Two things in the battletide of health care reform. Notice I'm so non plused I'm not even bothering to capitalize 'Health Care Reform' any longer? Yeah. Me too. Because ultimately I believe the "public option" is narrowing down to equate to "expansion of Medicare/Medicaid" and it WILL happen, if not by majority vote, cloture or any other damn thing then by executive order if need be. Obama wants to grow a huge honking pair, he'd do it that way. Take responsibility for it all and when it is properly run and regulated and profitable, tell ALL the wingnuts to just go fuck themselves. Forever.
But I digress. Here's Wyden insisting there be a public option in the final bill, and here's old 'Independent' Joe putting on the squeeze play. Why the squeeze play? Because the only way it seems able to get through now is if there's an "opt-out" clause on a state by state basis. States rights. Still the possibility exists that the triggers may either be set too high and that having triggers in the first place PLUS insistence upon voiding the private insurers anti-trust exemption could possibly trigger the regionalization of medicine and medical treatment in America. In other words make it more hard to get competent, qualified medical care AND increase the travel cost! Brilliant! We already have that in Alaska so perhaps it won't effect us all that much.
So, yeah -- NO. Yes to the public option. Yes to the expansion of M/M. NO to any sort of trigger. It's part of the Medicare/Medicaid package, we're reforming and expanding the system to cover the uninsured, either you're in or you are out at the state level. Are any states presently NOT enrolled in both? End of story. Eureka. You have found the pot o' gold. You have freed the dragon. Public Option. Now move along.
Eventually and as stated I expect it will all be part of M/M so "no big whup..." THEN yes, reform of M/M is a must and please pass the anti-trust hammer. It's clobberin' time!
-Laz
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care. Show all posts
10.27.2009
9.30.2009
That's What I'm Talking About!
Alan Grayson is a rock star. He is a House Democrat from Orlando, Florida calling bullshit on GOP and Blue Dog Democrat obstructionists blocking meaningful health care reform, speaking the truth and calling them out on their utter lack of any plan. Grayson has bigger balls than the entire GOP combined and you know what? He deserves praise and support for being one of the few voices to speak out against those who both wish to see reform fail and those who wish to see President Obama fail.
Grayson recently outraged simpering GOP crybabies by stating their reform platform for them since they have yet to offer any coherent plan:
Now some right wing extremists are whining incessantly that he should apologize for his comments. He basically told them to go fuck themselves and rightly so, pointing out that ten time the amount of those that have died in the service of our country in Iraq and over ten times the amont of people that died during the 9/11 attack are dying each and every year because of their inaction and craven attempts to squeeze more campaign funds from an industry that profits directly from continued death and suffering. Some in the GOP are even going as far as to liken his presentation in the house to Joe Wilson's rude outburst calling a sitting president a liar in front of upwards of 40 million people. They equate his truth telling with the lie that Wilson told and continues to boast about. Now that's outrageous! It's called equivilency and it is a tactic the GOP has become experts in exploiting. Wilson should have been censured and ostracized for his rudeness his lack of protocol and common decency. On the other hand, Grayson's words make him a hero to the majority of Ameicans, not just a fraction of the less than 25% of the Republican right wing extremists and whackjobs for whom Wilson spoke. Even though Grayson refuses to apologize to the butthurt GOP weasels like Wilson and his ilk, he did offer his apology to those who have died and the families of those who have died because of stalling on the part of congress. They all should do that. They should all be ashamed for doing what they have been doing for decades -- which is absolutely nothing. Republicans and Democrats alike.
If you believe the world needs more Alan Graysons then put your money where your mouth is and contribute to him and guys like him. It's the only way we can get some reality inside the beltway... by supporting those who realize the importance of meaningful health care reform. NOW. The debate has had sixty years. Enough debate already -- time for action. Those that don't act to do the right thing NOW will suffer the wrath of the majority of American voters who absolutely DO support a public option or single payer system when we vote those bums out of office and I promise we will do precisely that. If they're not going to do the will of the people who elected them in this representative democracy then it is time to send them back home forever. Let them fuck up something else in the private sector rather than America and Americans.
-Laz
(Oh and P.S. -- Congressman Grayson, if you have any extra cojones to spare and I think you do, please send some along to Rahm and Barack post haste! They could use some balls and perhaps some good old fashioned backbone as well.)
Grayson recently outraged simpering GOP crybabies by stating their reform platform for them since they have yet to offer any coherent plan:
"Don't get sick. If you do get sick, die quickly..."That pretty much sums up the Republican plan for the uninsured and it's not a lie nor is it outrageous to say it because it is true. While most if not all of the GOP and Blue Dog Democrats in the House and Senate fiddle away like Nero watching Rome burn, 44,000 Americans a year DIE because of a lack of health insurance and a lack of adequate health care coverage. It took someone like Grayson to remind them and all of us -- a relative newcomer from a pretty conservative district who is not afraid to stand up for what is right rather than selling his soul to the private insurance lobby for campaign contributions as many politicians have already done.
Now some right wing extremists are whining incessantly that he should apologize for his comments. He basically told them to go fuck themselves and rightly so, pointing out that ten time the amount of those that have died in the service of our country in Iraq and over ten times the amont of people that died during the 9/11 attack are dying each and every year because of their inaction and craven attempts to squeeze more campaign funds from an industry that profits directly from continued death and suffering. Some in the GOP are even going as far as to liken his presentation in the house to Joe Wilson's rude outburst calling a sitting president a liar in front of upwards of 40 million people. They equate his truth telling with the lie that Wilson told and continues to boast about. Now that's outrageous! It's called equivilency and it is a tactic the GOP has become experts in exploiting. Wilson should have been censured and ostracized for his rudeness his lack of protocol and common decency. On the other hand, Grayson's words make him a hero to the majority of Ameicans, not just a fraction of the less than 25% of the Republican right wing extremists and whackjobs for whom Wilson spoke. Even though Grayson refuses to apologize to the butthurt GOP weasels like Wilson and his ilk, he did offer his apology to those who have died and the families of those who have died because of stalling on the part of congress. They all should do that. They should all be ashamed for doing what they have been doing for decades -- which is absolutely nothing. Republicans and Democrats alike.
If you believe the world needs more Alan Graysons then put your money where your mouth is and contribute to him and guys like him. It's the only way we can get some reality inside the beltway... by supporting those who realize the importance of meaningful health care reform. NOW. The debate has had sixty years. Enough debate already -- time for action. Those that don't act to do the right thing NOW will suffer the wrath of the majority of American voters who absolutely DO support a public option or single payer system when we vote those bums out of office and I promise we will do precisely that. If they're not going to do the will of the people who elected them in this representative democracy then it is time to send them back home forever. Let them fuck up something else in the private sector rather than America and Americans.
-Laz
(Oh and P.S. -- Congressman Grayson, if you have any extra cojones to spare and I think you do, please send some along to Rahm and Barack post haste! They could use some balls and perhaps some good old fashioned backbone as well.)
9.22.2009
Two Things...
Now comes the time where I can tell myself "I told you so..." as even conservatives are starting to squeal that Glenn Beck, paid Fox News political whack job, is hurting the Republican conservative movement because of all his whack conspiracy theories. The fact that his 9/12 march in D. C. could only muster less than 70,000 people (even though Fox started the later proved incorrect meme tha ABC News had reported anywhere between 900,000 to 2 Million marchers) also demonstrates precisely how much his popularity has been hyped and overblown mostly by Fox themselves. They even went as far as to circulate photos also later proven to actually be photos for the recent 'Million Man March' and claim them as their own. Even their lies are becoming more transparent and even more ineffective. Hope you are enjoying the marginalization of the neocon wing of the Republican party as much as I am -- good riddance to bad rubbish!
So let's recap -- Beck has less than 50% of his original advertisers left... conservatives are jumping the sinking ship like squealing rats and I bet if you took a ratings poll, it would show his ratings to either be down slightly or up greatly. A dismal turnout for the 'grassroots movement' promoted by Beck and Fox as the '9/12 Teaparty March' would seem to reinforce the former as being more accurate rather than the latter. Beck is becoming a sad assclown before our very eyes. One who will soon need to do the sweeping/mopping up routine right before he packs all his desk toys into a little box and leaves Fox in disgrace. I mean it's Fox so you know it's going to be ugly. Personally I believe they will have actual men with a real long sleeved white jacket show up for him live and on the air. They'll buckle him up and he will froth manically as they cart him away for a few months to process him through the Fox Indoctrination Work Camp. Then of course he'll come back even stronger and uglier than before. I'm crossing my fingers that he just retires to the sanitarium for good. In fact I look forward to the day when both he and Rush will only be guests at some distant reality TV show location. When their lies and subversion as well as their blatant spoken racist ideas are forever off the radio and television airwaves.
