Yes, all the deals he cut were pretty strange. Unfortunately no public option either.

Forcing people to have mandatory health insurance isn’t a bad thing considering a staggering 40 million Americans do not have health insurance because it costs so much to have a personal coverage. As it is the current health care system is not working for America, so before we all jump on the O-boo-ma wagon, ask yourself what you would do.

Hawkeye—I dont think I can ever vote for a Democrat (NEVER for a GOP!) again.

This is worse than Clinton.

Hawkeye—I’m sorry you’re getting this bad news.  Personally I’ll be working until I drop, being that I’m self-employed.  Everything is imploding or exploding—depending on the sector.  What a mess.  I found this blog for you:

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/05/pension-benefit-guaranty-corporation.html

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock News/2340265/

I don’t think there’s anymore information than what you got if you watched the hearings. 

Another bailout?  What we need is a massive clawback from the crooks—but I wouldn’t hold my breath.  The bad news just keeps coming. 

I wonder if I should hold my breath for the MSM to report on the May 30th Single-Payer Day Rallies?

KDelphi—Bill Moyers is must-watch TV.  He explores all of the most important issues we are dealing with in-depth.  Other PBS shows have also been doing a great job on many of its shows when it comes to this.

I listen to NPR all the time and, I must say, when it comes to talking about health care along the same lines as PBS they are dropping the ball.  I didn’t hear anything about the Finance Committee meetings and the arrests.  It was pretty stunning.  I read about them first on HuffPo.

Cathy—I saw that last night—he caters to his crowd. (Bill Maher)But, then, he brought up the abysmally lame “credit card bill”—everyone cheered, and, I thought, “oh no!”. Then, he admitted it was CRAP! Amd it is! My card has already switched me to a variable rate, and, I have thousanad of dollars of medical bills on there! Things will be WORSE for many of us! They shouldve admitted Sen Sanders amendment, concerning a limit on rates (15%—whic h is too high, but start).I’ve never missed a fricking payment in my life, even borrowing from friends and family to pay it, but, I’ll bet I do now…the next big CRASH.

Bill Moyers had Drs. Wolfe and Himmlestein on last night, (Public Citizen Health Research Giorups and OPhusciciand for natl Health Plan). I gave the link in the post before. It waS great.They explain much more eloquently than I could, why the plan being pushed by BaucASS and Pres. Obama just will not work…it will only bear out GOP fears.

I dont want to wait while 20,000 die every year (thats a low estimate) and Congress, and the president collect millions of dollars from the psychopathical health insurance industry.

Bill Maher was a major, major ra-ra supporter of Obama during the campaign on his show.  I found it pretty sickening, actually.  Well, last night he was in about-face mode on Real Time. 

I wonder when reality is going to hit the “he’s-only-been-in-office-X-days.”  I live with someone who says we should just sit back and wait and see what Obama does.  I answer that it’s not too early to hold Obama’s fee to the fire and make him listen to the will of the people.  After all, he is addressing all of these things right now—and it looks like it’s going to be pretty bad.

I just recieved an email from Physicians for a Natl Health Plan, that, Dr Himmelstein, co-founer , will be on pbs.org Bill Moyers , Friday, May 22nd. You can watch and comment here: (puhleeze!)

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

He was also on Dianne Rehm with Sen Sanders on Monday.: (she was a sell-out)

http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/05/18.php#26151

Also, please write, even if you already have, your blah, blah, reps and sens…c’mon, I wrote to EACH ONE, individually! I am not kidding…

There is a (local) nationwide rally for single payer on May 30, in most major cities (the main one is in San Diego, where Ams Health Insurance Plans is meeting)

May 30th: National Day of Action
Nationwide Rallies for Improved Medicare for All

Join thousands of single-payer supporters in a nationwide week of action to support improved Medicare for all (HR 676). Single-payer activists will be gathering all over the country to say, “Healthcare, yes; Insurance companies, no,” and to show solidarity with demonstrations at the AHIP (American Health Insurance Plans, a private health insurance lobby) conference in San Diego.

http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/may-30th-day-of-action/

The 20-60,000 people who get to live, because they recieved decent health care thank you!

