Labor Draws a Line in the Sand On Public Option

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CBS

Posted by Stephanie Condon

Labor leaders drew a line in the sand today, saying a health care reform bill must include three specific elements -- including a government-sponsored health insurance plan, or "public option" -- in order to win their support.

The AFL-CIO outlined its demands for both health care and labor law reforms at a meeting today at which it released a new survey of young workers. The data backs up its progressive agenda and attempts to give it a sense of urgency.

The "Young Workers: A Lost Decade" poll, conducted in July of this year, found that 31 percent of workers under 35 report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago. Counter to arguments that young people do not want to pay for insurance, 79 percent of the uninsured said they do not have coverage because they cannot afford it or their employer does not offer it.


(CBS/iStockphoto)

"Every day people are drowning from the cost of health care," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/01/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5279879.shtml

[Autumn]

1. Thank you AFL-CIO

K/R :kick:

[Dinger]

17. Yes, K & R Indeed : )

[Born Free]

37. Why vote for democrats if they do the same thing as republicans?

Many people I know are really frustrated with the democratic party, asking ourselves why we bother helping these individuals get elected if they are afraid to stand up to the republicans. If the elected democrats are going to let the right wing run the country via cable news outlets there is no need for us to waste our time and effort helping them as there is no benefit - they become one in the same, just different names. We get all upset, worry but continue do all the things they tell us to do and the elected democrats roll over, afraid to stand up for what is best for America, rather than lead they become followers of right wing cable news outlets. At times it seem almost hopeless....so many good people that are being held back by those in power.

[pokercat999]

41. Except for a few minor differences they are the same, R&D&R&D.

The far left (actually just left of center) and the far right (actually crazy right) are different but the majority, the so called "center" (actually two steps to the right of center) are the same. They are owned lock, stock and barrel by the lobbyists for corporations and special interest groups, mostly apolitical groups, their only interest being increased profits and the rape of the American people through the pillage of the treasury. The real issue, the place for a fight comes between the classes. The shrinking middle class and the poor MUST join together to stop the rich from destroying the country.

Why you ask would America's rich want to destroy the place where they live? I don't think they WANT to destroy America, but that will be the result of their policies, the we want it ALL mentality. The other thing is they won't destroy THEIR America they will destroy OUR America. The rich can live where the choose, here or abroad, behind locked gates where the lower classes are only invited in to do the laundry or cut the grass.

Our fight must be the increasing unequal distribution of wealth, nothing less. The time has come for fairer wage laws (a maximum wage/income law) and the regulation of corporations. The removal of "person-hood" given to corporations is paramount to the continued survival of our society. The removal of the hundreds of thousands of lobbyists is also central to a restored America.

[liberalmike27]

63. Well, Center Right, old republicans now more liberal than current dems

I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps the tunnel vision created by the massive avarice and greed in a few, keeps them from seeing that the damage they are doing is going to fall back onto them eventually too. Once again, I ask, "How fucking much is enough?" "How is it people don't see the basic folly of a few people having access to billions, but we've got 50 million without health care, homeless folks running around, and even working people have a hard time earning enough to make a living?" I come to the same conclusion, a lifetime of brainwashing into a system that favors the richest, and screws the very people that are brainwashed. That's pretty much par for the course for the brainwashee. In some way, they get screwed, whether it's a Manchurian assassination, or simply a twisted corporation getting them to do their will.

Where is the outcry of repairing our system of leaking jobs to the third world? With unemployment at nearly 20 percent, shouldn't we start to think about doing as other reasonable countries do, and putting some tariffs in place, to make goods manufactured in other countries more expensive, to keep them here? But just yesterday, Maytag moved a bunch of jobs to Mexico, making the situation worse. And dupes, even democratic dupes keep talking about our innovation out of the problem. It's pretty obvious the hole is too deep for the innovation, and at best, only a few of us can be catapulted out of the deep, deep hole we are in. When will our government once again start working for all Americans, not just the 2 percent that they seem to now serve? I guess the answer would be, when we can manage to get the money out of politics.

