Reading through this conversation with Nancy Pelosi [thanks, ct man!], I had a few reactions [as in, *&@$*&^#W%!].
So, without further ado, Nancy [in italics] and me ---
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Wed, 07/15/2009 - 11:05 — Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Hi, some aspects of the bill will go into effect immediately but it will take 2-3 years to set up the exchange and the public option which will be ready by January 2013. Because this represents major systemic change, it requires time to make it right with consumer protection and insurance industry regulation.
Thank you also for your support of a strong public option. I hope that you and others on this chat will make your views known to your Member of Congress and Senators.
And we can't have single payer because it would be too disruptive. Sheesh.
Fellow Correnteans, it's time for some real disruption: boycotts, sit-ins, walk-outs, strikes... pick one [or more] that you like and do it.
Make my views known to to my congresscritters? You bet.
Speaking of time, Medicare was created from scratch in 1965 and went into operation July 1, 1966. We're not starting from scratch this time, we have a working model in place, all we need to do is expand it. As long as you're going to make me wait four more years [or longer] for health care, you can damn well give me what I want, and what will actually work, for all of us.
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Wed, 07/15/2009 - 10:37 — Speaker Nancy Pelosi
I'm happy to be here discussing health care reform with you. These next three weeks are critical - we need everyone to weigh in in support of a bill with a strong public option.
Hear that, y'all? Our next three weeks need to be busy weeks indeed.
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Wed, 07/15/2009 - 11:22 — Speaker Nancy Pelosi
In the next few weeks it is necesary for everyone who cares about universal quality health care to make their voices heard to their Members of Congress and the Senate.
We will be more successful if the emphasis is on a robust public option and the exchange, rather than single-payer.
You will be more successful if I tell my congresscritter that I want your "robust public option". For me, it's a FAIL. I'm going to continue to agitate solely for single payer.
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Wed, 07/15/2009 - 10:53 — Speaker Nancy Pelosi
For 30 years I have supported a single payer plan, but our next best choice is to support an exchange and a public option. In the exchange, as with the health insurance that Members of Congress have, consumers can shop and compare. The insurance companies cannot descriminiate among people on the basis of their preexisting conditions. I share your frustration with the insurance companies, and we must stop them from coming between patients and their doctors.
Of course, nothing in your plan does anything to stop insurance companies from coming between patients and doctors. In fact, it appears to me that it increases the chances for insurance companies to meddle in patients' care.
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Why "next best choice"?
Since the answer isn't the Republicans, it has to be, well, money.
UPDATE Thanks for this. I think the money quote is "next best" ....
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
i agree [and a pitiful choice it is too]
but her comments that i didn't mention are the ones that were making me so mad i couldn't see straight.
Then why didn't you mention them?
This is looking more and more like the time Obama posted on Kos and said his mighty Fuck
You. Not that that stopped the OFB
.....
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
I'm not understanding your comment, Lambert
Could you make it clearer?
My reading of the comment:
Why do we have to accept the "next best choice"? It can't be because of the Republicans, because they're not going to vote for the bill no matter what.
So it must be the money.
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ALNM here: I'd throw in Blue Dogs... Hell, I'd like to throw them!
But I agree that we must keep our eyes on the money, in particular the money the insurance parasites invest and the money that is invested in their stocks. (Just out of curiosity, what percentage of the market is covered by nonprofit insurers any more? When Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield went for-profit a few years back it was a big frickin controversy, but everyone seems to have forgotten that there ever was a nonprofit entity there.)
And the contributions to politicians, of course. But, push come to shove, I think that the constant mentions of the 1/6 of the GDP is hiding the same deep-seated fear of Big Finance that seems to be what makes our government run, these days.
We really need to decrease our dependance on the finance sector.
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We can't afford not to have single-payer!
Yep
ALNM, that's basically it.
See the Moyers article linked to at the top right sidebar.
We did everything the Dems asked, and Obama asked. Democratic President, Democratic House, Democratic Senate, and now with a supermajority. And here we are, with this crap sausage forced down our throats.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
And Leader Nancy still talks about
how good it is to be bipartisan.
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We can't afford not to have single-payer!