The other 'I told me so' is about balance and how I predicted the extremism manifest in town halls would eventually stop once the "big fat wide majority of centrist, moderate and progressive Americans" showed up to laugh at the absurdity of the far-right's argument and assclown antics at town hall health care reform meetings. So now it's happened. The majority have shown up and laughed the wingnuts right off the stage and it will continue to happen. As we get closer to a working bill, it will become harder and harder for the GOP to pull lies out of their asses about progress on a finalized bill. Their only hope is to poison it through the amendment process. Fortunately for all of us that isn't likely to happen. Ultimately it's going to be a Democrat bill and every poison pill must be crushed, each loophole stitched before it becomes law. Not a single Republican will vote for anything however. You can take that to the bank. If they put the 'Public option' in the final bill and I believe they will, not even Olympia Snowe will vote for it. So in retrospect we can now see there was no need to get our collective knickers in a knot over the August recess. Once again sanity, reason and intelligence will prevail over stupidity in America as it usually and historically has done in the past and we will see a health care/health insurance reform bill, probably before the Xmas break. With or without the Republican obstructionists. Most likely without.
-Laz
So let's recap -- Beck has less than 50% of his original advertisers left... conservatives are jumping the sinking ship like squealing rats and I bet if you took a ratings poll, it would show his ratings to either be down slightly or up greatly. A dismal turnout for the 'grassroots movement' promoted by Beck and Fox as the '9/12 Teaparty March' would seem to reinforce the former as being more accurate rather than the latter. Beck is becoming a sad assclown before our very eyes. One who will soon need to do the sweeping/mopping up routine right before he packs all his desk toys into a little box and leaves Fox in disgrace. I mean it's Fox so you know it's going to be ugly. Personally I believe they will have actual men with a real long sleeved white jacket show up for him live and on the air. They'll buckle him up and he will froth manically as they cart him away for a few months to process him through the Fox Indoctrination Work Camp. Then of course he'll come back even stronger and uglier than before. I'm crossing my fingers that he just retires to the sanitarium for good. In fact I look forward to the day when both he and Rush will only be guests at some distant reality TV show location. When their lies and subversion as well as their blatant spoken racist ideas are forever off the radio and television airwaves.
The other 'I told me so' is about balance and how I predicted the extremism manifest in town halls would eventually stop once the "big fat wide majority of centrist, moderate and progressive Americans" showed up to laugh at the absurdity of the far-right's argument and assclown antics at town hall health care reform meetings. So now it's happened. The majority have shown up and laughed the wingnuts right off the stage and it will continue to happen. As we get closer to a working bill, it will become harder and harder for the GOP to pull lies out of their asses about progress on a finalized bill. Their only hope is to poison it through the amendment process. Fortunately for all of us that isn't likely to happen. Ultimately it's going to be a Democrat bill and every poison pill must be crushed, each loophole stitched before it becomes law. Not a single Republican will vote for anything however. You can take that to the bank. If they put the 'Public option' in the final bill and I believe they will, not even Olympia Snowe will vote for it. So in retrospect we can now see there was no need to get our collective knickers in a knot over the August recess. Once again sanity, reason and intelligence will prevail over stupidity in America as it usually and historically has done in the past and we will see a health care/health insurance reform bill, probably before the Xmas break. With or without the Republican obstructionists. Most likely without.
-Laz
9.14.2009
OMFGAK Rawkin' Rodeo Roundup...
A big rawkin' roundup of links and interesting stories around the nets.
Raise your hand if you think the Iraq war to be unnecessary, unjust and a diversion away from Al Queda? Mark me in the 'we were lied into a war where hundreds of thousands of people died for no damn good reason, 4,300+ of them American' column. I have used the words 'war profiteering' here in previous posts. I think I may have said it'll take decades to dig through and deconstruct the Cheney-Bush administration. Perhaps a generation, though much of any history left over from that particular Whitehouse has already been shredded and bulk erased. Or perhaps Cheney is such a meglomanicial asshole that he's got copies of EVERYTHING.
In case I wasn't clear before -- we need all Americans overseas home, now please. Time to end the expeditionary forces act, the "Mission Accomplished" bullshit that remains in Iraq and Afghanistan. Time for pushing the reset button. Time to let Pakistan ferret out their own radicals in Waziristan. Time to let the despot ex-oil pipeline negotiating Bush designee Karzai sink or swim on his own. Propping up our puppets has never worked out for American foreign policy. NEVER. Time to end the illusion that we are equipped to build democracies elsewhere when we sometimes appear to have such a slippery grasp of our own democracy in America. Ted knew. As did many others.
Unfortunately America took her eye off the ball, diverted it's military power to payback Saddam for Bush 1 with Stormin' Norman and Powell where we didn't finish the job during a justifiable war (invasion, blowing up hundreds of wellheads). We we're in Iraq a seocnd time under Bush 2 for god knows what reason (see also: 'war profiteering', KBR, Haliburton, Carlyle Group, Blackwater, etc, et al.) when we should have been finishing the job in Tora Bora rather than farming it out to local militia due to lack of our forces in country (umm, yeah -- because they were in Iraq helping with the sack, looting and war profiteering). Fast forward to a $1+ Trillion cost for Iraq and us still entrenched, bogged down in some cases, in places we just shouldn't be. Places like Afghanistan. Either get Bin Laden or get off the pot, Mr. President. But bring the rest of our fine male and female service personnel home, now. Please? Or maybe station a few more at the border of North Korea. I'm just sayin'...
PAGE TWO
So many pre-existing conditions, so little red ink for the cancellation stamp pad. Life is a pre-existing condition. Apparently in the apalling minds of the private insurance industry, so is spousal abuse. So are so many, many things. That's just how they roll in free market corporate America when it comes to the life or death private insurance industry -- all so they can, in one case, put $120 Million in their CEOs pocket for the last five years. OMFG! $120 Million!?! The poor bastard must be forced to wipe his ass with $50s for gawdsake! And light his Dominican cigars (egads!) with Andy Jacksons!
All kidding aside it was/is something that the private insurance industry promised to self reform back in the 90s and they haven't yet so of course they continue to lie and profit, profit and lie and in the process re-victimize victims of domestic abuse -- and we all just take it like the idiots we apparently have become. Wheeee! Time for change we can ALL believe in.
PAGE THREE
Online diversions. Oh so many. As a child of the burgeoning television age I have grown bored with it lately as a medium. With all apologies to McLuhan, the real action is on the net with hulu and youtube and The Daily Show/Colbert... Rachael and Keith... or PBS with full length videos of Nova and all sorts of free, on demand content. The future of teevee will not be broadcast. It will be streamed. I do not provide links as I'm sure if you're really interested you'll find them. I particularly appreciate the Daily Show and Rachael/Keith as I do not have cable or satellite television and it is the only way I get to see their shows.
-Laz
Raise your hand if you think the Iraq war to be unnecessary, unjust and a diversion away from Al Queda? Mark me in the 'we were lied into a war where hundreds of thousands of people died for no damn good reason, 4,300+ of them American' column. I have used the words 'war profiteering' here in previous posts. I think I may have said it'll take decades to dig through and deconstruct the Cheney-Bush administration. Perhaps a generation, though much of any history left over from that particular Whitehouse has already been shredded and bulk erased. Or perhaps Cheney is such a meglomanicial asshole that he's got copies of EVERYTHING.
In case I wasn't clear before -- we need all Americans overseas home, now please. Time to end the expeditionary forces act, the "Mission Accomplished" bullshit that remains in Iraq and Afghanistan. Time for pushing the reset button. Time to let Pakistan ferret out their own radicals in Waziristan. Time to let the despot ex-oil pipeline negotiating Bush designee Karzai sink or swim on his own. Propping up our puppets has never worked out for American foreign policy. NEVER. Time to end the illusion that we are equipped to build democracies elsewhere when we sometimes appear to have such a slippery grasp of our own democracy in America. Ted knew. As did many others.
Unfortunately America took her eye off the ball, diverted it's military power to payback Saddam for Bush 1 with Stormin' Norman and Powell where we didn't finish the job during a justifiable war (invasion, blowing up hundreds of wellheads). We we're in Iraq a seocnd time under Bush 2 for god knows what reason (see also: 'war profiteering', KBR, Haliburton, Carlyle Group, Blackwater, etc, et al.) when we should have been finishing the job in Tora Bora rather than farming it out to local militia due to lack of our forces in country (umm, yeah -- because they were in Iraq helping with the sack, looting and war profiteering). Fast forward to a $1+ Trillion cost for Iraq and us still entrenched, bogged down in some cases, in places we just shouldn't be. Places like Afghanistan. Either get Bin Laden or get off the pot, Mr. President. But bring the rest of our fine male and female service personnel home, now. Please? Or maybe station a few more at the border of North Korea. I'm just sayin'...
PAGE TWO
So many pre-existing conditions, so little red ink for the cancellation stamp pad. Life is a pre-existing condition. Apparently in the apalling minds of the private insurance industry, so is spousal abuse. So are so many, many things. That's just how they roll in free market corporate America when it comes to the life or death private insurance industry -- all so they can, in one case, put $120 Million in their CEOs pocket for the last five years. OMFG! $120 Million!?! The poor bastard must be forced to wipe his ass with $50s for gawdsake! And light his Dominican cigars (egads!) with Andy Jacksons!
All kidding aside it was/is something that the private insurance industry promised to self reform back in the 90s and they haven't yet so of course they continue to lie and profit, profit and lie and in the process re-victimize victims of domestic abuse -- and we all just take it like the idiots we apparently have become. Wheeee! Time for change we can ALL believe in.
