Bill Moyers: Obama's Health Care Struggle Waterloo or Water Down?

CommonDreams.org:

President Obama rejected the Republicans' Waterloo metaphor and mounted a massive media counteroffensive of his own. But the President has already run into booby traps of his own making and minefields laid by members of his own party, exacerbated when the Congressional Budget Office reported that reform plans, instead of controlling costs, would send the national debt further into the stratosphere.

Meanwhile, supporters who want to scrap the present system for fundamental change are staring glumly though the fog of war at a battlefield in total disarray. They fear that in the White House's desire to get a bill -- any bill -- passed by Congress, it will have been so compromised, so bent to favor the big interests, that it will be less Waterloo than water down, a steady diluting of the change they had hoped for and that America needs.

Read the whole story: CommonDreams.org

Comments

[breakingpoint]

watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-W035ADw0s

[imsweetleaf]

part 2 of 2

wake up people. these companies do not have our healthy heart in consideration here. also the millions of dollars contributed to obama's and max baucus's campaign by the pharmacies and private insurance companies are not "donated" so we the people are represented, but so their corporate interests are kept in consideration. what is outrageous with this is, this cost is covered through the marketing of their products. obviously. it reminds me of the geto boy's song, city under siege lyric, "police brutality is just a formality, they're kicking our a-- and we're paying their salary." doesn't the fact that these corporations are now in support of the changing legislation worry people a little bit? that hr3200 might be corrupted by these private interests? i dunno it does me. can we indeed have it both ways, or is it going to be more of the same? am i the only one with these questions?

i am in total support of hr676. at least i can read that. hr3200 is going to read like a michener novel, and by the time i get it completely read it will an act of congress,

mr moyer, thank you for your real care for others. i know you have excellent health insurance, but you care enough to want that for others, and you are not fearful that it will compromise what you have worked for in this life. i wish more people were like you.

[imsweetleaf]

this is part one of a two part post due to the availability to me for a limited 250 words...
part 1 of 2

first and foremost i want to take this opportunity to thank you from my heart for what you do mr moyer. i truly have come to follow your directive, especially every friday night on pbs, for a moral and ethical balance in this world. you life is one i so respect for being well lived with great purpose , ethics and style.

that said, thank you too for your diligence in giving we the people the chance to keep this health care issue about health care... it is so sad that people want to turn it into the issue of politics. republicans don't benefit anymore than democrats with the current business of health care. it amazes me that anybody is willing to give up quality of life due to a commitment to an ideology. the bipartisan fight would be a much better fight if we are all fit to fight the good fight we believe in, no matter what side of the divide we are on. it is unfortunate our health is compromised by politics.

the other thing that amazes me is people don't see what is the red flag, up front and center, that is... "Including its latest report, PhRMA has now spent $13.1 million lobbying so far this year. Pfizer has reported $11.7 million in lobbying expenses for 2009."
cont...

[roudy]

It is looking like the so called health care reform will be nothing but a cruel joke on the American People, while it is a huge giveaway of taxpayer funds to health industry corporations.

This should be no surprise. Look at the failed bankruptcy reform, the failure to actually enact true credit card industry reform, the failure to strengthen and enforce financial industry regulation and reform. And the list goes on. In every instance of supposed change, the congressional members have bowed to corporate interests to the detriment of the American Citizens.

As big a mess as the health care is today in this country, what is being proposed in congress is an ever bigger mess. There are no solutions or true reform of this issue, the proposals can only be called a disaster.

[Kassandra]

Yeah, read this: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-health-care-chartjul26,0,1415531.story

Not a mention of a Public Option. It looks as if this bill is gonna be the worst of practically everything.

Frankly, I don't know why we even need Congress if the corporations are writing all the bills; just get rid off them and show the men behind the curtain, and what we're getting for the tremendous burdens our gov has put on US without our consent and get over it and show US the fascism.

[Kassandra]

That link doesn't work Google this: The state of the health care debate

[drricklippin]

Bill - I understand your frustration.

YOU ARE ONE OF OUR NATIONS GREAT MORAL VOICES

But a $2.5 trillion dollar enterprise doesn't change easily

Obama will get a bill signed which will set the stage for future changes

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa

[einstein10]

HR3200 is set up for the insurance industry and large corporations.

We need a new single-payer bill with no mandates.

[Kassandra]

You may change your mind on that when you really read the thing. It looks to me like the gov will be looking over your shoulder to make sure you're toeing the line while the insurance companies dictate what that line is.

[harriscrl3]

This is what makes me angry with these folks that say its watered down. SO WHAT. We havent had healthcare reform in this country isnt it better to have 10 million more people insured than to have 60 million uninsured by doing NOTHING.

We cant have perfection. We are a diverse country. When are people going to get that. Its likely we will have a mix bag the issue that we should be looking at did it improve the current state. This is what makes me so angry we say that we dont think this that we are realistic but its NOT true we think that we can just wave a magic wand and fix this. Its the same thing as saying this is the one way to fix this and if we dont have this way it will never be better. We have 366 million people in this country. Folks compare it to other countries and say well if Canada can do it so can America. Really? Isnt America different than Canada.. Why can't we find what works for us and shed this idea that single payer is the only thing that will work or that it works fine now and we dont have to do anything. You are not going to get everything you want. Didnt your parents raised you that way.