Pass a law where no one is allowed to profit from the death of others..you know, like, you cant buy life insurnace on someone else’s life that you are not related to…

All “US industry” would be broke in a week, and the wars would stop.

Jim C—You may still get the emails..lol. You have to put change.gov.whitehouse.gov, etc, onto your spam alert, then you go there and, there it is!! Amazing…

I also still get requests for money from sites where I am banned (for now, then tomorrow, no, then again…lol) from posting!

Neo-liberal hypocrisy knows no bounds.

By HighHopes, May 19 at 8:40 am
Hmm, Pink Floyd made a song with that title and remembering the lyrics brings me a nostalgia of sorts.

Then again their song ‘Dogs of War’ rains pretty heavy on these days and times as does ‘On the Turning Away’.

I remember well the latter part of 2003 and the 2004 campaign with promises about this and that and change and prosperity up until he caved into corporate america and the american izraeli public affairs committee by assuring both of his and america’s full support AND assuring me of voting 3rd party.

I wasn’t wrong either because his first 100 days did not produce the promised ‘fixes’ I thought essential for starting to turn these crises around and then it has developed into a landslide of cooperation of everything w & dick had done, with the people that elected him left out in the cold.

I really believe that the ‘puppet masters’ decided early on to have a black person or a female become president as it would be the easiest way to get a more malleable puppet in the white house so there will not be much dickering about getting legislation passed, appointees will be processed with little objection which means the supreme court will most likely remain on the conservative side.

This country is so subverted that a fix is no where close to coming to pass.

I have gotten more requests for donations from these blog sites of late than ever and that raises a concern about what that is all about other than needing money to operate but now they are adding that such and such amount needs to be raised in a couple of days or some other short time line and the requests are for $25-$50, makes me wonder even though I realize they need money, we all do.

Well , not quite everything else is on the table . Every single other country that has insurance companys in the mix makes them go non profit , I haven’t heard that mentioned either , go figure . An independent film maker did a series of documentaries on health care in countries around the world . He also did one on our ( gag ) system to be released in a series that was to be on PBS . When the series was getting ready to be aired PBS wouldn’t allow that fact to be mentioned in the film , the producer then told them he wouldn’t allow his name to be used with the series if that point was ommited , I’m not sure if it has aired yet or not . I heard of this on the Thom Hartmann radio program , I’m sure if anyone is interested in the story you could go to Thom Hartmans web site and his administrater would give you the information . I for one am losing patience with Obama , The democratic party sent me an e-mail asking for donations to help in his ” fight for health care ” , I’m sure some of you have recieved the same thing . I responded by having my name removed from their e-mail list . They asked why in the removal conformation . I sent them a scorching reply telling them among other things that if they wanted money they needed to get it from from those they were representing , the insurance companys . I would encourage anyone else who recieves such a request to do the same . We’ve got to let them know we’re awake , paying attention and that a growing number of us aren’t ga ga over Obams specious retoric .

Hmmm… Health Care for All Americans is Simple!

1) Merge Medicare with Medicade into one single “Income Based” system
for the elderly and poor.

2) Require insurance companies to provide the same basic coverage for
all Non-Medicare/Medicade American citizens, regardless of health
status, at government established rates.

3) Allow insurance companies to offer additional benefits and options
to those who qualify and are willing to pay the difference.

As for Funding…

1) Changing from an “Emergency Treatment” to a “Preventive Care”
system will save local communities billions, maybe even trillions of
taxpayer dollars!

2) Small business will be able to compete globally and hire additional
taxpaying employees!

3) Wealthy seniors will pay their fair share!

4) The tremendous burden on future generations will be greatly reduced!

Distractions are what the MSM is about, real issues of importance must be kept distant and well hidden, in the back pages of our minds. What war now noble?  Bail out lets change the name to….?  Torture, lets call torture….. enhanced tickling. National Medical Plan, .... well that would be Pinko socialism of course. 

