Yes We Can

Senate Passes Health Reform

Lieberman the Puppet

Kill the bill?

The fight for health care has erupted in to total chaos. No one even seems to know what side they are on or what they are fighting for anymore. A growing force on the left is saying the bill has been hijacked by insurance companies and unfairly held hostage by Joe Lieberman, and argues that without the public option or medicare buy-in, the bill doesn't work the same and isn't worth passing.

Keith Olbermann fuming over the current state of health reform. Pleads with Obama to take action:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Howard Dean opposes the current health care bill-

"If I were a senator, I would not vote for the current health-care bill. Any measure that expands private insurers' monopoly over health care and transfers millions of taxpayer dollars to private corporations is not real health-care reform. Real reform would insert competition into insurance markets, force insurers to cut unnecessary administrative expenses and spend health-care dollars caring for people. Real reform would significantly lower costs, improve the delivery of health care and give all Americans a meaningful choice of coverage. The current Senate bill accomplishes none of these."


Read his full argument-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/16/AR2009121601906.html



White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs hit back on Howard Dean's assessment-

(From the Huffington Post)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs strongly hit back at former DNC Chairman Howard Dean for criticizing the Senate health care bill, suggesting, at one point, that Dean was being irrational and didn't understand the contents of the legislation.

"I don't know what piece of legislation he is reading," said Gibbs.

"I would ask Dr. Dean, how better do you address those who don't have insurance: passing a bill that will cover 30 million who don't currently have it or killing the bill?" he added. "I don't think any rational person would say killing the bill makes a whole lot of sense at this point."

Asked if Dean was acting irrationally, Gibbs replied: "I can't tell what his motives are, to be honest with you."

(Read more)-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/gibbs-lashes-back-at-dean_n_394596.html


Nate Silver's analysis of the current Senate health care proposal. He welcomes criticism of the numbers.




Read how he came up with the numbers here-
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/12/why-progressives-are-batshit-crazy-to.html


As if health care reform wasn't enough of a war zone already.

An Open Letter To A Delusional Reader

From Mario Piperni, at www.mariopiperni.com

A reader from Tennessee writes in response to the current health care system.

“I have never in my 58 years of life known anyone first hand, or even second or third hand that has experienced the difficulties you mention. While I am certain there are exceptions, I don’t think it is nearly as rampant as the left/libs want us to think. I think a lot of the “hysteria” concerning shortcomings of the Health Care System are a healthy dose of “Chicken Little”.”

To him I say, check this link from a View from a Stall. (http://shar.es/aikXH) Former health insurance executive, Wendell Potter talked about dropping into…

“…a three-day charity program at a county fairgrounds to provide medical care for patients who could not afford doctors. Long lines of people were waiting in the rain, and patients were being examined and treated in public in stalls intended for livestock.”

You sit wherever the hell it is you sit surrounded by the possessions of your comfortable life and doubt that there is real suffering out there. You talk about “exceptions”. You try to make people who speak of the suffering and death caused by a broken health care system appear as if they are delusional and hysterical.

No, my friend, it is you who are not only delusional, but blind. I think you honestly believe your own words and that makes you the most dangerous and pathetic type of American. You believe that with some tinkering, whatever minor problems there might be within the current system, they would be fixed and everyone would shut up and stop complaining. You are one who judges everything by the manner in which they themselves are affected. If it isn’t raining over whatever part of Tennessee you’re at, then it just isn’t raining. Or, should someone convince you that it is indeed raining in California or New York, then you have no problem assigning blame to the individuals who are getting wet. It is their fault. It is always their fault.


Read more at mariopiperni.com

http://shar.es/aikX1

Democrats Get It Done

I have to say, I am legitimately shocked and impressed. The Dems actually move the ball down the field.

In a way you can neither overstate or understate the importance of this vote. On one hand, yes, it was only a procedural vote that just allows the legislation to enter in to the real debate and actual vote. The Dems will still have to break another Republican filibuster attempt to close the debate. If they can do that, all they need is a simple majority vote (51), which they have easily.