Lets find something that WORKS thats all I care about.

[harriscrl3]

That should read: We say that we are being realistic.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"Isnt America different than Canada"

You betcha! America's priority is to spare no expense for WARFARE ... NOT HEALTHCARE!!!

I'm so SICK & TIRED of FILTHY RICH "healthcare" INSURANCE COMPANIES playing God with PEOPLE'S LIVES!!!

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

[William1950]

agreed... lets find something that works... that's what we all care about. what we are seeing now will not work... it mandates you purchase insurance that if it worked... we would not be in this mess today... you must purchase a product... you must.
they , insurance providers, have no musts... meaning they are still free to screw you and either deny, delay, or cancel your needs.. there is no "public option" as the words imply, rather there is a public mandate to purchase one way or the other with no reasonable expectation of recieving value for your purchase.

[tonysaprano]

The Republican don't want health care for America

(this msg was approved by the HP censors)

[tonysaprano]

It sounds like the Republicans have a Health Care Plan for America. "Go buy a casket at Walmart"

[LorettaSingbiel]

People won't be able to afford to buy caskets. They'll have to bury their loved ones in their backyards ... well perhaps not ... they've lost their backyards, along with their LIVES to the CRIMINAL COST of HEALTHCARE in OUR "compassionate, civilized, christian" country!

[einstein10]

On top of all this-

At the same time the US Government is fast-tracking bailouts to multinational corporations, the Treasury Department has a policy right now to sic the IRS on small businesses and the self-employed. This will really hurt the economy. There should be a moratorium.

HR3200 is set up for the insurance companies and large corporations. Read the fine print.

[Kassandra]

Well, they DID write it, so , of course it's to their benefit. This is going to be a debacle, just like Medicare Part D is.

[thinkagain2]

If the health care reform fails, it will be because of the intense lobbying of the insurance companies. Who not only decide on your care, but take a heck of a lot more money from your pocket than a public or single payer system would do.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/26/us-healthcare-obama-barack-change

[rshrink]

You are correct. The two experts on Moyers show said that the only hope for reform is a single payer system, an extension of medicare if you will. It is the only way to keep the costs under control. Medicare is a non-profit. When profit is thrown into the equation of healthcare, the goal of health improvement is out the window and the goal of profit is the central concern. That allows costs to sky rocket. The medicare also allows for more choice than most of today's healthcare plans under the insurance model. Medicare would cover everyone, whereas Insurance will always leave many people without coverage and with inadequate coverage. We keep hearing from Americans about Canadians and Europeans not liking their government healthcare plans, but one never seems to encounter those comments from Canadians and Europeans that they meet in real life. I have friends who became citizens of Canada just to have the coverage and the retirement benefits. I don't hear them complaining at all.

[thinkagain2]

I would like to see Moyer's interview with Wendell Potter rewquired reading/viewing for every congressman. I have sent info to my congressmen, but there's little hope of Brownback and Roberts paying any attention to constituents.

One more time for those who missed it:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html

[LeonBNJ]

A real leader and President sets the goals for policy and finds a way to get there. FDR set policy to try to releive the worst affects of the Great Depression, incuding critical regulation of banks and creating jobs. JFK set the goal to go to the Moon by the end of the 1960's. Problem is that especially from Pres. Reagan, the Presidents have given up far too much of thier leadership to set policy goals to the Congress and Senate or abuse their position. GWB horribly abused his leadership powers to ignore the Constitution, get us into a useless war in Iraq, abuse human rights and give all to the most powerful Americans.
I want a President who will take on the big things and set big goals that help all Americans, not just the '1%'ers',

[lilbro]

Leave my president alone!!!!

[totaldisbelief]

do you have any idea of how the Health Bill reads?...I don't
How does it work? ....I don't know.
I'm all for single payer health care (like some European countries) but is that what is on the table?

[Kassandra]

No. Read this:
The state of the health care debate
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-health-care-chartjul26,0,1415531.story
See if you like it........­...

[AceInTheHole]

What gives us the idea that the Blue Cross Dixiecrats give a damn about the welfare and health of the American People, hell, they want the Confederacy back! They seem to hate Blacks, Jews, and Northerners, now whats left for them not to hate, corporate bribes?

[Kassandra]

Slaves again, that's what they're turning US into, yer right.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

Sorry about the repeats .... This "moderator" is a JOKE!

[IowaKid]

Sorry but I disagree. I have more respect for Moyers than any of them in the MSM.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

I was referring to the moderator of this blog causing me to post multiple times.

NOBODY is a bigger Moyers fan than me.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

Moyers, like ALWAYS, is right!

The problem is not the Prez however. And it is NOT the repubes either. The blame will lay squarely at the feet of Max Baucus in the Senate and Mike Ross in the House. 2 moral degenerates will dictate and k1ll this, how is that democracy?

These 2 scoundrels have decided setting themselves up for plush lobbying position after leaving office is more important than doing what is best for the American people.

If these 2 @holes indeed go home next week and progressives fail to overwhelm their offices, and yes their homes as well with protests for the whole month, we can blame our complacency as well.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"The problem is not the Prez however. And it is NOT the repubes either."

It's NOT the Party of NO??? How have you come to that conclusion???

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

Read what I said ..... We don't need repubes, they can and should be totally ignored.

We have 60 members in the Senate and a super majority in the House.