[Enthusiast]

69. You are right on. This is what is at stake and

this is why we find ourselves fighting it alone. American corporations have grown so powerful that ordinary citizens are the only resistance remaining.

"Our fight must be the increasing unequal distribution of wealth, nothing less. The time has come for fairer wage laws (a maximum wage/income law) and the regulation of corporations. The removal of "person-hood" given to corporations is paramount to the continued survival of our society. The removal of the hundreds of thousands of lobbyists is also central to a restored America."

[TankLV]

44. We need a NEW party - a LEFT Party - "Social Democrats" to COUNTER the RIGHT WING repukes AND

Demopuke Party...!!!

NOT a "Green" Party - a true WORKING MEN & WOMEN, non-corporate, EMPLOYEE, not employeer, centered party like ALL the REST OF THE WORLD has!

Maybe we call it a "Labor" party - or we call it "blue" I don't fucking care - we just need to make it clear from the outset that we will NOT tolerate any fucking DISCREDITED "conservative" views or policies, and their supporters AT ALL!!!

This country needs to join the TWENTIETH Century, let alone the 21st...

We need to STOP the WELFARE for the very CRIMINALS who BANKRUPT this country!!!

We need to funnel BILLIONS for PUBLIC HealthCARE, Education and GET RID of ALL "religious" and CORPORATE wellfare programs!!!

We have MORE than enough money to PAY for it all - we just have to let the "free market" folks PAY THE COSTS along with getting ALL the REWARDS without paying ANY cost as we have now!!!

NO MORE CORPORATE WELFARE!!! Make it ILLEGAL for ANY "corporate" welfare - only PEOPLE should get ANY public funds!!!

We need to make sure if these "free market" bozos want to RISK THEIR OWN FUCKING MONEY and GAMBLE and LOSE IT ALL, then they deserve to BE OUT OF WORK. PERIOD. No "safety net" for these GREEDY CRIMINALS who have GAMED THE SYSTEM from the outset.

We need to make it ILLEGAL - OUTLAW - for Cities and States across the country to offer TAX GIVE AWAYS to seduce business - INCLUDING SPORTS TEAMS - to locate or remain in their communities.

Business should ONLY make their decisions based on what are sound business decisions, not BRIBES to play one CITY AFTER ANOTHER so the GREEDY RICH can laugh all the way to the bank!!!

[IndianaGreen]

61. It is unfortunate we live and operate in a 2-party duopoly

It is unfortunate we live and operate in a 2-party duopoly in which the Democratic establishment, as opposed to its rank-and-file, is a tool of one faction of the ruling class, the "compassionate" faction. The GOP represents the most reactionary elements of the ruling class. Both parties will use war and the instruments of war to protect its financial interests in the world, e.g., the coup in Honduras, the anti-Chavez rhetoric of the Obama Administration. Both parties will not hesitate to use the vast police powers of government to destroy any domestic threat to their hold on power or to their economic interests at home, e.g., the Haymarket massacre, the Palmer raids, the wiretaps on Martin Luther King.

As long as the duopoly exists, progressives only chance to have any influence on the political process, and to implement liberal incremental changes, is to maintain a united front within the Democratic Party. Historically, it has been the Democratic Party that has brought changes long advocated by socialists, anarchists, and communists. Changes that they, rather than Democrats, paid with their lives or their freedoms. Changes such as the 8-hour workday, the right to organize, women's equality, racial equality, LGBT equality. None of these changes originated within the Democratic Party, and certainly they were opposed by the Democratic establishment. It took major events such as the Pullman strike, the Great Depression, the Montgomery bus boycott, the march on Selma, the Stonewall riots, and the Vietnam War Moratorium, to name just a few, to advance progressive ideas.