Fostering Delusions for the deluded.  Promoting constant moods of hand wringing and fear.  Divisive challenges programed for creating sides,..... we must have sides.  Alleged differences, so necessary in the grand scheme of things. 

MSM, hired to be the runners, highlighters of these designed issues, paid help to designate priorities, so we have the return of the Gays and of course Abortion rights as the new old battle. so effective in the past for the GOP, attempting a come back from the dead, Newt stumbling from the GOP bone yard. Contriving issues with such design all old and dusty, sold as new special battles. Oh for the successes of the past, such past gratification, all created for their insidious distractions.

Choose your distraction!

By foggyjones, May 16 at 7:41 pm
““i hope enough voters wise up in time to ignore this pelosi-cia red herring.  hope enough people realize how huge this matter of the impending health care bill in the congress really is. sen. baucus and cohorts are poised to speed this health care bill through late at night, just like the other bailouts and tarps etc.”“
****************************************************

Multi tasking - the concurrent performance of several jobs, usually by computer but can include the attempt to handle multiple issues all at once.

Just look at, well even TD’s site, and see how many different crises are vying for everyone’s attention and remediation and not in any set priority of importance and with the added attraction of ‘remedying’ each’s pet peeve before helping others with their particular peeve, much to the delight of those that want to maintain a high level of ambiguous courses of action all of it brought to the US by the MSM that is a conservative controlled resource.

As I say, there are many examples of this on most any blog sites where the curious go to see ‘watz up’ and add their 2cents worth to their pet peeves, I guess, to see who will side with whom on what ever subject, sort of like ‘we need to get to the bottom of this’ and then on the ‘we need to fex this thing’ which really creates an unambiguous display of disorganization.

And any of those who have read Scott Ritter’s ‘Waging Peace’ will remember the main theme is trying to organize to confront and gain the control by those that ARE organized and have put us in this disaster of multiple crises, any of which can be bumped into the bright lights to cover up something else that in not wanted of attention.

Good writing. I loved this paragraph:

“In that speech six years ago, Obama said the only reason single-payer proponents should tolerate delay is “because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.”

Seems like Obama has run out of excuses, but no, fear not! Politicians enjoy a symbiotic relationship with lobbyists, and the Insurance lobbys are among the fattest and most generous…to those who do their bidding.

Foggyjones, I liked your analysis for its completeness:

“Our politicians have sign a pact with the devil. Pay to play politics must be eradicated and intensely regulated. These people are a public hazard. The real terrorists appear on CSPAN, almost every day. They still do not have a clue. Even the protestor with the bullhorn pictured above changes their minds.”

The best government money can buy is all I can add. And don’t expect much from Obama.

foggyjones - and anyone else who’s awake and/or cares - today’s movers and shakers and deciders and present and future captains of industry are devoted and dedicated to accruing money, as much as they can and by any means possible. 

I arrived at this less than astounding revelation on hearing that for about the last 30 years the Ivies have been turning out products whose life-long ambition is making money - and high finance is where it’s made and that’s where they’ve headed.

Wall Street has screwed and is screwing us royally.  And with our elected respresenatives devoted as they are to the money keeping them in power as it is, we, the people of America, are now beside the point, merely the patsy’s who continue to fund them - no questions asked.

Other than marching in the streets, I see no way to make our dollars work for us rather than for them.

Foggyjones,

Americans have been effectively brainwashed by right-wing interests whose agenda wants to keep us apologetic for taking any government services.

Besides local services, certain services are absolutely required to even come close to fulfilling the equal opportunity principle our school children are told that we have. Among these services are an equal education, equal justice before the law,and equal access to health care. All are absolutely required to keep us on an equal footing.

We have failed miserably on all. Our education system is in shambles. Health care access is a disgrace. Our top leaders consistently break the law and do not share space in our crowded prisons with the poor and minorites.

