Dean says maybe "catastrophic problem for the Democratic Party if they can’t get this bill out."

[madfloridian]

Finally by digging around on the internet I found some more stuff about yesterday's health care rally which was attended by about 10,000 people from around the country. It could not be covered by media because of Mark Sanford and Michael Jackson. There just was not enough time to fit such an event into the media's day.



Here is a write-up from The Hill:

Unions demand public plan in healthcare bill

The rally comes amid growing doubts over whether a public plan will be included in legislation. Though House Democrats included a public plan option in their bill, prospects in a key committee appear close to nil. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) issued a statement Thursday touting progress on a bipartisan deal. With Republicans united against the public option, that bodes poorly for liberal interests.

Yes, even though we won the election in a big way...we don't want to hurt the feelings of the Republicans.

Durbin asked people not to be too demanding about absolutes, and Dean continued to speak strongly.

“It’s too early, and I’m begging all of my colleagues, if you feel as strongly as I do about some of these issues, withhold that absolute statement that ‘I cannot vote for a bill that doesn’t include X or does include X,’ ” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

The star of the show Thursday was Dean, the former Vermont governor, who took the stage to raucous cheers. Dean fired a shot across the bow to Democratic lawmakers not committed to including the public option as part of healthcare reform.

“We are here; we’re not going away. We voted for change a few months ago. We expect change. And if we don’t get it, there’s going to be more change,” said Dean.

Success on healthcare reform is a must for Democrats, Dean told The Hill. “I think it’s going to be a catastrophic problem for the Democratic Party if they can’t get this bill out.”

The AFL-CIO blog has more on the event.

Health care rally and meetings

Yesterday, members of Congress met in town hall sessions with constituents who were on Capitol Hill to rally and demand health care reform. Here are a few reports that came in after the meetings.

At the Health Care Providers Town Hall
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean got a zinger in at opponents who are claiming a public health care option plan would lead to “socialized medicine.”

You know who has socialized medicine in this country? Everyone over 65 and everybody in Congress.

Other quotes from Dean:

When doctors and nurses work together, things happen….

Right now, we have rationing in private health care….

The right wing is running around saying Massachusetts didn’t work. But they shouldn’t say that because the reason it didn’t work is because they didn’t put in a public plan.

From Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.):

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire adult life….

We can solve this problem, and we can do it in the next few weeks….

The goal of this whole exercise is not to prop up the profits of the private health insurance industry…and we don’t have to apologize for that.

Here is a video clip from the rally with Sherrod Brown, Robert Menendez, Barbara Mikulski, and Howard Dean.

And of course there is as usual a
great diary by Slinkerwink at Daily Kos on the topic of the health care rally.

[rocktivity]

1. Ten thousand attended?

We did better than the teabaggers, then!




rocktivity

[imdjh]

4. We need to make a showing (especially July 4th)

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, talk about Single Payer and the fact that Congress is trying to sell us out as a nation.

I went to pick up my sister's car from the shop, and the guy that owns the place (whom I have known for years) asked me a simply question that opened the door for me to say, "Well, I'm trying to get my congressmen to vote for single payer so that small business people can have health insurance."

It was then that I found out that he doesn't have health insurance for himself or his family of six. He said that he couldn't afford it, and so I said that that was the reason we need single payer, so that we're all paying into the same system and getting the most out of it.

July 4th, while people are watching the parades and fireworks- talk about single payer. Talk it to death. Talk about it like it's the only solution, because for many of us it is.

[offog]

60. I agree that single-payer is the way to go.

You also need to debunk the bogus talking points that Republicans are using to oppose single-payer health care.

First, there's the myth that government-run health care would mean a government bureaucrat standing between you and your doctor. (That's pretty much the wording the Repugs are using.) That's absolutely not true. I'm a 50-year-old Canadian gal; I've lived in Canada my whole life, and I've never had any government bureaucrat interfere in my health care. Decisions are left to doctors and patients. As opposed to the American system, where private health insurance bureaucrats get bonuses for finding creative excuses for denying you coverage for your care.

When I found a lump in my breast back in 1992, all I had to do was show my health card. My GP examined me and referred me to a specialist, who scheduled me for a biopsy on the spot. I had the biopsy surgery within a couple of weeks, and had the test results back in a few days. At no point anywhere along the way did anyone have to phone any government or insurance bureaucrat to get permission for the exams, surgery or testing. Ya hear that, Newt! No government interference! (PS: The lump was benign.)

