Sweet Jesus! Tahnk You Barney Frank!!!!!!! Ties the car crisis to ..... HEALTH CARE!!!!!!!!!

On Rachel Maddow's show, right now.

Sez congress will do something about health care.

Not specific ..... but ..... it is now in the public square to be discussed

And how it will be accomplished in the next year or two when we "have a good president". :rofl:

Love. It.

"GM would put $24.1 billion into the VEBA in January 2008, although the fund won't start covering retiree health care until two years later. GM will make up to 20 additional $165 million payments to the VEBA anytime the fund's level is insufficient to provide benefits for at least 25 years.

GM would pay cash interest on a $4.37 billion convertible note for the benefit of the VEBA, and the fund's trustees would be able to convert that note to GM stock. GM's active workers also would be required to contribute 4 cents per quarter for the VEBA."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-09-25-uaw-wed_N.htm

I brought that up yesterday. :)

or pissed! I believe we will ultimately end up pouring several hundred billion into these guys and one or more will STILL fail!

Can you imagine Frank being interviewed on Fox? Nevermind.

I was thrilled to hear the health care piece of this. And with Ted Kennedy leaving one of his committees to concentrate all his energy on health care, I have growing hope tonight that it will be accomplished.

I'm actually emotional about this.

I am really hopeful.

Take healthcare off the back of business. Healthcare is a national security issue, not a business one.

Imagine yourself hungry and homeless and in ill health. How secure would you feel.

That, too, is national security.

I guarantee you when Barack Obama names his secretary of Health and Human services he is not going to say they are part of his national security team.

maybe you'll wake the hell up.

Pick up a book on military history written by anyone other than someone who sees military matters in terms of a glorified romantic lens, and you're going to find significant bits on national health issues.

In American history alone, this goes back to the Revolution. A significant part of the Civil War, where more people died from disease than in battle, involved health care and improving it. Read up on the history of the influenza epidemic of the nineteen-teens and its association with and effect on WWI. A significant problem during WWII involved the health of potential soldiers. I could go on ...

Anyone who understands national security clearly understands the relationship between national health and national security. The problem we have had at least since the 80s is that our country has by and large been managed by people who have nothing on their shelves but military histories written in the tradition of Sir Walter Scott.

were rejected in the first years of the war for physical reasons - bad health as a result of malnutrition, etc.

which we also have forgotten to mention over the years.

How about having to eliminate all 18 year olds who had rickets as children? Or polio? Or lost their kidneys to melamine poisoning?

On edit: There are solid national security reasons for giving healthcare to children before adults. Which, quelle surprise! is what is being proposed.

Because clever startups can't afford the healthcare costs so can't lure the best people.

We need universal health care not health insurance. I use the VA for my health care and I believe we need to model a health care system for everyone on that.

as there are not nearly as many medical studies done on women and there is no VA-style population comparable for women.

you're joshing right? Don't know any vet happy with VA care!

it is an Industry now and without a hell of a lot of political will and the rejection of the Health Industry lobby, which is substantial, not a whole lot will change. I have not seen great political will for anyone except corporations from both democrats and republicans. Sorry to be so cynical. :(

watching both Feingold on Bill Moyers and Barney Frank on Rachel. Two great discussions.

TiVo

:hi:

:loveya: Barney!!

We gave more money to Goldman Sachs than twenty GMs.

about fell off the couuch! He even reprimanded them and reminded everyone that they did not support the Clinton Admin in 1993 on healthcare! The man holds grudges!

It has seemed pretty obvious to me that health care is draining US businesses. In fact, I've literally been using it in my arguments with my neo-con father for years.

I also tell everybody I know...and have for years, "The health care, insurance, and big pharma industries are going to be the downfall of this country.".

People used to look at me sideways when I said that. Now I mostly get, "You know...I never thought about it...but that makes sense.".