The Young Turks Correct Jake Tapper And CNN

medicare for all commentary.

Can Maryland Afford Medicare for All? Ben Jealous Says Yes

The Young Turks - Bernie Sanders Town Hall

Single payer folks jailed

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the following vid is from: http://labornotes.org/node/2239

Labor notes has some good stuff and I recommend folks view. This is the video of what occured when single-payer folks took their comments to the senate: they were jailed.

Given that single-payer folks have been excluded from the healthcare debate, it is natural some leaders do not wish to hear what they have to say. I do have a few words, but publication of those words would probably be a "term of service " violation of the first order.

Far as I am concerned, those folks jailed are heros. Going to jail for a just cause is not a sin.

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most brilliant anti-universal health care argument in history

Ronald Reagan made the most brilliant argument against universal health care in history. Below is that argument and some history and comment. His efforts has blocked healthcare for millions for 50 years plus and some today use the argument.

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Operation Coffee Cup was a campaign conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA) during the late 1950s and early 1960s in opposition to the Democrats' plans to extend Social Security to include health insurance for the elderly, later known as Medicare. As part of the plan, doctors' wives would organize coffee meetings in an attempt to convince acquaintances to write letters to Congress opposing the program. The operation received support from Ronald Reagan, who in 1961 produced the LP record Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine for the AMA, outlining arguments against what he called "socialized medicine". This record would be played at the coffee meetings.
Governor Sarah Palin quoted Ronald Reagan from the 1961 album during the 2008 Vice-Presidential debate, "It was Ronald Reagan who said that freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we’re going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free." [1]
The operation was described in 1999 by political scientist Max Skidmore.
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Paul Krugman did not have kind words for Governor Palin and this is what Palin said and it is a quote from the Regan lp below. (taken from his New York Times blog Oct 3, 2008 in article entitled Raising the White Flag)

"It was Ronald Reagan who said that freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we’re going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free. "

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This is from American Heritage in an article about public relations and American history.

American Heritage, May/Jun2000, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p77


Most Underrated Public Relations Campaign:
The most underrated PR campaign in American history--indeed an unfamiliar one to most people--was the 1949 effort that killed the possibility of guaranteed health care for all Americans. There had been attempts to establish a national health care system during the 1930s, and following the war the public demand for guaranteed health care continued to grow. By January 1949 national health insurance bills were pending in Congress, and the prospect of universal, federally insured coverage seemed bright.

Panicked that doctors' customary privileges would be compromised by such a system, the American Medical Association hired Clem Whitaker and Leone Baxter, a California-based husband-and-wife public relations team, to bury the prospect of legislation. Postwar politics provided an ideal context for their efforts, and they had the AMA launch an aggressive smear attack linking national health insurance with communism.

The campaign downplayed public health care needs and spotlighted the evils of governmental intervention. Over an eleven-month period, fortified by the largest public relations war chest that had ever been assembled, Whitaker and Baxter waged a pervasive public assault on what they christened "Compulsory Health Insurance," and by November 1949 they had their target dead in the water.

Today, more than fifty years later, millions of Americans still lack adequate health insurance, and the problem is getting worse. Looking back, we have Whitaker and Baxter and the American Medical Association to thank for this predicament.
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Since it is estimated that 18000 Americans die from lack of medical care and some 83,000 die from insurance companies turning down folks each year, these folks over the last 50 years could be thought to be the most polific mass murders in North American history.

Do the math, how many Americans have died from lack of medical care and the insurance company saying no since Obama took the second oath of Office? Does anyone wonder why the supporters of HR676 have a dim view of some of the folks at the Obama healthcare group when HR676 folks are excluded?
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by the way, the medical program opposed here is Medicare. This launched Ronald Reagan's political career and this "effort" was thought well by Republicans. Reagan lied in presidential debates/campaign about this by the way.

Some simular tactics used by "Coffee Cup" folks used to kill Clinton Health care plan. You might see some of this shortly. Know your history, for sometimes some things repeat themselves. Do not believe the entire drug/insurance industry has suddenly decided to mend policies to help the American people

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HR676 update and info

The following is from Thomas's congressional page today and note, little or no action from reports in FEB, 2009 at meeting. Missouri has 2 co-sponsors (Clay, Cleaver) and Illinois has a couple including Costello. Folks living in these districts need tell those congressfolks supporting HR676 thanks.

