Ted Kennedy Speaks Out On Health Care Reform: "The Cause Of My Life"

Newsweek:

In 1964, I was flying with several companions to the Massachusetts Democratic Convention when our small plane crashed and burned short of the runway. My friend and colleague in the Senate, Birch Bayh, risked his life to pull me from the wreckage. Our pilot, Edwin Zimny, and my administrative assistant, Ed Moss, didn't survive. With crushed vertebrae, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, I spent months in New England Baptist Hospital in Boston. To prevent paralysis, I was strapped into a special bed that immobilizes a patient between two canvas slings. Nurses would regularly turn me over so my lungs didn't fill with fluid. I knew the care was expensive, but I didn't have to worry about that. I needed the care and I got it.

Read the whole story: Newsweek

Comments

[Rangergirl]

The Ted Kennedy has been such a strong supporter of healthcare..I pray that he is going to be well enough to vote when it comes up....He has worked so hard all his life that it would be such a shame not to be able to fulfill his life long work.......God Bless the Kennedy's for all the work they have done on behalf of Americans. Congress needs to get moving NOW>..

[Lyr]

Strong supporter of HMO's is more like it.

[tresluv]

You still don't have your facts straight. What Senator Kennedy supported all those years ago is NOT what he supports now, nor did it turn out as he'd hoped, back when he did support HMO's.

[Jonni Rae]

Your ignorant, abusive and vulgar comments reveal who you are. The Kennedys have given more to this country than could be stated in this short comment section. I hope you actually read the article. Thank You, Senator Kennedy, for all your work on behalf of all of us for all your life. WE will get it done.

[Annette truth teller08]

lol..

**Jonni Rae** I applaud you, but who are you talking too?

[Meet Danet]

It's the Kennedy women who are the ones who are true "saints", with great causes as special olmpics.

It's the Kennedy men (Joe Sr, Jack, Ted) who are the cheats, womanizers, and boozers.

This is common knowledge.

[NMdonkey]

I think there's a lot of that among many politicians, except maybe for women in office.
You just don't hear about women governors leaving their spouses and children, running off to meet lovers in foreign countries or hiring prostitutes; or women senators hanging around bathroom stalls...

[Marcospinelli]

"It's the Kennedy men (Joe Sr., Jack, Ted) who are the cheats, womanizers, and boozers."
====================================================================

Are you one of their wives/gf?

Flawed? Absolutely. For all their faults, each made extraordinarily beneficial contributions to this country, to the world, that have made all of our lives easier. Particularly Ted. He's done more for the working families of this country than any other legislator in US history, dead or alive.

What have you done that catapults your monogamous self into sainthood?

[fcsakes]

And your point? Shall we take a look, oh just in the last couple weeks, of the stellar individuals peopling the party of "family values?"

Hypocrites and their worshipers abound.

[Samalabear]

Bobby Kennedy was the best of the men. That was a real loss.

[Betrayed]

He's a disgrace to Roman Catholics everywhere, and Irish-Americans as well.

[CarolW2]

Another 'great' argument. Skip the facts and just call him names.

[2tango]

GO TEDDY, WE LOVE YOU SENATOR, GET WELL SOON!! WE NEED YOU

[MIKEBC]

Why do rightwing conservatives H8 healthy happy people?

[babyboomerorig]

Because it's more fun for them to try to keep their thumbs on us...that way we can't rebel against their bigoted policies.

[NMdonkey]

...because if the poor or middle class uninsured and underinsured suddenly have access to the same health care, they might go on to lead long, healthy lives and continue to vote the rightwing conservatives out of office.

[epiphany1234]

Why aren't more high profile Democrats like Kennedy speaking out in support of universal health care alongside Pres Obama? Why is the Democratic caucus leaving the "heavy lifting" to the president alone? They should be out en masse pushing this cause in the face of the media nonstop 24/7 to counter the conservative ad blitz and the whining and complaining coming from the wealthy class in the media (Morning Joe panel, American Morning hosts)...who will be coughing up some of their notorious tax breaks to fund this program? Pelosi, Reid, Emanuel and others should be working this issue big time to get these intransigent Democrats to get with the program!

[einstein10]

Ted Kennedy has the Nation's best interests at heart.

Single-payer, public option, national health care is great.

Mandates alone will mostly benefit the insurance companies and make things worse for most Americans.

[Lyr]

Ted Kennedy is the godfather of HMO's. He is the author of the HMO act of 1973. Did he have our nations best interests at heart back then too?

