Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hope vs Failure-- Is There Anything We Can Do As Citizens, Short Of Going Out On The Streets Like The Iranian Patriots?

>

Is this the only way to restore Democracy in the U.S. and get health care reform?

The DCCC sent out a really exceptionally well done clip today pointing to the difference between Obama's vision of Hope and the Republican vision of failure. Please watch it below. There's no doubt that the Republicans are on a mission to not just obstruct, but to undermine-- everything, from health care reform to the economic recovery and even to the safety of the nation itself. The clip puts forth a strong message, a compelling message. But it just isn't bipartisan enough. After all, it isn't only Republicans who want the single most important piece of Obama's change agenda-- substantive health care reform-- to fail. Plenty of Democrats get the exact same huge handouts from the exact same Medical-Industrial Complex and Big Insurance lobbyists and CEOs. And they will do anything to prevent single payer health care from passing.

Among the top 10 recipients of Insurance Industry "donations" for those sitting in the Senate today, you will find 3 Republicans-- John McCain (R-AZ- $2,885,602), Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $928,007), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA- $888,724), all firmly opposed to health care reform; 5 Democrats-- Chris Dodd (D-CT- $2,202,046), John Kerry (D-MA- $1,395,617), Ben Nelson (D-NE- $1,210,299) Max Baucus (D-MT- $1,182,613), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY- $1,002,800), respectively 2 advocates of reform, 2 die-hard opponents and one opportunist looking to keep everyone happy; and two freaks of nature, Arlen Specter (R-D-PA- $1,037,205) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT- $1,035,302), both of whom advocate loudly for the Insurance Giants against their own constituents... and against Obama's vision of Hope.

The DCCC can rail against Republican obstructionists and corporate shills in the House all they want-- and John Boehner (R-OH- $869,256), Eric Cantor (R-VA- $692,274) and Spencer Baucus (R-AL- $674,350) have certainly been paid very well to sabotage health care reform-- but power in the House rests with Democrats who get even more money from Big Insurance than Republicans: Earl Pomeroy (Blue Dog- ND- $1,796,406) and Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $1,383,035). In fact, with only 51 votes needed in the Senate to pass either single-payer or the compromise position (a public option) and with Nancy Pelosi guaranteeing a Democratic majority for the public option in the House-- despite the collusion of anti-working family Blue Dogs and New Democrats with Republicans to kill reform, the problem is looking very senatorial-- and very Democratic.

So who's really killing health care reform? In truth, it's a bipartisan coalition of arrogant senators, paid off by the Medical-Industrial Complex and the Insurance Giants most Americans hate a distrust. Listen to Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, not part of that heinous colaition, explaining what real reform is and why he won't vote for any bogus bill corporate shills like Max Baucus, Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman, Mary Landrieu and Arlen Specter cobble together with the Republicans as a "compromise." The public option is the compromise.

Health care reform isn't really a Republican vs Democratic issue; it's an issue for the welfare of all American families-- which is why a staggering 83% of Americans want the public option. Blue America has launched a new campaign to persuade senators who routinely take a great deal of money from Big Insurance to work for their constituents, not for their campaign contributors. We are working with Brave New Films to put together a series of TV commercials that we will start running next month in Arkansas, home of two anti-reform Democrats, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. Please read more about the plan-- and consider helping us put it into effect-- here at our Blue America page.

Labels: , , , ,

6 Comments:

At 6:32 PM, Blogger Juan Liberale said...

The public option could not be killed by the republicans. It required the assistance of corrupt democrats. One of those corrupt democrats is Harry Reid. Reid could insist on the bill being submitted as a budget reconciliation bill and it would require only 51 votes.

Why are no democrats demanding that? Because the dirty bastards don't want it to pass any more than the republicans do. Their pockets are stuffed with health industry dollars and the peons can just go fuck themselves.

Look at my blog from last week:
http://juansrants.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-kill-public-health-care.html

 
At 7:26 PM, Blogger WarrenG said...

I'd like to see a telephone campaign zero in on Max Baucus. There are about a million people in Montana which breaks down to approximately 350,000 families, give or take. Two hundred people making 50 calls per day for 30 days would just about cover the entire state. Most of us have three way calling and could ask the question, "Do you favor the insurance industry having a role in deciding your health care?" and if they say "No", you say, "would you mind if I called Senator Max Baucus office right so that you can tell him how you feel about the health care debate?" Then dial his Washington office or one of the state satellite offices and give them an earfull. Could be done.

 
At 8:09 PM, Blogger DownWithTyranny said...

Warren, we're talking about a Montana campaign. The reason we decided to go with Arkansas first is because Baucus has five and a half years before he has to face the voters again while Lincoln's time is next year. And in Arkansas there are two corporate shills-- Lincoln and Pryor-- who sell out working families as a matter of course. We hope to get to Baucus and Nelson and Landrieu and Specter as well.

 
At 10:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obama's healthcare plan is nothing to be happy about. It is not a substantive change, it is not going to provide healthcare for everyone. It is a ridiculous farce, which will keep insurance companies untouched and keep us in the healthcare quagmire.

 
At 10:26 PM, Anonymous me said...

I'm rapidly approaching the point where I no longer give a shit what Obama says or does.

He reminds me of Bill Clinton in that on issue after issue, he caves in to the conservatives. On torture and government reform, and "transparency and openness" (his words, not mine), he reminds me of GEORGE BUSH.

 
At 1:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Harry Reid is also up for re-election in 2010, and the people of Nevada are not happy with him at the moment. The last thing we need is another Republican in this state, especially if they're of the same caliber as John Ensign - who admits in the same breath that he not only can't keep his pants on but that his mistress is an extortionist.

We need to lean hard on Sen. Reid to fulfill his duties to our state and his constituency, but also to get a backbone and stand up for what's right as a leader of the Senate. To let a civil rights violation slip through on the credit card bill for the sake of expediency (the Coburn amendment) is inexcusable, to mention just one instance of his gross negligence of leadership.

The "public option" for healthcare is a severely watered down version of what Obama campaigned for, first of all. Single-payer is preferable and really the only viable option. Public is better than what we have now.

It isn't just insurance fighting this, however. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies stand to lose billions over the long term, especially in a single-payer system.

The user is the only winner with comprehensive change. Alas, as with oil, it is the purse-holder that controls the decisions.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home