Exclusive: MoveOn Whacks Finance Bill Hours Before Committee Vote

Just hours before the Senate Finance Committee is set to vote (and likely pass) its version of health care reform legislation, the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org has announced a new television advertisement slamming the final product.

Narrated by former health insurance executive Wendell Potter, the spot accuses private insurance of trying to "kill health reform" and whacks the committee for not including a public option to keep the industry honest.

"Take it from me," Potter says, "the Senate Finance bill is a dream come true of the health insurance industry. If there is no public option insurance companies aren't going to change. The choice of a public health insurance option is the only way to keep insurance companies honest."

The ad, which will air on national cable this week, was released in anticipation of today's Finance Committee vote. A spokesman for MoveOn said the spot was spurred by a report released yesterday from the insurance lobby, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which also slammed the finance committee bill -- for having an insufficient individual mandate.

All of which underscores how much more political distance health care reform has to travel. While legislation is expected to pass through the committee late on Tuesday, it has also sparked sharp dissent in the closing days from both sides of the debate. AHIP may be skittish about the bill. But the progressive community hates it just as much if not more so. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in short, has a real uphill climb ahead as he tries to merge the two Senate pieces of legislation with the threat of a massive private insurance pushback firmly on the horizon.

Comments

[Solja]

Hi,

After months of delay, the full Senate is about to debate and vote
on landmark health care legislation. But first, Senator Harry Reid and
Democratic leaders have a big decision to make:

Will the Senate consider real health care reform with a public health
insurance option, or a watered-down compromise full of giveaways to Big
Insurance?

I just signed a petition asking Sen. Reid to include a strong public
health insurance option in the Senate's health care bill. Will you join me
at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/harryreid/?r_by=17539-10101106-ahdaK0x&rc=comment_mailto

Thanks!

[hhayden]

No.

[brt929]

That's because Libertarianism doesn't exist, it is just an offshoot of Republicanism. It seems the only issue a so-called Libertarian is interested in is "taxes." You could care less about the social implications of Liberty, 99% of the time you vote for the Republican candidate.

Look at the 2008 election:The so-called "Libertarian" candidate was Bob Barr, who was previously a Republican candidate and the author of DOMA.

Sorry, the world is more complicated than just "taxes." We need health care reform. The states have all the power to curtail rate increases, but the state legislatures are bought and paid for by insurance companies.

The Republicans want tort reform. (How Libertarian is that?) Yet 37 states have capped awards, Texas being the most onerous. Yet Texas has the largest percentage of uninsured, and the fastest growing premiums. How well has the state of Texas legislature served Texans?

Libertarianism is a fraud, that's why it will never be a major party.

Come on admit it, you are paid to post here, you are merely a tool of some insurance company. Even your arguments and buzz words lack a Libertarian basis, they are right out of the insurance company play-book. .

[hhayden]

You couldn't be wronger if you tried.

Libertarians, like myself, are for true conservatism not the brand the republican politicians practice which is increasingly just a carbon copy of liberalism. Example: George Bush. We are for liberty, freedom, self determination, self reliance and a limited government that actually works for the people. All of the people.

Texans? There's the billions in reserve without a state income tax. There's the state economy that hardly knew there was a down turn. I guess in your mind there is nothing more fraudulent than letting people make their own way.

Why do you guys always fall back on that "paid" business? Never tire of making false and baseless accusations?

[JamesinDentonTX]

We look good on paper, but we still pay in more subtle ways. Half of the pouplation of Texas is underinsured or uninsured. We have already had medical tort reform, which hasn't lowered costs or increased access. We have a very limited government which gives every incentive for companies to come here, set up and pollute. Income disparity is among the worst in the nation, (like in those poor countries south of the border with small, ineffective governments). We have very high property taxes, which is how we pay for our schools, and why our schools are either exempliary or disasters. We have very high sales tax, which pays for everythign else (but it saves us from an income tax, at least). We have an idiot for a governor. It's not all bad here, but it's definitely ridiculous to say that we haven't noticed a downturn in our economy. Texas municipalities are having a very hard time paying for services because sales tax collections are so low right now. Shops are still closing down. I love my state, but not blindly.

[brt929]

Wow, were you home schooled or something? Where in the world did you get the idea that Libertarianism had anything to do with Conservatism? In actuality, they are almost mutually exclusive. Libertarians do not believe in the absurd social orders that Conservatives love so much. Libertarians are not afraid of change or progress, like cowardly Conservatives.

I guess in your muddled mind, you rationalize George Bush as a Liberal? Except he followed all the Republican rules. His acts of Colonialism, war mongering, and pulling a Hoover by ignoring the warning signs of our economy. He gave tax breaks while conducting two wars, and you want to label him a Liberal? Didn't he follow the Reagan rules? Reagan tripled our deficit by the time he left office, Bush was just following suit.

Republicans don't have a cold war to fear monger with anymore, so they use the "war on terror." That's how they govern, by fear mongering and interfering with sovereign countries.

As for Texas, funny, why do they keep coming to the Federal Government for money?
They just had their hand out not too long ago.

"Paid" business? I have no idea what you are talking about.