I am all in favor of democratic multi-party elections, but I fear that there has been enough fragmentation of the Left (mostly due to our own inability to work together despite our ideological differences).

Regarding the OP, we must all close ranks with AFL-CIO (I am a union member), in its demand on a public option. I say this despite my own preference for single-payer, Medicare for all, an option that President Obama has thrown out of the window for fear of offending the ruling class that allowed him to win the nomination and the election.

[liberalmike27]

67. It isn't ideological differences

It's straight-away bribes, really, but with Congress, we don't call them bribes, we call them campaign contributions, and lobbyist money.

Sadly, until we get the money out of politics, we'll have this situation.

The really ingenious thing about the way the two party situation is set up is, when the right (Teddy Roosevelt) or the left (Nader, if you like) split, it usually only results in just the opposite result of what those who split want. Sadly, allowing a plurality to elect someone, instead of some sort of runoff, like Instant runoff voting, where people line up their choices from first to last, and at each count, the least voted for candidate is dropped, and the second choice of the people is selected, and this process repeated until a candidate gets a majority.

I guess there is some good in the situation, as it probably was intended to keep our system from venturing too far to the right, or to the left. But I don't think the founders counted on corporations ending up being "people" or "corporate citizens" as they are often called, nor did they count in television and radio being co-opted by the very rich, and used as a tool to bludgeon our population with massive brainwashing, and absolute lies either. We really need that corporate citizen decision of 1888 reversed for one, and we need to allow lobbyists to talk to politicians, but not allow any corporation to contribute in any way to a politician, with strict and severe penalties imposed.

I always have a hard time getting mad at Jefferson of LA, and Stevens of AK, who stepped just a bit over a line that is far too much toward bribery anyway. Hell, they both just did what politicians do, but weren't quite careful enough. Whether the money is in the freezer, or is invested in some convention, it's all bribery.

[Skink]

19. I was starting to think Unions might be aginst the public option...

since they have fought so hard for employers to provide it and it is a selling point for unions.

[Alcibiades]

26. They are about good jobs for workers

and that often means manufacturing, where the real value has always been added in any industrial economy. As it's cheaper to make things in places such as Canada that provide universal health care, these jobs are too often sourced elsewhere. Plus, many of the gains that might have gone to workers have been swallowed up by health care premiums and co-pays. I think they would rather negotiate for better wages than to see it all go down the black hole of health care.

[Autumn]

64. In my experience, unions are for

what is good for the employees. And this is good for the employees.

[senseandsensibility]

2. kick

:kick:

[villager]

3. Thank God! No more "going along, to get along!"

Vastly overdue, at that...

[RoccoR5955]

4. K&R for my union! n/t

[Arugula Latte]

5. Hear that, Blue Dogs? Now fall in line and act like real Democrats, or you'll be sorry come 2010.

[Xicano]

39. I think it falls upon deaf ears

Corporate Dems are already representing their base - the corporation. I wish it wasn't so, but, unfortunately corporate Dems are not on our team. They only perpetrate they're on our team through the corporate puppet news media as it gets close to election time. What was it that the late George Carlin said?

It’s a big club and you ain't in it. You and I are not in The big club. By the way, it’s the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head with their media telling you what to believe, what to think and what to buy. The table has tilted folks. The game is rigged and nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. Good honest hard-working people . . . white collar, blue collar it doesn’t matter what color shirt you have on. Good honest hard-working people continue, these are people of modest means . . . continue to elect these rich cocksuckers who don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t give a fuck about you . . . they don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t care about you at all . . . at all . . . at all, and nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. That’s what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes everyday, because the owners of this country know the truth. It’s called the American Dream cause you have to be asleep to believe it..."

-- George Carlin

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. good for them!!

