[PAA-Discuss] Obama criticizes insurers but still afraid to say single payer

[Melinda Iley-Dohn]

It's difficult to know what to do with health care. One of the most interesting aspects of Ted Kennedy's book
"True Compass" was his recollections of the two different approaches to this issue by Carter and Clinton
with identical failures.

Carter ran on health care reform but backed away from it to concentrate on the heavy inflation at the time.
Kennedy was FURIOUS and this had a lot to do with the bad relations between them.He was highly supportive
of the public option but ran away from it for political reasons (if Senator Kennedy's version is correct). Clinton
walked in with firestorms raining down on him and he ignored them choosing to had it over to his wife. His personal
involvement proved to be a real losing proposition. 

It's hard to know which approach would work but I wold love to think that this recent enthusiasm of the Senate
to just push it through could be great. I hope that this succeeds with or without Obama's pushing it. I am more
afraid of Harry Reid to chicken out. He is really facing competition and running scared. I hope he doesn't drop
the ball again.

 
  


Melinda Iley-Dohn

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a  little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin Historical Review of Pennsylvania 1759



----- Original Message ----
From: Bill Crosier <paa at crosierbiomed.com>
To: PAA Discussion List <discuss at paa-tx.org>
Sent: Sun, February 21, 2010 12:28:08 AM
Subject: [PAA-Discuss] Obama criticizes insurers but still afraid to say single payer

In his weekly address Saturday, Obama points out how unfair the big insurance company rate hikes are.  I was hoping he'd declare war on them, but he doesn't, and he's still afraid to mention single payer. But he thnks or hopes that the bipartisan summit next week might produce some results.

Read the transcript or watch the video of Obama's address at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/weekly-address-president-obama-says-it-time-move-forward-health-care-reform

I've been really disappointed in Obama's lack of leadership on health care reform.  Here's hoping that he's heard that message and may actually twist some arms that need twisting this week.
I'm skeptical, though.

Bill

-- Bill Crosier
paa at crosierbiomed.com      713-641-4941
Progressive Action Alliance   http://progressiveactionalliance.org/
KPFT - Radio for Peace - 90.1 FM Houston   http://kpft.org

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