Health-Care Activists Targeting Centrist Dems

Washington Post:

In the high-stakes battle over health care, a growing cadre of liberal activists is aiming its sharpest firepower against Democratic senators who they accuse of being insufficiently committed to the cause.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Acidic]

That's the funny thing, is that a fresh candidate running against an incumbent in a primary needs an influx of cash to compete, hence he is bought from the very beginning. It's sort of catch 22.

[Acidic]

That's why good old fashioned peaceful protest in the actual streets is the only way to go. I h ate being a cynic, but it seems just about everyone who aspires to lead or seek office is a despicable human being. They are not genuine and if in the remote chance that they are, they will soon be easily corrupted by money and power.

[never-ever-give-up]

Who is the Washington Post carrying water for? It's alright for big pharma, the AMA and big health insurance companies to spread money all over congress but those who represent our interests can't? We need to press harder. They have forgotten that they work for us. If we don't get true health care reform, it's on. They all have tp go particularly the so-called Conservadems.

[CosmicChaos]

I hope MoveOn.org and the other Progressive sites continue to advertise against Democrats and Republicans that are in the pockets of Big Pharma and Insurance Companies, who refuse to work for the bettering of the American people.

Health Care Costs are strangling the American people, Small Businesses, Medium Sized Businesses, Large Sized Businesses, and Mega Corporations.

Surely there is enough suffering and bankruptcy to FINALLY get a better health care system.

Health Care costs are 75% of the reason that GM and Chrysler went Bankrupt, because they actually gave a damn about their workers and didn't just stop making health insurance available to their workers and retirees. The non-American Automakers have higher profit margins on the same car types, because they don't have to pay for Health Care for their workers.

[jmpurser]

Actually the unions FORCED GM and Chrysler to act like they cared about their employees.

Minor point but an important one IMHO.

[warlover]

What the congress people that are against the public option won't say but are thinking is, If over 70% of America is for the public option than over 70% of the Americans will go with the public option leaving less than 30% on private insurance driving the cost of private insurance so high that only the rich could afford it, the end result universal healthcare. Its priety bad when the American voter takes a back seat to the private insurance companies.

[jmpurser]

That assumption depends on a seriously flawed understanding of the "public option" which is neither available to the public nor optional for the people on it. It will be only available to people who can afford no other option for health insurance. They'll be able to purchase a plan from the "public option" on a sliding scale. That's the "public option".

Everyone else will be forced to buy from private companies on threat of fines from the IRS. No kidding.

So 70% of the public will never ever be under the "public option". And private insurers get a chance to sell an extra 50 million customers if they can afford it. Anyone they can't make money on gets shunted to the"public option".

This is why we need single payer and NOT the "public option".

[Bernique]

Other Senators that need convincing on the Single Payer/Medi­care-for-A­ll plan --

Harry Reid NV
Kent Conrad ND
Joe Lieberman CT
Blanche Lincoln Arkansas
Tom Carper Delaware
Evan Bayh Indiana
Bob Bennett Utah
Dianne Feinstein Calif.
Max Baucus Montana
Ron Wyden Oregon
Mark Pryor Arkansas
Ben Nelson Nebraska
Mark Warner VA

[annjude]

People from these states should do whatever they can do make sure these democrats are defeated next time they run. I am from Indiana and if anyone runs against Bayh he or she will get my vote. He has done many things that were not good for the people of Indiana or the country. I will not vote for a republican, but in the primary I hope some other Democrat runs. The first goal they have is to get reelected. I expect these things from the ANTI-LIFE SLUGS. The SLUGS say they are PRO-LIFE, but they are not. Bayh and the other worthless Dems are worse than the Rethugs. Shame on them. TERM LIMITS.

[Acidic]

That's the funny thing, is that a fresh candidate running against an incumbent in a primary needs an influx of cash to compete, hence he is bought from the very beginning.

[jmpurser]

Add Murray and Cantwell from WA to that list.

[Chironomid]

Whah wah wah... It hurts to be exposed, doesn't it, phony Dems? If exposure and accountability from MoveOn and such derails what is a completely hollow and phony health care "reform" effort, so be it. The last thing we need is another big insurance sellout ala Medicare Part D. And that's what this is shaping up to be so far...

Single payer best; strong public option okay.

Anything less, forget it.