[katandmoon]

7. K&R for great news

[dipsydoodle]

8. Very well expressed with only a minor insertion needed

"Every day , in the USA, people are drowning from the cost of health care"

[Edweird]

9. Excellent.

[Amos Moses]

10. K&R

[Better Believe It]

11. K & R

[JimWis]

12. K&R - great news to have them on our side.

[MasonJar]

13. This should shake up a few votes...or get rid of some Blue Dogs.

[unkachuck]

14. K&R for the AFL-CIO and the Public Option....n/t

[swilton]

15. Three Cheers!

K & R

[OhioChick]

16. K&R n/t

[bertman]

18. Excellent!! Recommend.

[Hulk]

20. Hurray! I think President Obama knows what he is doing...

I know...we'd all like to bitch and moan about "how President Obama isn't being specific enough....blah, blah, blah..." and all the other criticisms.

Frankly, I think he knows exactly what he is doing..and he's doing it exactly right. Give the ball to Congress. Let them bitch and moan, hammer and smooth out; then let the unions, the factions, the public all make their wishes known...and I honestly think the end product is going to have it all.

President Obama KNOWS he is going to take a popularity hit on this one. The repukes play hard and they play dirty. President Obama is NO FOOL, unlike the last dink we had sleeping in the White House for EIGHT F*CKING YEARS!

Have a little faith folks. Bitch and moan all you want...but understand Obama is no moron. We'll get what we deserve..and if you think we deserve it all, we'll get it!

[rury]

23. I think President Obama is going to pounce after

Labor Day.
Just watch, he stayed above the fray and let everybody throw their ingredients in the pot.
Now he'll taste it and say what goes and what stays.
And Democratic Senators are not going to buck their own president on this.
We WILL get a law that radically changes how healthcare is delivered in this country and it WILL contain a strong public option!!

[skroood]

25. or...

or not.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26672.html

[Amos Moses]

34. It's all about Obama getting a "win".

Read this shit:

On health care, Obama’s willingness to forgo the public option is sure to anger his party’s liberal base. But some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers if they argue they would rather have no health care law than an incremental one. The confrontation would allow Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done.

If that is the truth, then it's the dumbest, most low down and crooked way he could possibly approach such important legislation. Making concessions to these right wing kooks in the hopes they'll start to like him is a big waste of an extremely rare opportunity for meaningful reform.

I don't know why the thought of that surprised me. He's shown that he's more than willing to spit on his base to score a few points in his little corporatist chess game. :puke:

[Alcibiades]

27. I hope you are right

All too often, though, I see Democrats who find a way to lose, especially when it comes to relations between Congress and the president. We saw it when the Democratic Congress, out of fear and greed, screwed up the Clinton health care plan, and we saw it many times under Carter, who never enjoyed a good relationship with Congress--so much so, in fact, that I think their failure to get anything done domestically helped to bring about Reagan.

Democratic MC's are gutless when it comes to standing up to a GOP president, but suddenly acquire backbones whenever a Democrat is in power. They have not learned the lessons of accepting presidential leadership in the legislative agenda, and seem not to notice that they lose when their president loses. I hope they learn in time.

[midnight]

I would love to see this President pounce. Let's get it done.

[midnight]

66. I would love to see this President pounce. Let's get it done.

[joeycola]

71. Lets hope it will be more than his current wishy washy approach.

[hellsbeagle]

21. K+R

[Omaha Steve]

40. Welcome to the DU

Stop by the Labor Forum sometime.

[hay rick]

22. K&R

[skroood]

24. ooops

so...now there's NO public option? wtf?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26672.html

[wpelb]

29. From skrood's link at politico.com

On health care, Obama’s willingness to forgo the public option is sure to anger his party’s liberal base. But some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers if they argue they would rather have no health care law than an incremental one. The confrontation would allow Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done.

“We have been saying all along that the most important part of this debate is not the public option, but rather ensuring choice and competition,” an aide said. “There are lots of different ways to get there.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26672.html#ixzz0Pv8XKHki

The aide appears to be thinking what I've posted in one or two other threads here: "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

[fasttense]

38. As if every half-baked piece of legislation only gets better.

Frequently legislation gets worse. Medicare part D comes to mind along with the cap on Social Security taxes for the uber wealthy. There is no guarantee that a weak health care reform bill will get better instead of worse.

