I caught the tail end of Sen. Rockefeller's interview on NPR this evening, and he seemed to be saying the there must be an actual government run plan that can compete with the Big Insurance Parasites (BIP). One that is non-profit, but I missed the entire list of requirements.

Mcjoan wrote a diary at DKos titled "Rockefeller Rebelling?"about Rockefeller's appearance on The Ed Schultz Show on MSNBC (Is Schultz becoming the actual program for the people's interests?), and it looks like one Democrat is finally talking turkey about the amorphous "plans" being discussed. He's demanding detail and substance. She notes that it was Rockefeller who mentioned the Baucus gang's idea of dropping S-CHIP.

During the NPR interview, Rockefeller said he had done research on health co-ops in the US and found that most were very small, had not been studied; indeed, most had never been put to any real scrutiny and were unlicensed. He said the data was far too skimpy to risk a national program on a plan based on these few examples, along with hopes co-ops could take on BIPs.

Since no one has done any investigation of these health care co-ops, Rockefeller has asked the GAO to look into them. How can Conrad offer this idea up for consideration without any real investigation? This is derelection of duty--seems he's mainly trying to destroy a real public plan and damn the public's needs. This is totally unacceptable.

Think about this situation: A trillion dollars or more, people's health, care in life and death matters -- and NO RESEARCH.

Mcjoan quotes from the Schultz interview:

SCHULTZ: ...Would you sign onto a co-op? Or is that unacceptable?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: That`s unacceptable, and I can almost prove it.

We`ve been in touch with the folks that oversee all the -- represent all the co-ops in the country on all subjects, and they point out that there are probably less than 20 health co-ops in the country. There are only two that really work that well, one in Puget Sound, one in Minnesota.

Except for those two, they`re all unlicensed. All present health co-ops are unlicensed, they`re unregulated, nobody knows anything about them, nobody has any control over them. And nobody`s ever, they said, which is a stunning thing to me, no government organization or private organization has ever done a study on what effect they might have in terms of bringing down insurance prices.

What has Conrad been smoking? Do they grow hemp in ND?

And note that it has taken until the end of July for any lawmaker to really get the air time and attention which might permit people to understand WTF is being proposed. No wonder people think they're going to get screwed. And no wonder Obama's poll numbers are dropping.

This is a disrespectful way to treat people and it is all to similar to the way BushCo treated the public.

May Rockefeller get some real news coverage, please!

An unlikely knight on a white horse, but I'll take whomever we can get who will get MCM* attention.

Links and Schultz video at the mcjoan link; NPR audio available later this evening.

*MCM--Mainstream Corporate Media