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Who said health care reform is hard to understand? Andy Lubershane at Earthly Comics did a great job of explaining how our system works (or doesn’t) and why opposing universal care because it is “socialism,” as if that’s a bad thing, is just plain silly. (Hat tip to The Worley Dervish)
This morning, Howard Dean spoke to the crowd at Netroots Nation ’09 to address health care reform. Unsurprisingly, Dean’s talk consisted mostly of touting the Democratic “public option” plan for health care and talking points bloggers should repeat to push that compromise plan through Congress.
Now, there are lots of single-payer fans at Netroots. Outside the convention center in Pittsburgh, a number of protesters have been carrying signs promoting John Conyers’ (D-Mich) single-payer bill, HR 676. Inside, many of the bloggers and advocates I’ve spoken with have expressed their preference for single-payer over the Democrats’ proposed half-measures.
So it’s no surprise that when Dean confessed that he thinks single-payer should not have been off the table and that the Democrats’ proposal should have been a single-payer plan, the conference hall lit up with applause.
Of course, should have/could have/would have only goes so far. Single-payer still needs your support. Urge your Congress member to support HR 676 today!
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Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Public Citizen’s acting president and director of its Health Research Group, at the rally for single-payer health care held last week near the Capitol.
What a time it was! Over 2,000 people gathered in Upper Senate Park today to show Congress and President Obama the kind of support single-payer health care has in America.
They were doctors, nurses, lawyers, politicians, activists, seniors, faith groups, students and average Americans working for a better system. They came from New York, Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Georgia and many other states, all bearing a common desire: a single-payer system.
With the Capitol Building looming in the background, our own Dr. Sidney Wolfe spoke, as did Dr. David Scheiner, President Obama’s former physician. In fact, Dr. Scheiner has been sought by news outlets all over the country, like CNN, MSNBC, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and many more.
See more pictures from the rally on our Flickr page.
Medicare, one of the government’s most popular programs, turns 44 today. To celebrate, Public Citizen is working with Physicians for a National Health Plan and Healthcare-NOW! to advocate for a program that might be just as popular: a single-payer health system.
As President Obama works with different parties with a stake in health care reform, one increasingly vocal constituency is senior citizens. Why? They don’t want to see their beloved Medicare cut down to anything less than it is today. According to the Wall Street Journal, Obama has spent much time with the AARP reassuring them that any cuts are intended to reduce wasteful spending, not benefits.
If only everyone could have this kind of concern. Congress and the President still refuse to consider the single-payer option, under which everyone would have health insurance, regardless of ability to pay or previous medical conditions.
But in an attempt to change that, Public Citizen is participating in a rally today at the Capitol to help show just how many people support a single-payer system. Joining us is Dr. David Scheiner, who was President Obama’s primary care physician for 22 years while he lived in Chicago. Though Dr. Scheiner is a big fan of the President, he believes that any proposed health care reform that does not involve a single-payer plan will not work.
In addition to Dr. Scheiner, Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Eric Massa (D-NY) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY) will speak at the rally. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will be in attendance as well. Throughout the event, about 100 D.C. taxis will circle the rally bearing signs indicating their support for a single-payer system.
Look for updates, pictures, and video from today’s event in the coming days. If you’re in town, please join us at the rally! We need all hands on deck to get our message firmly across: the American people will not sit idly by while our government refuses to consider the single-payer option.
Flickr photo by bookgrl.