Second, there's the myth that single-payer health care would mean huge tax increases. Uh huh, and those tax increases are going to be more than what you're paying now for insurance premiums? I don't get this mentality of being willing to pay sky-high prices for unreliable private insurance, while going postal over the idea of a small tax increase to pay for health care coverage that will be there when you need it.

Sure taxes are a bit higher in Canada, but we have health care for EVERYONE. You don't have to worry about whether you'll be covered if you have a pre-existing condition, or if you lose your job, or if you're too poor to afford insurance premiums but not poor enough to be eligible for government assistance. Small business and self-employed people are covered; so are their employees and everyone's families.

So hell yeah! Get out there and talk about single-payer! "Talk it to death. Talk about it like it's the only solution, because for many of us it is."

[spin]

63. Damn good post from a Canadian, please read...

When I found a lump in my breast back in 1992, all I had to do was show my health card. My GP examined me and referred me to a specialist, who scheduled me for a biopsy on the spot. I had the biopsy surgery within a couple of weeks, and had the test results back in a few days. At no point anywhere along the way did anyone have to phone any government or insurance bureaucrat to get permission for the exams, surgery or testing. Ya hear that, Newt! No government interference! (PS: The lump was benign.)

I hope that more DU members from Canada and other countries tell us about their health care system.

[imdjh]

66. Amen. The rank and file GOP have a brain block.

They don't get that the taxes which pay for health care will be offset by not paying health insurance companies.
They don't get that if we're paying as much as we are now for what we are getting now, that even if it costs exactly the same then it's still a win because we'll be getting universal coverage.

And the reason they don't get this, is because "We" isn't in their vocabulary. They are convinced that they are currently getting better care than a Medicaid patient and that under the new system, everyone will get equally screwed over but that the Republicans will have to pay for it all.

[imdjh]

2. bump nt

[stlsaxman]

3. If Dean decided to form a new party- I'd join him in a "Saint Louis Second"!

[ananda]

6. And an Austin second!

Seconded for Dean!!!!

[imdjh]

7. The Common Sense Party

Every plank in the platform has to conform to a tough standard- common sense.

[glowing]

37. Common Dreams Party..

[imdjh]

38. I prefer sense, you can make an argument for it.

[offog]

59. Watch it with the terminology.

"imdjh (1000+ posts) Fri Jun-26-09 04:42 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. The Common Sense Party
Every plank in the platform has to conform to a tough standard- common sense."

I'm all for common sense, in principal. I'm just a little skeptical about the use of the term "common sense" because the right wingers use it so often. Some folks out there might remember the conservative "common sense revolutions" of the 1980s, which seemed to consist mainly of rigging the economic system to make the rich richer and ordinary people poorer.

Since the late 1970s, conservatives have been billing their ideology as mainstream, conventional wisdom, and common sense. A lot of voters have bought into that, and conservatives have gotten to a point where they believe their own press releases.

[SammyWinstonJack]

47. In a "San Antonio second"!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

50. Me too. nt

[howmad1]

55. A-fucking-men to that:

Faster than a NY minute.

[redqueen]

5. "the reason it didn’t work is because they didn’t put in a public plan"

K&R

[pleah]

8. K&R

[sandnsea]

9. It's Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee

who are the problem. Even after you completely dismiss Republicans, there are still way to many ridiculous Democrats including your Nelson and my Wyden. The ones with the astericks are for Public Option.

MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV *
KENT CONRAD, ND
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM *
JOHN F. KERRY, MA *
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI *
MARIA CANTWELL, WA
BILL NELSON, FL
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ *
THOMAS CARPER, DE

[redqueen]

10. Landrieu and Hagan, too. (nt)

[sandnsea]

11. If it doesn't get out of committee

It'll never get to them. We need to target these people in committee first, and be willing to lose Landrieu and Hagan's vote later.

[redqueen]

13. What about the HELP Committee's bill?

[sandnsea]

14. Here

This explains it really well.

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

[redqueen]

15. That's what I thought...

the two will be merged.

[sandnsea]

17. Right, but the better it comes out of Committee

The better chance it'll have a good Public Option in the long run.

[redqueen]

19. Good point.

If we can sway those $$$$grubbing sellouts it would definitely help.

[XLSweetTea]

39. WILL NOT VOTE FOR HAGAN NEXT TIME

Especially Hagan. A few of us sent emails asking for a simple yes or no on whether she would also accept the healthcare plan's provisions like the rest of us will, instead of her 'free' congressional slush fund healthcare package. Sent all of us back very long and canned statements with no mention of healthcare, just how 'busy' she is and how 'important' her work is.

Screw congress. This isn't working people - they're not helping us like they said they would. We need to regroup and elect more serious people that won't bow to the corporates. Hagan included.

