Comments on: Dennis Kucinich: The Public Option is Dead, Long Live the Public Option

By: RDC

RDC — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:27:37 +0000

Rep Kucinich spoke yesterday to a small crowd in Lafayette Park across from the White House.
The MadAsHellDoctors rally was poorly attended, but the speakers were sincere and truthful.

Kucinich is one extraordinary orator—–I was moved by his words, and I am pretty jaded by politicoSpeak. But he speaks from his heart, and from his gut and I found it impossible to not listen with all of my being. The American Native People who loved oratory would have elected him Chieftan in a hurry. They were wiser than us. (Even though we killed them–we find ways to kill some of the best we have to offer.)

The forces who are empowered to make self-serving decisions for everyone else continuing to call the shots a surprise to anyone…?
It is that same egoistic mentality that has allowed greed a priority seat at the table. Nothing could more dramatically exemplify this than Baucus & Co. denying a voice to any but their masters.

By: Patterico’s Pontifications » ObamaCare astroturfers deliver bad news for Democrats

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:39:22 +0000

[...] White House and lefties like Rep. Dennis Kucinich believe the “public option” is dead. Indeed, Kucinich thinks the Blue Dogs are doing the White [...]

By: Rick554

Rick554 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:46 +0000

Geez ! My congressman wouldnt come to any Townhall meetings, had his staff lie about his schedule and went back to DC and gave Barack a big smooch. Dennis has a lot to say now, but I guess you’d have to be in Canada to hear it.
Dennis was excluded from the debates and HIS health-care bill/scam wasnt good enough for Gore. Why should us chumps from his district buy into a plan HE wont buy into?
Congressman, enjoy your time in DC while it lasts. When 2010 is over, you’d better ask Shirley McClain if she might need a roomie again.
It would be nice if you actually got something accomplished between now and Nov 2010, but with your record, we dont expect anything.

By: Paul Burke

Paul Burke — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:28:20 +0000

If you think the insurance companies are going to voluntarily lower our costs and their profits and their million dollar wages while having a monopoly over the process – well I’ve got a bridge to sell you …and I think Wall Street should be completely unregulated I trust strangers with my money, and pollution is good and airbags should be removed from all our cars.

Our market systems depend and thrive on competition; unregulated markets are a vicious roller coaster ride of boom, bubble and bust. The winner takes all mentality doesn’t take into account the whole system that’s what governments are for. The pure free market system is a myth. It doesn’t exist and as an economic model is anarchy.

At the end of the day vote your pocket book. Don’t take up millionaire strangers causes as if they were your own. They have plenty of paid voices lobbying for them. Keep your eye on what is best for you and your family and the Country will be fine.

Paul Burke
Author-Journey Home

By: The Greenroom » Forum Archive » ObamaCare astroturfers deliver bad news for Democrats

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:31:29 +0000

[...] White House and lefties like Rep. Dennis Kucinich believe the “pubic option” is dead. Indeed, Kucinich thinks the Blue Dogs are doing the [...]

By: Diane

Diane — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:24:50 +0000

It get’s worse….How in hell are we ever going to vote these A holes out of
office?!
Your Once-Public Elections & Your Once-Public Elections on ES&S Monopoly Steroids http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7413

By: Canadian

Canadian — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:07:28 +0000

Mike: By Canadian standards, Obama is so far to the right as to be unelectable and anybody to the right of Obama can only be characterized as “lunatic right”. (Relevant example: no serious Canadian politician would dare attack single payer health care.) Given that, do you think that there is even one U.S. state that would qualify as “moderate” on the Canadian spectrum? If not, I am afraid that we could not consider your proposal.

By: Michael Tedesco

Michael Tedesco — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:06:32 +0000

Thanks peedeecee. Done.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:55:55 +0000

Cydni: Canada is sounding very good these days.

Maybe so, but they can’t accept 50% of the US population.

How about this. All the ‘blue’ states should secede and become provinces of Canada.

