At Single Payer Action's web site, PNHP's Dr. David Himmelstein defends single-payer against the health-insurance-peddling AARP's anti-HR676 propaganda. Read it all for specific factual criticisms, or just enjoy the summing up:
AARP: In addition H.R. 676 has not gathered bipartisan support which is important to enacting and implementing any reform.
Dr. David Himmelstein: If freeing the slaves failed to attract bipartisan support would the AARP also oppose it?
AARP: We do, however, support comprehensive healthcare reform. We will continue to monitor H.R. 676 and other legislation regarding the crucial issue of adequate health care for all. We believe quality health care and protecting lifetime financial security are the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation. The time for action is now. Therefore, it is vital that Congress deliver healthcare legislation with the strength to elicit bipartisan support and end the gridlock that continues to obstruct positive change in our country.
Dr. David Himmelstein: The AARP supports reform that protects its massive insurance revenues and has no chance of actually solving the health care crisis.
Meanwhile, Congressman Jason Altmire has deputed the AARP to "collect questions" from the public at his next town hall meeting! This, from the man who once promised to cosponsor HR676. Ugh.
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Understanding and wallets
Upton Sinclair's comment is commonly used to describe such things as AARP's clear conflict of interest here because it is so obviously true. "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it" applies not just to our notoriously corrupt advocate for seniors, but also our Congress. There is simply no reason that insurance companies are even allowed at the table, let alone allowed to set the table for the rest of us, save for their dominant position in campaign finance. We are all poorer for living with so obviously corrupt governance.
I'm sure that Satan would be perfectly content
to have all us mortals, who he seeks to corrupt, disbelieve the fact of his existence; and similarly AARP would love us to continue to believe that it is an organization with the best interests of seniors as its purpose, when in fact it is a conglomerate of insurance companies whose primary goal is to make money for those that run it. They're both equally disingenuous.
...because it doesn't have bipartisan support.
Bipartisan
support, which is oh-so-essential to getting bills through Congress.
Like, say, oh, the stimulus bill? That kind of bipartisan support? How'd that work out?
Pre-emptive white flag waving, again. Feh.
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We can't afford not to have single-payer!