[Strong Atheist]

69. Welcome to DU!

[blm]

12. Kerry's been in these meetings advocating Dean's position and I think it's pissed off Schumer and

his staff who want the spotlight. They're the ones smearing Kerry with planted blog stories distorting his position on public option.

Kerry's been reading letters from Dean's site into the transcripts of these meetings for almost a month and Egomaniac Schumer isn't happy about it.

[sandnsea]

16. Is that verified?

We know for sure it was Schumer's aides? I'd really like to know which Senators participate in that crap.

[blm]

20. It's Schumer staff's MO. Did it on Alito, 2006 campaign donations, primaries, and

most certainly did it again here with always the same target - Kerry. Plus, I know Grim is cozy with that office.

[redqueen]

21. That guy really makes me sick. (nt)

[Ken Burch]

34. Once again, Schumer proves he's never really been a Dem

Schumer's loyal to Schumer, and that's all he's ever really been about.

[madfloridian]

24. Kerry's been a stand up guy for us.

[madfloridian]

18. Bill Nelson can't be changed. He could get re-elected on Republican votes alone

So nothing we say bothers him.

[sandnsea]

22. What about the rest?

Cantwell? Carper?

We really do not know what Wyden is thinking. Most people seems to think it's all ego for him right now. I guess he thinks he's invincible here. I'm not so sure.

[madfloridian]

23. Answers from most aides are non-committal.

Which means they don't have to express a real stand out loud.

[pattmarty]

61. Schumer was talking up the "public option" the other day, I thought he was for it?

[xxqqqzme]

68. I thought Kerry was for a 10 year waiting period??

[Faryn Balyncd]

25. K&R.Dean is right, but when Durbin says we not be absolute in demanding a public option, I disagree.

Durbin asked people not to be too demanding about absolutes, and Dean continued to speak strongly.

“It’s too early, and I’m begging all of my colleagues, if you feel as strongly as I do about some of these issues, withhold that absolute statement that ‘I cannot vote for a bill that doesn’t include X or does include X,’ ” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

There is no faster way to resurrect the GOP than to pass a mandate that Americans purchase overpriced, inadequate coverage.

If there is not a viable public option for all Americans, health "reform" will not be reform at all, but a step backwards.

The idea that passing reform is so important that we should be willing to sell out on the basic principle of a public option is an idea of shortsighted, spineless politicians.



Durbin needs to listen to Howard Dean words:

"If Barack Obama’s bill gets changed to exclude the public entities, it is not health insurance reform…it rises and falls on whether the public is allowed to choose Medicare if they’re under 65 or not. If they are allowed to choose Medicare as an option, this bill will be real health care reform. If they’re not, we will be back fighting about it for another 20 years before somebody tries again."

- Howard Dean

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/24/dean-publi... /

There IS something much worse than not passing health reform: Passing a bill without a viable public option.

And if the supporters of the public option, such as Durbin, do not make clear that the public option is not negotiable, the Republicans will win again.




There will NEVER be a public plan unless we make known our commitment to DEFEAT any sellout bill that does not contain a viable public option, or one that allows insurance companies to continue to cherry pick (a practice that, combined with demands that the public plan be self-supporting, will economically cripple the public plan, by making it a high risk, high priced dumping ground whose primary function will be to enable the insurance companies to continue to sell overpriced policies to low risk demographic groups.)


Durbin needs to stop lecturing progressives about the need to compromise. Instead, he would do better to grow some gonads and take the fight to the special interests.

[madfloridian]

26. I was surprised at Durbin's remarks.

Not what I would have expected from him.

[Bjorn Against]

44. What Durbin doesn't understand is that a public option already is a big compromise

We don't want a public option, we want single payer. A public option is a step in the right direction that we would accept, but if we don't have a public option then we have nothing. I am tired of them telling us that we should "compromise" by giving up everything.

[Faryn Balyncd]

45. You've nailed it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

48. +1

[madfloridian]

27. Another good video up in the DU video section from the rally.

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

Too bad the media chose to ignore it.

[madrchsod]

28. obama needs to stand up to the quislings in his party.

they do not respect him and the people who elected him.

they too want obama and this country to fail

[bvar22]

52. So far, the ONLY people Obama has STOOD UP against.....

....is the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.

[colsohlibgal]

29. You Go Dr. Dean

Loved this quote from him:

“We are here; we’re not going away. We voted for change a few months ago. We expect change. And if we don’t get it, there’s going to be more change,” said Dean.

