Representative Fudge replied to Allie’s question by saying that she would vote for a bill that contained a strong public option, or something equivalent to that, whatever it might be called. She said in response to someone else’s question that the President has said that a single payer solution is off the table, and so she regards that concept as off the table.

Someone asked whether Representative Fudge would pledge not to vote for a bill that allowed expenditure of public money for abortion services. The Congresswoman replied that poor people should receive the same health care as those who can afford to pay for it.

Someone else asked how many of the frequently quoted figure of 47 million people without health insurance in this country are “illegals” and how many are “Americans”. Representative Fudge said that she didn’t know. She said that people who had been in the United states for many years, who worked here and paid taxes here, and who had families here, were worthy of regard as Americans.

Unfortunately, Cleveland has its share of people who have gone crackers over the election of a black President. Fortunately, I neither saw nor heard anything overtly racist inside the meeting room last night. Of course, 50% of the audience consisted of black people. This might have terrified some of the attendees into civility, or caused others to find that they had other priorities which prevented them from attending.

The guy who was ejected by uniformed, on duty Cleveland P.D. SWAT team members had interrupted Representative Fudge to yell incoherently about euthanasia of elderly patients. He immediately was asked by the police to leave. He could have walked out, but he resisted the officers. I don’t know whether he was arrested. Someone else who had been seated close to the ejectee was asked to leave about one minute later, and he walked out agreeably. About 15 minutes later, two guys dressed in Joe the Plumber costumes were warned once by a supervising police officer to behave respectably after they bellowed something like, “It’s been 60 years. What’s the rush?” in response to Congresswoman Fudge’s stated insistence that the time has come to solve our country’s health insurance problem. There was some booing whenever the Congresswoman said something that caused outbreaks of applause, but there was no further self-embarrassment by anyone.

maybe they would even invite some leaders of the progressive blogosphere, sigh.

Bwahaha snark tag needed Jane and Christy at such a meet sure the SS will be 12 kinds of worried.

Obama once gave lip service to single payer health care, but as president has staked his reputation on a mishmash of corporate schemes and deals-with-the-devil masquerading as health care reform – a thoroughly confused and conflicted legislative concoction that Conyers describes, simply, as “crap.”

Conyers gave that assessment at Washington’s Busboys and Poets restaurant, bookstore and bar, where the Progressive Democrats of America were celebrating their fifth anniversary.

from http://blackagendareport.com/?q=content/conyers-“there-no-one-more-disappointed-i-am-barack-obama”

he adds:

Conyers suggests that, at the end of the legislative process, progressive congresspersons may wind up voting against Obama on health care because the bill will be simply too bad for advocates of real reform to support.

but but but, clearly the only way to single payer is to pass crap, faux ‘reforms’ that cement in place many of the worst aspects of the current system, and then have a glorious signing ceremony in the WH rose garden! maybe they would even invite some leaders of the progressive blogosphere, sigh.

And do you shop at Whole Foods? Your $ are supporting the fight against health care; http://jobsanger.blogspot.com/…..ealth.html