PAGE THREE
Online diversions. Oh so many. As a child of the burgeoning television age I have grown bored with it lately as a medium. With all apologies to McLuhan, the real action is on the net with hulu and youtube and The Daily Show/Colbert... Rachael and Keith... or PBS with full length videos of Nova and all sorts of free, on demand content. The future of teevee will not be broadcast. It will be streamed. I do not provide links as I'm sure if you're really interested you'll find them. I particularly appreciate the Daily Show and Rachael/Keith as I do not have cable or satellite television and it is the only way I get to see their shows.
-Laz
9.02.2009
Because I Could Not Have Said It Better...
Endgame. It is going to become the sound of inevitability. As our senators and congressmen thunder back from summer recess to D. C. for the start of the second session, that sound will be that Health Care is absolutely THE number one top priority. Period. Not only that, their jobs depend on it. Even the far right should realize that health care/health insurance and Medicaid/Medicare reform is coming. Whether they like it or not. The question has always been in what shape or form. I again suggest not as a lion, but as a lamb. A lamb with a big fucking hammer.
Let's review my previous predictions: The main bill is bloated and perhaps destined to fail. Except through the reconciliation process. Which would be a juicy process. BOOM goes the Hammer! Ferreting out all the hidden beneficiaries of the built in graft and loopholes of h.r.3200. It the only hope of saving this bill. I've suggested alternatives, a political bait-and-switch to more progressive bills as well. I've suggested that bipartisanship is dead, as if it was ever even alive in the first place. The GOP seems to have left the asylum to be run by the 'patients' and Nurse Michael "Ratchet" Steele. I've also suggested that since a simple majority won't be available because of circumstances on the part of BOTH sides of the aisle, whichever bill they choose will have to be put under the budget reconciliation hammer. BOOM goes the Hammer!
In short, our elected representatives, with their own good as gold private insurance will be 'earning' what we the people, the American taxpayer pay them to do, which is: work. Work for what the majority want. A Public Option. Singlepayer. Expand and reform Medicare if it's too much effort for you to re-invent the wheel again. Which is precisely what is happening at the moment... oh look, let's reinvent the wheel! Hey that wheel sure looks a lot like Medicare/Medicaid, doesn't it? If it was a snake, the idea would have bit them all on the ass by now.
If Medicaid/Medicare expansion and reform proves to be the wrong idea then at least by using the reconciliation model at the budget level you can go through everything with a fine toothed comb, dropping unnecessary or obstructive amendments like just so many nits. Then you squish them with the hammer. BOOM! Ultimately, in my opinion, it needs to go there. Imagine wave after wave of stimulus dollar funded flat panel screens everywhere, tuned to C-SPAN as they show the grueling blow-by-blow details of a budgetary fight. In both chambers! Senators having to teabag for themselves! Live from the house and senate... whew! It is not Watergate, but we have better modern production values, better visual effects. Plus, it would put all this recess nonsense to bed once and for all because the naysayers and obstructionists to the health care reform debate will have to declare themselves officially and on the record, not via shovel ready mass media soundbites and clown-like antics for the 'rubes' back home.
This fall it's either that or the live feed of the Iraq War Crimes trials from The Hague on C-SPAN3. Or that "Truth Commission" thing on C-SPAN2... hmm. Those can wait until January 2010, in my opinion. Get out the hammer, President Obama. Because it's hammer time. Time to hammer out some health care / health insurance reform.
With all that in mind and because originally I claimed I couldn't have said it better, because I can't -- I share Matt Taibbi and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) taking Maria Bartiromo to task for her debating on the "have" side of the column that reads "Do you have private insurance?" -- why yes you do, Maria. Congratulations! You're a full 5/5 of a human being. You get premium health care! At premium cost of course. While your co-workers rail about "the biggest re-distribution of wealth EVER" concerning Obama's plans for the future, none of you can even see that it already happened during the Bush/Cheney years with Paulson as the bagman? Amazing. Oh no, that's right -- you and some of your former hedge fund managing co-workers are now reaping the benefits of the financial raping of America, aren't you? Often even aiding and abetting, if I do say. Because I do. Say.
Those of us working poor -- without benefits, without insurance and without pensions politely applaud your stunning achievement, Maria Bartiromo. Now we would like to be able to buy some insurance, too. Something more pedestrian and five-figure-ish, please. Make it a public option, single payer, with no exclusions and no limitations. Then use it as an even BIGGER HAMMER as it becomes the largest private insurer in the nation and proves itself worthy enough to drive the profit motivated weasels out of the health care insurance business forever as it pounds, pounds away, straightening their bottom lines.
-Laz
Let's review my previous predictions: The main bill is bloated and perhaps destined to fail. Except through the reconciliation process. Which would be a juicy process. BOOM goes the Hammer! Ferreting out all the hidden beneficiaries of the built in graft and loopholes of h.r.3200. It the only hope of saving this bill. I've suggested alternatives, a political bait-and-switch to more progressive bills as well. I've suggested that bipartisanship is dead, as if it was ever even alive in the first place. The GOP seems to have left the asylum to be run by the 'patients' and Nurse Michael "Ratchet" Steele. I've also suggested that since a simple majority won't be available because of circumstances on the part of BOTH sides of the aisle, whichever bill they choose will have to be put under the budget reconciliation hammer. BOOM goes the Hammer!
In short, our elected representatives, with their own good as gold private insurance will be 'earning' what we the people, the American taxpayer pay them to do, which is: work. Work for what the majority want. A Public Option. Singlepayer. Expand and reform Medicare if it's too much effort for you to re-invent the wheel again. Which is precisely what is happening at the moment... oh look, let's reinvent the wheel! Hey that wheel sure looks a lot like Medicare/Medicaid, doesn't it? If it was a snake, the idea would have bit them all on the ass by now.
If Medicaid/Medicare expansion and reform proves to be the wrong idea then at least by using the reconciliation model at the budget level you can go through everything with a fine toothed comb, dropping unnecessary or obstructive amendments like just so many nits. Then you squish them with the hammer. BOOM! Ultimately, in my opinion, it needs to go there. Imagine wave after wave of stimulus dollar funded flat panel screens everywhere, tuned to C-SPAN as they show the grueling blow-by-blow details of a budgetary fight. In both chambers! Senators having to teabag for themselves! Live from the house and senate... whew! It is not Watergate, but we have better modern production values, better visual effects. Plus, it would put all this recess nonsense to bed once and for all because the naysayers and obstructionists to the health care reform debate will have to declare themselves officially and on the record, not via shovel ready mass media soundbites and clown-like antics for the 'rubes' back home.
This fall it's either that or the live feed of the Iraq War Crimes trials from The Hague on C-SPAN3. Or that "Truth Commission" thing on C-SPAN2... hmm. Those can wait until January 2010, in my opinion. Get out the hammer, President Obama. Because it's hammer time. Time to hammer out some health care / health insurance reform.
With all that in mind and because originally I claimed I couldn't have said it better, because I can't -- I share Matt Taibbi and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) taking Maria Bartiromo to task for her debating on the "have" side of the column that reads "Do you have private insurance?" -- why yes you do, Maria. Congratulations! You're a full 5/5 of a human being. You get premium health care! At premium cost of course. While your co-workers rail about "the biggest re-distribution of wealth EVER" concerning Obama's plans for the future, none of you can even see that it already happened during the Bush/Cheney years with Paulson as the bagman? Amazing. Oh no, that's right -- you and some of your former hedge fund managing co-workers are now reaping the benefits of the financial raping of America, aren't you? Often even aiding and abetting, if I do say. Because I do. Say.
Those of us working poor -- without benefits, without insurance and without pensions politely applaud your stunning achievement, Maria Bartiromo. Now we would like to be able to buy some insurance, too. Something more pedestrian and five-figure-ish, please. Make it a public option, single payer, with no exclusions and no limitations. Then use it as an even BIGGER HAMMER as it becomes the largest private insurer in the nation and proves itself worthy enough to drive the profit motivated weasels out of the health care insurance business forever as it pounds, pounds away, straightening their bottom lines.
-Laz
8.25.2009
Regressives Extremists and Obstructionists vs. Progressives, Moderates and Centrists... OH MY!
In my personal effort to wrap my head around the swirling controversy that IS health care reform (or health insurance reform) I have looked at and read many bills, read many news articles online from many diverse sources while pondering long and hard about an issue so important to not only myself, but ALL Americans. I've cheered on The Wyden Plan dubbed the "Healthy Americans Act" both here and elsewhere on other blogs like Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. Some may recall me mentioning earlier that this could be the REAL reform we're looking for in lieu of H.R. 3200. The official text on Thomas.loc.gov can be found by searching for the Senate (S. 391) also known as S. 391.IS) and House (H.R. 1321, also known as H.R. 1321.IH) bills there. I've even suggested that we resurrect H.R. 676 as a good clean slate from which to foundationally build upon into a powerful and clean health care reform bill.
