Olbermann Harshly Criticizes Members Of Congress Over Health Care Reform: "Legislators For Sale"

Keith Olbermann harshly criticized members of Congress in a "Special Comment" tonight for paying more attention to the needs of the health care industry, who donate large sums of money to their campaigns, than to their constituents, who would benefit greatly from health care reform. Olbermann titled the segment "legislators for sale."

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From the transcript:

I could bring up all the other Democrats doing their masters' bidding in the House or the Senate, all the others who will get an extra thousand from somebody if they just postpone the vote another year, another month, another week, because right now without the competition of a government-funded insurance company, in one hour the health care industries can make so much money that they'd kill you for that extra hour of profit, I could call them all out by name.

But I think you get the point. We don't need to call the Democrats holding this up Blue Dogs. That one word "Dogs" is perfectly sufficient. But let me speak to them collectively, anyway.I warn you all. You were not elected to create a Democratic majority. You were elected to restore this country. You were not elected to serve the corporations and the trusts who the government has enabled for the last eight years.

You were elected to serve the people. And if you fail to pass or support this legislation, the full wrath of the progressive and the moderate movements in this country will come down on your heads. Explain yourselves not to me, but to them. They elected you, and in the blink of an eye, they will replace you.

If you will behave as if you are Republicans -- as if you are the prostitutes of our system --you will be judged as such. And you will lose not merely our respect. You will lose your jobs!

Every poll, every analysis, every vote, every region of this country supports health care reform, and the essential great leveling agent of a government-funded alternative to the unchecked duopoly of profiteering private insurance corporations. Cross us all at your peril.

Because, Congressman Ross, you are not the Representative from Blue Cross. And Mr. Baucus, you are not the Senator from Schering-Plough Global Health Care even if they have already given you $76,000 towards your re-election. And Ms. Lincoln, you are not the Senator from DaVita Dialysis.

Because, ladies and gentlemen, President Lincoln did not promise that this nation shall have a new death of freedom, and that government of the corporation, by the corporation, for the corporation, shall not perish from this earth.

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Comments

[phylliscooper1]

Thank you Mr. Olberman, you called out 2 from my state. I write them every day and get no responses, except pleas for campaign contributions. .

Also, listening to this I was reminded of who sees the doctors first. While sitting in the waiting room the sick patients or just patients with scheduled appointments are always seen after the pharma reps are shown back to see the doctor. It is time for patients first, before elected officials and before medical corporations.

[worldsam]

Thank you, Mr. Olbermann, for calling out these sellouts. It is a curse on our country. The people who stand to gain the most from these progressive policies are the middle and lower middle class and yet they are the ones recruited by the rich powerful who stand to lose the most to demonstrate against these proposals. The misguided claim to be for freedom above all. How can anyone be free when the threat of bankruptcy hangs over very middle class family should a family member fall critically ill?

[huffyjive]

keith, you're the worst! thanks for continuing to live up to this honor each evening.

[JohnSawyer]

By "worst", you mean "best", right?

[Akat1973]

Thank you keith,thank you from all people who have been dropped from their insurance companies for so called pre exsisting conditions such as cancer and pregnancy! The truth is out there and I applaud Keith for bringing it to the light. We need a loud voice to override the crazy people who actually believe that these insurance companies care about them,when all they care about is $$$$$$$

[valleygent]

KEITH IS A HERO...AND HE TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. BLUE DOGS ARE A PROBLEM FOLKS...TIME FOR THE CENTER AND THE LEFT TO GET ANGRY NOW TOO. GET ACTIVE, OR THE PUBLIC OPTION IS HISTORY BECAUSE OF A FEW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

[greenrotgut]

I saw that segment. Keith comes off badly. He needs to keep his cool.

[hhayden]

He always does, but because he ha'tes who most of these people hate they want him for president, they love him and they want to have his baby - and that's just the guys.

[Akat1973]

No he needs to be tough for the people in need.lives are at stake

[helpusa]

HE WAS GORGEOUS as usual and expresses my anger, my frustration, my feelings and disdain.
You, well you just think everything is hunky dory and we should just play nice and let things stand and let the CEOs of the insurance companies continue to get their multi-million, billion bonuses.
ENOUGH. Get angry, go get em'. This is the time to not play too nice with the thieves and the blood thirsty health insurance providers. Have you seen some of the mansions they live in while people are dying??