[TaurusRose]

Hey Pal,
You're WRONGER!

[babyboomerorig]

We all know the Baucus bill is not what we want. BUT!! It's finally out of committee.

Now, it's really time to fight for what we need and want.

[hhayden]

Self determination?

[lillebabu]

To all those PROUD LIBERALS gathered here today :
-
-I might remind you of a great friend that got us this far:
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__________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­''­Fo­r all those whose cares have been our concern___­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­_ __________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­the work goes on________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­___­__ __________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­the cause endures___­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­___­__­_­__­_ __________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­the hope still lives_____­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­___­__­_­_ __________­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­_a­nd the dream shall NEVER d.i.e''___­­­­­______­_­_­_­_­__­__­__­__­_­_­_­___­__
-
-
-
R.I.P Teddy and all those that have passed needlessly. gone but not forgotten-
-
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Single Payer or a strong PO (.)

[hhayden]

You mean that guy who ran off and let that that poor girl d'ie?

[gabemill]

Were you carrying the "Bury Obamacare with Kennedy" sign at that tea party...you must be proud!

[ChelseaC]

Wendell Potter--a reformed man.
I'm glad he's speaking out.

[ez duz it]

For Bill Moyers' excellent interview of Wendell Potter, a former CIGNA vice-president, watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QwX_soZ1GI

We need to keep up the pressure on Congress to include a public option in the health care legislation.

[PatsyT]

Fox is now claiming that Wendall Potter is Norwegian and not to be believed

[Nick D]

This is perfect. I hope this airs regularly on Fox. Simple enough for even their target demographic to understand.

[macday]

You are correct and fanned

[JamesinDentonTX]

Talmageb wins!

[Talmageb]

{crickets} hello? Where is the lively debate? Where is the partisan ridicule? I'm waiting....I laid my thoughts out there. Debate me. I welcome a discussion.

[JamesinDentonTX]

NOt even the usual one line zingers. And some of them typpe incredibly fast. I guess that's it then.

[Talmageb]

I notice that a majority of the pro republican posts are very short and argumentative. They attack moveon.org. They attack individuals statements and try to find a way to tear down just one aspect. What I would like is to hear someone lay out there true feelings about government and politics. I believe that government can function and function well. I believe that government was taken over by business interests in the eighties and has suffered for it ever since. I believe Clinton was complicit in this continuation of pro corporation legislation. I believe Barack Obama is doing the same thing. I believe that campaign finance reform is the first step towards reclaiming our democracy. I believe that instant run off elections are necessary to bring more parties into the mainstream of our stagnant republicrat democan duopoly. I believe that corporations are not people. I believe that money is not speech. I believe that unilateral acts of war are unnecessary and illegal. I believe that Health care is a right and should be provided for the same as education fire and police. Why when I call the cops I don't pay? Or the Fire Department? But an ambulance. These are I believe common sense positions that I believe are the backbone of the progressive movement. What do you believe?

[hhayden]

Some of us are pro conservative and not necessairly pro republican. I like to keep my messages short because I like to take your attention span into concideration.

Why is any questioning characterizad as an "att'ack" Why all the over dramatization?

True feelings? Politicans from both major parties sti'nk and I also think we shouldn't be "reforming" things like health care before we have campaign reform and a better lot of leaders if that's even possible. More parties with equal funding and access to media. They will not be ablt to resist using socialized health care as a political tool to push a radical left wing agenda as they are doing with the Global Warming scam.

Attacks are not unilateral when radical Islam has been going after us for many decades.

Fire and police are handled on a local level as they should be and education shows how bad things are when the federal government steps in.

I'd rather rely on myself, not the Granny State.

[Talmageb]

So you do not support a Republican ideology? But you are conservative. Okay. That does not alter my understanding of your positions but I am fine with that. If you don't view the pro republican postings that are against moveon.org as attacks I guess we have a different understanding of the definition of the word attack. Politicians from both major parties stink. For the most part I can agree with that with some exceptions. Ron Paul, Bernie Sanders, Anthony Weiner, Kucinich and more that are principled. Health care reform can be altered in the future but reform needs to come now. this is a crises in America. Costs are too high for businesses and individuals. More parties are absolutely necessary. Socialized medicine is not the bogey man. Every other industrialized nation has some form of it. Global warming is no scam. There is no "jury" that is "out" on global warming it is real. Al Qaeda attacked us. Taliban. Afghanistan. Not Iraq. Unilateral and illegal. Federal government needs to stop unfunded mandates would help education. Gutted by republicans by the way. Its the nanny state not the granny state. look it up.

[DonRoberto]

We have more Americans dying needlessly each month healthcare reform is delayed than died in 9/11, and nearly as many each month as have died so far in Iraq. The continuing death toll from delay of campaign finance reform is approximately zero.

As to "how bad things are when the federal government steps in", how do you feel about our socialized military? Should we call our troops home, and outsource our military work to Mexico, China, or India? Should the federal government sell off its ICBMs to private companies, and let the states maintain their own nuclear arsenals?