As a side note, since all searches on Thomas.loc.gov often have an expiration time built in, I link to the ones from the more persistent GovTrack.us. -- otherwise the best way to search on the official government site is to already know the official names of the bills or to search for the bills using the official number. Which is both confusing and maddening at times. Be sure the little button to search for 'Bills' is clicked if searching for specific bill numbers as it defaults to a text search otherwise. Anyhow my solution has been to use the open source GovTrack to find out the official names or numbers then search at the official site. Once you find the correct bill there are also links on the thomas.loc.gov site to printer friendly versions (not wise unless you have tons of paper) and Adobe Acrobat .PDF versions you may save locally to your own hard drive (better idea... read at your leisure, print the parts you want, cut and paste from the documents as needed).
Yes, it's a bit of jumping through hoops to use search engines to track legislation, but it'll save you some ulcers in the long run. Research is always good especially if you're going to use the sharpened sword of intellect by reading through and understanding what your own legislators sometimes say they haven't even bothered to read themselves. Elected representatives who don't take the time to read and learn the legislation they vote on should find themselves a new job because they're obviously not cut out for the task of representing their constituency. You need a summer reading list Mr. President? What's on the top 10 reads for this recess, Senator? Congressman? Your answer had better be health care or health insurance reform or I can almost guarantee there are going to be some pissed off constituents, both Republicans and Democrats alike come election day 2010.
One other option that has been floated by many is to just expand Medicare. I'm almost convinced that ultimately this may be the correct move. Howard Dean makes some very logical and persuasive arguments in this clip from the Rachael Maddow Show (Allison Stewart was filling in) where he also highlights the stupidity of regressives, extremists and obstructionists with their usual "the goverment can't run the health care system but don't touch Medicare" (a government run, single payer health care system) flawed circular logic:
Unless the legislature can come up with an omnibus bill that ties together all the good ideas and ferrets out the bad ones, this may be our best choice. Otherwise we're left with the option of pushing H.R. 3200 through reconciliation (because no matter how many bi-partisan concessions you make to the far right, they are STILL going to vote against it) and the liberal use of President Obama's line item veto pen (to close all the loopholes that favor a corrupt and profit driven private insurance industry) to establish a workable and reasonable bill that is on the side of Americans, not tilted in favor of private insurers and lawyers. Yes they're Americans too, but far too many times lately, they mostly seem motivated by profits rather than the future health and well being of ALL Americans.
I have also, much to the chagrin of some, spoken out against H.R. 3200 or at least that may be the perception of some when I suggest alternatives like the Wyden Plan, but don't kid yourself. Let me assure you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am working FOR health care and health insurance reform, not against it! If at times I seem somewhat less than thrilled about H.R. 3200 it is my way of speaking out against the graft and corruption exhibited by foot dragging legislators of both sides of the aisle as it relates to them milking campaign donations from the private insurance industry and the many loopholes that have been or will be tacked onto this bill that favor the industry rather than the best interests of ALL of the American people. If we the people do not speak up loudly, forcefully and most of all THOUGHTFULLY to express the need for rational reform NOW we're letting all the astroturfers, teabaggers, birthers, deathers and all the rest of the regressive, extremist and obstructionist crazies win. Thus NOW is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. Seriously. In a government of, by and for the people, the buck REALLY stops with THE PEOPLE. That would be you and me. The time for us leaving attention to government affairs on autopilot IS OVER. Look what results that got us during the Bush years! As many of our elected officials seem to fall asleep at the wheel they need a good, hard jolting to wake them up be it in the form of letters, emails or phone calls. For our elected representatives to continue to play games with meaningful health care and health insurance reform is to deny us of our inalienable rights. Those of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...". I've said it before and I'll continue to say it until most people get it, working against the inalienable rights and against the best interests of ALL the citizens of the United States of America is simply and unequivocally un-American. There WILL be hell to pay next election cycle if they don't do the right thing and complete the job of reform before 2010. Believe it.
Exercise your right, your sacred duty as a progressive, moderate or centrist American and work hard to fight against the regressives, extremists and obstructionists -- the party of NO. Please do so NOW, before it's too late. Use the tools the internet affords us to counter their crazy shouting and non-solutions. Eventually with enough persistence and patience, we progressives, moderates and centrists will WIN this battle. We'll look back and laugh at their lack of input, their lack of solutions or lack of acting in good faith on behalf of the majority of their constituents and at how they marginalized themselves into obscurity by using their idiotic scare tactics. Oh how we'll laugh! But now is the time for action, for grim determination.
-Laz
As a side note, since all searches on Thomas.loc.gov often have an expiration time built in, I link to the ones from the more persistent GovTrack.us. -- otherwise the best way to search on the official government site is to already know the official names of the bills or to search for the bills using the official number. Which is both confusing and maddening at times. Be sure the little button to search for 'Bills' is clicked if searching for specific bill numbers as it defaults to a text search otherwise. Anyhow my solution has been to use the open source GovTrack to find out the official names or numbers then search at the official site. Once you find the correct bill there are also links on the thomas.loc.gov site to printer friendly versions (not wise unless you have tons of paper) and Adobe Acrobat .PDF versions you may save locally to your own hard drive (better idea... read at your leisure, print the parts you want, cut and paste from the documents as needed).
Yes, it's a bit of jumping through hoops to use search engines to track legislation, but it'll save you some ulcers in the long run. Research is always good especially if you're going to use the sharpened sword of intellect by reading through and understanding what your own legislators sometimes say they haven't even bothered to read themselves. Elected representatives who don't take the time to read and learn the legislation they vote on should find themselves a new job because they're obviously not cut out for the task of representing their constituency. You need a summer reading list Mr. President? What's on the top 10 reads for this recess, Senator? Congressman? Your answer had better be health care or health insurance reform or I can almost guarantee there are going to be some pissed off constituents, both Republicans and Democrats alike come election day 2010.
One other option that has been floated by many is to just expand Medicare. I'm almost convinced that ultimately this may be the correct move. Howard Dean makes some very logical and persuasive arguments in this clip from the Rachael Maddow Show (Allison Stewart was filling in) where he also highlights the stupidity of regressives, extremists and obstructionists with their usual "the goverment can't run the health care system but don't touch Medicare" (a government run, single payer health care system) flawed circular logic:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Unless the legislature can come up with an omnibus bill that ties together all the good ideas and ferrets out the bad ones, this may be our best choice. Otherwise we're left with the option of pushing H.R. 3200 through reconciliation (because no matter how many bi-partisan concessions you make to the far right, they are STILL going to vote against it) and the liberal use of President Obama's line item veto pen (to close all the loopholes that favor a corrupt and profit driven private insurance industry) to establish a workable and reasonable bill that is on the side of Americans, not tilted in favor of private insurers and lawyers. Yes they're Americans too, but far too many times lately, they mostly seem motivated by profits rather than the future health and well being of ALL Americans.
I have also, much to the chagrin of some, spoken out against H.R. 3200 or at least that may be the perception of some when I suggest alternatives like the Wyden Plan, but don't kid yourself. Let me assure you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am working FOR health care and health insurance reform, not against it! If at times I seem somewhat less than thrilled about H.R. 3200 it is my way of speaking out against the graft and corruption exhibited by foot dragging legislators of both sides of the aisle as it relates to them milking campaign donations from the private insurance industry and the many loopholes that have been or will be tacked onto this bill that favor the industry rather than the best interests of ALL of the American people. If we the people do not speak up loudly, forcefully and most of all THOUGHTFULLY to express the need for rational reform NOW we're letting all the astroturfers, teabaggers, birthers, deathers and all the rest of the regressive, extremist and obstructionist crazies win. Thus NOW is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. Seriously. In a government of, by and for the people, the buck REALLY stops with THE PEOPLE. That would be you and me. The time for us leaving attention to government affairs on autopilot IS OVER. Look what results that got us during the Bush years! As many of our elected officials seem to fall asleep at the wheel they need a good, hard jolting to wake them up be it in the form of letters, emails or phone calls. For our elected representatives to continue to play games with meaningful health care and health insurance reform is to deny us of our inalienable rights. Those of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...". I've said it before and I'll continue to say it until most people get it, working against the inalienable rights and against the best interests of ALL the citizens of the United States of America is simply and unequivocally un-American. There WILL be hell to pay next election cycle if they don't do the right thing and complete the job of reform before 2010. Believe it.
Exercise your right, your sacred duty as a progressive, moderate or centrist American and work hard to fight against the regressives, extremists and obstructionists -- the party of NO. Please do so NOW, before it's too late. Use the tools the internet affords us to counter their crazy shouting and non-solutions. Eventually with enough persistence and patience, we progressives, moderates and centrists will WIN this battle. We'll look back and laugh at their lack of input, their lack of solutions or lack of acting in good faith on behalf of the majority of their constituents and at how they marginalized themselves into obscurity by using their idiotic scare tactics. Oh how we'll laugh! But now is the time for action, for grim determination.
-Laz
8.06.2009
For some greedheaded CEOs, stupidity is a pre-existing condition...
