Good luck Jane you have become so comfortable on camera. Can you fit in how the MSM ignored the Health Care Now rally in D.C. last week? Chris Matthews just spit out a comment the other night after spending a great deal of time covering the ’screamers” he asked “where are the folks from the other side”

Hell he and Rachel did not cover the well behaved Health Care Now crowd last week in D.C. Where were they. Too drunk from showing the clip of the Obama beer fest two dozen times in their one hour programs the same day as the Health care Reform rally.

Also wondering if you can fit in that the “screamers” seem more concerned about Health Insurance profit margins than health care reform.

You know “hug your Insurance Company executives” day

Good luck gal thanks for all you do

Really can not understand how the Blue Dogs do not understand that the “public option” is a compromise for those of us who are solidly on the single payer bus

Thing is, the Politico piece sounds like it’s recycling an Obama quote from a month ago — which was right before he started going after the Blue Dogs hammer and tongs.

I found this interesting video on YouTube, the singer says he’s in the Army and that he voted for Obama. (don’t let the rough production put you off, watch the whole thing)

He’s encouraging Obama not to let the Blue Dog Democrats get in the way of reforming healthcare.

The following quote came from one of the comments left on YouTube;

” What do VA Health Care, Congressional Health Care, Medicare and Medicaid all have in common?
Two things.
First, they are considered the best in the world.
Second, they are run by the government.
Republicans have convinced the uneducated they are separate from the government, but that is another Republican lie. One of many. It’s what they do. What they are good at. The only thing they are good at. “

W4B; emphasis added

I’ve rarely seen such a large amout of wisdom stated in so few words.

Seems like there are a lot of people longing for the days of ”The Do Nothing Congress”

I think you are right. He has since ask that everyone push against making public option fail.

For the “be careful what you wish for” files:

August will be a month long “macaca” moment for health care obstructionists. We’re already well on our way with mocking of cancer stricken Senators, hanging congressmen in effigy, and acting like bullies at town halls.

By this time next month, support for public option will be stronger than ever.

Whatever you do, Jane, don’t say “blowjob”. Who knows what it will do to Shuster and Hall.

Best case, since we’ve capitulated on the meaning of “day one,” is a public option in 2013. What prevents them from throwing us that bone and then taking it back before 2013? I’m still not sure exactly what we’re fighting for here. Is it the symbolic victory of saying we got a public plan on day one even if we didn’t?

stainy whore gets a taste of his own show.

priceless.

Right on. As usual, Obama appears to be working multiple angles here, as this post today shows:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..51917.html

It makes sense in the PR game to not side with these groups, but in reality not actually do anything to stop them. Seems smart to me.

Remember, anything is better than the GOP alternative of giving families a $5,000 tax credit to buy a $13,000 health care plan.

Read this article.

http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2412

Yep, they’re trying to feed the divide in the Left/Liberal Camp. We must unite and fight for a strong public option, not give in to petty squabbling. This thing is within reach !

not me! I am for “The Do The Right Thing Congress”

(((Petro!!)))

Not so long ago organized labor would have been the opposition to these groups.

Pete Sessions, Chairman of the RNC, has endorsed these tactics, saying that the days of civil town halls are now “over.”

I love the Lessons Learned diary over at dKos about the town hall that didn’t get disrupted. If you haven’t read it yet, it will give you hope. Esp. the opening remarks about calling out those who would disrupt discourse as “against democracy” or words to that effect. Great stuff.

Yeah! I have health insurance that’s considered fairly good. I still want the public option because a) people need to be insured, and b)(what’s in it for me) to keep insurers honest and costs low-er.

The corporate glee is ill-disguised as the Obama administration pushes for legal mandates to require that Americans buy health insurance — no matter how dismal the quality of the coverage or how unaffordable the “affordable” premiums turn out to be for real people in the real world.

The mandates would involve “diverting additional billions to private insurers by requiring middle class Americans to purchase defective policies from these firms — policies with so many gaps and loopholes that they currently leave millions of our insured patients vulnerable to financial ruin,” says a letter signed by more than 3,500 doctors and released last week by Physicians for a National Health Program.

“Under pressure from industry and their lobbyists, the public plan has been watered down to a small and ineffectual option at best, if it ever survives to being enacted,” says John Geyman, professor emeritus of family medicine at the University of Washington.

and then, they have until 2013 to tamper with the deal, and make it worse if needed.

2013, 2013, hmmmm, something curious about that year – how could they know it would take 4 years for the bureaucrats to make the plan functional?

maybe it has something to do with the political calendar – the plan will suck so badly and the mandates for crappy insurance will be such a farcically bad deal that no one wants to campaign on the plan – they’re pushing it until after the elections of 2012 so they are not rousted out of office for foisting such a cruel bait-n-switch on the country that was hoping for a different kind of change.

Just got this by e-mail from my Blue Dog Congressman, Heath Shuler:

H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, has been on the forefront of the agenda in the recent weeks. I have heard from many of you regarding this health care reform legislation, and I assure you I am committed to achieving fiscally responsible reform that gives Americans access to affordable, high-quality health care.

That being said, I do not support H.R. 3200 in its current form. We must have legislation that reduces health care costs and addresses the problems of our current health care system. Our focus must be on getting health care reform right, rather than getting it done quickly. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress, as well as consumers, hospitals, health care providers and businesses in Western North Carolina to ensure that we achieve the best possible reform.

sic ‘em jane .. stay on ‘em ..

sorry, forgot linky for Lessons Shared. I know I know, someone else probably already posted it, but it bears repeating all through August.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..ons-shared

Meetings like this one continue a democratic tradition more than 2500 years old, that of the ancient Greek “Ecclesia.” The term means “those called out”—called out to discuss and decide civic matters, and to defend their ancient Greek city-states, to defend their democracy. And you all were called out by notices in the local papers, radio stations, by e-mail and internet, to discuss Health Care Reform and Clean Energy with our Representative tonight.

So know this: efforts to disrupt and thwart public discourse on civic matters are profoundly anti-democratic. But, that’s an obstacle we face tonight. It’s public knowledge that groups known as Tea Baggers intend to disrupt and thwart the public discourse on Health Care Reform in meetings like this during this month’s Congressional Recess. They want Democracy to fail. So, let’s face this obstacle together.

The Tea Baggers’ instructions are also public knowledge. If some people stand up, shout out and sit down; if some try to rattle us and the Congressman; if some pretend numeric superiority; if some try to stifle intelligent debate; then we can compare that behavior to the Tea Baggers’ instructions and draw our own conclusions.

i wrote to my blue dog, and said to support health insurance reform with
a single payer at best, and public option at the least or i would run
against him myself! a bad bill that can be fixed is better than no bill at all.

I worked for John Brademas back in the day when democratic and republican constituants
were what mattered. i think there are still a few who still believe that
who just might follow me!

I’d like to put my foot right up against Shuler’s backside. He came here and presented himself as a progressive and immediately stabbed us in the back. I would donate to anyone who will run against him.

Whatever you do, Jane, don’t say “blowjob”. Who knows what it will do to Shuster and Hall.

I suppose she could say that healthcare reform is a blown job. They probably wouldn’t even notice that. In any case, the fix is in. Obama and the Democrats were never serious about real healthcare reform. Progressive Congressional members have mostly been active in ways to demonstrate their political impotence and wishy-washiness. The Blue Dogs have been blamed in steering healthcare legislation to the right. I think this overlooks Obama and Emanuel from the White House, almost all the Senate from both parties, and all the other Democratic members of Congress who are neither Blue Dog nor progressive. Consider that there are 255 Democrats in Congress. If we say 50 are Blue Dogs and 50 are progressive, then where have the other 155 been on this? The fact is the deck was always stacked against single payer and the public option. If the public option survives at all, it will be as a delayed, hollowed out figleaf.

((( Elliott )))

How’s things ? *g*

Twain !

It doesn’t even look like the NRCC is planning to run anyone against him. According to Scrutiny Hooligans:

Strangely enough, however, Shuler’s is not among the 70 representatives on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s list of seats they intend to contest in 2010. Either they see him as unassailable, or they’re pretty happy with him.

Why would they run against one of their own ?

Why would they want to waste their money running against a DINO

If that’s the case about Shuler getting a free pass from the Republicans, then he shouldn’t get one in a primary.

did you ask the distinguished gentleman why the sudden concern about “fiscal responsibility” ?

he voted for HR 2346 – giving away $26B to bailout European banks in May

and has put in for $46M in pork this session alone

Jane is up

Hey, Petro. How are you? What’s your weather?

Jane is on right now.

We’re mid 70’s today and will be in the 80’s for the weekend with some showers.

Great weather so far … if you’re a Duck ! *g*

Jane done good

Drat, am away from my TeeVee and will have to catch her later, when Twolf or someone else uploads the clip to Seminal.

Dude !

I guess we found out how those elections in Iran turned out after all …

We already have rationed care and are killing granny, not to mention the families who’s lives are destroyed by a corrupt health care industry. After my father’s experience with the status quo, he was begging for a gun to kill himself, looking back, I wish I had granted him that wish.

If you live in TN or VA, this is what is deemed, defended and supported as your “acceptable standards of care” http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 I support public option NOW !

