Kdelphi

Democrats like Baucus and Kennedy baffle me. Believe they’ve forgotten the basics – for profit businesses support private interests and non-profits promote the public good.  And when profits are involved, trouble is always nearby.

Guess we can just keep hoping everyone wakes up and sees the light because I believe a system where profits are to be made will receive less support from the public.  Everyone needs to approach this in the spirit of Old Hippocratic Oath:

“To keep the good of the patient as the highest priority”

The leadership in other countries seems to understand this principle and have set up successful healthcare systems in spirit of the old Hippocratic oath. Why can’t we? Private providers could still participate, but as non-profits.

wildflower—Oh, I saw that, and, I would be the last one to disagree with you on Barton—-he’s an ASSHOLE.

Its just that most dems are proposing mkt based ideas, too, to the exclusion of more universal plans.If it is mkt based , it will either be lousy (like Med HMO is now) OR it will be inacccessible to the poor and sick.(OR, it wil be outrageously expensive, while leaving many with very little care at all, and, will collapse under its own weight)

HR 676 is what we need. Or, even, Waxman’s original “public pool” vs private pool—-at least some would get decent care.

The death insurance mkt is the enemy. It is not “free” and, will gladly allow someone to die, for the sake of a buck.

The “indutry” is the problem, not the solution. And , both parties seem to be insisting on collaborating with the enemy.

KDelphi

Only because the quote from Rep. Barton R-TX, which is included in TruthDig’s “Bill Redux” article, was sort of in my face. 

I mean there he was, Rep. Barton AKA sleazy “Oil Lackey” from TX , peddling his special interests to us all once again.

And Barton has peddled so many things against the public’s interest. And bought off so many times, KDelphi. You remember this one don’t you?

“The Barton-Hastert-Rush bill has been concocted by telephone industry lobbyists (with some recent help by the cable industry) to remove any scintilla of oversight the public might have over broadband communications.”

http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=15

And Barton is so blatantly arrogant, KDelphi. Surely you understand these kinds of things just get to a person:

“In terms of number of trips taken and money spent during the one-year period ending June 30, 2006, the office of Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, then-chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, appears to have been the biggest beneficiary of privately sponsored travel. According to disclosure records, Barton’s office reported accepting 54 trips . . . worth about a total $87,000.”

http://projects.publicintegrity.org/powertrips/report.aspx?aid=832

Todd—What is “superior pragmatism”?

gaylordcat—if the prob were just GOP—there wouldnt be a prob! The Blue Dogs are liberal Dems worst enemy.

However, Pers. Obama had no intention of providing universal coverage, and, said so, as soon as he had beaten Hillary in the Primaries.I dont see how WE fail HIM! He was elected to do this work , no?

Ivan—NO, I will not “get with the program” (not recomended!)and, I am not “greedy” asking for poor people to have the necessities of life. They did not ask to be born, you know. Pres. Obama should also note that they did not PICK their parents….

wildflower—yes, and, as Edwards pointed out, you cant get chemo in an ER. These days you cant get much of anything! Dont count on expanding Medicaid, it is HORRIBLE. But, perhaps the middle class needs a taste of its own medicine…nah, I wouldnt wish that on anyone, even on GOP…

But, what I dont understand, is why you single out Barton—Baucus amd Kennedy have BOTh fallen into line with the “market based plan” approach! I have called both their offices many times (use Credo long distance—you get free speech calls to DC!). Baucus wont even allow single payer on the table. his office gives no reason for it, and, he just says, ““ok”. Kennedy, (who I dont call often, I know he is sick with what killed my father), falls for the mkt based plan, also. I wish my father had had the care Kennedy is getting—he might still be around. I guess he wanted to save some money for the future, so his kids could throw it down the mkt based death care toilet.

There are a few who are putting up a plan that is single payer—-HR 676 Medicare For All. Conyers, Kucinich, Kaptur, (Sen) Sanders , and others have signed onto it (The Congresional Black Caucus supports it—-Waters, Lee, etc)

It is not our JOB to push our representatives to do the right thing. But, we can try.

Capitalism? Money wins! People lose…

Yes, Marie. Few would say our “emergency room” healthcare system is working well – except for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, of course. And I see that Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton is sharing his thoughts on healthcare as well:

“Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, told participants at the White House fiscal summit earlier this week that any health care overhaul must be “market-based.”

I suppose Representative Joe Barton’s interest should not come as a surprise.  These healthcare reform issues have always been a special interest to Rep Barton, especially Texas Medicaid.  Well, sort of:

“Months after Rep. Joe Barton’s wife was hired by the JPS Health Network, he voted to delay rules aimed at closing some loopholes in the Medicaid program that he had previously criticized. . .” 

“JPS . . . relied on [Mrs.] Barton to advocate on the proposed Medicaid rules, as well as for other healthcare-funding matters.”