With thanks to all who lead me to this powerful video, including HuffPo and to my friend Karina:
The next time someone says "Americans don't want health care reform" or that it will "euthanize your parents" or that "it's socialist" or any of the other myriad excuses for callous inaction, you have my permission to pointedly look them square in the eye and calmly, with absolute assurance that you are on the right side of this issue, call them a LIAR. If it is your duly elected representative in government, no matter which party affiliation, it is not only your right it is your sacred duty to vote these scoundrels (tainted by campaign donations from the insurance industry and their lobbyists) COMPLETELY out of office. Show them that by opposing a rational plan of single payer public health care as an option available to all Americans, not just the uninsured, they are signing a death warrant on their own future political careers. Let them get a taste of what real world health care is REALLY like for a change by taking them off the taxpayer subsidized health care plan they presently enjoy and permanently remove them from office. Especially since it is highly unlikely they will ever do it themselves voluntarily.
-Laz
The next time someone says "Americans don't want health care reform" or that it will "euthanize your parents" or that "it's socialist" or any of the other myriad excuses for callous inaction, you have my permission to pointedly look them square in the eye and calmly, with absolute assurance that you are on the right side of this issue, call them a LIAR. If it is your duly elected representative in government, no matter which party affiliation, it is not only your right it is your sacred duty to vote these scoundrels (tainted by campaign donations from the insurance industry and their lobbyists) COMPLETELY out of office. Show them that by opposing a rational plan of single payer public health care as an option available to all Americans, not just the uninsured, they are signing a death warrant on their own future political careers. Let them get a taste of what real world health care is REALLY like for a change by taking them off the taxpayer subsidized health care plan they presently enjoy and permanently remove them from office. Especially since it is highly unlikely they will ever do it themselves voluntarily.
-Laz
7.22.2009
Cancel the August Recess NOW!
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon pops up today to say he's willing to cancel his vacation plans to push health care reform forward. He's just THAT progressive. I mean how many of us get an entire month off WITH pay every year? Though I must say that I am very disappointed by Pelosi's non-answer. If you know that the issue of health care reform is this important, I encourage you to do what I have already done. Please contact your elected representatives and tell them. It is your right and your duty. Check out more on this story at one of my favorite political web sites, Crooks & Liars.
-Laz
-Laz
7.20.2009
President Obama, please STEAL THIS PLAN... NOW!
I was quite disappointed the other day to see Senator Ron Wyden's name listed alongside the blue dog Democrats opposing the current health care plan being hammered out in the House and Senate. Why? Because I grew up in Oregon and I have personal experience with some of Oregon's progressive health care policies, some of which Wyden supported in spite of his personal feelings precisely because he realizes he is a representative of his constituents and as a public servant is duty bound to listen to their will. More on that later. Ron Wyden has always been one of the better progressive politicians representing Oregon. Wyden started his political career as a member of the House in 1980 and took his Senate seat in 1996. After reading his plan entitled "The Healthy Americans Act" I have an idea that it would be better for America to drop the present doomed plan being argued over in D. C. like a hot potato and embrace Wyden's plan like a long lost and deeply loved brother.
Here's why -- structurally the present plan has been set up for failure by the forces of anti-progression, let's just call them 'regressionists' or better yet 'obstructionists', with the addition of 160 untenable and unworkable amendments attached to the bill by Republicans looking to either delay or torpedo the whole shebang long enough so they can go back home to their respective districts and attempt to whip up their constituency over the August recess into a populist froth against ANY bill being passed. Then, they reason, they can come back to D. C. in September when congress reconvenes and continue to tell even more lies and half-truths to an enabling main stream media in order to sway public opinion and help apply pressure to kill the bill off entirely. No matter the will of the people, as long as the obstructionists can pay lip service to actually listening to their constituents, they can pretend to be caring, feeling, responsive representatives of the people as they continue to push their own agenda forward, completely ignoring the 72% of Americans IN FAVOR of a public plan health care option or universal health care. Instead, these naysayers wish to portray themselves in the role of an earnest Van Helsing, eager to slay the dreaded Dracul Obama and his evil 'socialist' public option plan or ANY form of affordable universal health care by pounding their obstructionist stake into the heart of the present bill, killing it once and for all. Well you may be shocked but I say good. Let them. It was dead before they even started thanks in part to their idiotic amendments. Good riddance. Now please support the Wyden plan, thank you. It's logical, workable and has been extensively vetted by the CBO. Oh and please pull your head out of your ass, obstructionist assholes.
We, as their constituents need to insist that all of our elected public servants quit dicking around, some of whom offer no plan of their own other than to continue to obstruct. It is time to get on with it already! People's lives literally hang in the balance as these idiots continue to stand there, as empty headed as they are empty handed. To fail to act NOW is to offer more death and suffering to all uninsured Americans and yet even more outrageous cost and denials of service for 'pre-existing conditions' to those who are actually insured. I am one of those uninsured Americans and yes, because of complications after my dual cancer surgeries, I too am in desperate need of medical treatment that I cannot afford. I need a real plan, a public option plan, right NOW. If these obstructionist idiots, so long held in the back pockets of the health care lobbyists who have donated massive amounts of "campaign money" (see also: "bribes") to them (yes, even to Wyden, but at least the man has a reasonable plan) think they hold the moral high ground on this issue then I and many others suggest they resign from the free and excellent health care plan offered to all legislators in D.C. and walk a mile in my and millions of other American's uninsured shoes. Feel MY pain, motherfuckers. Feel the pain of millions of Americans. Even the very threat of voting these idiots out of office is an empty one at that as they get to keep their benefits FOR LIFE, thus making the rest of us health care 'serfs' to their politically favored 'landed gentry'!
Every single day I fight against the re-infection and bleeding of scar tissues, conditions caused by debris ("disintegrating" subcutaneous stitches that never disintegrated) that remain floating around in my system, exacerbated by poor post-operative medical treatment that was ultimately denied insurance coverage or any payments whatsoever because of my pre-existing condition, namely, cancer. It has just become a reality of my existence, so I have learned to deal with it for many years, but I can tell by the signals my body is now sending me, my time is running out. I've got a horse in this race. My own body. I'd like that horse to cross the finish line of good health and wellness with me, it's jockey, still in the saddle. (Cue the patriotic music...) Their continued opposition to a public option or universal health care plan is in absolute contradiction of ALL of our rights as Americans to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." itself and I don't care whatever they say, whatever their excuse --that's just un-fucking-American. Don't even get me started about the ex-legislators now working FOR the health care lobby. You want "traitors to America and Americans"? That's what I call them. Hired mercernaries with absolutely NO moral compass whatsoever other than a duty to fill their bank accounts with vast sums of blood money.
For the most part, very few of my friends or co-workers know about my problems because I am usually never one to discuss such things. I never asked the old band I was in years ago to have a fund raising concert to help me out when things were at their worst. I never gave specifics as to the type of cancers (bone and testicular, by the way, both thankfully in remission) or complained about the complications afterwords because I truly, up until now, didn't want to burden anyone with such personal details. Instead I manned up, gritted my teeth, grinned and bore it and pushed on, moment to moment. Every moment a joy to experience because every moment is yet another breath, another moment spent on this planet as a human being, suffering or not. It's what I do. I persevere in the face of insurmountable difficulties. As I'm sure is the case for thousand upon thousands of Americans each and every day as they bear the brunt of their health problems without help or support. We don't want to be a burden, really. But we seriously can't afford effective medical treatment any longer, let alone piss-poor treatment and now we're ALL as mad as hell and we ARE NOT going to take this bullshit any longer.
Republicans and "Blue Dog" Democrats have already confessed their obstructionism to a public option or universal health care plan. Jim DeMint wants to "cause pain" to his fellow senators on the present bill and in fact perhaps all public options and/or universal health care plans, characterizing his "reasoning" in this manner: "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." Senator, is it not time for politicians to quit gambling with the lives of their constituents who lack health insurance and begin to show actual human compassion through direct action rather than more of the same petty partisan squabbles as you, in your role as an obstructionist, are doing right now? Senator DeMint and friends, you are NOT "breaking Obama" or causing "pain" to your fellow legislators. You are literally KILLING me and thousands of other people like me. Period. All in order to be able to high-five your ideological buddies scoring political points with them that you're going to "take down" President Obama, a man trying to do the right thing for America and all Americans, not just the uninsured. I believe it is well past time for action and after reading the details of Ron Wyden's plan I have an idea that his plan is the way. Let the idiots like DeMint, Nelson and Kristol (who even though is not a politician remains influential in right wing political circles -- and lord let's hope he remains consistently wrong about this issue as he has with every other opinion he's offered his winger pals in the last decade) argue about the present bill that they've purposefully worked to poison. Use it as bait while President Obama 'headfakes' and passes the ball like a health care point guard, switching at the last moment to Ron Wyden's more reasonable and realistic bill. For the sake of me and thousands like me it is our elected representatives utmost duty to "preserve, protect and defend" the constitution (and, by extension the bill of rights) of the United States of America as they swore when they became PUBLIC SERVANTS. It remains their sacred duty to DELIVER on the promise of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...", not just pay it lip service.