But on the other hand, this is an effort that some critics have labeled dead for months. The Democrat's incompetence and impotence is something of legend. Three Democratic senators were on the fence until today. Republicans were in a full uniformed united effort to filibuster the bill and kill it before it reached the floor and could be debated on. Not a single Republican voted to allow the legislation to even reach the floor.

In the end, the Democrats secured all 58 members of their caucus and brought in both Independent votes to reach the needed 60 votes to break a filibuster. For now at least, our sometimes friend/ sometimes foe Joe Lieberman came through.

Good on you, Joe.




From CNN.com-

"Health care reform backers won a key victory Saturday night as the Senate voted to move ahead with a floor debate on a sweeping $848 billion bill.

The 60-39 vote to prevent a Republican filibuster against the start of debate on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's legislation broke down along strict party lines. All 58 Senate Democrats -- along with independent Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont -- supported bringing the measure to the floor.

Thirty-nine of the 40 Senate Republicans opposed the motion. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, didn't vote.

"Tonight's historic vote brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses, reining in spiraling health care costs, providing stability and security to those with health insurance and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement."

http://shar.es/aiYWc

Senate Health Care Vote

Tomorrow there will be a vote on whether or not to allow the Senate Health Care Bill to move on to the Senate floor (where the real vote on the actual legislation takes place). Every single Republican senator is united in a filibuster attempt to block the legislation from even having a chance to be properly debated on.
(Why they are so afraid of a fair vote beats me).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs every Democrat in the Senate to be united in this vote tomorrow.

Call your senator, now!


And especially call if you have a Republican senator and let them know you are paying attention and not happy with their actions.


Organizing for America | BarackObama.com



"We're in the final sprint toward reform, and the next challenge is already here. It's critical for constituents to weigh in right away, and for senators to hear quickly and unmistakably: Move forward! Please call your senators now.


We need to thank those who have fought so hard to get us this far, and remind them all that their constituents support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and want a fair and honest debate without delay."

Senate Health Care Reform Bill (Reid Delivers)

From CNN.com-

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a sweeping health care bill Wednesday that would expand health insurance coverage to 30 million more Americans at an estimated cost of $849 billion over 10 years.

Reid and other Senate Democrats cited an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for the coverage and cost figures.

In addition, they said at a news conference, the budget office estimated that the proposal would reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years and by more than $600 billion in the following decade.

Reid, D-Nevada, needs 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to overcome a certain GOP filibuster attempt and open the chamber's debate on the bill. It would take another 60 votes to close debate that could last for weeks, while final approval of the bill would only require a simple majority.

A public option with an optional state opt out is included in the bill.

President Obama's statement-

"From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. The Senate proposal meets those principles."

Read more-
http://bit.ly/SY3Bz

The Greatest Country

"According to a study released by the Harvard Medical School, 2,266 veterans under the age of 65 died last year as a result of not having health insurance. Researchers emphasize that "that figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001."




http://bit.ly/38eaKl

Congressional Steel Cage Match

The Men Who Stare at Votes

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
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Health Care Reform TODAY

"The House is poised to vote today on comprehensive health reform legislation — and we expect it to be very close. But with only hours left before the vote, the insurance industry and their allies are putting extraordinary pressure on every representative to defeat it.

So we need to make sure representatives' phones are ringing off the hook with constituents supporting reform."


Here is what you can do now-

Organizing for America | BarackObama.com



The website gives you the telephone number for your local representatives based off of your zip code, and even gives you some tips on what to say. Here is pretty much all that needs to be said-

"Hello, my name is __________ and I'm a constituent calling from __________ (city or town).

I'm calling to ask you to vote for the House health reform bill."