[fourex]

Senators know the public option is best. They have it and won't give it up for nothing. So why do they, DiFi, Wyden, Nelson, want to deny it to others? The stimulus to the economy, small business, and others more than make up the costs. So why do they, DiFi, Wyden, Nelson, want to deny it to others? It's a mystery?

[jmpurser]

What makes you think the "public option" is best or that the senators have it? I do not believe either is true.

[yakmeat]

All in congress have their health insurance provided by the federal government. In other words, they have the currently existing "public option" that covers all federal employees.

The "public option" being cobbled together by congress is not best. Single payer is.

[Chernynkaya]

Seriously? Because they are bought by the insurance industry and big parma. Go to Howard Dean's site to see how much they got in campaign contributions.

[LeftCoastLarry]

To Jumpuser,
As we both participate in this health care discussion, you've been a strong proponent for single payer and I on the other hand was willing to push for a strong public option as more doable.
You've convinced me you're right.
We should be pushing with all we've got for single payer.
There is no difference politically. The Republicans aren't going to settle for anything less than the status quo and there is no reason we should settle for anything less than single payer.

[jmpurser]

LeftCoastLarry,

I read your posts and a few others carefully. I started off on the "Public option is the best we can do now and we'll fix it later" crowd. After researching the issue I'm now of the opinion that if we don't do it right this time we won't have the political will to fix it for decades if ever. I get the argument for just taking what we can get believe me. I just don't think that's the way it's going to work in the real world.

Glad to have you on our side Larry. Let's go see if anyone else is either able to show us where we're wrong or willing to rethink their position!

[LeftCoastLarry]

We are and always have been in total agreement that we cannot settle for a weak proposal because "it's better than nothing".
Such proposals as co-ops and triggers are tantamount to complete capitulation to the Republicans and the corporations.
The American people deserve better.
The House is in pretty good shape. The Senate on the other hand needs to learn that we won the last election and their first responsibility is to the people, not the insurance companies.
Even Senator Cantwell is waffling in her commitment - or lack of - to meaningful health care reform.
We don't need another Medicare Part D.

[LeftCoastLarry]

Sorry I misspelled your name :)

[elcojonu]

Find a way to keep politicians from taking money from lobbyists and half the problems will be solved.

[Slick88]

Only half?

[Bernique]

Public financing of elections will remove corporate monies from Congress. IT HAS TO BE DONE. It's how other countries do it, in Europe, Japan, S. Korea, India.

[marxmarv]

Congress is going to be the one that has to do it, and they have many many more reasons not to do it than to do it. The only way there's any chance this will happen is to get people to pledge to vote out both the D party and the R party.

[elcojonu]

Folks, I hope you all realize that it's over for us as a manufacturing nation if Health Care doesn't pass this time.
Employers can't keep taking it in the shorts forever if nothing is not done about the cost of Health Care Coverage in this country. Sooner rather than later you're gonna see more and more employers drop coverages for their employees.

[jmpurser]

Meanwhile every plan our policy makers are seriously considering is built around ..... you guessed it! Employer provided health care!

How many ways can we reinvent stupid?

[elcojonu]

Never underestimate the stupidity of some folks.
We see it day in, day out.

[Dutschke]

a) the USA have the most expensive health care system of ANY industrail nation in the world, while not being able to cover about 50 million people.

b) government health care systems have worked and are continuing to work MORE efficiently in other CAPITALIST countries like Germany, France, Spain, Great Britain and Sweden (Yes, sweden is also NOT a socialist, but a capitalist leaning democracy)

c) How is it acceptable under ANY circumstances, that a rich country like the USA does not have enough empathy for its OWN people to make sure that at least everybody has access to health care no matter what their status in society is. Where is our often quoted pride and our "UNITED we stand" when it comes to issues of life and death ?

d) Private insurance companies exist also in other countries and are able to be profitable despite single payer health care.

e) Health care is not only more affordable in other countries but is also less expensive. The USA have the most expensive health care system in the world.

f) Right now, the Insurance industry stands between the patient and the doctor for more than 50 million AMERICANS, by simply DENYING health care. How is that worse than having a government make sure that everybody has health care when they need it ????

g) A healthy society costs less, is more productive and happier. I am positive that these factors change the national GDP quite a bit.