[nolabear]

28. K&R. Good on ya!

I've got a son who is opting for basic catastrophic because it's so bloody expensive for a healthy young male just starting out. I'm about to offer to pay for a more expensive policy but hell, I've got to save for my dotage sometime! This gets more important every day.

[defendandprotect]

30. ...good, good, good . . . !!!!

[defendandprotect]

31. Where are the women's groups and other liberal organizations...????

They should be calling Democrats out to demonstrate for MEDICARE FOR ALL --!!!

[IndianaGreen]

62. How many of them are part of the ruling class?

How many of them hold investments in Big Parma and Big Insurer?

This is a class issue, and I don't think we are going to see the parasitic investor class joining the AFL-CIO.

[defendandprotect]

83. Well, that was my suspicion . . .

about Gloria Steinfeld, who IMO should never have been in the leadership of the
women's movement --

Other better female leaders were sidelined --

As someone else has said . . . the leaders we have are given to us by the ruling class!

On the other hand, I have confidence in Ellie Smeal -- but, of course, I don't know her
personally!

[umaine79]

32. Obama won't let us down

He is ready to kick ass. Health Care will get done with a public option. This will be his legacy. The two wishy washy moderate Senators from Maine are toast if they don't get in step with Obama and they know it.

[LooseWilly]

36. See post #25 (n/t)

[TankLV]

49. Gee - "keeping the powder dry" and all that other PROVEN crap!!!

yeah - and I've got a BRIDGE with some SWAMP LAND to sell you!!!

I'll only BELIEVE it AFTER I see it - and so far, I can only go on RESULTS - NOT WHAT HE SAYS - RESULTS - and so far the RESULTS are very very disappointing...

And don't tell us all the WINDOW DRESSING he has "accomplished" - sure he's painted the fucking rooms in the White House - but on the IMPORTANT issues - SPYING, Torture, Giving Taxpayer Money to the very CRIMINALS who got us into this mess in the first place, War Escalation, catering to the fucking WACKO RELIGIOUS FUNDIES while giving a FINGER TO THE GBLT, etc. etc. - he has FAILED BIGTIME!!!

[JeanGrey]

51. As you must know by now, no it won't. And yes he has

let us down.................:cry::cry:

[LaPera]

33. This is excellent-We all have to draw our line in the sand as well-We must have a Public Option.

[pokercat999]

42. I don't care about a "Public Option", just give me the same

health care package my Congressman has at the same percentage of my income that his coverage costs relative to his income!

A rank and file congress person makes $174,000.00 annually and pays about $500 per month for health insurance or about 3% of their base salary.

[JeanGrey]

52. We will NEVER get what they get at any price.

[jannyk]

35. K&R

[Joanne98]

43. Thank you.

[Christa]

45. K & R

Take note, Mr President.

[Vinca]

46. If this doesn't straighten the spines of Democrats, I don't know what will.

[louis c]

47. This is exactly what we need

Progressives need Organized Labor, and we need progressives in order to advance our agendas.

This is the heart and soul of FDR's Grand Coalition

[Steerpike]

48. I hope this all works out.

I can't help but thinking we squandered our opportunities by allowing the Repugs time to throw money at the issue. Because we didn't pounce on this issue and push a bill onto the floor immediately we gave conservatives the time to throw millions of dollars into a campaign of lies and disinformation. We now have lost the momentum and face the real possibility of passing a neutered health bill that will accomplish nothing at best...at worst be a boondoggle for big pharma and the insurance barons. We should have struck hard when the iron was hot...