I should mention that years ago when the insurance industry launched its campaign to convince us that we all needed health insurance - without it our very lives were in jeopardy - the main argument against the idea was that health care costs would become ‘hidden’ in insurance premiums.  And that in turn would result in an out-of-control rise in the fees charged by doctors/hospitals.

(When a doctor gives me a $1000 bill for 3 minutes of his time, I scream like hell.  When the same $1000 ‘hides’ in an insurance premium, I don’t scream.  Chalk it up to human nature.)

Well, it was a valid argument.  And here we are about to provide yet again another hiding place for the insurance industry/medical industry to rip us off - only this time it’s the politicians doing the hiding.

About a month ago Obama talking about health care threw out the word ‘legacy.’ Accompanied by a frown and a slight wince, the throw-out-word, I guess, was supposed to indicate that single-payer would present an unsolvable difficulty due to the legacy issue so forget about it. 

So what’s to come other than the tax-payer funded government paying big insurance zillions of (tax-payer dollars) to compensate the beasts for reducing their insurance premiums to us - probably by a single digit.  In other words, the beasts will get their zillions whether directly from our pockets (premiums) or by way of the taxes we pay to the government.  Substitute ‘ruse’ for ‘reform’ and you’ve correctly identified today’s health care proposals. 

I have a terrible feeling that America has entered its own Dark Age.

Leefeller—Must be soothing to be able to delude yourself that way…lie down with dogs, get fleas, with insurance industry murderers, let patients (NOT “consumers”)get sick and die, I guess.

foggyjones—The rest of the “civilized” world does NOT see it as an ‘industry”. (Morally, I know that it is not)

When I was doing WorkCamp studies in Korsor, Denmark, I sprained my anklle…a good friend there took me to a doctor’s office/house, and, it was—the same size as just about everyone else’s! Being a dumbassmerkin, I was amazed at this. He treated me (didnt speask english—-its a rather small port/navy town), but Annetta translated. When he had x-rayed and treated me, I got out my wallet. I asked my friend, “HOw much do I owe him?” She looked surprised and said ‘Nothing….he’s a doctor”.

He was paid salary by the state, hence had no reason to treat people (nor operate on them, nor give them unnecessary drugs ) except the correct one.

As I left, he said something to Annetta. She said that he said, “Americans just dont get it, do they?”
No we do not…
I was also treated in Norway and Italy, as well as Canada. All were free, immediate and excellent.

A for-proft “health care indsutry” kills more ‘Merkins every year than wars. It is immoral. Insurance industry executives should be in prison, not in the White HOuse.

hello. because it is caring for people does not justify grotesque profiteering and waste. administration costs are also hyperinflated. the doctors are the only ones in the entire system that take a reasonable fee. PACs and special interest groups are the capitalist influencing of our politics: that do not belong and should be abolished; or limmitted to token $1 donations. political payback, belongs to the majority will: not the capitalist minority. the majority wants, and government represents. reform the triple billing; reform outrageous hospital(hotel)/nursing home fees; reform absurd malpractice judgements; an industry that fleeces the public in the name of goodwill is phony- and ought to be lambasted- for cruel profiteering, gouging, and financially crippling families for their own gain. this has been the greedy sick taking care of the sick. i’m headachy. i’m not going near a health institution. it has to be a catastrophic injury; and then they have me: to pillage and plunder. when i am at a disadvantage.

One can hope, (that word again) that Obama is sleeping with the jackals of industry to find out what makes them tick, in this case the medical industry.

Taking single payer off the table, must be a ploy to get industry to show their real selves. The Medical complex is really like everyone else just people trying to make a living, so let them eat cake.

Taking something off the table before even sitting at the table, must have it’s uses in politics.  In the end it may turn out Obama’s sleeping with the jackals will show in the taking off the table, was really some more of our food.

What can one say when this new brand of president(that is so quaint) in reality is still the old brand of president, same with congress because they are all just trying to get re-elected and to do so must fake it with the people with petty unctuous rhetoric that amazingly never fails to get the re-election as the ‘can’t decide either dem or repub’ citizens will botch the vote instead of looking at viable 3rd party hopefuls.