Good on you for commenting on the “dissent” first.

more than good she is a force to be reckoned with and Schuster and others know it.

Jane you were great. Clear concise on point composed. “Dissent” is not “lynching” effigies” is more than expressing your self”

Screamers “undertone of violence”

“coops are bailouts of Insurance companies and we can not have that”

Go Jane we are right behind you

Great appearance this afternoon, Jane.

Huh?

Co-ops are designed to prove that insurance companys only can serve the needs of the amurkan people.

Weren’t we talking about the Iranian elections some months ago ? Apologies if I mistook you for someone else.

That was a great appearance Jane. Schuster and Hall were agreeing with you afterwards about the ridiculousness of the obstructionist Dems.

The right wing guy was pretty conciliatory to your right to fight against Obama’s wishes, too, and didn’t interrupt you like the teabaggers would have (so credit where credit is due).

John Brademas was my congressman many years ago. He was a good guy.

I guess we were. I must be having a stream of consciousness problem

Prolly not v. imp. in your life … relevant to mine only cuz two friends are Persian and one of them lost a brother in the aftermath.

Crap! I don’t get MSNBC on my satellite package so I missed it. When will the link be up. I love the way Jane breaks it down on the news shows, she’s truly a pleasure to watch.

“infighting” or just good old fashioned “dissent” without lynchings.

Remember Hug an insurance executive today

I do recall. Not as nimble as I used to be.

Jane’s opponent tried to defend opposition. Jane talked about hanging in effigy and people being roughed up.

Chellie Pingree warned everyone on the floor of the House that this would happen:

If we go home for recess without passing this bill, we will give special interests and their lobbyists five weeks to dump millions of dollars into ad campaigns that spread misinformation and fear and confusion.

Chellie sure told it like it is and now Obama wants progressive groups to “back off” No way no how.

Time to step it up!

Who would have thought the fight was going to be about keeping a “public option” on the table? What happened to single payer? Do the Republicans and the Blue Dogs get that suppporting the “public option” is a huge compromise

Thank you, Teddy. I owe everything to you.

Who would have thought the fight was going to be about keeping a “public option” on the table? What happened to single payer? Do the Republicans and the Blue Dogs get that suppporting the “public option” is a huge compromise

It’s really sad isn’t it that we are forced to fight tooth and nail to get the horribly compromised version of what we really want. And odds are good we won’t even get that.

What is wrong with this world?

Where are most of these health insurance headquarters? Will Health Care Now be doing a “Hug a Health Insurance Executive” day? Or a Just say Know rally?

People at these town hall meetings need to quit acting like Paid ACORN Activists and be more civil.

I’d like to put my [edit]. He came here and presented himself as a progressive and immediately stabbed us in the back. I would donate to anyone who will run against him.

Now this is the civil way to talk and act about elected officials.

[Modnote: violent references are against FDL policy, even in jest.]

Leen August 5th, 2009 at 1:15 pm 55Chellie Pingree warned everyone on the floor of the House that this would happen:

If we go home for recess without passing this bill, we will give special interests and their lobbyists five weeks to dump millions of dollars into ad campaigns that spread misinformation and fear and confusion.

Chellie sure told it like it is and now Obama wants progressive groups to “back off” No way no how.

Time to step it up!

Who would have thought the fight was going to be about keeping a “public option” on the table? What happened to single payer? Do the Republicans and the Blue Dogs get that suppporting the “public option” is a huge compromise
——————————————-
I am a senior and do not like most of the provisions in the health bill. I am part of a number of groups that are for competition, not for profit insurance cooperatives, etc. We are not paid but are getting well organized. Pres. Obama and ACORN has shown the American public how to use the Internet, get organized, and fight for your principles. The playing field is getting leveled, George Soros is not the only one with influence now.

Paid ACORN activists standing outside of grocery stores offering to sign up new voters is just like paid people going to disrupt health care discussions, hanging politicos in effigy and roughing up folks at townhalls. Ayup. No wonder Texass is so screwed up.

George Bush lied about Iraq and took the American public and Congress for a ride. He also did Stimulus 1 and got Goldman Sachs into running the financial markets of the country.

Pres. Obama continues to lie about having competition when he is on record a number of times as wanting a single payer system. He has continued with the Goldman Sachs tradition of running the country.

Both men have abused their power under the Patriot Act.

People no longer trust DC, the District of Corruption regardless of which Corrupt Party is in charge.