[joannenj]

You know, I really don't mind if they take "contributions" as long as they serve their constituents. My problem is that these people are taking the money and turning their backs on the people who elected them. The most successful politicians are the ones who can make it balance. They have to realize that when the people are happy if represented and never bother to check how much money they’ve accepted.

[Jeff Cunningham]

Lawrence O'Donnell had a big segment about this on The Ed Show last night; he made a lot of the same points you're making. I just wish I could find the video, cause it would've been great to post on my blog.

Oh, and as mentioned in Keith's Special Comment, Obama got $18 million from the health sector during the campaign ... yet he's still fighting for reform.

[JohnSawyer]

Yeah, but he finally caved in and now won't put any real energy into the public option. Now he says he still "prefers" it, but at the same time, he says he's "open to all ideas", and says if there is no public option, it will be no big deal. Even though the public option is, so far, the best bet for holding the insurance companies accountable, by providing their only real competition. The co-op idea stands too much chance for being co-opted by the insurance industry.

[thiggins68]

Keith Olbermann harshly criticized members of Congress in a "Special Comment"

Who care what this lunatic says.

Someone should criticize his TV ratings.

More poeple saw this on this site than they did on his show.

[hhayden]

They have. Someone here said they were going to post it to 200 people and I find it hard to believe that he knows all the other MSNBC viewers. They think what the government wants is OK because it's tyranny lite.

[madcat007]

I see the Foxbots are here spewing nonsense again. You guys are so insecure you always have to check out what HuffPo and MSNBC are saying. Funny thing, I don't feel the need to go talk smack in righty sites...

[hhayden]

I think it shows that we are comfortable with other peoples views. We don't feel threatened. You don't go to other sites because you can't hold your own.

[madcat007]

What's the matter? Problem logging on to Drudge or newsbusters tonight to play with the rest of your ilk. The truth is such a terrible thing for you people.

[hhayden]

Here was your opportunity to educate us, and you blew it.

[JohnSawyer]

Lots of people care what Olbermann says. One thing you don't like to face about ratings: it doesn't matter who has the highest ratings--all that matters is whether the person speaking is telling the truth. When someone's show is third in the ratings, it doesn't mean he's failed his mission. You're thinking in sports terms, where the only thing that matters to some, is simply "winning". Olbermann wins in the "being right" game far more often than in the ratings game, and being right is more important. But you think only in terms of ratings, money, etc. Olbermann may not be paid as much as O'Reilly, etc., but Olbermann makes a plenty comfortable income. He's not likely to quit his job because his ratings aren't as high as those of various liars, or because his income isn't in the stratosphere, especially when he actually earns his.

O'Reilly constantly quotes ratings, under the delusion that it makes him right. Whenever he does this, I see a child yammering on the schoolyard about who has the biggest car, fanciest house, etc.

[joannenj]

I saw this episode and was transfixed. It was wonderful information. The problem is the other side is not using "information" - they prefer lies and the other problem is that they lies are getting through. People are gullible enough to believe anything heard on the FN. Imagine, their entire spin yesterday was based on turning the car program into a negative. I don't understand why people look at that network but to each his own. That's why this is America. Thankfully the rest of us have level headed people like KO and Rachel Maddow to report the good and the bad in politics.

[hhayden]

You are gullib'le enough to buy what Obermann says. You believe everything you hear on MSNBC. Does Obama's long list of li'es bother you at all? They're all on YouTube you know for everyone to see.

Give our tax money away to promote your auto industry. Wildly successful ! Errika ! Why don't they just give money away on street corners? Another wildly successful plan from free spending democrats.

Obama wants good numbers to come out and bolster his auto takeover. And he's using our tax money to do it. It's nothing but a bribe.

[joannenj]

I have time. Go ahead explain the list of lies. It will be enjoyable to see them refuted by people with common sense. Eight years with nothing done but trillions of dollars of debt to show for it. Your administration is responsible for untold deaths of innocent lives here and abroad. The top 1% has gotten massively richer. Yet you all continue this foolishness in trying to block health care. You have a problem with every policy that benefits the every day worker. I would respect your argument more if your side had a valid solutions behind the opposition. But, there’s nothing. No solutions, no productivity – nothing. Your post suggests that you would rather have America fail and that, to me, is un-American. Stay over at Fox. Your intellect serves you better there.

[madcat007]

Well, you're gullible enough to believe Faux. Youtube also has the videos of Bushwhacker's and Chainme's massive lies and destruction of individual right's in the U.S.

