Dean says make Medicare the public option. Says Dems must not wimp out.

Here is the audio from the Montel show on AAR...Karen Finney is interviewing Dean. No transcript, but I made a few notes.

http://airamerica.com/montelacrossamerica/blog/2009/aug/31/karen-finney-and-howard-dean

Dean says make Medicare the public option. Says Dems must not wimp out.

Democrats, he said, "must find their spine." Or they won't be there very long. Says if right wing beats Obama on a health care bill...he will be seen as weak leader. Needs to finish the job on health care. Show that he means what he says. Don't worry about the polls, don't worry about the lies, just get it done.

Says those who say get a bill at any price are wrong...it will be the destruction of the Democratic Party.

Says if you don't stand for things as a party you won't get re-elected.

More outspoken than usual.

Admits the American people are not prepared for a long stay in Afghanistan. We are in a terrible dilemma...

:applause:

People don't want tough stuff overall. They are willing to get anything passed. It was different just a short while ago. Not sure what changed.

I thought it was a great interview.

Then I read that Big Bill Nelson says no public option in the Senate.

Just saw a clip of Clinton saying essentially that on Tweety's show.

Well, sorry Bill, but that's what you said about NAFTA. And you never fixed it. We can't afford DLC posturing on this one. There are only three choices here 1) Single Payer. 2) True Public Option. 3) Do nothing and try again, once we have voted out some of these corporatist swine.

The first would be my ultimate preference, but I agree with Dr. Dean's strategy on the second. The third is preferable only to further enabling of the corporatist insurance swine.

Bill Nelson announced the same thing today.

They are coming on strong.

after 60 years!!!!

That should be reversed . . .

Constitutionally, you shouldn't ever do anything to LIMIT freedoms . . .

and IMO, we should never reverse the New Deal --

it's been a disaster for all of us --

except the Repug pigs --

8yrs of unchecked Crimes ,lets start there.

How about 30 years of unchecked crime.

It might create the perfect storm for a 3rd party. If the dems do drop the ball I sure hope thats what happens.

We worked so hard and felt so good about the outcome.

to qualifying for Medicare (on disability or age 65 and over).

That's the bill. Just repeal those provisions and Medicare is open to all who want it. Many people, myself included, have believed this for a long time.

Then all this political capital can be spent on shoring up Medicare for the long haul.

Plus, this puts Republicans on the hot heat -- do they or do they not support Medicare?

.

That's the spirit! Keep pushing that message.

Medicare for all, NOW!

:patriot:

:dem:

-Laelth

This should be broadcast far and wide, Dr. Dean really lays it out and I sincerely hope our party listens.

:hi:

Shame, people shame. One of the few progressive voices we have calls for the correct next step and this gets 9 recs.

Shame.

-Hoot

I have the bruises.

Two things bring wrath upon one here. Criticizing charter schools, and being critical of the way the admin is handling health care.

the party has followed the DLC creed of going along to get along. They still seem to be trying that. Needs to stop.

Amazing the way the DLC'ers think!!!

:wtf:

ignoring it overall.

From a book signing in Manchester, VT

Dean promotes book; public option

... I'm not sure that these premiums would be good enough. Medicare is already "pay as you go," and younger workers already pay payroll taxes to support the system. And, unlike social security, there is no quick-fix to Medicare's finances like "remove the earnings cap," because there is no earnings cap on Medicare taxes.

I'm all for Medicare for all, but I'm quite concerned about Medicare's finances.

The traditional Medicare.

The Republicans have tried every lie and trick in the book to get rid of Medicare since 1965.

I have complete faith that if they so wished....our Democrats could solve the problem and make it better.

But then it is like the public schools....you can only denigrate something so long until people believe it.

I post about the coming privatization of schools, and people here at a Democratic forum think it is wonderful. No matter that the corporation run free trading philosophy just crashed our economy.

The right has lied about schools so long and about Medicare so long...that people believe it.

Don't just bitch on the internet. Contact your Congresscritter and let him or her know how you feel.

Don't let the townhall morons get the last word!

BTW this isn't directed at you madfloridian. :yourock:

Glad it wasn't me. :rofl:

I have Bill Nelson and Adam Opie Putnam to contend with. They don't care what I think.

Bob Carson is on fire! He opens up by talking about the pro-life movement. Is the pro-life movement our greatest threat? Do conservatives view assassinations as political tactics? No other host dares to ask these questions on the FM dial. Carson also pays tribute to Ted Kennedy. Bob goes over Kennedy's storied career. Find out what Bob thinks the Democrats need to do in the aftermath of Kennedy's death. Also on the show, Bob calls out Connecticut Conservative, Andrew Breitbart for his disgusting attacks on Ted Kennedy. Where does the hate end with the right? Is John Soloman, Editor of The Washington Times, going to fire Breitbart. Bob breaks down the Fox News Cheney interview. How many times does Cheney lie during this interview? What would happen if Al Gore ran a secret government program? If you haven't heard him before, Bob Carson is a very passionate, outspoken progressive host. Make sure to support Carson's Corner. Please send emails and pass the show out.