Which states have a Bill of Rights? Which states have an anti-slavery clause on the books? If the federal government is so inept, who's going to safeguard your human rights, or your civil rights? All of those are guaranteed under federal law now, so the federal government must be doing something right.

I wonder how much basic groceries would cost without an Interstate highway system, or federal rail rights of way? Which small towns and rural communities could afford stringing their own electric lines, or could afford to pay private contractors to do it?

Your position is wrong, but I don't mind that; it's your absolute lack of any intellectual rigor or consistency behind it that really, really grates.

[JohnSawyer]

hhayden says: "They will not be able to resist using socialized health care as a political tool to push a radical left wing agenda..."

So kids, the less fortunate, etc. should suffer, and even die, due to little or no health insurance coverage, because you fear the people who put real (hopefully) health insurance reform in place will point to it with pride? You'd prefer to wait, for political reasons, until some nebulous point in the future when campaign reform is passed? Even though the momentum for health insurance reform is here now? And are you sure health insurance reform will automatically make it possible for "the left wing" to advance as you feel?

[JohnSawyer]

hhayden says: "Fire and police are handled on a local level as they should be and education shows how bad things are when the federal government steps in."

But insurance funding, especially for large expenses like a lot of medical fees, works differently from funding for local services--insurance requires large numbers of people pooling their money, while local services need only the money required to pay for local employee salaries and their equipment. It isn't the job or financial burden of a fire department to rebuild houses that burn down--their expenses are much lower. I don't see how the citizens of many towns or counties could pool enough money to pay for health insurance for that locale, at least those locations with smaller populations. It works in a few populous cities, etc. (San Francisco currently has a version of this, partly courtesy of its Democratic mayor Gavin Newsom), but how are the areas with lower population density supposed to support some kind of "local public option"?

[JohnSawyer]

hhayden says: "I'd rather rely on myself, not the Granny State." [as Talmageb said, it's the "nanny state", not the "granny state"]

You already rely, as you said, on government at a local level (don't forget the state level) for crucial things--you're not somehow a one-man police force, fire department, etc. Some things can't be done using the resources available at the local level, or in some cases even the state level, at least not everywhere in the US, hence the need for federal involvement in many things. If we worked more at making a good federal government, we wouldn't have as much to worry about over what it does, rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater, or as one Republican politician said he wanted to do, "drown the baby of government in the tub". In the case of health insurance reform, if we can somehow manage to hammer a good version through despite the lobbyists, etc., we might not need to wait for campaign reform, and in fact it might help pave the way for it.

[JoeAlvord]

It figures. They can only get dead people to join them now.

[Talmageb]

Social Security, The Marshall Plan, Public Libraries, Police Departments, The Army, Road and Water Works, Fire Departments, Sewage, Public Parks, National Highway System, Food Stamps, Medicare, Medicaid...etc. This is just a small example of government programs that work. They could work better if they were funded more appropriately, and yes I am willing to pay more in taxes to have a higher level of service from the government. There is a school of thought that despite all evidence to the contrary government is a failure. It is not. It can be run better. That is true. But if you are against government providing basic services of health education and safety, then you are against having an intelligent, capable, competent and free society. There has been no other vehicle to provide these services to individuals. Would you see us slip into anarchy? Fascism? I don't understand this fear of government. We do need campaign finance reform so corporations can't buy off politicians. Same day voter registration. Voting to be a national holiday. No interest college loans. There are services government can provide. Sorry. Your fears of a totalitarian Federal government are baseless.

[Marcospinelli]

I love you more than my luggage.

[brt929]

What does that mean? I remember someone using that line in a movie, and I have no idea what it means.

[hhayden]

Most of those things are local affairs and not dominated by the federal government as it should be.

[Talmageb]

So you would support a state run Public Option? A county run healthcare bank? What level of government are you comfortable with? The Marshall Plan, The Public Highway System, The Army, Social Security, The Coast Guard. Those are federal. Why do they not function at all?

[TaurusRose]

Should be dominated by the federal government???

[JamesinDentonTX]

Senator Cornyn R-TX just sent me another poison letter! Here's the last paragraph

I cannot support legislation being rushed through Congress that will increase the costs of health care without giving Texans the opportunity to learn what it would mean for them. Democracy demands that government be accountable to the people, and government that is open and honest can deliver better solutions. I will continue working toward better solutions on health care reform and ensure your voice is heard.

the nerve!

[hhayden]

Open and honest government is nowhere to be seen in the Obama administration. Nice to see someone recalls the idea though.

[JamesinDentonTX]

Cornyn is a tool.

[gabemill]

Please provide links that support your bias. I know that no administration could be as open and honest as the last, right?

[ReservoirDog]

Oh, so NOW after EIGHT years of the Bush/Cheney Top Secret, Undercover,Say Nothing-Do Less, Wiretap Americans, Eliminate Habeus Corpus government....

you now want "open & honest" government ?

Welcome to the club sparky !

[ReservoirDog]

just wondering.....

Did Cornyn send you a letter wanting to hear your voice & concerns regarding invading Iraq ?

didn't think so

[JamesinDentonTX]

He pretty much likes to just tell me what my concerns are.