Richard Nixon: Socialist Liberal?

Richard Nixon, yes, Conservative Richard Nixon, tried to put together a National Health Insurance package that made sure all Americans are covered. He develops a plan, then sets up secret negotiations with Ted Kennedy and Wilbur Mills. One of Nixon's aides, gets together in the basement of a church in Washington D.C. with Kennedy and Mills and they hammer out negotiations for a National Health Insurance plan.



The plan would have required employers to cover their employees. Others, who couldn't afford coverage, would get government-sponsored National Health Insurance. Medicare and Medicaid would stay in place.



The Nixon proposal made it to Congress, but before it could go through, Nixon was impeached for Watergate.

Kennedy and Mills both had their own scandals to deal with.

We came very close to National Health Insurance under Richard Nixon. And it is pretty much agreed that every plan after that (and every single Democratic candidate since 74 has had a Health Care plan) was based essentially on Nixon's plan; as is Barack Obama's.



In fact, Barack Obama’s plan is said to be much more conservative than Richard Nixon. ….



Richard Nixon: Socialist Liberal? How far right this country has moved........

Such as starting the EPA and de-escalating tensions with the Soviets.

He was a strange, almost classically tragic figure, but unlike George W. Bush and his cohorts, he actually had a handful of redeeming qualities.

If any republican tried to do what Nixon succeeded in doing, he'd be thrown out of today's party.

We have allowed them to control the debate with their chest beating, poo-flinging displays. And unfortunately we think if we are just rational and calm they will eventually settle down.

We need to grab up a big branch and run through the creek, shrieking at the top of our lungs...or the human equivalent: tell them to shut up, sit down and listen. Give them a solid plan, then push it through.

Sorry...I know it sounds undemocratic, but if polls show that 80% of the people want a public option, then the people have spoken.

and even creepy republicans had some decent ideas..

That's no longer the case, because it's all my-team-your-team nonsense now.:(

Many of the retrospectives on Ted Kennedy’s life mention his regret that he didn’t accept Richard Nixon’s offer of a bipartisan health care deal. The moral some commentators take from that regret is that today’s health care reformers should do what Mr. Kennedy balked at doing back then, and reach out to the other side.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/opinion/31krugman.html?bl&ex=1251864000&en=6beb5bb840527bb7&ei=5087%0A

reach out to the other side? Would Kennedy have done that today when the other side doesn't include hardly any moderates and they want to do away with a public option?

Much appreciated

drag out the Nixon plan and give HIM credit for it.

It's weird to think that the best republican president I can remember was a paranoid crook who was (nearly) impeached.