[tresluv]

Read the entire article and get your facts straight. Kennedy got what was in 1973, the best bill that could be passed. No one is perfect or prescient - it didn't exactly work out as he planned, and he's long since stopped supporting HMO's.

[yvette7112001]

I'm tired of the critics...what are your solutions for health care and the economy? Where were all you Repugs and Conservative Dems when President Cheney and President Bush began destroying our country? This deficit you all love to hang over Obama's head began with the very people you voted into office twice? Why didn't you speak out then? Why criticize Obama for at least trying to help out Americans...where did Bush and the Rethugs in Congress ever do that, besides that less than average $1200 rebate they sent Americans that did nothing in stopping what is occurring now ...The hypocrisy some days is so hard to swallow...I was against the war in Iraq but my two income household had to pay taxes for the biggest con in History...Where were you in calling the last administration to the carpet for that fiasco...for all those lies...for the deaths of our wonderful American soldiers and victims in Iraq? If we all have to pay so that fellow Americans get coverage...so what? We are suppose to be one nation...OHHH I forgot Repugs only have selective patriotism...you only feel patriotic when it fills your pockets or its your President in office..

[Lyr]

Lets start with the repeal of the HMO act and all the other government priveledges that the insurance companies recieve. Oh by the way the HMO act was authored by Ted Kennedy.

[tresluv]

Wake up, it's no longer 1973, when Kennedy genuinely believed that the HMO bill would improve health care for the average citizen.

Take a look at what he supports NOW, not what he supported thirty-six years ago. But no, you'd rather continue to spew hate, rather than pursue facts.

[CarolW2]

Agreed. Where have all the fiscal conservatives been as the true monetary cost of the Iraq war was hidden from view. Bush and the Republicans in charge just moved the costs around and sent in bills to cover a few months at a time rather than put the entire cost up front. Why don't we get some of the money back from the likes of Halliburton and other government contractors who have grabbed every penny they can get their hands on. Then, we'd have the money for health care.

[NMdonkey]

Well, check out how Kucinich is leading the charges, attempting to remove "legal impediments for states to pass single-payer bills" (Ron Moore, "Nurses Praise House Vote to Permit State Single-Payer Laws," Washington Examiner 7/19/09). That's how Canada moved to the single payer system it enjoys today; it started one province at a time.

[Lyr]

A states rights approach I can respect that. Dennis is a good man that seems to realize there is a place for state governments and a place for the federal government.

[TJCole]

We needed your leadership on this issue Ted, since the President chose to sit it out until it ran into the ditch...!

So it goes...!

[JoeAlvord]

Forgiveness is a virtue not apparent in all.

[Betrayed]

Those who deny are not worthy of forgiveness.

[JoeAlvord]

I rest my case.

[kinnycut]

There is nothing quite like hearing this lion roar. Give'em hell Teddy!

[Annieke]

I hope for the people of the US, and for senator Ted Kennedy, that he will live to see the new health care bill accepted.

It is not a perfect bill, but a step in the right direction and a great way to move forward in the future.

Rome and Cologne weren't build on one day either after all!

[dagdavid]

Senator, I believe this is the cause of your life, but the incredibly weak bills coming out of the house and senate do not deserve to be called "reform". Until we have single payer, we cannot claim to have solved the health care crisis. Until all of our people have quality health care - not 93% or 97% but 100% - then the US is the shame of the industrialized world.

[Lyr]

Ted Kennedy authored the HMO act. Sorry but people like Ted Kennedy are the problem.

[tresluv]

You are obviously one of those who believe that if you repeat a lie/half-truth/distortion of facts often enough, everyone will start to believe it. That was thirty-six years ago and Kennedy did what he thought was best at the time.

HE NO LONGER SUPPORTS THE SYSTEM THAT HAS EVOLVED FROM THAT BILL. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, AND GET OVER 1973.

[KQuark]

Go Teddy (no disrespect meant at all) you are truly a man of the people.

[marymansour]

Amen to that.

[dwillisno1]

Ever get the feeling that the repubs are slimy enough to try and stall long enough to deny Kennedy a victory on this before he dies?

[tresluv]

Yes.

[Weirdwriter]

Here's what we got so far. Be empowered, folks.Or at least informed:

America's Affordable health Choices Act, H.R. 3200:

Short version: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BILLSUMMARY-071409.pdf

Long version: http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1864

[somsoc]

The Lion of the Senate, the conscience of America, we have not given up.

[Brian Rabble]

speak for yourself, he isn't my conscience