To listen click below.

http://bobcarson13.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-09-01T00_29_10-07_00

:bounce:

exactly right.

And kicked by dozens of people.

I'm well and truly mystified.

that it implies criticism of the administration.

OBAMA IS A CORPORATE SELLOUT NEW BOSS SAME AS THE OLD BOSS THIRD BUSH ADMINISTRATION *BRAAAAAWK* dumbassery.

chance. Dean is absolutely right, and I hope the President has the sense and fortitude to pursue this course of action.

:kick:

until a few new responders seem to notice. Until them I'm going to assume people just aren't seeing it... cause w. t. f.

:hi:

And the pleasure is all mine. :)

Go Howard! :toast:

Dean has been emphasizing it more lately. Saying to use Medicare as the public option.

:kick:

An incremental expansion of Medicare would be the most practical solution, and the easiest one to sell to The American People.

Let the Republicans attack Medicare.


...but Obama and the "Centrist" Democrats already know this.

:-)

Resolution Urging That Congress Make Buying Into Medicare the Public Option

WHEREAS 77% of the American public supports the choice of a public option (1 0; and

WHEREAS there is no timetable for establishing a public option in any of the Senate proposals and the public option is postponed until 2013 in the House proposal; and

WHEREAS setting up an exchange for access to new subsidized mandatory private insurance plans will be also delayed until 2013; and

WHEREAS Democrats will be campaigning for state and national public offices in 2010 and 2012; and

WHEREAS much of the public has expectations that health care reform will provide either alternatives to private insurance or reasonably priced subsidized private insurance within a time frame of a year or two for people without insurance and for those who don’t like their current insurance; and

WHEREAS the current recovery is, like the last one, shaping up to be a “jobless” recovery leading to large increases in the number of people who will be without jobs and health insurance for significant time periods; and

WHEREAS the need for major health care reform is currently the leading domestic priority of the American people; and

WHEREAS insurance companies and their Republican allies will easily convince the American public, ably assisted by corporate-owned media monopolies who are in permanent opposition to health care reform, that the Democrats are to blame for the fact that they will experience no significant alleviation of their health care problems (which are all but guaranteed to get worse) within the next four years; and

WHEREAS Medicare has been in effect for more than 40 years, is an established and well-functioning program which does not need to be created from scratch, and is so popular that even older demonstrators against health care reform are insisting that reformers should not mess with their Medicare;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 11th Legislative District Democrats ask that President Obama and our Democratic Congressional delegation amend current reform proposals to allow anyone to buy into Medicare effective within a year; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in the event that concerns that the system would be overwhelmed by too many new applicants are demonstrated to be correct, the 11th Legislative District Democrats ask that a logically and ethically consistent protocol (2) be established to allow at least some people to buy into Medicare; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 11th Legislative District commends Senator Maria Cantwell’s proposal to tax hedge funds in order to pay for health care; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 11th Legislative District asks Senator Cantwell to extend that tax to all unearned income and use the resulting funds to stabilize the Medicare trust fund and to offer separate legislation to this effect if necessary; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 11th Legislative District Democrats urge that President Obama and our Democratic Congressional delegation seriously consider the political implications of no observable material changes in health care affordability for four years, which are likely to be the serious erosion (or outright reversal) of our control of Congress and the White House, which will in turn condemn at minimum 22,000 people per year who can’t afford to pay for health care to death, and another 350,000 per year to medical bankruptcy, this situation to be continued indefinitely into the foreseeable future.

Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the King County Democrats Central Committee, the Washington State Democrats Central Committee, President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Harry Reid, Senators Murray and Cantwell, our Washington State U.S. Representatives, and State Senator Karen Keiser.


REFERENCES

(1) http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=5ba17aa2-f1b9-4445-a6b8-62b9d1ba8693

(2) PNHP policy analyst Dr. Marcia Angell has suggested that younger and older demographic slices be added concurrently, for instance 20-25 and 60-65, and that unemployed and uninsured not included in those groups be included with means testing. There are many possible acceptable alternatives to this.

Let's ask one or both of them to write it.

Congressman Anthony Weiner
1800 Sheepshead Bay Rd.
Brooklyn, NY 11235

Congressman Dennis Kucinich
11730 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111

in the Senate towards Democratic ideas and ideals instead of what we got.

Talk about a dream come true!

whereas 'Healthcare reform' is a nebulous term which is (obviously) open to criticism.

n/t

Ignore the liberals and progressives at your own peril.

:kick: