BACK TO THE CLINTON PLAYBOOK: In 1993, right-wing pundit Bill Kristol urged Republicans to block any health care proposal in order to prevent the Democrats from being seen as the “generous protector of the middle class.” Potter says similar tactics are being used this time around. In the spring, a memo by Republican strategist Frank Luntz outlined the script for opponents of health care reform. Luntz argued that a politician had to first pretend to support it, but should then use phrases like “government takeover,” “delayed care is denied care,” “consequences of rationing,” and “bureaucrats, not doctors prescribing medicine.” That jargon is now routinely heard by Republicans arguing against reform. Republican consultant Alex Castellanos recently authored a memo that urged conservatives to co-opt the cause of “bringing down health care cost[s]” in an effort to “slow this sausage-making process down” and “defeat” it. Potter told Moyers that conservative politicians “want to believe that the free market system can and should work in this country, like it does in other industries. … They parrot those comments, without really realizing what the real situation is.”

HOW INSURERS VIEW THE PUBLIC OPTION: Critics have charged that Obama’s proposal to enact a new public health insurance plan to compete directly with private insurers would lead to a “government takeover” of the health care system. Progressives have long argued that a public health insurance option is essential to controlling skyrocketing health care costs and achieving affordable coverage for all. Potter agrees, and argued that health care companies’ “biggest concern” is that the U.S. might adopt “a broader program like our Medicare program” which “could potentially reduce the profits of these big companies.” “The industry doesn’t want to have any competitor,” said Potter. “They certainly don’t want it from a government plan that might be operating more efficiently than they are.” He added that “we shouldn’t fear government involvement in our health care system. That there is an appropriate role for government, and it’s been proven.” Potter said that he doesn’t expect the public option to rid the health care system of financial incentive, but he does think it would keep insurers “honest” by offering a “standard benefit plan” that provides comprehensive coverage.

SMEARING MICHAEL MOORE: In his documentary SiCKO, filmmaker Michael Moore exposed the deplorable practices of the major health insurance and pharmaceutical companies in working to deny coverage to insured individuals. Armed with the deep pockets of the health care industry, a number of front groups — like Freedom Works, the Galen Institute, and the Heritage Foundation — lobbed personal insults against Moore (such as perpetuating the false idea that “healthy individuals” would “wind up subsidizing people like Moore”) in an effort to maintain the status quo. During the interview with Moyers, Potter said that health insurance companies developed a concerted strategy to radicalize Moore by labeling him a “Hollywood entertainer” while pushing to discredit SiCKO as pure “fantasy.” But Potter said that he thought Moore “hit the nail on the head with his movie,” which advocated that the government-run systems of other western democracies produce better health care outcomes. The health insurance companies “don’t want you to think that it was a documentary that had some truth,” Potter said. To push back on politicians, Potter said the industry routinely worked to defeat anyone who opposed their interests. The strategy included running ads, especially commercials in an elected official’s home district, making contributions to a competitor, and using “lobbyists and their own staff to go onto Capitol Hill and say, ‘Look, you don’t want to believe this movie. You don’t want to talk about it. You don’t want to endorse it. And if you do, we can make things tough for you.” Potter said the plan “worked beautifully” with politicians mouthing the “talking points that had been circulated by the industry.”

Because the constitution forbids it while they are in office. If you do not know this can you explain how it is they are not upholding the constitution. As I read through these comments I am amazed how many act as they are experts on the Constitution but their very own statements strongly suggest they know and understand very little about this document and your very broad statements with out clarification also brings this into question concerning this post of yours. I invite you to explain yourself.

Lady Liberty

Nobody thinks it will be free, those in most other countries know that too, the difference being they do it at half the cost with better outcomes and cover all citizens. Some do it with taxes but then there are no premiums to pay. Today in the US for those with coverage that premium is about a $3,000.00 per family per month, they do not pay that in these other countries and if their tax portion reflects their medical costs at half that amount, it would then average about $1,500.00 per month per family there. When I talk to friends and relatives in some of these countries (including the UK) they think we are nuts the way we deliver medical care in the US. The US is now 37th from the top in health care outcomes. The question should be what are we doing wrong??? Why should it cost so much more here????? It amazes me that you people are more interested in supporting a failed system rather than finding solutions to this problem. Each paying the same proportion (percentage) for medical costs is equality, same=equal. It appears you feel that the disabled and elderly or any who who are unable to work should be denied these benefits. For those who can’t work, how would you suggest they pay for their medical coverage????? Or should we just let them suffer or worse just die. Does selfish=liberty for all, Lady Liberty

Mark
Assumptions, I’m not a member of Acorn or the ACLU, have never told you what party I’m a member of, other than I told you I voted for Obama but that does not mean I am a member of his party, You do stand for something, part of that is you stand for hate of those you do not agree with and thus you have a very distorted view of most every thing. The group that calls themselves conservatives today and now say they are no longer republicans are engaged in distortions and lies and to me this is much more immoral and a stench and a cancer on America than any of these organizations you mention, to listen to you guys Acorn is involved in all kinds of things they have nothing or little to do with but you keep piling it on, truth be dammed. Hatred will do that to you, and when some of us try to tone down the wild rhetoric with reason and civil discourse we get slammed by you people filled with hate as you are incapable of communicating on this level and need a whipping boy to express your self. Yes, there are millions of you but in the last few years a much less portion of the total I think now about 21% and that is quite a shrunken minority and this frustration has ramped up your rhetoric and hatred, Very Sad, tolerance is Key, it starts by listening to the other guy and treating him with respect rather than, without facts, accusing them of being anti-american,cheats, immortal etc, especially when you have no facts to support it. Anti-American is not someone who does not agree with you and exercises their freedoms in way you wish to squash. That should be left for the ballot box in silence, and in the last two elections the conservatives and republicans have lost big time, so they call them names and accuse them of all kinds of terrible things when they know must of them are lies. I’m 68 years old and I remember when the fights in the political arena where just as intense as now but the difference then was there was civil discourse and respect from both sides and not this childish approach like we see so much today in these type of blogs and other places. TOLERANCE, try it you may like it. Love thy enemies!!!!! Will not hurt you and it may even make you a better man.

I believe I’m addressing Mark?

Thank you for using your head. It’s good to meet you.

You are absolutely right about hatred. I can think of a few people I hate–Hitler comes to mind immediately. Mostly I regard us all as being in the same boat.

There is a saying that has been around for a long time. It says that “fear is the mind killer.” I would say that hatred is as bad as fear and is often a response to fear. So in my book hatred is a mind killer. So is prejudice by definition–a preconceived idea not based on reason. You can’t use your mind under the influence of fear, hatred, prejudice, and we have to include misinformation since it is being blasted at is daily by corporate news, and other arrogant assholes.

We have to try to listen and actually work together instead of hating and fearing and spreading misinformation. A new definition of patriotism is unfolding. It is really an old idea that has been dragged through the gutter. Love of country. Respect for truth and each other. And use your heads.

Pat, I’m afraid you weren’t listening when your president said during primaries that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $250k. After he took office, he lowered that to $200k, and again recently lowered it to $175k. How much is next? $50k? That came out of the mouth of your president. I didn’t hear it from anyone but him. Now let me explain something else you didn’t seem to hear. This nice little tax break we’re getting today will be paid back 200% by the end of this presidency, “under his plan”. Again, that’s not word on the streets. That’s out of the mouth of your president. I’m not sure you heard your president when he said that his cap and trade plan WILL NECESSARILY SKYROCKET YOUR UTILITY BILLS….well honey, if that’s not a tax, I don’t know what is!!! Before you start with your same rhetoric that you’ve been coached to say, let me challenge you to go to Obama’s own web site and READ FOR YOURSELF his speeches where he said these things! I didn’t put them there…the Republicans didn’t put them there…Obama said them and the transcripts are there to prove it. Next point…George Bush’s taxes. Here’s some research I did on my very own using government web sites…

Your first sentence in in error. President Obama has said for the last 2-1/2 years that he would raise taxes on anyone making MORE, not less, MORE than $250K. That is still the figure he is talking about and it hasn’t changed. What a thing to read incorrectly! What website were you on? None of what you say has appeared on Obama’s website nor has he said any of it. Considered yourself called on all the other parts of this post also.

With the tax figures for Clinton and Bush, Clinton left office with a budget surplus of $233 billion dollars setting an historical record. Bush left America destitute. Who is it likes big government?

The rest of that story, you truly do not have the whole picture, is that Bush robbed us all blind. He robbed us and our Country and gave it all to his, as he calls them, “the have-mores.” He created the greatest gap between the poor and the rich we have known in this country. He so badly damaged our middle class that we cannot sustain our economy. The middle class has always been the people who kept our economy going. Now they don’t have money to buy enough to keep the economy afloat. He let us be victimized by every snake oil salesman who came along. That would include the auto industry, the financial sector, the healthcare sector and don’t forget the insurance companies. He allowed lobbyists to run America and they showed us all how little they care for us peons.

At other times in history when there has arisen such a hugh gulf between the poor and the wealthy, the result has been revolution. It is a stupid thing to do to ignore the lower classes poverty and misery. Let alone allow big pharm and big insurance to build genocide right into our healthcare system.

Also, don’t try to blow smoke at me about what Obama has said and what is on his website. I know what’s there. You were not on his site and you are not listening. You couldn’t have possibly misread his taxing scheme so completely backward.

You also need to realize nothing is as simple as you would like to think (and hope) it is. You can’t take hardly anything for granted and you can’t figure things out by listening to people blowing smoke at you.

We also now have a figure for how much we will have to pay for the carbon cap and trade. We know that it is about $163 per household per year. The alternative is a dead planet. Which would you prefer? Have you seen the movie “The Road?” It could help you understand what we are facing right bow. I would recommend the book but with your reading skills, you would really mess that up. But of course we both know you can read better than you are letting on, don’t we?

Yes we do now have precision weaponry that can be creatively destructively. But there are “commies and ragheads,” your words, who have nuclear capabilities in North Korea and Pakistan and who are acting like 10-year-olds. Iran could be next even though that country is torn apart and totally unstable. There are also still thousands of nuclear subs and weapons that have not been dismantled lying around to be hijacked. These weapons are old and are leaking toxic radiation into waterways and soil. They are aging and becoming unstable and accident prone.

Someone has to begin a program to stop the proliferation of yet more nuclear weapons and begin cleaning up the cold war mess we still have on our hands. You should be thankful that Obama has opened up communications and awareness (except for you maybe) to help all the countries who understand the risks to work together to do three things:

stop the production of more nuclear weaponry,
stop more unstable countries from acquiring nuclear capability, and
clean up the toxic radiation by dismantling and destroying the current stock piles.

It is a much more complicated picture than you seem to be seeing. All these facets must be addressed or your grandkids could be walking around (if there is a human race) with 10 toes on each foot, an extra eye in the middle of their foreheads, arms but no hands, legs that are 24 inches long, partially empty skulls, and a lot of other thing that would make us all hope they are also sterile.

Try to keep up, will ya?