Paid ACORN activists standing outside of grocery stores offering to sign up new voters is just like paid people going to disrupt health care discussions, hanging politicos in effigy and roughing up folks at townhalls. Ayup. No wonder Texass is so screwed up.
——————————————————
Texas is not bankrupt like California and like NY, Michigan, and other progressive states. Our taxes are relatively low. The only mistake that the Republic of Texas ever made was joining the Union.

I am a cancer patient at MD Anderson, I pay my own health insurance. I am scared to death to go on medicare because they do not pay for some of the tests PET Scan and others that were used to diagnose and treat my illness.

I waited 2 weeks to get into MD Anderson to see some of the finest doctors in the world. People from all over the country and the world do the same.
People who have minimal insurance or no insurance are put on a payment schedule that they can afford.

I think that I have a reason to be against a single payer system, I hope that you never have an severe illness if the US goes to a single payer system, especially if you are older.

And your insurance company will drop you in 5…4…3….2…1…

I’ll be on MSNBC this afternoon at 3:30 PM EDT with Tamron Hall and David Shuster to discuss “Democratic Infighting”

youTube

sorry for your situation.

Really am

I am self employed and brought up three daughters with no health care coverage. Have never asked for a dime from anyone not the government not anyone. During 30 years of raising my daughters there were no catastrophic illnesses and I paid about 6000.00 out of pocket for yearly check ups, earaches we could not take care of etc. We needed catastrophic coverage I could not afford.

Single Payer would take care of that and so much more

When my daughter was in her 20s she developed thyroid cancer. About a year after having her thyroid removed and undergoing chemo she developed lumps in the area. The insurance company said no to the tests that the doctor ordered. It took nearly five months of arguing and letter writing both by my daughter and her doctor. (The doctor wrote 4 letters instead of seeing patients)Their insurance was thru the highly touted federal employees plan (BCBS).
A bureaucrat between patient and doctor? Waiting?

I love the way Jane can discuss the issue without notes while the reichwingers have to keep referring to theirs. The reichwingers just march somebody out with their list of buzzwords and talking points. Where Jane’s concerned they’re bringin’ a knife to a gunfight.

In response to TexasReader @ 65 (show text)
And your insurance company will drop you in 5…4…3….2…1…
——————————————————–
Not going to happen. I am part of a large group. I pay into the system and they have been taking care of my bills since 2005.

———————————–
When my daughter was in her 20s she developed thyroid cancer. About a year after having her thyroid removed and undergoing chemo she developed lumps in the area. The insurance company said no to the tests that the doctor ordered. It took nearly five months of arguing and letter writing both by my daughter and her doctor. (The doctor wrote 4 letters instead of seeing patients)Their insurance was thru the highly touted federal employees plan (BCBS).
A bureaucrat between patient and doctor? Waiting?
—————————————————–
I am not against reform. I don’t want a Canada or English style delivery plan. You should have the option to purchase insurance from companies anywhere in the US, there should be not for profit cooperatives set up to compete that must take anyone who applies (some hospitals here in Houston do that already), I don’t like the rest of the bill with its intrusive government programs.

If you disagreed with Bill Clinton, G W, or now Obama the government comes after you. You get demonized and ridiculed.

When the People fear the Government you have Tyranny.
When the Government fears the People you have liberty. – Thomas Jefferson

The people should have taken our Government to task a long time ago.

Foothillsmike’s daughter, @ 69, not TexasReader’s.

Medicare is the most popular federal program. 68% of the people who are on it give it a 9 or 10 out of 10 rating. What do you think will happen to Medicare if it is expanded to cover everyone that will affect old people?

Also, I’m curious. What is your monthly premium, and what is your deductible? Mine is $500 with a $2500 a year deductible. When I had breast cancer two years ago my payout because of “usual and customary” reimbursement was $60,000.

My aunt was treated at MD Anderson in Houston for cancer in the final years of her life, and it was covered under Medicare, as was her hospice treatment. She lived in Missouri City. I can tell you that while she had a few doctors there she didn’t like, they never turned down a test.

Who is your insurance provider? And what test will they cover that Medicare won’t cover? Please tell us, we’d love to do an expose.

*crickets*
What a surprise.

Sign this petition demanding the Blue Dogs get us single payer health care.

http://bit.ly/single_payer_ross

Meanwhile, 76% of the country and 58% of Republicans want a public plan to compete with the private insurance industry, because they hate them and don’t trust their health care to them. The “infighting” is happening because there are a few people left in the Democratic party who think that means something

These so called “blue dogs” are nothing more than DINO’s. They are not Democrats, I have no f’ing idea why they don’t legitimately become the turncoats they are. How do these 50 assholes get to hold 76% of the country hostage to their whims?