Jan Schakowsky rocks as well, she is a plain talking truth speaker who has our back. We fight like Hell for at least a good public option this time around - then, however this comes out, we do what we need to to challenge democrat in name only senators like Baucus and Nelson, all of them, with true progressive candidates. Then we push through a real single payer plan - and pay for it by raising the highest tax rate to half of what Ike had, getting the Hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan pronto, and and further cutting more padding out of the defense budget.

I really think republicans and blue dogs are seriously misreading the tea bags on health care. This issue is resonating even with a large number of republicans, I personally know two former Glenn Beck parroting republicans who have gone from dead set against single payer to 100% for it, a real quick 18o degree shift.

I know this - whenever Baucus faces a primary again, I'll do whatever I can to beat that smarmy throw us under the bus for cash fake democrat, I imagine I'll spend time in Montana then for the first time in my life.

[madfloridian]

31. It's good to see him out there preaching it again. Here is the video...

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

He starts the "going to" various states mantra, then chuckles and says he better be careful about that.

We need someone pointing out that too many are not working for change but for the same old same old.

[Hawkeye-X]

36. Made me wonder who Dean REALLY wanted for President in 2008.

And I am hoping the good Doctor will give Obama a scare of his life by primaring him.

Hawkeye-X

[Dragonfli]

30. madfloridian, What is known about Schumer's "Public Option"

proposal that has apparently garnered Arlen Specter's enthusiastic support? I have seen that threads here appear to believe it is a great step forward specifically because of Arlen's being won over by it, also the same justification has been used to applaud Specter's support of it as a sign that he is becoming a true Democrat.

I understand that the basics of Schumer's approach is to craft the Public option in such a way as to bring it into direct fair competition with private insurance.

What I fear (knowing Schumer - my rep) is that the method employed would be to artificially reduce the advantages a public plan would have over for profit in order to achieve this "fair" competition rather than take advantage of a public plans lack of need for profit, lobbying costs, admin overhead etc. to force the for profit insurance to reduce costs and overhead in order to compete with the public plan.

If his approach is the later, then the praise would be fair and well earned.
If it is the former then it would seem to me to defeat the entire purpose of a public plan and would be a trojan horse capable of rendering any reform ineffective at best or possibly even make the health care situation worse (if Romney care mandates were included in the overall reform for instance).

If my reasoning is correct we really have to understand what Schumer means by fair competition.
I thought that someone posted some information on his approach a while back, I was hoping you may know more about what his intentions might be.

Sorry for the seemingly off topic question, but if he follows his usual corporate inclinations we may very well end up with a worsened health care system that will most assuredly create a catastrophic problem for the Democratic Party.

K&R by the way, great post as always!

[madfloridian]

33. I have read several things about Schumer's plan

and they sort of contradict. Not really sure what it is at this point.

[Dragonfli]

35. Hopefully clarification will come soon

Single Payer Universal would give us the most for the least amount of expenditure (IMO), failing that, as would appear to be the will of Washington the public option is the crucial point in the whole thing.

At this point it could mean a carbon copy of a private insurers plan complete with a denial board and high co-pays but with the name "public".

Or a medicare like plan (open to all) with the savings of very low overhead passed on to the consumer (driving down market prices) while not denying care for profit.

Or anywhere in between.

It would be most helpful if the American people had some transparency regarding the debate as it unfolds so as to participate with our representatives - offering input, insight and political cover for the positive ideas while holding there feet to the fire and supplying constructive criticism of bad ideas that appear to help profits over people.

Damn frustrating not to be able to know what they are up to.

Thank you for responding. Perhaps we shall see a plan soon and have an opportunity to participate at some point as the "represented".

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

49. When is a public option not a public option? When it is Schumer's public option

The most basic issue is that he is underfunding the government option so that it will be doomed to fail quickly. He wants it to finance itself from premiums, which it self-evidently can't. The public option will be loaded from the getgo with people who have not had healthcare or have put off healthcare for years. Medicare is not expected to finance itself from premiums and the public option should not be expected to either.

He also will not make it mandated that providers accept the new public option. He really doesn't want a public option, in my opinion - he wants something that can be called a public option that will fail and leave the field back to the private plans.

The fact that some Republicans are praising his public option is all you really need to know.

[dotymed]

32. IF

Millions of Americans took to the streets and DEMANDED that public funding of all elections. We could change our whole system. for the way better.

[Thothmes]

67. Only if they were not taxed to pay for those elections.

If they found out that they were to be taxed specifically to publicly fund all federal elections, I do not think you would see a very large turn out.
JMO.

