 |
 |
   Memo: The way forward on health care reform in 2010.
 A dark legacy of the Vietnam War is creating a whole new set of problems.
|
   |
|
|
October 30, 2009
REID HOPES TO RALLY PUBLIC ON REFORM..... If the Senate Majority Leader is simply going through the motions on the public option, he has a funny way of showing it. "Anyone that cares about [the public option], make sure you contact your representatives back here in Washington and push hard," Harry Reid said yesterday in a web video. "We want a health care bill that has a public option that keeps the insurance industries honest and creates a level playing field." I found this interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it suggests Reid really is going for it. There's been some talk that Reid's commitment was for show -- he'd put the public option in the bill, but isn't prepared to see it through. In this respect, yesterday's video was doubling down. Second, Reid's message has the added benefit of being true -- if reform advocates want the public option to survive, it's going to take some grassroots activism to help make it happen. I was part of a small group that talked to Arlen Specter a couple of weeks ago, and someone asked him what interested Americans could do to help the reform effort. He encouraged the public to write some letters and pick up the phone. It's good advice. —Steve Benen 11:35 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (16)Comments
maybe if he had joe lieberman bound and gagged in the background his little message would have had "more teeth" Posted by: neill on October 30, 2009 at 11:38 AM | PERMALINKI think tho polls back home in Nevada are what lit a fire under him. If he doesn't deliver on this he's toast. Posted by: Steve LaBonne on October 30, 2009 at 11:42 AM | PERMALINKNeill- I get the impression he's sending Tom Harkin out to do just that. Posted by: Kevin Ray on October 30, 2009 at 11:44 AM | PERMALINK"We want a health care bill that has a public option that keeps the insurance industries honest and creates a level playing field." - Harry Reid (I [for 'invertebrate] - NV) Okay Harry, please tell me how a "public option" that is only available to three percent of Americans -- people that the insurance corporations don't want to insure anyway -- will put any sort of pressure on the insurance industry.
He encouraged the public to write some letter and pick up the phone. Offer not valid in Texas CD22. Posted by: TonyB on October 30, 2009 at 11:58 AM | PERMALINKIn other words Reid is inciting the public to intimidate lawmakers into abandoning their principles. Posted by: Al on October 30, 2009 at 11:58 AM | PERMALINKEmailed my Sens, My Rep is a re-thug so did not bother, though I just might. Posted by: joyzeeboy on October 30, 2009 at 11:59 AM | PERMALINKHuh. Whoulda thunk Harry was even capable of building up a good head of steam? Posted by: Realist on October 30, 2009 at 12:00 PM | PERMALINKListening NOW to Ranting Ed Schultz talk with someone that is saying Obama "behind the scenes" is pushing for the trigger STILL...I want to know how these people know these things, who they believe, how they source their comments??? Frankly I'm sick and tired of having all the debacle over health care reform put on Obama's plate when he is NOT the LEGISLATOR!!! They want him to say what he wants but they want it to agree with what they want (progressives) OR they're DONE WITH HIM!!! Way too many people take themselves way too seriously...I say MAKE your case with facts you can support and then perhaps people could actually decide what would be best...all this speculating and opining is what is KILLING THIS...(oh, it was someone from THE HILL- great!)... Posted by: Dancer on October 30, 2009 at 12:19 PM | PERMALINKHave we quietly slipped into a parallel dimension in which Harry Reid is not a spineless ineffectual dishrag? Posted by: Kid Charles on October 30, 2009 at 12:19 PM | PERMALINKSteve LaBonne, NV polls yes - and his most influential constituency, Culinary Workers, a local federation, and national org AFL CIO have told him Triggers are a No Go. believe Specter is motivated by Labor as well Harkin is speaking publicly, but historically Durbin has been Reid's enforcer - couldn't help but wonder if the Majority Whip had that influential chat with Bayh Posted by: clarice on October 30, 2009 at 12:25 PM | PERMALINKFor the record, Harry Reid isn't talking about the public option. He's talking about the Blue State Public Option that kicks the can down the road for millions of poor and disenfranchised. How about going the reconciliation route instead so that we can achieve quality, affordable health care for ALL? Posted by: Chris on October 30, 2009 at 12:26 PM | PERMALINKOne handwritten letter is worth 1,000 emails. If you are going to write your representatives, it is far more effective to actually write them rather than corresponding via email. Posted by: Michael Carpet on October 30, 2009 at 2:41 PM | PERMALINK@clarice: believe Specter is motivated by almost dying from cancer. Posted by: sleepy_commentator on October 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM | PERMALINKFunny democracy where the majority of the public wants something but are not allowed to have it by their elected officials. Listening to Dean last night say it's at least something, it's a foot in the door and when the public sees how good it works they will become convinced and it will improve elections for dems in 2010...WTF? The public is already convinced...it is our elected officials telling us we can't have it. Like saying there's no way we can get single payer...even if the whole country wanted it. We are seeing that we are already living in a corporatocracy whose army of lobbyists dangle our elected officials on puppet strings telling the public what these corps will allow. This HC issue has made that extremely clear. The threat from the corporatocracy is do what we say or we will ruin the economy and heavily fund the opposition. The public option will not be killed by the public but by our elected officials and President Rahm Emanuel Obama...(who is getting Joe "block the photos from FOIA release" Lieberman to kill it or make it meaningless) or "trigger" Obama which is also no public option at all. The majority has spoken loudly that we want single payer or at least a public option and our officials are telling us the ins industry won't let us have it. That's democracy you can believe in. Posted by: bjobotts on October 30, 2009 at 4:40 PM | PERMALINK"He's talking about the Blue State Public Option..." Chris @ 12:26 PM. So move, already. Or is it better that NOONE gets anything? Post a comment
February 2010
January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 |
|
|
    |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