I'd rather the money spent on the U.S. auto industry than the money thrown away in a war we never should've entered. We wouldn't be in debt if not for that totally incompetent decision!

[JohnSawyer]

"Give our tax money away to promote your auto industry"..."Auto takeover"...

Which is it? Promotion of the auto industry, or a takeover?

You don't have any real idea how the deal was structured with the auto industry. They are required to pay it back with interest.

[jsijason]

That was great. Calling out Congressmen for what they are.
More pieces like this, with specifics are what we need more of!

Well Done!

[tonydon]

OUT STSNDING WRITE YOUR CONRESSMAN AN VOTE

[hhayden]

You better put a big check in it.

[WeMustSpeakOut]

That was beautiful....nearly brought a tear to my eye.
The truth must be known no matter how ugly.
It is the only way we will wrestle ourselves free from the stranglehold of the government corporate collusion we live under.

[hhayden]

Truth, for political purposes is in the eye of the beholder.

[informedreformer]

This was so completely on point. I'm surprised it hasn't been more widely documented how much our politicians have been paid by the health care industry. Complete details on campaign donations are available at www.opensecrets.org. If you agree that our politicians should be exposed for their financial ties to the healthcare industry, which is clearly a barrier to reform, send Letters To The Editor to your local papers and expose the amounts of donations received by these politicians, as Olberman has done here.
If only a few voices in the mainstream media will cover this fallacy, than average Americans must step it up. (Much respect to Olberman for leading the way)

[hhayden]

Government, including our Dear Leader has taken bribes for all kinds of big money interests. Where have you been?

Insurence is just the current boogy man because Obama wants to take over another giant porion of the economy in his lust for power.

[citizen of the universe]

Does tinfoil make your head sweat? Just curious

[joannenj]

You know I really don't mind if they take "contributions" if they serve their constituents. My

[cbates]

More! More! More! Please redo this in a couple of days and or during the break. More please. The public needs to know what is being said by this man.

Our Congress members are not really interested in this country and its well being unless they are getting paid. It is just that simple. I watched Waxman on Stewart's show last evening promoting a book he has written during his tenure as a representative from California. When I worked as a professional I did not have the time to do much other than my job and I really hated having to spend time choosing which health coverage to select for my family because it took time from my tasks. Here is a man who is suppose to spend every hour he is awake working on our stuff and he has found time along with many others to write a book. If anyone used the stuff reported within the book they would be foolish or as for off base as this man is in his effort to represent his constituents. It was so apparent that he was so absorbed with the book that he couldn't make plain why we need to change health care insurance to better serve the public. Please don't blame Obama for this mess wherein the representatives are busy looking for more money and a place in history or who knows what else.

[Egghead]

Oh, I don't agree. He's been a congressman for a very long time. He's spent a lot of that time following up on malfeasance when no one else seemed interested. Waxman himself doesn't deserve that criticism: he's worked really hard.

I support Obama, but he wrote a book while he was in office, too. A lot of politicians do (and they usually have help.)

[JohnSawyer]

I agree with Egghead: Waxman has actually been a pretty good watchdog of the public interest over the years. If he gets a little time on a popular show to promote his book, good for him. He spends plenty of time working not only for his constituents, but for the rest of the country too.

[LeLoup]

Nice to see a MSM commentator take the gloves off and tell it like it is.

Keep the heat on Keith!

[hhayden]

Tell it like what you want to hear actually. I think most people see him for what he is, a me'an and ha'tefull man with unlimited ax'es to grind. Ergo his continuously low ratings.

[thiggins68]

I agree. There is something wrong with that dude. He's not all there.

[JohnSawyer]

The people Olbermann goes after, continue to provide him with unlimited axes to grind. Here's Olbermann's psychology in a nutshell: he believes in a just government, and wants to live in a just country, and wants a good life for himself and everyone else, and when he sees examples of people who are out to subvert all that, it pisses him off enough to say something about it. When someone knows the value of the things he values, it can really get a person worked up when they see attempts to throw it all away. You choose to see it as hatefulness, but people with a broader scope see it as passion. There are times when I'd like to see Olbermann tone it down, but then he'd be like all the other calm, reasonable people you don't hear much from. Sometimes histrionics are necessary to get attention. He gets your attention, doesn't he?

As for low ratings--when you come in a "mere" third or fourth, that doesn't mean your ratings are exactly "low". Besides, at least half the people in the US have shown that they have no sense, and so that segment of the population is lost as Olbermann viewers anyway.