[chill_wind]

40. K & R. n/t

[Kansas Wyatt]

41. Obama & Democrats, Inc. had better wake up

They think they have the next several elections in the bag, but the American People are already fed up with the bullshit Corporate Policy, because they have endured being oppressed by it for over eight years and have lost ground from it for over thirty years.

You DUMB ASS Democratic Politicians and their minions had better wake up in a hurry, because you are cutting your own damn throats, when you continually choose to represent Corporate America over 'We The People.' DEATH MERCHANTS do nothing for Health Care, and in fact, are very harmful to peoples' health and well being. Keep fucking up, and you will be wondering why people would vote against their alleged 'best interests' again after the next election, while you clear out your desk. Here's a clue... Because you are NOT representing the Peoples' "best interests" at all!

[soryang]

42. Didn't hear anything about this rally on Sirius Left 146

I recall hearing Ed Schulz say on radio last week that he didn't support a rally in Washington. He said, "What good would it do?"
This struck me as odd because he is a strident supporter of single payer and until Michael Jackson's death went on and on about the health care issue on Sirius Left every day. He did propose some scheme about tying up the phones in Washington which I don't think is as effective as demonstrations in Washington.

[Stinky The Clown]

43. I find the institutional waffling on health care to INEXCUSABLE and INEXPLICABLE

And that unused bully pulpit is a wasted resource.

Meanwhile, the mollycoddling of the repubican MINORITY continues to drive everything else.

[bvar22]

53. +1 for Stinky.

[madfloridian]

71. "mollycoddling" of the Republican minority. You hit the nail on the head.

[WestSeattle2]

46. Damn right it will be. n/t

[Jakes Progress]

51. Better no bill than what it looks like we'll get.

For better or worse, this is going to be Obama's bill. It doesn't matter how many senator names are on it. If it is passed, and if it is the disaster that the "public option" Medicare Drug Bill was, this will end his presidency. He has to have a plan that will work more than the has to have a plan passed.

We have a very persuasive president, one with very high positive ratings. I think we need to urge him to go before the public (the bully pulpit) and tell them what a good public option should mean. He needs to tell them that there are those who would cripple the plan and manipulate the language in ways that will harm the public health, and that he intends to veto any bill that won't serve the public. He will do this because of the oath he swore in taking office. Then he must demand that the congress pass decent legislation without the compromises and corporate loop holes. This is language and leadership that the country will understand and trust.

He can do this. Maybe no president in our time could have. But he doesn't have multiple chances or several years. Now is the time for the courage and audacity that we voted for.

[MannyGoldstein]

54. Dean For President

It'd be nice to have Democrats in charge.

[ihavenobias]

56. Kick (too late to rec). n/t

[tj2001]

57. If Obama can't get a health care reform bill out of Congress, he's gonna be in a world of trouble

All the bills he signed so far have been low hanging fruit. For example, the credit card bill was an easy one due to the fact that the federal government owns the banks. But health care reform is Obama's true test.

[mvd]

58. I'm a fan of Dean's

He's an example of how you don't have to be super liberal to have passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge that some principles are too important to compromise on.

[Libertas1776]

62. Dean could have been Prez

in 2004, but the corporate media destroyed him. You have to tow the company line in order to be president these days, right Mr President?
I fear all we are going to get is a trillion dollar porker that has no public option whatsoever and keeps the insurance co's nice and happy.
What is this I have been hearing, government subsidies for people to buy private insurance or some crap like that? Fuck that noise!

I realize the spineless Dems will never go single payer, but for Dog's sake, Public Option or nothing at all. If they do not have the public option, then don't fucking waste my time. I knew I should have voted for this guy

[humbled_opinion]

64. People where I work ...

Mostly Conservative types were debating this the other day and the issue they brought out was the effect of government run care on Abortion.

- The fundies were saying that if a government health care system was adopted that they would try to copt it and charge that all forms of birth control were available to everyone through the government run plan so any pregnancy results from patient non-compliance and is therefore a wanted pregnancy. Any abortion would be denied through the government program because of patient non-compliance.

- One person mentioned they could treat STD's the same way.

Idiots... but my question was how much control would the government have to issue patient compliance standards...

It got me thinking and actually scared me a little.

[debbierlus]

65. It damn well SHOULD be catastrophic for the democratic party - a NEW party should rise out of it

If the dems won't represent the people and fight their AZZEZ off for health care for the American citizens, then why the hell should they keep getting elected...

ANY politician who chooses to represent corporate interests over the health of the American citizens should be fired by US and we should replace them with people actually interested in serving the people!

[BolivarianHero]

70. Durbin the Dickless Wonder

I guess he's not really a progressive and has started showing his true colours.