I suggest we all read Ron Wyden's bill carefully and insist that ALL of our elected representatives read it and fully understand it as well as soon as possible. I know I will. I'm sending Begich, Murkowski and Young a link to this very blog posting tonight. I'm sorry for the crude language (at times, though I'm sure Young will get a giggle, Don being Don and all) but this issue IS of the utmost importance to everyone. Sometimes it just takes a nice hard whack against the skull of a zombie to get their attention. Allow ME to be that bat. Wyden's plan is compact, succinct, workable and burdened with NONE of the ass-hattery of the 'obstructionist' blue dog Democrats nor their conniving Republican cohorts, both of whom, according to the reports of donations made to them by health care lobbies and big pharma, are totally beholden to their lobbiest masters. Their obstructionist course is crafted only to score partisan political points when in reality their plan, or lack thereof, is set up to continue to cause America and uninsured Americans even more future pain and suffering, fiscally and otherwise. It is our duty as citizens to give them ALL this jarring wake up call today. Swear if you have to, but dammit give them the facts and INSIST that they act now. Right now. This very second. Before it is too late, not just for me because of my own selfish reasons, but for all Americans who suffer and continue to suffer because of inaction and obstruction.
Oh and about that personal experience with Oregon's progressive health care policies? Less than five years ago, my mother after being diagnosed with breast cancer went through surgery and two courses of chemotherapy. After a long battle wherein she fought like a crazed banshee for her life, she was told by her doctor that the cancer had metastasized spreading to her liver and lymphatic system. She called me, told me the bad news and I hopped on a plane to Oregon the very next day. I had not seen her in a couple of years owing to being poor after my cancer treatment. By the time I arrived at her bedside later, gasping at seeing the frail whisp of a woman formerly hale, hearty and robust -- a woman who thoroughly cherished life itself, as we all do, I did my best to suppress my tears and held her hand. She knew her death was rapidly approaching and I knew she did her best to grit her teeth, grin and bear it and press forward towards the inevitable. As she spoke to me quietly, softly squeezing my hand with whatever strength she had left, she shocked me by telling me what I needed to hear as the oldest son of my family. She said that she had decided to be cremated (in a million years I would have never thought she'd do that) and that she had decided that if the pain got to be unbearable she was going to be administered a potent enough dose of morphine to ease her out gently. Both things floored me absolutely because I always though they weren't permitted by her religion. By this time I was weeping as quietly as possible which only made her want to comfort me more -- an absurd proposition considering the sorry state she was in... but that's what mothers do. I quietly asked her one question: "Do you feel as though you've lived a full life, leaving nothing undone so as to have no regrets?" She focused on me intently, opening her eyes ever so slightly and smiled saying, "Of course, dear. I've loved every minute of it, both tne good and the bad times, even through this final pain and suffering. Everything is in order, nothing left undone, no regrets." I kneeled at the edge of her bed absolutely still and silent for several minutes, just holding her hand. Being with her. Lost in my own thoughts as she continued to rub and squeeze my hand gently. Soon she said she was very tired, naturally, so I told her I'd be nearby if she needed anything. She replied, "only a little rest..." so I excused myself and returned to my Grandmother's house next door, leaving my sisters to watch over her. For the next three days Mom would rest awhile, then talk briefly with her sisters, my sisters, Grandma and other friends one by one much the same I'm sure as she had talked with me, intermittently resting, visiting with those she loved and those who loved her, then resting again. On the final day, early in the morning, my oldest sister came over to get me, warning me her condition had worsened. It had. Her breathing was labored, she no longer could talk or even acknowledge anyone's presence in the room. This was it. She had gritted her teeth long enough, fought the good fight, making peace with all her friends and family and most especially with her cancer and her impending journey towards what ever unknowable situation would greet her after life. When a registered nurse friend of ours showed up with the morphine, she seemed to sense it, breathing even harder and ultimately lapsing into what can only be truly described as a "death rattle" in her breathing pattern. It was, to say the least, quite disconserting as I had heard of the term before but never actually witnessed it in person. As it got more loud and more intense, me, my sister, and my aunt who is a hospice care giver, nodded at the nurse and he administered her the morphine as she had requested be done for her in her living will. In less than a minute her labored breathing had quieted. She looked peaceful, happy even. She gently slipped away from life within the hour, me still holding her hand, surrounded by some of the people she loved, some of the people that loved her.
And what does Ron Wyden have to do with this last and very personal revelation? Because he and other progressive politicians like him supported or in some cases sponsored Oregon's "Death with Dignity" law, EVEN THOUGH IT WENT AGAINST HIS OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH. Because he listened to the will of the people of Oregon who voted to pass this law and for allowing my mother to die with as little pain and suffering as possible in this, her final moment, I will be forever thankful to all of them.
-Laz
***
Update 07/21/09 8PM
A reader by the name of Patrick (aka Budo7 in the comments section) pointed out some discrepancies or at least a failure of memory on my part for which I am more than happy to correct and provide the citation links. This issue is THAT important.
Allow me to correct some numbers: 79% of Democrats "Strongly Favor" or "Favor" health care reform. Only 23% of Republicans do. It averages out overall to 56% of all Americans. So my number WAS off and I freely admit it and apologize. I underestimated the Dems and overestimated the Repubs, but that not withstanding THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS favor health care reform. Just like the majority of Americans favored Obama in the last election, Patrick. Including even me, a person who identifies as a progressive Republican.
I did not provide the citation because I assumed most thinking individuals actually read the news at WaPo and other sites, but perhaps I'm more of a political junkie than Patrick, taking my sources from a WIDE variety of sites rather than just purely partisan political sites with an agenda to push. Silly me. I admit I was going from memory which wasn't too far off, but I promise that if Patrick were to ACTUALLY read the news with an open mind rather than one clouded with partisan ideology perhaps he too could see reality for what it is.
It was an ABC News/Gallup poll from which my faulty memory derived the numbers, though I believe Nate Silver at 538.com had much the same results. As did the WaPo/ABC poll which actually pegs the approval rating at 62% overall as shown here.
Regardless of the numbers, (remember please "lies, damn lies and statistics...") -- I have an Idea that most Americans are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We are sick of being gamed by the unaccountable executives of large private insurance corporations who deny, deny and further deny us, claiming "pre-existing conditions" in order to enhance the profitability and bottom line of their corporations. They are nameless and faceless bureaucrats in their own right who have NO ACCOUNTABILITY WHATSOEVER to those individuals who dutifully pay their premiums month after month. A public option plan would change that.
I've got to say in all honesty that the momentum, (whether you either believe it, like it or not Patrick) is for change. NOW. No amount of neocon talking points/lies continually repeated on Fox News is going to change that simple fact and any obstruction he and others of his ilk present with contrary numbers is just more obstruction upon the path that leads to the goal... health care reform. Patrick's position is pure insult added to the injury of ALL thinking Americans nationwide. I predict this stubborn wrongheadedness is ultimately going to come back and bite neocons in the ass come 2010 and 2012. It is nothing less than the further implosion of what is left of the hollow shell of a once proud and thoughtful Republican party who could get things done while holding to the real tenents of fiscal conservatism and smaller, more effective government.
I agree it is a very complex and challenging task to reform health care. But the numbers Patrick cited in his comment have no bearing on the plan as presented from Ron Wyden. It is readily apparent to me from his response that he didn't even bother to read the Wyden plan otherwise he wouldn't even be citing numbers about taxes. The neocon wet dream talking point about tort refom is absolutely laughable. Sure, malpractice insurance costs are out of control but what you and all of us are witnessing is a gaming of the system from BOTH sides of the insurance lobby. They rip off Doctors, they rip off patients, they screw America to enhance their own profit margins. Prove me wrong, Patrick, prove me wrong.
Had Patrick read the Wyden plan he might have realized that it pays for itself and even is predicted by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) to approach nearly a HALF TRILLION dollars in health care savings overall. Lower costs for Medicare and Medicaid because of competition and lower costs for Americans who choose to stay and are happy with their present insurance plans. If he actually READ my blog post he may have discovered that I OPPOSE it because of the 160 obstructive Republican "amendments" (though admittedly something is better than nothing at all). Those amendments were placed there specifically to torpedo the bill and need to be reconciled out in order to make it workable. As to Patrick's claim about unfair taxes to pay for the present proposed bill those taxes would be placed upon the TOP 1% of the American taxpayer income bracket. SO is Patrick actually telling us that a meager 47% of the top 1% of the most richest Americans oppose reform? That is HARDLY a majority of Americans.
My post was mostly about the uninsured like me, but again I doubt he had the attention span to have READ my post entirely (and I apologize for demanding so much of all of my readers attentions spans but I have an idea you can handle it). So -- I'm sorry Patrick but you fail. If you want to have a REAL debate about health care reform I absolutely INSIST you first learn to think for yourself.
Again, since he seemed to have missed the multiple posts on my blog where I admit to being a PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICAN (now including this one), he thinks my motives partisan and frankly that couldn't be further from the truth. In this instance it's about human life and human dignity, it's about holding our elected representatives accountable and FORCING THEM, if necessary, to deliver on the promise of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." not just pay it lip service while accepting millions and millions of dollars in "campaign money" from the health care insurance lobby or what I call blood money extracted from the suffering and death of our fellow Americans. It's all about saying "GAME OVER" to health care insurance and big pharma corporations as well as their conniving lobbyists who profit from suffering and death. Pack up and go home, boys -- there's a new sheriff in town.