Jane,
My provider is BCBS of Florida (former state employee). I pay $1,200/month for my wife and I and my deductible is $2,200 per year plus co-pays and co-pays on medicine. I get about $60,000 per year as a pension.

Medicare will not cover a PET scan – they are kind of like a CT scan but can actually show possible spots where cancer may be developing which will not show up on any other test. Google PET Scan, it is interesting.

My treatment was as follows X-ray, CT – Scan, CT-Biopsy, PET Scan, Chemo (8 hours a day, five days a week and a total of four weeks of this in a 12 week period), surgery after 4 months of recuperation to remove the dead tumor from my chest. Then at a six month check up got a biopsy for prostate cancer, had Robotic Davinci Surgery. I have check ups every six months but only one CT Scan a year.

A large portion of my income goes to health care.

I am just glad to be here and writing to you.

You are right about MD Anderson being a Great Place. They take uninsured and put them on a payment schedule.

I am not a Republican but a conservative. The Research Group that I headed up in Fla. for 18 years was abolished by JEB even though he appointed my board.

I had to work with House, Senate, and Gov. Office in my job. The last 5 years were miserable because the Ds and Rs fought each other on everything.
They couldn’t pass a Mothers Day bill. I dislike both parties.

I hope I have answered your question.

Jane,
My provider is BCBS of Florida (former state employee). I pay $1,200/month for my wife and I and my deductible is $2,200 per year plus co-pays and co-pays on medicine. I get about $60,000 per year as a pension.

Medicare will not cover a PET scan – they are kind of like a CT scan but can actually show possible spots where cancer may be developing which will not show up on any other test. Google PET Scan, it is interesting.

My treatment was as follows X-ray, CT – Scan, CT-Biopsy, PET Scan, Chemo (8 hours a day, five days a week and a total of four weeks of this in a 12 week period), surgery after 4 months of recuperation to remove the dead tumor from my chest. Then at a six month check up got a biopsy for prostate cancer, had Robotic Davinci Surgery. I have check ups every six months but only one CT Scan a year.

A large portion of my income goes to health care.

I am just glad to be here and writing to you.

You are right about MD Anderson being a Great Place. They take uninsured and put them on a payment schedule.

I am not a Republican but a conservative. The Research Group that I headed up in Fla. for 18 years was abolished by JEB even though he appointed my board.

I had to work with House, Senate, and Gov. Office in my job. The last 5 years were miserable because the Ds and Rs fought each other on everything.
They couldn’t pass a Mothers Day bill. I dislike both parties.

I hope I have answered your question.

Pete Sessions, Chairman of the RNC, has endorsed these tactics, saying that the days of civil town halls are now “over.”

What should be considered “over” is bi-partisanship! Real Progressives need to declare all-out war on the Republicans, and on centrist Democrats … President Obama included.

In the Senate, that means supporting Bernie Sanders in his effort to force the leadership to pass meaningful health care reform … a bill the Republicans will have to filibuster, and shame the Democrats to force cloture.

No more compromise!!

It’s not clear that Obama really wants progressive groups to leave the blue dogs alone. He’s told some of them that he wants that, but he hasn’t put any effort into stopping progressive efforts, and he hasn’t spoken publicly against progressives. In fact, it’s not clear what he wants at all; he’s taking a strangely passive approach.

It seems that he wants a bill, any bill he wants Congress to work it out, and he wants to then declare victory. He doesn’t seem committed to any specific plan, though he seems to have preferences.

I don’t understand why he doesn’t get that this is a losing strategy. If it’s passion vs. apathy, and if all the passionate people have to do is block action, the passionate people are going to win.

KO and Eugene Robinson really bringin’ it on the healthcare debate and Obama’s anti-progressive nonsense. KO pulling no punches in criticizing the president.

FWDiva

Slow down? We’ve been waiting for over half a century.

“You should have the option to purchase insurance from companies anywhere in the US,”

Under a public option you can continue the plan that you have if you so choose.

My parents (81,82) switched from traditional Medicare and a supplement with (Secure Horizons) to a replacement plan with what I now call Un Secure Horizons. (my siblings and I were unaware that they had been convinced to do this)

My father had a serious fall close to two years ago and ended up in tthe Health care maze . After an extended stay in a hospital until he was stable then to a nursing home/rehabilitation center. Since then it has been constant haggling with Un Secure Horizons in regard to coverage of his therapy. Plateaus and donut holes, they have tried to cut him off every other week due to how they define progress. Over these two years I have talked with many seniors whose chains are yanked weekly by private Insurance.

The seniors who have payed into this system their whole lives (my father had only been in a hospital twice in his whole life up until his fall) should not be spending their twilight years worrying about whether they are covered, going to lose their homes etc etc.