Uninsured Are Represented By Some Of Health Care Reform's Biggest Supporters -- And Critics, New Census Data Shows

National Journal Online :

Many of the House members in both parties who are most opposed to the health care reform legislation moving toward a historic vote represent districts where the share of residents without insurance exceeds the national average, often by substantial amounts, according to recently released census data.

Read the whole story: National Journal Online

Comments

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Fw: News from The Hill: Pelosi calls an emergency meeting on 'robust' public

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My previous post was authored by Joe Biden, had to edit for lenght.

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We've got a fight on our hands. Powerful insurance companies are pulling out all the stops to defeat the President's plan for health reform. They're spending seven million bucks a week on lobbyists, blanketing the country with deceptive TV ads, and just funded two high-profile "reports" to distort what reform would mean for you.

I know their game. I was in the Senate the last time health reform came around, and I saw the special interests savage our efforts. Frankly, under the old rules of Washington they were nearly impossible to beat. But now, thanks to you, the rules are changing. All the lies, scare tactics and lobbyist shake-downs in the world are no match for the incredible work of Organizing for America supporters like you. That's exactly what frightens them so much -- and it's what Barack and I are counting on.

After decades of false starts, we're now just a short time from finally passing real reform. Every member of Congress will soon have to cast their vote. As real change draws near, you can bet the insurance companies will hold nothing back.
Please donate $5 or more to power OFA's fight for change as we head into the final round.

On Tuesday, OFA supporters around the country organized more than 1,000 local outreach events and generated an astounding 330,000 calls to Congress from constituents telling their representatives that "it's time to deliver."

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**OFFICIAL BALLOT**
Dear MoveOn member,

Republicans' best chance to kill health care reform is to stop it from ever getting an up-or-down vote. But they can't do it alone. Republicans need at least one Democrat to join them.

Unfortunately, a few conservative Democrats have publicly hinted they might help Republicans do just that if the bill includes a public health insurance option1—even though the public option is supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans and has already passed four congressional committees. Conservative Democrats might doom health care reform, just to stop the public option from coming to a vote.

It's pretty upsetting to think that a handful of Democratic senators—whom many of us helped elect—would join a Republican filibuster to block the most important Senate vote in a generation.


But we could still pressure Democrats to do the right thing by publicly announcing that we'll never support the re-election of anyone who helps Republicans filibuster.

That's a big decision, though. So we're holding a vote of all MoveOn members. Can you take a moment to cast your ballot?

The official question is: "Should MoveOn refuse to support the re-election of any senator who helps block an up-or-down vote on a health care reform bill with a public option?"

http://pol.moveon.org/2009/e/dem_filibuster.html?id=17656-9193653-D_Wol_x

[drricklippin]

THE KEY TO WHERE THIS ALL LANDS IS THE SKILL AND MORAL INTEGRITY OF OUR PRESIDENT

His impact will determine his greatness or not

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa

[BarryS]

It's not surprising. Blue dogs and GOPers hate Americans. They only love those who donate money to them. But, they hate actual the actual people who live in their districts. They are bought and owned by special interests. [and of course, they and their families have gold-plated, low-cost goverment-paid health insurance, so why would they care.]

[Mum]

The "National Journal" article and interactive map are excellent. The same information, with additional facts and figures, can be obtained by going to the House Energy and Commerce website at:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1717&catid=156&Itemid=55

Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight has also done excellent analyses of the level of support for the public option, and the relationship support bears to income levels, etc., in each of the districts.

It appears that there is a link between the relative wealth of a Blue Dog Democrat's district and their willingness to support the public option, which is not surprising when most of the districts represented by Blue Dogs are wealthy and seem to have the "I've-got-­mine-and-t­hat's-all-­that-count­s" attitude. The vast majority of the poor districts are not represented by Blue Dogs: those poor districts that are represented by Democrats support the public option and their representatives will likely vote for it; those that are represented by Republicans may support the public option, but it is unlikely that their representative will vote in accordance with their preference.

[Diogenes08]

Agreed. Excellent map and article! The last part of your last sentence is also right on and clearly illuminates those that should be considered traitors to their constituents. The Blue Dogs are pirates, flying a false flag.

In the end, congressmen should vote the will of their people. Senators supposedly have the latitude to vote their own beliefs but should still listen to their people and bow to their will when that will is overwhelming. If congress does its job, a robust public option will carry the day.

[sherifffruitfly]

This is why I am not opposed to opt-out. Those people might be too stupid to help themselves, but I'm sick of them forcing the rest of the country to live in the same crappy system.

If they ever want to join civilization, I'll welcome them. Until then, good luck to them - I want health care.

[socalgal38]

Sell those that are stuck in bad areas out to get yours. I am for single payer. Not some PO that can be used for political gain.

A lot of people can't just pack up and move to a state that elects to keep the PO. I am sure I am in a state that will opt out and leave the majority of us to die.

[thegreatstu]

Give up your cell phone, cable tv, expensive vehicle, internet and some other non necessary comforts and you'll be able to afford insurance.­..This is your responsibility, not the governments, nor the taxpayer that will eventually foot the bill for your lack of personal responsibi­lity....Yo­u need to get over your entitlement mentality.­..

[jeanrenoir]

The tragedy of American politics is that so many Americans are so dumb they don't even know what their representatives stand for. They barely even know what the issues are. They have to be told what to think by Limbaugh and Beck, so they can get their dittoheads on straight every day when they meet with their dittohead friends. Until the mass of white American voters miraculously learn to think just a little bit for themselves, lots of representatives will continue to be free to work for the lobbyists not their poor, pathetic voters.

[socalgal38]

It's not that we are stupid, money talks and buys elections, just like it depends on who owns the gold as to what rules are inserted.

[Grannysue]

This just reinforces the fact that those states with the highest uninsured and who will vote against any reform are owned by the Insurance industry!

[RocknRollChef]

The Democrats in Arizona are mostly poor minorities and poor retired folks. They are easy to scare and the republicans know it. I have met many younger ex-republicans who will vote differently in the next election.

[bzb]

I found that to be true as well when I was out in Arizona last year.

[Jake the Snake]

Pssss...

Huffpo, go ahead and bump this to the main. Let's keep the debate going.

Yup.

[fijisailor]

Why is everyone insured in Hawaii? Is there some secret there we should know about?

[yappnmutt]

hawaii has a modifiied universal healthcare. every company of a certain size must provide healthcare for their employees who work more than 20 hrs/wk. of course wal mart has a lot of emplyees who work 19 hrs.

[helonias]

Luke 16:19-25. "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'
But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony...'"

[Diogenes08]

Fine, but who wants to d.ie before they get the respect and rights of Christian treatment?

[klbrz]

I would like to see some discussion about percentage of registered voters, actual voters and eligible, but not registered, in the districts that are represented by these guys. I bet there would be a big story there - the poor and minorities so frequently are disenfranchised and these districts look very much full of these groups. If only we could get these groups to consistently vote, the Congressional makeup would change in a profound way.