The only way for reformers to plow through the lies, damn lies and statistics of neocon partisans who wish to further obstruct health care reform is to step on the gas even harder, injecting FACTS into the debate so as to cause them to look like clowns parroting their corporate masters. My pedal isn't even half way to the metal Patrick, so if you want to debate this further (even though I suspect he has NO PERSONAL EXPERIENCE to bring to the discussion table) then I am left with only option he may understand and that is to quote someone who I assume is one of his personal heroes, G. W. Bush: "Bring It!"
Though next time please try and bring intellect and reasoning to this battle of wits. Unless you LIKE takin' a beating every time, Patrick. I've been brick flaming chumps like you, overwhelming them with FACTS since before you were born.
Though I must extend my sincere thanks to Patrick because he has allowed me to refocus on the important part which is getting a health care plan passed NOW. It's not about my personal woes, it's about making sure the uninsured have an option, one we do not have now. Personal experience is important but one must keep in mind that there are millions of Americans with experiences similar to mine. It is both our and our legislator's duty to make a positive change for the better now.
-Laz
Here's why -- structurally the present plan has been set up for failure by the forces of anti-progression, let's just call them 'regressionists' or better yet 'obstructionists', with the addition of 160 untenable and unworkable amendments attached to the bill by Republicans looking to either delay or torpedo the whole shebang long enough so they can go back home to their respective districts and attempt to whip up their constituency over the August recess into a populist froth against ANY bill being passed. Then, they reason, they can come back to D. C. in September when congress reconvenes and continue to tell even more lies and half-truths to an enabling main stream media in order to sway public opinion and help apply pressure to kill the bill off entirely. No matter the will of the people, as long as the obstructionists can pay lip service to actually listening to their constituents, they can pretend to be caring, feeling, responsive representatives of the people as they continue to push their own agenda forward, completely ignoring the 72% of Americans IN FAVOR of a public plan health care option or universal health care. Instead, these naysayers wish to portray themselves in the role of an earnest Van Helsing, eager to slay the dreaded Dracul Obama and his evil 'socialist' public option plan or ANY form of affordable universal health care by pounding their obstructionist stake into the heart of the present bill, killing it once and for all. Well you may be shocked but I say good. Let them. It was dead before they even started thanks in part to their idiotic amendments. Good riddance. Now please support the Wyden plan, thank you. It's logical, workable and has been extensively vetted by the CBO. Oh and please pull your head out of your ass, obstructionist assholes.
We, as their constituents need to insist that all of our elected public servants quit dicking around, some of whom offer no plan of their own other than to continue to obstruct. It is time to get on with it already! People's lives literally hang in the balance as these idiots continue to stand there, as empty headed as they are empty handed. To fail to act NOW is to offer more death and suffering to all uninsured Americans and yet even more outrageous cost and denials of service for 'pre-existing conditions' to those who are actually insured. I am one of those uninsured Americans and yes, because of complications after my dual cancer surgeries, I too am in desperate need of medical treatment that I cannot afford. I need a real plan, a public option plan, right NOW. If these obstructionist idiots, so long held in the back pockets of the health care lobbyists who have donated massive amounts of "campaign money" (see also: "bribes") to them (yes, even to Wyden, but at least the man has a reasonable plan) think they hold the moral high ground on this issue then I and many others suggest they resign from the free and excellent health care plan offered to all legislators in D.C. and walk a mile in my and millions of other American's uninsured shoes. Feel MY pain, motherfuckers. Feel the pain of millions of Americans. Even the very threat of voting these idiots out of office is an empty one at that as they get to keep their benefits FOR LIFE, thus making the rest of us health care 'serfs' to their politically favored 'landed gentry'!
Every single day I fight against the re-infection and bleeding of scar tissues, conditions caused by debris ("disintegrating" subcutaneous stitches that never disintegrated) that remain floating around in my system, exacerbated by poor post-operative medical treatment that was ultimately denied insurance coverage or any payments whatsoever because of my pre-existing condition, namely, cancer. It has just become a reality of my existence, so I have learned to deal with it for many years, but I can tell by the signals my body is now sending me, my time is running out. I've got a horse in this race. My own body. I'd like that horse to cross the finish line of good health and wellness with me, it's jockey, still in the saddle. (Cue the patriotic music...) Their continued opposition to a public option or universal health care plan is in absolute contradiction of ALL of our rights as Americans to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." itself and I don't care whatever they say, whatever their excuse --that's just un-fucking-American. Don't even get me started about the ex-legislators now working FOR the health care lobby. You want "traitors to America and Americans"? That's what I call them. Hired mercernaries with absolutely NO moral compass whatsoever other than a duty to fill their bank accounts with vast sums of blood money.
For the most part, very few of my friends or co-workers know about my problems because I am usually never one to discuss such things. I never asked the old band I was in years ago to have a fund raising concert to help me out when things were at their worst. I never gave specifics as to the type of cancers (bone and testicular, by the way, both thankfully in remission) or complained about the complications afterwords because I truly, up until now, didn't want to burden anyone with such personal details. Instead I manned up, gritted my teeth, grinned and bore it and pushed on, moment to moment. Every moment a joy to experience because every moment is yet another breath, another moment spent on this planet as a human being, suffering or not. It's what I do. I persevere in the face of insurmountable difficulties. As I'm sure is the case for thousand upon thousands of Americans each and every day as they bear the brunt of their health problems without help or support. We don't want to be a burden, really. But we seriously can't afford effective medical treatment any longer, let alone piss-poor treatment and now we're ALL as mad as hell and we ARE NOT going to take this bullshit any longer.
Republicans and "Blue Dog" Democrats have already confessed their obstructionism to a public option or universal health care plan. Jim DeMint wants to "cause pain" to his fellow senators on the present bill and in fact perhaps all public options and/or universal health care plans, characterizing his "reasoning" in this manner: "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." Senator, is it not time for politicians to quit gambling with the lives of their constituents who lack health insurance and begin to show actual human compassion through direct action rather than more of the same petty partisan squabbles as you, in your role as an obstructionist, are doing right now? Senator DeMint and friends, you are NOT "breaking Obama" or causing "pain" to your fellow legislators. You are literally KILLING me and thousands of other people like me. Period. All in order to be able to high-five your ideological buddies scoring political points with them that you're going to "take down" President Obama, a man trying to do the right thing for America and all Americans, not just the uninsured. I believe it is well past time for action and after reading the details of Ron Wyden's plan I have an idea that his plan is the way. Let the idiots like DeMint, Nelson and Kristol (who even though is not a politician remains influential in right wing political circles -- and lord let's hope he remains consistently wrong about this issue as he has with every other opinion he's offered his winger pals in the last decade) argue about the present bill that they've purposefully worked to poison. Use it as bait while President Obama 'headfakes' and passes the ball like a health care point guard, switching at the last moment to Ron Wyden's more reasonable and realistic bill. For the sake of me and thousands like me it is our elected representatives utmost duty to "preserve, protect and defend" the constitution (and, by extension the bill of rights) of the United States of America as they swore when they became PUBLIC SERVANTS. It remains their sacred duty to DELIVER on the promise of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...", not just pay it lip service.
I suggest we all read Ron Wyden's bill carefully and insist that ALL of our elected representatives read it and fully understand it as well as soon as possible. I know I will. I'm sending Begich, Murkowski and Young a link to this very blog posting tonight. I'm sorry for the crude language (at times, though I'm sure Young will get a giggle, Don being Don and all) but this issue IS of the utmost importance to everyone. Sometimes it just takes a nice hard whack against the skull of a zombie to get their attention. Allow ME to be that bat. Wyden's plan is compact, succinct, workable and burdened with NONE of the ass-hattery of the 'obstructionist' blue dog Democrats nor their conniving Republican cohorts, both of whom, according to the reports of donations made to them by health care lobbies and big pharma, are totally beholden to their lobbiest masters. Their obstructionist course is crafted only to score partisan political points when in reality their plan, or lack thereof, is set up to continue to cause America and uninsured Americans even more future pain and suffering, fiscally and otherwise. It is our duty as citizens to give them ALL this jarring wake up call today. Swear if you have to, but dammit give them the facts and INSIST that they act now. Right now. This very second. Before it is too late, not just for me because of my own selfish reasons, but for all Americans who suffer and continue to suffer because of inaction and obstruction.