By: cydni

cydni — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:13:15 +0000

I am becoming very disallusioned with President Obama and the Democratic congress.
I thought we were going to get change. If we don’t have at least, the public option, nothing changes. When campaigning, the President had us believe he would get single payer passed.
And what are we to do with the so-called Democrats who call themselves “blue dog”, but are essentially Republicans? Should the party go for broke and tell them to get out? Should the party field progressive candidates against them? What if the party cannot find more progressive candidates? Why do the Democrats, who worked their asses off last year and gave money they didn’t have to elect a majority, have to settle for watered down crap and smile while we call it “change”? I am sick of living in a country that is being forced to go further and further to the right. The Democratic Party is right of center and the Republican Party is reactionary right wing. How can we make progress when progress requires a radically new and left of center agenda? I am ready to move to another country. Canada is sounding very good these days.

By: bill haywood

bill haywood — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Americans won’t get health care reform until they;re willing to fight for it. and with the amount of money the “insurance” industry makes off death and suffering, I mean fight … literally.

When “insurance” executives start getting the Mussolini treatment on a regular basis, single payer will be right around the corner. No sooner.

Decorate the telephone poles with them. Or just shut the hell up.

By: peedeecee

peedeecee — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:33:20 +0000

Please correct the spelling in the first sentence to read “alluded.” We keep giving the right a hard time about spelling mistakes in their teabagging signs – we need to keep our end up, so to speak. Thanks.

By: Doctor Matt

Doctor Matt — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:10:37 +0000

A health care delivery system designed to maximize profit will never deliver the ultimate objective: affordable, universal access to quality health care.

Americans currently spend twice per capita ($7,000 per year) on health care as most other industrialized nations.

We’re paying more than enough for universal quality health care, but aren’t getting it.

Why is this?

All plans currently spotlighted lack a single payer financing mechanism. Therefore, all these proposals will require large tax increases over the long term.

A single payer method of collecting and distributing payments for medical services leaves the delivery of medical care in the hands of the private sector.

It is not “socialized medicine” like our military health care system, but is “socialized insurance” like our Medicare program.

This approach is endorsed by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP.org), with 17,000 members nationwide.

S703, the American Health Security Act of 2009 would cover all of the 46 million Americans who currently lack coverage and improve benefits for all Americans by eliminating co-pays and deductibles while allowing free choice of physician. It is the most fiscally conservative option for reform.

By eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private, investor-owned health insurance industry, along with the burdensome paperwork imposed on physicians, hospitals and other providers, the plan saves $400 billion annually – enough money to provide comprehensive, quality care to all. Comprehensive benefits, including coverage for dental, mental health, and prescription drugs.

The program is paid for by combining current sources of government health spending into a single fund with modest new taxes amounting to less than what people now pay for insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

A similar single payer bill, HR 676 (Expanded and Improved Medicare for All) has over 80 co-sponsors in the House.

A “public plan option” will not realize such savings. Incremental tinkering with private for-profit health insurance will not ultimately control costs. States have tried individual mandate plans and found them not to work.

Single payer is not a panacea. However, without it we will never reach the imperative of providing universal access to quality health care.

It’s time to give the for-profit health insurance companies their pink slip, and provide retraining for their employees who will be displaced.

I recommend you watch an excellent documentary titled Health, Money and Fear.

Produced by an ER physician, it addresses the many drivers behind escalating health care costs.

You can watch it at

OurAilingHealthCare.com

Please encourage your elected officials to back single payer.

By: orangutan

orangutan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:02:50 +0000

If we get something that is called a ‘public option’, it will work something like this: everyone that the insurance companies don’t want to cover (pre-existing conditions, people whose disease is threatening to cost too much, etc.) will be dumped to the public option. Thus, the public option will be populated by the very ill. For this reason, it will cost too much, so it will have to be subsidized. Where will the government get the money? Not by taxing the rich or the corporations. There will be some tricky bookkeeping, but ultimately it will be paid for in government debt that the middle class owes. Meanwhile, the insurance companies will enjoy even larger profit margins, because they can eliminate their sick customers and decrease the amount they spend on harassing doctors.

By: Robbie

Robbie — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:51:08 +0000

thanks for posting this. I had a feeling that the public option was going no where.