Those not supporting HR676, then it is time to put pressure.

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H.R.676 Title: To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, improved health care delivery, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (72) Latest Major Action: 1/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
ALL ACTIONS:
1/26/2009:
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
1/26/2009:
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
1/26/2009:
Referred to House Ways and Means
1/26/2009:
Referred to House Natural Resources

Health care news

Two items of interest in Today's Aliance for Retired Americans newsletter:

U.S. House Moves Forward on Health Care ReformThree committee chairmen in the U.S. House have agreed to work together to pass similar health care reform legislation in their committees before the recess in August. According to CQ Today, Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, Henry Waxman (D-CA) Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and George Miller, (D-CA) Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor, made the agreement. These committees have overlapping jurisdiction over health care, and the chairmen hope that their coordinated efforts to pass similar legislation will ensure success with reform efforts. The Senate probably will not be able to move as quickly as the House. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will have to schedule more time for debate in his chamber than Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will in the House. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said last week that he wants his committee to vote on an overhaul in June. A health overhaul in the Senate will have to be approved by Baucus’ panel and by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Sen. Kennedy is recuperating from brain cancer treatment in Florida and has not announced a timetable for his committee to vote on a bill. “Health care reform should come as soon as possible, and it should provide early retirees the option to purchase Medicare coverage. Many of the 5.1 million Americans between 55-64 who lack health insurance are victims of mass layoffs,” said Barbara Easterling, President of the Alliance.

Taxation of Employer-Provided Health Benefits is on the TableThe New York Times reported on Saturday that the Obama administration and Senator Baucus have indicated that they are open to the idea of taxing employee health benefits to offset the costs of health care reform. Eliminating “employer exclusion” would represent a tax increase for working families and retirees with employer provided insurance, and many policy analysts believe that this proposal would hurt efforts to expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. The proposal would also undermine health care coverage by causing employers to discontinue the higher cost employee and retiree health care plans, disrupting health insurance for those who have coverage they like. “The Alliance opposes taxing employee health benefits because it would give employers an incentive to walk away,” Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks said. “Americans bargained for these benefits, and have every right to expect to move forward and not backward.”

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Comments: the taxing of our meager still existing health benefits is not acceptable and I assure folks that Soar units will respond to such with negative vigor. After all, most of us did not vote for John McCain whose contribution to the health care debate was he wished to tax benefits.

Note two: the exclusion of HR676 folks from the debate on healthcare is a serious political mistake. Employer based healthcare is presently a joke and should be scrapped in favor of something that would work and many models of this around the world. The hell with the insurance companies and big drug companies, Universal Health care now, it is the right of the people to have decient affordable healthcare.

Some of the "consiveridems" better take note. If your plans are to become Republican, do so now before the elections.

Obama's health care mistake

President Obama is making a grave error. He has excluded the Nurse's Associations promoting HR676 from his upcoming health care conference.

Several of the members have called the White House and or sent e-mails. If you support the "Medicare for All Americans Act" you might wish to call and call soon.

Excluding our guys from productive imput in the mess we call health care in this nation is a grave error on the parts of the elected ones. We admit that HR 676 will not solve all the health care woes of the land, but it is the best proposal currently in congress. This plan is the closest proposal to our "old time" canco insurance, which was vastly superior to the current mess we all enjoy thanks to the greedy companies.

From Nurses's e-letter:

TELL THE PRESIDENT LET NURSES IN!
The voice of single payer has been shut out of the Obama Health Care Summit. Nurses, Doctors, Patients and millions of other activists do not have a voice at the table. Obama promised an open process, instead the only "evidenced-based reform" for health care – single payer – is excluded!
All other groups support keeping the insurance industry in place, even though single payer would generate 2.6 million additional jobs in America while covering every patient!
Nurses worked hard in every state in this country to elect Obama on the belief that their patients would finally have security about that which is most precious - the health of their families. It is not too late!

Call The White House today!Tell them to let single payer into the White House Summit on health care.
(202) 456-1414 or (202) 456-1111
TELL THE PRESIDENT America's HealthcareSolution is HR 676 - Medicare for ALL - Let Us In!