Oh and about that personal experience with Oregon's progressive health care policies? Less than five years ago, my mother after being diagnosed with breast cancer went through surgery and two courses of chemotherapy. After a long battle wherein she fought like a crazed banshee for her life, she was told by her doctor that the cancer had metastasized spreading to her liver and lymphatic system. She called me, told me the bad news and I hopped on a plane to Oregon the very next day. I had not seen her in a couple of years owing to being poor after my cancer treatment. By the time I arrived at her bedside later, gasping at seeing the frail whisp of a woman formerly hale, hearty and robust -- a woman who thoroughly cherished life itself, as we all do, I did my best to suppress my tears and held her hand. She knew her death was rapidly approaching and I knew she did her best to grit her teeth, grin and bear it and press forward towards the inevitable. As she spoke to me quietly, softly squeezing my hand with whatever strength she had left, she shocked me by telling me what I needed to hear as the oldest son of my family. She said that she had decided to be cremated (in a million years I would have never thought she'd do that) and that she had decided that if the pain got to be unbearable she was going to be administered a potent enough dose of morphine to ease her out gently. Both things floored me absolutely because I always though they weren't permitted by her religion. By this time I was weeping as quietly as possible which only made her want to comfort me more -- an absurd proposition considering the sorry state she was in... but that's what mothers do. I quietly asked her one question: "Do you feel as though you've lived a full life, leaving nothing undone so as to have no regrets?" She focused on me intently, opening her eyes ever so slightly and smiled saying, "Of course, dear. I've loved every minute of it, both tne good and the bad times, even through this final pain and suffering. Everything is in order, nothing left undone, no regrets." I kneeled at the edge of her bed absolutely still and silent for several minutes, just holding her hand. Being with her. Lost in my own thoughts as she continued to rub and squeeze my hand gently. Soon she said she was very tired, naturally, so I told her I'd be nearby if she needed anything. She replied, "only a little rest..." so I excused myself and returned to my Grandmother's house next door, leaving my sisters to watch over her. For the next three days Mom would rest awhile, then talk briefly with her sisters, my sisters, Grandma and other friends one by one much the same I'm sure as she had talked with me, intermittently resting, visiting with those she loved and those who loved her, then resting again. On the final day, early in the morning, my oldest sister came over to get me, warning me her condition had worsened. It had. Her breathing was labored, she no longer could talk or even acknowledge anyone's presence in the room. This was it. She had gritted her teeth long enough, fought the good fight, making peace with all her friends and family and most especially with her cancer and her impending journey towards what ever unknowable situation would greet her after life. When a registered nurse friend of ours showed up with the morphine, she seemed to sense it, breathing even harder and ultimately lapsing into what can only be truly described as a "death rattle" in her breathing pattern. It was, to say the least, quite disconserting as I had heard of the term before but never actually witnessed it in person. As it got more loud and more intense, me, my sister, and my aunt who is a hospice care giver, nodded at the nurse and he administered her the morphine as she had requested be done for her in her living will. In less than a minute her labored breathing had quieted. She looked peaceful, happy even. She gently slipped away from life within the hour, me still holding her hand, surrounded by some of the people she loved, some of the people that loved her.
And what does Ron Wyden have to do with this last and very personal revelation? Because he and other progressive politicians like him supported or in some cases sponsored Oregon's "Death with Dignity" law, EVEN THOUGH IT WENT AGAINST HIS OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH. Because he listened to the will of the people of Oregon who voted to pass this law and for allowing my mother to die with as little pain and suffering as possible in this, her final moment, I will be forever thankful to all of them.
-Laz
***
Update 07/21/09 8PM
A reader by the name of Patrick (aka Budo7 in the comments section) pointed out some discrepancies or at least a failure of memory on my part for which I am more than happy to correct and provide the citation links. This issue is THAT important.
Allow me to correct some numbers: 79% of Democrats "Strongly Favor" or "Favor" health care reform. Only 23% of Republicans do. It averages out overall to 56% of all Americans. So my number WAS off and I freely admit it and apologize. I underestimated the Dems and overestimated the Repubs, but that not withstanding THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS favor health care reform. Just like the majority of Americans favored Obama in the last election, Patrick. Including even me, a person who identifies as a progressive Republican.
I did not provide the citation because I assumed most thinking individuals actually read the news at WaPo and other sites, but perhaps I'm more of a political junkie than Patrick, taking my sources from a WIDE variety of sites rather than just purely partisan political sites with an agenda to push. Silly me. I admit I was going from memory which wasn't too far off, but I promise that if Patrick were to ACTUALLY read the news with an open mind rather than one clouded with partisan ideology perhaps he too could see reality for what it is.
It was an ABC News/Gallup poll from which my faulty memory derived the numbers, though I believe Nate Silver at 538.com had much the same results. As did the WaPo/ABC poll which actually pegs the approval rating at 62% overall as shown here.
Regardless of the numbers, (remember please "lies, damn lies and statistics...") -- I have an Idea that most Americans are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We are sick of being gamed by the unaccountable executives of large private insurance corporations who deny, deny and further deny us, claiming "pre-existing conditions" in order to enhance the profitability and bottom line of their corporations. They are nameless and faceless bureaucrats in their own right who have NO ACCOUNTABILITY WHATSOEVER to those individuals who dutifully pay their premiums month after month. A public option plan would change that.
I've got to say in all honesty that the momentum, (whether you either believe it, like it or not Patrick) is for change. NOW. No amount of neocon talking points/lies continually repeated on Fox News is going to change that simple fact and any obstruction he and others of his ilk present with contrary numbers is just more obstruction upon the path that leads to the goal... health care reform. Patrick's position is pure insult added to the injury of ALL thinking Americans nationwide. I predict this stubborn wrongheadedness is ultimately going to come back and bite neocons in the ass come 2010 and 2012. It is nothing less than the further implosion of what is left of the hollow shell of a once proud and thoughtful Republican party who could get things done while holding to the real tenents of fiscal conservatism and smaller, more effective government.
I agree it is a very complex and challenging task to reform health care. But the numbers Patrick cited in his comment have no bearing on the plan as presented from Ron Wyden. It is readily apparent to me from his response that he didn't even bother to read the Wyden plan otherwise he wouldn't even be citing numbers about taxes. The neocon wet dream talking point about tort refom is absolutely laughable. Sure, malpractice insurance costs are out of control but what you and all of us are witnessing is a gaming of the system from BOTH sides of the insurance lobby. They rip off Doctors, they rip off patients, they screw America to enhance their own profit margins. Prove me wrong, Patrick, prove me wrong.
Had Patrick read the Wyden plan he might have realized that it pays for itself and even is predicted by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) to approach nearly a HALF TRILLION dollars in health care savings overall. Lower costs for Medicare and Medicaid because of competition and lower costs for Americans who choose to stay and are happy with their present insurance plans. If he actually READ my blog post he may have discovered that I OPPOSE it because of the 160 obstructive Republican "amendments" (though admittedly something is better than nothing at all). Those amendments were placed there specifically to torpedo the bill and need to be reconciled out in order to make it workable. As to Patrick's claim about unfair taxes to pay for the present proposed bill those taxes would be placed upon the TOP 1% of the American taxpayer income bracket. SO is Patrick actually telling us that a meager 47% of the top 1% of the most richest Americans oppose reform? That is HARDLY a majority of Americans.
My post was mostly about the uninsured like me, but again I doubt he had the attention span to have READ my post entirely (and I apologize for demanding so much of all of my readers attentions spans but I have an idea you can handle it). So -- I'm sorry Patrick but you fail. If you want to have a REAL debate about health care reform I absolutely INSIST you first learn to think for yourself.
Again, since he seemed to have missed the multiple posts on my blog where I admit to being a PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICAN (now including this one), he thinks my motives partisan and frankly that couldn't be further from the truth. In this instance it's about human life and human dignity, it's about holding our elected representatives accountable and FORCING THEM, if necessary, to deliver on the promise of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." not just pay it lip service while accepting millions and millions of dollars in "campaign money" from the health care insurance lobby or what I call blood money extracted from the suffering and death of our fellow Americans. It's all about saying "GAME OVER" to health care insurance and big pharma corporations as well as their conniving lobbyists who profit from suffering and death. Pack up and go home, boys -- there's a new sheriff in town.
The only way for reformers to plow through the lies, damn lies and statistics of neocon partisans who wish to further obstruct health care reform is to step on the gas even harder, injecting FACTS into the debate so as to cause them to look like clowns parroting their corporate masters. My pedal isn't even half way to the metal Patrick, so if you want to debate this further (even though I suspect he has NO PERSONAL EXPERIENCE to bring to the discussion table) then I am left with only option he may understand and that is to quote someone who I assume is one of his personal heroes, G. W. Bush: "Bring It!"
Though next time please try and bring intellect and reasoning to this battle of wits. Unless you LIKE takin' a beating every time, Patrick. I've been brick flaming chumps like you, overwhelming them with FACTS since before you were born.
Though I must extend my sincere thanks to Patrick because he has allowed me to refocus on the important part which is getting a health care plan passed NOW. It's not about my personal woes, it's about making sure the uninsured have an option, one we do not have now. Personal experience is important but one must keep in mind that there are millions of Americans with experiences similar to mine. It is both our and our legislator's duty to make a positive change for the better now.
-Laz
7.13.2009
The best explanation is usually the simplest...
All it takes is 6 panels to explain EXACTLY how our present health care system works in America.
Because it doesn't. As a dual cancer survivor, I know. The only reason I'm still alive is because of the kind charity and compassion of a couple of doctors and the Sisters of Providence medical center.
-Laz
Because it doesn't. As a dual cancer survivor, I know. The only reason I'm still alive is because of the kind charity and compassion of a couple of doctors and the Sisters of Providence medical center.
-Laz
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