So President Obama is upset at liberals because we demand that any health care reform bill include a public option. A public option is crucial to creating a system that is affordable to the American people and the taxpayers, otherwise the insurance companies will be able to jack up the costs (and their profits) and we, the taxpayers, will have to pay higher and higher subsidies to those who can't afford it. Evidently Obama would rather have a bad health care reform bill than fight the monied interests in this country.
This post on Crooks and Liars links to the Washington Post article that reports the following (I refuse to link to the WaPost):
President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.
In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to "true" health-care reform.
"We shouldn't be focusing resources on each other," Obama opined in the call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to the conversation. "We ought to be focused on winning this debate."
Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system. [emphasis added by Crooks & Liars]
Here's my response (and judging by the responses left in C & L and Campaign Silo, I'm not alone):
Dear President Obama,
During your campaign for President you made a number of promises, in return for my vote. You got my vote. Now that you have won, it's increasingly obvious that you feel no particular obligation to keep many of your promises. Why?
Now I hear that you are upset because WE still want, and are willing to fight for, the things you promised...and you want us to stop fighting for them because it might harm the party.
Uh, just how stupid do you think we are?
I should remind you that most liberals I know feel little loyalty to the Democratic Party. We are issue oriented rather than politically oriented. We want a better life for the people who live in this country and we don't care much which party supports our issues. Traditionally it has been the Democrats, but lately both parties are more concerned about what's better for corporations and special interest groups than for the people that our government is SUPPOSED to be working for.
I appreciate your even-handedness and intelligence in running our foreign affairs, and I feel safer with you in office, but I will not compromise when it comes to health care reform, transparency in government, and opposing your plan to imprison accused enemies, for decades even, without a trial, for example.
Asking us to support a bad health care reform bill so you can get bragging rights for the next election is an insult. I would rather have no health care reform than one that benefits the insurance companies and screws the taxpayers, leaving our health care system in the hands of corporations whose goals are to increase profits rather than doing what's best for the people of this country.
One last request: please stop berating progressives and liberals to prove just how damn centrist and bipartisan you are.
--Trakker
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
Posted by: jacksmith | July 05, 2009 at 10:04 PM
State of emergency?
Sound like a major power grab to me ... the scent of dictorship is growing stronger.
Posted by: Dan D. Doty | July 05, 2009 at 10:43 PM
No to healthcare insurance
Published: July 3, 2009
To the Editor: [NYTimes]
As illustrated in "Insured but Unprotected, and Driven Bankrupt by Health Crises" (front page, July 1), health insurance is often a meaningless product in that it offers neither health care nor security.
Actually, I don’t understand why America is still talking about providing all its people with health insurance, as opposed to providing them with health care. Health care is a necessity of life, like education and food.
For more than a century, through our public schools, we’ve been guaranteeing all Americans an education - not education insurance. For nearly half a century, our food stamp program has been providing Americans with food - not food insurance.
The financial ruin that "underinsured" people often find themselves in seems like a throwback to some Dickensian nightmare, not something that should be befalling Americans in the 21st century. Isn't it time to recognize health care as a basic human need that a rich country like ours can afford to meet?
Vicki Riba Koestler
Alexandria, Va., July 1, 2009
Posted by: horsec | July 06, 2009 at 05:55 AM