The official House health care bill-

http://shar.es/akHEc

Obama: Dropping the ball?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

For the record, I would be fine with a "trigger" or the state opt-out currently present in the Senate bill. I agree with Ed, however, that President Obama is not pushing hard enough for the public option or putting enough pressure on Republican legislators.

What You Can Do For Health Care Reform NOW

The most important thing at this stage any one can do is to remind crucial members in the Senate that the public option is what America wants, and to put pressure on them by letting them know that we are watching where they stand on it.

Forget Olympia Snowe, she's a lost cause. Here are the people you need to email, at least once, to tell them you want the public option and you want them to support it-

(It doesn't matter AT ALL if they are not from your state. In fact, that is the point. To let these Senators know that all of America is watching their stance on this issue.)

(Do not be afraid to do this!!! Every representative has their contact information posted on their site for a reason-they are suppose to hear from the people. That is how they know how to do their job.)

Senator Joe Lieberman (Connecticut)-

http://shar.es/aqADp

If you are only going to contact one person, make it Senator Lieberman. He is the only Independent in the Senate, and with his vote all the Democrats would need to do is secure all of the Democratic seat votes. Today, Lieberman said he would join the GOP in a filibuster against the public option. Tell him that is not acceptable and the American public demands the public option.



Senator Evan Bayh (Indiana)-


http://bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/



Senator Ben Nelson (Nebraska)-


http://bennelson.senate.gov/email-issues.cfm



We have to do this. The fate of the public option is in the hands of these Senators, and without pressure saying that America wants the PO and is watching, they will probably be cowards and be content to duck away from the fight. Don't let them weasel out of this.

If you are unsure of what to say or are just shy, feel free to copy this message (it applies to all of them), that I wrote, especially for you:


"Dear Senator,

I am writing to inform you of my support for the public option. America wants the public option in health care reform and is counting on you to do the right thing in supporting it."

Short, simple, and to the point. All that needs to be said.

Take action. Be involved. Shape history.

Why We Need the Public Option

For just a minute, lets forget about the big, obvious reasons of why America needs a public option (like people losing their jobs, thus losing their health care they have through their employer, and going broke from being sick. Or people with serious medical conditions who can't receive coverage because of greedy insurance companies with small print loopholes about "pre-existing conditions" and "rare afflictions") and focus in on something not many sources have brought up:


With or without a public option, health reform will pass this year. Most politicians will say they support health reform (although the validity of some of their sentiment is in question, to say the least), some just say they will not support a public option. Part of any health reform will be an insurance mandate. This means you will HAVE to purchase some kind of health care. That's a good thing. Your health is the most important thing you have and there is a time in everybody's life when they will need health treatment.

Now, the public option is suppose to exist to provide an option to the lowest income families, but also to force the health insurance companies to be competitive and play fair. If health reform passes without a public option, we will all be forced to buy insurance plans from the same insurance companies that we are trying to reign in and reform. The same companies that have been raising premiums, denying coverage, and gouging people financially. Health reform without a public option will be rewarding them.

Why isn't that covered anywhere?



Tell your representatives you want REAL health reform-

http://shar.es/1wjRi

White House > Insurance Companies

Today the White House responded sharply to insurance lobbyist's bogus claims:


AHIP CLAIM: Health reform will cause health care premiums to rise faster than they would under the current system.

REALITY: The Congressional Budget Office and other analysts confirm that the current Senate Finance Committee (SFC) health reform proposal will lower health care premiums in the exchange and make health insurance more affordable for families. AHIP’s study reaches its flawed conclusion for at least three reasons:

(read the three reasons on the White House website)-


http://bit.ly/4y7Cz0

Not All Shit Sticks to Walls

A town hall in Kansas laughs off a Republican representative's lie.




From The Huffington Post.

Joel Stein on Twitter

"We already have death panels; they just prefer to go by the name insurance companies."-Joel Stein

Health Care Reform in Four Minutes

Questions on health care reform? Confused by all the noise? Watch this four minute video.