out that the Iowa Republican had voted for a similar provision for Medicare only a few years ago.

"All the House did was essentially repeat the same thing that Senator Grassley voted for in 2003 in their bill," Dean said. "Now, how you can morph that into 'pulling the plug on grandma,' I don't know. I think it's despicable. I think it's awful, the lies that have come out on this bill that are just designed to frighten the daylights out of people. But i think the American people are much smarter than politicians in Washington give them credit for, and they're going to figure this out, and they know they really do want health care reform."

[bjobotts]

26. At least it's money spent we'll get something back from besides watching it blow up in the air

[bjobotts]

27. Why didn;t Shiffer explain where it came from he knows. Palin, McCoy, and Grassley

[bjobotts]

28. Grassleu used it to appease wingers at his TH now he walks it back like he wasn't trying to scare th

hell out of grandma. Sociopathic creep. "That's not what your wife said" Grassley was grandstanding for applause, spouting misinformation and lies. A political maggot.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[polichick]

3. Just think where we'd be if this guy had won the presidency! nt

[AlbertCat]

5. Just think of what we'd have if he had been given a position...

.... in Obama's government? But they threw him out....after he won the election for them.

Imagine if he were Speaker of the House or the Dem whip or head of the Senate Finance Committee!...or something official....anything!

Like he says... the problem now is we're seeing "old style" Dem tactics still in charge, or Repug-lite, which didn't work then and won't work now.

[polichick]

12. Maybe we'll be seeing a progressive primary challenger in 2012 - maybe even Dean. nt

[demwing]

4. Just as Gore was the de facto President, Dean is the de facto Secretary of HHS

He does a much better job of promoting health care reform the Sebelius, knows the background, knows the legislation, and is tireless in his pursuit of empowering the american people.

[tomm2thumbs]

6. clear, coherent and plausible - more of this in Washington please

[madfloridian]

16. More of clear plain talk...

Not the going around in circles to be nice and bipartisan. Straight talk.

[madfloridian]

7. Oh, come on. Lay off the unrecs for once.

This is a good and fair and clear interview.

It should not even be controversial.

[femmocrat]

8. Dean has done a better job of explaining the program than anyone in the administration.

When it passes, I want to see him standing next to the President at the signing ceremony.

[madfloridian]

9. Yes, he has.

But he will never get acknowledged for it.

[polichick]

13. True, on both counts. nt

[Klukie]

37. Maybe not.....

but maybe he is exactly where he needs to be. Sometimes it takes those who have the knowledge of government but are removed from it to get the job done.

[katkat]

11. Dean next to Obama

That'll be the day, that Obama gives Dean any credit for anything.

[madfloridian]

17. Dean will get credit for nothing.

You are right.

[GreenTea]

14. Co-ops are a sham! Co-ops are nothing more than insurance companies pacifiers to fool the public

into forgetting about a public option - as an option! Co-ops are a sham!

Republicans and very well paid-off cocksuckers who call themselves Blue Dogs or "conservative" or "moderate" Democrats, are nothing more than unbelievably slimy, paid-off 'democratic" thieves without no care for anyone but their greedy lying selves!

We know and expect as much from republicans without even having to say it!

Without a public option we'll be fucked real good by our Democratic majority and our paid-off "leaders"!

The incredibly rich insurance corporations & their lobbyist, through deregulation & unlimited money will control any threatening co-ops almost immediately....indirectly, secretly, as well as publicly so as to look good as they easily fuck us through bullshit co-ops.

The insurance corporations will gain even more profit via co-ops in the future....The insurance industry will not accept losing a dime and like a monster will continue to grow & grow, unstoppable, to do & charge as they please....They will lie, smear, distort, bribe, blackmail and kill if necessary to ensure it.

Co-ops will mean even more profit for the insurance industry as time goes on, and we'll be right back where we started, no public option health care for all and the insurance companies sucking us dry!

Co-op are a sham, a joke....complete bullshit to pacify both sides of the isle and fool the idiot gullible people that something has been accomplished and is why both the republicans & the insurance companies don't object to Co-ops....They will control them & profit from them in no time.

[madfloridian]

15. Good point...to distract us from our pushiness.

Make us think we are getting something.

[defendandprotect]

19. k i c k

[stevietheman]

20. What about a national co-op instead of regional ones?

I wonder why that hasn't come up as a compromise that snatches the blue dogs and the Maine Republicans in the Senate.

Regional co-ops are obviously inane, but a national one could work as real competition. If constructed well, that is.

Note: I'm a big Public Option supporter, but I want health care reform to pass both houses too.

[grantcart]

22. How could you listen to the video and then ask the question

There is going to be no compromise beyond the Public Option.

[stlsaxman]

21. Well- Fuckin-A Right! Dr. Dean does it again!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

23. Howard Dean

has been quite visible and vocal on this round of the health care debate. and there's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that he's got the President's ear, even if not acknowledged. He's just too damn smart not to be listened to.

K&R

[2Design]

24. go dean n/t

[bermudat]

25. An unashamed progressive

[GivePeaceAchance]

30. Where would we be without Gov./Dr. Dean. One great Democratic supporter.

[mother earth]

31. Thank you, Howard Dean! As usual he's a lone voice.

Now, why is that?

[LaPera]

32. Howard Dean like Michael Moore are great men trying to expose the republicans corporate bullshit

and keep people aware of the republicans lies, smears, distortions, spin and smokescreens...both have different ways they go about it!

Howard Dean & Michael Moore are truly progressives NO one is going to push either of them around, nor can either of them be bought off...They are a rare breed indeed, a rarity in either party.

[grantcart]

33. morning kick

[JohnWxy]

34. Great. REcommended. It's hard for Dean to get M$M time, even though he speaks with more authority

on Health care and health care reform than just about anybody else around - Oh yeah, I guess that's why. M$M wouldn't want people to get too informed on this subject. Just keep showing the idiots who choose to be hysterical over non-existent "boogey-men", driven by disinformaation, lies and propaganda from the Medical INsurance industry and their lobbyists the Corporate Lobbying Party (CLP), JOhn Boehner et al.

[FunMe]

35. Why isn't Dean our President?

Had he been our President, we would have healthcare reform already. Instead, we have a wimpy President who if continues in his "byePartison" way, he can say BYE to a 2nd term.

[freddie mertz]

36. Dr Dean should be president. We need a truthful and unafraid voice.

But he doesn't even get to be HHS secretary, and doesn't even get INVITED to the changing of the guard ceremonies at the DNC.

Why?

Because he has enemies in the Dem establishment AND the Obama administration who despise him for the very qualities that we all admire.

So while those clowns collude through incompetence and corruption in the demise of the latest, best chance we have had for REAL reform, Dean is among the few national figures who speaks out clearly in their favor.

Heaven protect us from the crooks and idiots in Washington who are destroying the Democratic party (and the nation).