[JeanGrey]

50. I'm afraid labor doesn't have power anymore.

[electricray]

53. I think labor has the same power it always has...

but that power isn't in the warchest of the unions. Oganized labor made a mistake thinking that it's power was in the money and lobbying game. It has never been that. Our strength has always been in our ability to mobilize the rank-and-file around issues that we all relate to and are passionate about. Contrary to what the major media would have us think, the Corporate line on health-care doesn't wash with the average worker. There are many local unions that have passed resolutions for HR 676 with membership votes and the new President of the AFL-CIO is on record supporting it as well.

Our power is still here, we have needed a voice at the top to unleash it. Trumka, so far, seems to be using that voice.

[JeanGrey]

57. Well if we have the power Obama isn't afraid of us.

[Odin2005]

54. +1

[DMNinFL]

55. I wrote a letter/email

to The President, my senators, and my rep.  I finished it off
with this sentence:

"No public option means NO vote, NO money, NO time."

I am very afraid that we have been sold a bill of goods.
So......I will not vote for anyone who stands in the way of a
strong public option (including Mr. Obama).  I will not give
any money to anyone who does not support, and aggressively
work for a public option (including Mr. Obama).  And, I will
not donate my time to any candidate who does not support and
aggressively work for a strong public option. (including Mr.
Obama)

Oh no......am I making "the perfect the enemy of the
good"?????
NO.  I'm just stopping the people I vote for, give money to,
and work for from bending me over again.
That includes Mr. Obama.

[Blue_Tires]

56. 100th rec

[fascisthunter]

58. another kick! (nt)

[closeupready]

59. Amen.

n/t

[Vidar]

60. If the Democrats can't come through on this a Labor party would be an

appropriate response.

[tekisui]

65. knr!~

[pberq]

68. Union YES!!!

The other day Thom Hartmann said unions are a critical to the recovery of the economy.

[Dora]

70. Thank you, AFL-CIO!

:yourock:

[David Zephyr]

72. K&R.

.

[umaine79]

73. One Day National Sick Strike

We need a National Sick Out Day to get the Blue Dogs attention.

[RedCloud]

74. Makes Labor Day more special this year!

[FunMe]

75. Obama officially kills Public Option

Now we know:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/axelrod-obama-is-ready-to-close-on-health-care.html

"As to the fate of a government option plan to compete with private insurance, Axelrod suggested the controversial concept is gone but not forgotten: "The spirit that led him to support a public option is still very much at play here and so you know he wants competition. He wants choice. "

Ladies & Gentlemen, our President has officially let down his own party and revealed that he only cares about CORPORATIONS and not us.

What do we do now?

Obama, by ignoring his VOTING base, is the only person to blame for losses in 2010 and him being a 1 term president.

[humbled_opinion]

76. hmmm interesting dillema...

We can either support Obama with all his shortcomings or elect the warlords, criminals and miscreants, that got us into the mess that we are currently in......

What an obvious choice don't you concur?

It will take alot more then Obama going off the Progressive reservation on a few issues to sway my opinion of the greatest President in a generation.

[Amos Moses]

78. Obviously we elected another "warlord" in November.

Off the progressive reservation? He's yet to set foot in the fucking place.

Stop pretending he's any different. He's for the status quo.

You like him so much, you can have him for the next 3.5 years. After that, he's DONE!

[katty]

77. K&R

[BOG PERSON]

79. When I want to back a winner, I back American labor.

:sarcasm:

[MessiahRp]

80. If Dems had any spine they would have called the GOP's Do-Over Bluff

And started all over again.... at Single Payer. If the GOP whines, say we gave them their chance and they weren't willing to negotiate in good faith. Then use reconciliation and pass this ourselves.

Of course most of the Senate Dems are bought and paid for and as corrupt as Republicans but it would have changed the debate in this country and stopped people from being mad at the Public Option. After all, the Public Option is nothing compared to Single Payer if you want to rail on about Government involvement.

Rp

[BrklynLiberal]

81. One more cheer for LABOR!!!

[TBF]

82. K&R in solidarity with labor. nt