“. . . the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, had proposed several rules aimed at what it said were abuses of Medicaid funding.”

“Some Senate leaders have been outspoken about what they see as Medicaid abuses, in trying to persuade colleagues to support the new rules. “We can make these regulations go away, but there are still problems in Medicaid that need fixing,” Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement last month. “CMS still has a fundamental responsibility to combat fraud.”

“Barton said Congress can devise a better solution than the one proposed by CMS.”

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31823

Mr. Folktruther, you do have proof to support all the accusations you published, do you not? I did not read one bit of resource material to back up what you said. Love to see it.

This is as close as the pseudo-progressive mainstrream truth can get to political reality. in reality Obama is not continuing Clinton policies, he is continuing Bushite policies.  But this cannot be stated publically without implying that the two parties are both controlled by the power structure of the ruling class.

Which is 85% to 90% Republican, according to a study done a few decades ago.  Which is why it is so much easier to unify the Gop party than the Dem party.
                      *** 
What most of the population wants is socialized medicine and a socialize pension program.  But the Dems are funded by the ruling class and the drug and medical profressions, so cannot develop the euphemisms to make this acceptable for the public to say so in a simple way.  And it cannot be done while the neoliberal advisors hold sway in the Obama administration.

President Obama will fail in his quest to get health care for the nation if we, the recipients of that quest, fail him and don’t intimidate our senators and representative to DO IT.

Seventy-one percent of us want it, that’s sounds like a majority, so let us demand it. An election is coming up soon, so let’s contact our reps and ask then if they would like to retain their jobs or retire at our behest. Other than earmarks and lots of money from lobbyists, pols love votes most of all, and we The People control those.

We elected Obama against a lot of odds; we can get health care in spite of Republicans who demonstrate daily that their regard for the American people is zero at best.

My observation is that Obama has more vision and principle than Clinton ever did. Let’s hope he’s successful.

My observation is that Obama has more vision and principle that Clinton ever did. Let’s hope he’s successful.

During the campaign for President (so so long ago), most people thought Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s policies were similar.  Time and events have not changed that observation.  The surprise, for me, was so many Bill Clinton people in this Administration.  I don’t think of Bill and Hillary interchangeable in re policies, because I don’t think it’s clear to compare a former President, with a candidate.  Mr. Clinton sure turned righter as President, in comparison with his campaign speeches. 

It might be that Americans not only want universal health care, but single-payer or medicare for all.  Keeping private insurance companies is a costly mistake, as many have said, including in comment here.

The Republicans not only have themselves (in Congress) but the folks who’ve been propagandized over the years into siding with the rich, even though they are not in higher incomes.  The media goes Republican leaning, no mystery there:corporate media calls the shots on tv, folks want to keep their jobs on tv.  NPR:will it change?  It’s been called National Pentagon Radio.  Only good radio is Pacifica Network and it’s NYC station included, is WBAI http://www.wbai.org  I only trust news on WBAI (not speaking about opinion shows).  http://www.pacifica.org

I wish President Obama good luck.  I hope he pays attention to the folks on the Left in the Dem. party and outside of it.  When will folks start protests about specific policies?

Am I surprised the Republicans are unified? No. When you have so few ideas, it’s easy.

Daschle says that “everyone should have access to more affordable, better quality insurance”.

I dont see the difference from Barton, unless the Dems would change their mind on the “mkt based” stuff…. Baucus/Kennedy’s plan is very much mkt based.

Who thinks that the Dems dont want a mkt based plan? As long as the word “insurance” is in it, it is market based. Hell, even HR 676 is based on the mkt, but, at least it is universal. Unless things have changed, the Dems arent even considering that (HR 676).

71% of Americans say that they want a universaal plan. Why cant we get it. I think I know.

If we would block the death insurance industry from lobbying and donating money, we could have it within months..

BTW—NONE of our president have been “dumb”. Especially Dubya, who walked away with everything he wanted. His “mistakes” were very intentional. What price does he pay for them?

Let me see: have there been any other actually intelligent men in the Presidency since Roosevelt? Oh, I guess Eisenhower was fairly smart for a soldier boy, and Carter managed to finish Annapolis in the nuclear option, but they were politically inane and inert, and the supposedly savvy American voters have otherwise elected the greatest collection of fools imaginable. And I will admit that Clinton was stupid to think he could lie and not be both caught and made to LOOK like a fool, but he really did let his pecker get the best of him, but still he and Obama are the ONLY intelligent men to attain the white house since FDR.

In FACT, very few intelligent men have RUN for President and LOST in that time span also . . . the only two which come to mind are Goldwater and Stevenson, though I suspect that Gary Hart and Bobby Kennedy would have made intelligent leaders, had they not been killed or nearly so.

The American public prefers to have idiots in the presidency. How else can one explain two Bushes and Ronald Reagan, as well as Nixon, who was too dumb to burn the tapes?