[elcojonu]

All the Countries you mentioned are functioning Socialist Democracies where Capitalism and Socialism have found a modus vivendi.
Pure Capitalism has reached the end of it's usefullness as a system; we're the last ones to realize it , Europe realized it a long time ago.

[Dutschke]

That's a big mistake: Actually they are what's called SOCIAL democracies. NOT socialIST ! There is a HUGE difference between socialism as a political SYSTEM and the word social:

SocialISM: Karl Marx posited that socialism (a stage in which the working class controlled the state and owned the means of production before the state and classes withered away) would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution, and would be a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.

Social: (Political definition): the public sector ("social sector") or the need for governance for the good of all, contrasted with the private sector

Cynical politicians like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) love to purposely confuse the two because he knows that in the minds of the American people, Socialism is basically equal to communism. Very demagogue strategy.

[Bernique]

Dutschke -- well said, every point. I would add one more -- we are the only country is which health care is conditional on having a job. You lose your job you lose your health care (yes, I know about COBRA but at an exorbitant cost). This is a system in which employees are in servitude of their employers, for their HEALTH!.

It would be better for our economy if employers were not saddled with, or able to pressure their employees with the health care burden. A lot of people understand this, that is why they overwhelmingly support the single payer/univ­ersal/esse­ntial care plan that would resemble "Medicare for all ages".

[Dutschke]

I personally have been living her in the US for 6 years now and I know one single person here in the US that actually HAS health care: MY EMPLOYEE (and that's because I believe, that if you can't afford health care for your employees, you are basically living off your employees health)

[kasinca]

For profit healthcare companies have high school educated clerks denying coverages and procedures that doctors may perform. They do this to save an almighty buck for the profits of the corrupt healthcare for profit companies. I for one would not care if they all are forced to dance to the socialized medicine tune. I have been turned down and refused and when I did have coverage I watched the deductibles increase, the premiums increase, and the service dwindle. The rethuglican way has failed us.

[jmpurser]

I do wish people would distinguish between for profit health CARE and health INSURANCE. Single payer wouldn't do a thing about for profit health CARE.

[Chernynkaya]

True- they are separate issues. But if we had real reform (single payer) there would be economies of scale, as I'm sure you know.

Plus, when government insurance is the largest carrier by far, they can pretty much dictate to the market. Not that I'm holding them up as a paragon, but the whole business model of Wal-Mart is that they are so big, they can tell manufacturers what the cost should be.

[OurKoan]

Finding the most efficient, economical way to pool our collective resources and provide well-being for all our citizens. WTF is so difficult about this concept? Isn't this what civilized countries do?

I guess we are the last industrial non-civilized country out there.

Profiteering off of the sick and d.ying. Something for us to truly be proud of.

[nogimmicks]

The healthcare monster consists of five intertwined money sucking interests: (i) insurance bankers, (ii) lawyers, (iii) hospital businesses, (iv) overpaid doctors and (v) big pharma. There is no chance to "ask them" to reform themselves. The only solution is to create a fair competition for the existing hyperexpensive and inefficient healthcare monster from scratch and completely outside the existing system. But is it unlikely that the corrupt Senators like Nelson or Landrieu will allow it to happen.

[lysistrata]

60% of doctors want national health care. Only about 1/3 of doctors belong to the AMA, the doctors union as far as I am concerned. But insurance, Pharma, and AMA stick together.

[nogimmicks]

Ben Nelson, Mary Cantwell, Mary Landrieu, Ron Wyden (Ore.), and Dianne Feinstein are among the worst corrupt politicians. How does the writer dare calling them "centrists Dems"?

[vippy]

Let me ask you why do we keep voting them into office when we know that already. We, the people, with the power of our vote need to vote all incumbents out of office. I bet that will get their attention! Then hold them to the 4 year term limit. No more in office until they die and get corrupt
over a lifetime.

[marxmarv]

The incumbents and the challengers all represent their parties. It may be due time to vote the incumbent PARTIES out of office.

[layman]

Call them out as " Dems on the take, pracktising legallized bribery and corruption, working for the big corps interests "Black list them, every single one of them. !!!!!!!

[Bernique]

I wouldn't lump Senator Wyden with the other corrupt senators, but on this issue, and on his stance of not supporting single payer/Medi­care-for-A­ll health care for his constituents, he's been bought.