Obama is either a typical newly elected president that had no intention of following through on his campaign boasts or his has selected and appointed the type of people that give him ill advice for other agendas, but I will split 50/50 on that for now but everyday that goes by this guy does even more instill a nonconfidence in his position.

KDelphi,

You are absolutely right. That is why private industry should not decide who gets health care and how much, no more than we should entrust fire protection to them for the copay they determine.

Health care is a right and should be administered by the government. For example, the French system is not only the best but also one of the most cost-effective systems in the world.

The insurance industry is expected to act in its own interests—-that’s what the Capitalism you guys love so much is for—-self interest of the powerful and elite.

Our Congress (lemme see if I can do this without laughing) is supposed to represent the “people”.

Some matters are more important than others, but health care profiteering is no better than war profiteering. People die for profit. That is immoral.

The health care industry, like most of big business, is so focused on self and so self-deluded, whether we are talking profits or the pay of its leaders, that they would willingly bring down the whole economy and actually believe it was the fault of anyone else.

Its about lobbying money from the insurance industry, David.

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?cycle=2008&ind=F09

BC/BS:Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Blue Cross/Blue Shield also has a contract with the federal government to review and process Medicare claims. The association is lobbying Congress to make it harder for the government to penalize companies if their employees defraud the Medicare program and process false claims. Local Blue Cross chapters have paid about $340 million to the federal government to settle Medicare fraud charges since 1993.

More (BC/BS) (JUST BC/BS!):
Top Recipients
Senate Obama, Barack $116,909
Senate McCain, John $61,705
Senate Levin, Carl $48,100
Senate Clinton, Hillary $26,415

Senate Baucus, Max $14,100

Sen Baucus campaign donations, from the insurance industry:

(Here’s why Baucus is not doing the peoples business):

According to OpenSecrets.org over his career he has taken donations from:

The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313

Health Professionals $1,016,276

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry $734,605

Hospitals/Nursing Homes $541,891

Health Services/HMOs $439,700

That is a grand total of $3,902,785. Can we trust Baucus to put aside the profits of the industries that have kept him in the senate? Will he put the people’s necessities ahead of the profits of his contributors? Baucus has shown his bias and should be removed from leading the health care reform effort by the Democratic Party leadership.

His 2008 donations from health care profiteers included:

Insurance $592,185

Health Professionals $537,141

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $524,813

Health Services/HMOs $364,500

Hospitals/Nursing Homes $332,826

That is $1,826,652 Baucus took from industries who he can now make wealthier by deforming health care reform
And, it is not just the chairman of the committee who has received massive donations. In 2008 the full committee received a total of $13,263,986 from industries affected by health care reform. Can we trust this committee to put the interests of the people before their donors? The donations to the Finance Committee in 2008 included:

Insurance $5,103,900

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $3,308,831

Hospitals/Nursing Homes $2,809,353

Health Services/HMO $2,041,902

It is time to remove Baucus from the leadership of health care reform. It is time to move the critically important priority of reforming America’s health care system from the Finance Committee and put it before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. At least their mission is health care not money.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/may/max_baucus_should_no.php

Why Pres. Obama is selling out “health care reform”:

Dr. David Himmelstein is a founder and spokesperson for Physicians for a National Health Program.

Himmelstein’s take — Obama is caving to the insurance industry.

“The President once acknowledged that single payer reform was the best option, but now he’s caving in to corporate healthcare interests and completely shutting out advocates of single payer reform,” Himmelstein said. “The majority of Americans favor single payer, and it’s the most popular reform option among doctors and health economists, but no single payer supporter has been invited to participate in the administration’s health care summit. Meanwhile, he’s appointed as his health reform czar Nancy-Ann DeParle, a woman who has made her living advising health care investors and sits on the board of many for-profit firms that have made billions from Medicare. Her appointment — and the invitation list to the healthcare summit — is a clear signal that the administration plans to propose a corporate-friendly health reform that has no chance of actually solving our health care crisis.”