"New study supports universal health plan"

[redqueen]

link

"It makes good economic and moral sense for the state of Maryland to have universal health coverage for our citizens," said Baltimore Health Commissioner Peter Beilenson.

"Our plan is self-funded. It will not in any way negatively impact the current budget deficit."

State Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, D-Baltimore, said he will sponsor a bill based on the program in the upcoming legislative session.

Critics say the plan would create government-run health care and could cause the collapse of the private health-care industry."

Oh the poor insurance industry! And they've been so kind not to squeeze us and our employers until we bleed.

Please!

[LuminousX]

1. How do you convince a Republican Congress to support it?

[redqueen]

6. You don't

You elect a DEMOCRATIC congress. (for an example see FDR's coattails in 1932)

Give the people hope instead of fear. Give them somthing to vote FOR rather than AGAINST, and mark my words, you will not regret it.

The whole world is watching.

[LuminousX]

8. How long will it be before we have a Democratic majority in Congress

that can over ride a filibuster from entrenched conservatives (like Democratic idgits like Breaux and Miller)?

How long must people wait before Congress takes real action to bring real healthcare reform to this country?

[redqueen]

11. FDR type hope and energy has looooong coattails.

People have to wait for as long as it takes them to vote in progressives to reform it.

I don't think cheesy commercials are going to work this time, because so many more people are out of work and uninsured ... add in that costs are skyrocketing and have been for years ... the time is NOW!
:7

[rdfi-defi]

13. "how long must people wait"?

there you go again, we don't have to wait at all. when "the people" stop playing "the game" the wait will be over. what is it gonna be. blame the officals we allow to have our power or start acting like this country has any democratic priciples left. vote for a candidate that supports real healthcare reform if that is what you truly want. make this republic a democracy again. WE CAN DO IT

[LuminousX]

17. Map it out

Kucinich Day 1 to Day 200 How is he getting this through Congress?

[La_Serpiente]

2. Republicans are going to filibuster this

if this gets to the Senate.

If Democrats in the Senate filibuster the Medicare bill in the Senate, there is no doubt my mind that Repukes will filibuster the Dem's bill when we take back the Senate (either in 2006 or 08)

[bread_and_roses]

3. Let's do what's right

AND what makes fiscal sense...Universal health care. If the Right blocks it, let them take the heat from Americans who are one and all (except members of Congress, maybe) either uninsured or being gouged by the Insurance and Pharmacuetical industries.

[LuminousX]

4. The right blocks it, takes the heat, people still without healthcare

Who wins? Who loses?

[redqueen]

7. Sure they will, if they want to lose their jobs!

You give the people the facts, and watch the little light bulbs go off over their heads.

It's already happening. People are facing consecutive double digit increases in OUT OF POCKET healthcare costs. People are losing jobs -- job LOSS recovery -- and are facing the crisis that heretofore only the peons had to deal with.

Elect Kucinich, and let his plan get fillibustered ONCE. The bums will be voted out, the next congress won't be as stupid and craven, and PLUS we'll have a solid lock on power for generations. :)

[LuminousX]

9. Six years is a long time

The pukes stopped one attempt to reform healthcare already and in doing so, won a majority in congress.

[redqueen]

10. Oh please...

that is not the reason they gained a majority.

Good one, though -- LOL!
:)

[LuminousX]

12. My point

was people weren't very angry at them for blocking it the first time, what makes you certain they will be angry at them for blocking it a second time?

They can block it, wait a few years, run on the issues of the day and people will have forgotten what they did.

I support Universal Health Care. In a civilized country, anything less is inhuman. We need to plot a realistic course on how to get there. The first step is to get everyone health coverage by hook or by crook. Then it becomes an entitled right. Then we can reform, steamline, and simplify it to a single-payer system.

[Mairead]

15. "The first step"

Never try to cross a chasm in 2 jumps. (attrib. to General Graf von Clausewitz)

[LuminousX]

16. It's a nice phrase

but is meaningless when dealing with complex legislation.

I guess if someone can ramrod it through like the Patriot Act got rammed through, then we could do it in one mad rush. I don't think that will happen. In fact, I'm willing to put money down saying it won't.

First, we set healthcare up as a right, then we codify and 'universalize' it.

[Mairead]

24. "but is meaningless when dealing with complex legislation"

Can you think of a case in which some good was arrived at in 2 steps within a single lifetime? I can't. Do you think that full marriage equality would be easy to get in Vermont, now that civil unions exist? I don't.

[Mairead]

14. "stopped one attempt to reform healthcare already"

The Clintons' plan? In what way would that have qualified as 'reform'? It was an inexplicable mess that privileged large insurance companies just like today, plus it would have created a bureaucratic nightmare. Which is why it couldn't be explained and was so defenceless against the insipid Harry and Louise poison.

[no name no slogan]

18. They stopped Clintons half-arsed "non-Universal" plan

...that involved throwing more government money down a "managed competition" ponzi scheme, instead of giving universal, single-payer care, like that which DK is proposing.

According Pew Research, even 55% of Republicans favor a universal single-payer healthcare system like the one Kucinich is proposing: publicly funded, privately delivered.

But how to sell it to business? How about the COST? DK's universal single-payer plan is cheaper than what most businesses shell over for insurance premiums, AND offers greater benefits and more freedom of choice than managed care plans.

"But how to get it through a Republican Congress"? How about we pick a candidate who will ENERGIZE current Democrats and bring new Democrats into the fold so that we don't HAVE a Republican congress to deal with!

It's amazing to hear some of the defeatest attitudes around here for core Democratic ideals. Everybody seems resigned to the fact that the Senate and House are the Repubs, and the candidate we'll pick to head the ticket won't have any "coattail effect" going into the general election.

The 2004 election is ours to lose right now. ANY one of our candidates can beat El Arbusto, even an inanimate carbon rod could whup his butt-- but not if we play by his rules.

By thinking that we won't win anything besides the presidency in 2004 is not only defeatist thinking, it's just plain wrong! :D

[Desertrose]

19. Thank you for saying this- its so true....

we can't play by the current (repub) rules...

we can't sit & whine and expect second best...cause thats what we'll get!

We have the candidate who can energize people...we just have to get his message out!!!


Peace
DR

[JohnKleeb]

23. research for the longest time proves the people want this

I dont get it really, I wonder if the people who criticize DK for proposing this think that Truman or whoever was wrong.

[burr]

20. This is why we should campaign from the left, compromise after winning.

But so many Democrats have this backwards. You see this with Feinstein, compromising on legislation to eliminate standardized oversight of tree thinning. You see it with Democrats trying to "make taxcuts better", rather than uniting to defeat them. And you see this with Democrats voting for the IWR, and now expressing regret after passing the buck. We can see it in the House, when repukes provide none of the traditional courtesy to the minority party that Democrats had when they were in the majority.

I think the time has come for Democrats to realize that courtesy and compromise is a two-way street. And until we take back Congress or the White House, Democrats should not be the ones giving ground. The burden of compromise must be placed on the majority party, not on the minority party. Until our party recognizes this, we will never take back the House or Senate!

[redqueen]

21. I agree completely.

Just mentioned this on another thread.

It seems like Democrats and Democratic leaders all give in before the fight even starts.

Can anyone explain why Daschle is supporting that horrid gun industry bill? The one that grants immunity to any legislation? No other industry receives such protection from lawsuits, why them? I'd call his office but his staff is rude and dismissive.

[dpbrown]

5. No budget impact

Compared to any other plan that will open the candidate up to smears of "tax and spend" by the Republicans.

[genius]

22. This proves Dennis is right

We need a President with his wisdom.