Call you senator, and tell them you want "NO mandate" and "public option for ALL":

[brentspeak]

And that such health care legislation needs to be become effective not four+ years from now:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[Buzz Clik]

1. No health care reform at all rather than this important first step? Why would I support that?

People are acting like selfish children.

[brentspeak]

2. Further empowering the insurance industry is what you term "reform"?

:spray:

[Buzz Clik]

7. No, it isn't reform. Thank God that isn't what is being propose.

The level of discourse on this subject has totally eroded. It is quite possible to reform health insurance and health care without single payer and without the universal public option.

I am far more interested in getting everyone insured than I am interested in seeing a government-run health insurance program for me.

[Oregone]

11. Dying desperate bankrupt people == selfish children

Shame on you all for trying!

[Buzz Clik]

12. Please explain.

[Oregone]

13. "People are acting like selfish children. "

A lot of people *need* a real solution, now.

[Buzz Clik]

25. My point exactly.

Rather than getting in the way of the real needs (i.e., 100% insured), we should be pushing forward.

Saying, "I refuse to support any proposal that doesn't contain the public option", we should be making sure that everyone is insured. Number one priority.

[Oregone]

28. I guess that hinges on your faithful belief this will result in a real solution immediately

[Buzz Clik]

30. The word "immediately" does not exist on Capitol Hill.

[Oregone]

34. But it does exist in the minds of Dying Desperate Bankrupt "selfish children"

Those fuckers

[MNDemNY]

3. I want the public option, but a mandate is necessary.

[brentspeak]

4. No more than 5% of the population will be eligible under Obama's "public option"

While 100% of the rest of the population will be subject to the mandate. That's what known as "The Big Screw".

[Peacetrain]

5. That is a HUGE misread... Never did he say that

[TheKentuckian]

8. You ignore that he either thinks the system will work or has no choice but to pretend to

If the regulation and competition work then there isn't any reason why most people will not continue to utilize private coverage.

[Oregone]

14. "there isn't any reason why most people will not continue to utilize private coverage"

Employer-provided private, for-profit insurance is simply a horrible means to provide health care.

When you add up all the overhead, profits, and inefficiencies caused on the delivery end (another 10%), it will continue to break the back of America's businesses and people by impacting the bottom line.

Healthcare is too expensive to simply tack on additional costs to delivery alone. There is plenty of reason to abandon this model as a nation

[Peacetrain]

15. Hopefully you did not waste your vote and vote for Obama.. he never ran for single payer

[depakid]

17. My bet is that if this sort of thing continues- a whole lot of people

won't waste their time in 2010 or 2012.

Why would they?

So that they can get scolded again in the same sentence as "the right?" and our "Republican friends?"

[Peacetrain]

21. Well good luck, Obama is going to run in 2012.. you will have to go

third party or sit it out..

[depakid]

36. I won't personally be able to vote in the states in 2012- but other people will

stay home if the pandering and sell outs continue unabated. And for those who don't decide to sit out, someone like Romney might not look too bad.

Or, as you say, a third party might look attractive.

That's what happens when you alienate (or insult) your base. You create a political vacuum- and someone's going to fill it.

[Oregone]

18. He ran on having good judgment. Id assume he would seek to do the right thing...

Instead of seeking a shroud of political cowardice. To each their own.

Yes, he makes wonderful speeches (like last night). The man can polish a turd like no other.

[Peacetrain]

20. He ran against single payer, and you assumed he would promote single payer?

I do not even know what to say.

[Oregone]

22. Ran against single-payer? That was McCain's plan?

"I do not even know what to say."

[Peacetrain]

23. Never ever ran on single payer.. No not McCains plan..

Seriously is single payer that central to you, did you really vote for Obama?

[Oregone]

24. Not running on it == running against it?!?!

Last I checked, he ran to get elected in a country full of morons. Sometimes you have to act a bit like a moron to make it happen--hopefully it stops once the votes get counted, eh?

[Peacetrain]

26. Did not run on it... I understood that..

[brentspeak]

39. He also didn't campaign on an insurance mandate, either

He actually campaigned against insurance mandates. But that's now part of his "reform" policy as outlined in his speech.

[Peacetrain]

9. His exact words...

"Let me be clear - it would only be an option for those who don't have insurance. No one would be forced to choose it, and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance. In fact, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, we believe that less than 5% of Americans would sign up."


They are estimating that less than 5% will sign up for it.. no where, no way, no how does it say it is limited to 5% of the people.

They are trying to give a guesstimate to put forward some money figures.

[TheKentuckian]

6. The not in four years demand is a non-starter for budget reasons

Even 676 has the lag.

Also, McConnell and Bunning have been harassed on this by me as much as I'm probably going to do. I've moved on to badgering those that at least conceivably will vote for ANY bill.

[quiller4]

10. Why on earth would I make that call? No f******* way.

I want a mandate and I want a public option only as a backstop. I also want a bill to pass.

[brentspeak]

38. Ha! ha! ha!

There have been lots of blatant pro-insurance industry propaganda on DU, but yours has to be the clumsiest of all.

(You're the same genius http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8589250&mesg_id=8589995">who said last month that having a $1,200 month/family policy would make you "dance with joy".)

[GOTV]

16. I don't think you can require coverage for existing conditions without mandates ....

... I don't see how it will work.

If I know you have to cover me at the same low rate even if I already have cancer, I'll just wait until I get sick to get insurance. Why pay for insurance this month when I don't need it this month?

To keep rates low healthy people need to buy insurance too.

[dionysus]

19. the case can be made that a mandate is necessary to create a large enough pool to make a

public option sustain itself. did you know that?

[branders seine]

27. mandates became necessary when single payer was abandoned

[dionysus]

29. i'd think single payer would require a large pool as well.

[branders seine]

31. single payer would not require competition with private insurers

by definition

EVERYONE would be in the same pool

by definition

[dionysus]

32. since the dough comes out of the tax base, that would be kind of a mandate huh.

[branders seine]

33. like Social Security is a "mandate"

or like having roads and schools are "mandates"

[andym]

35. Medicare and SS are more than mandates...

Because if you don't pay you don't just get fined, you can go to jail. But these "taxes" are essentially stronger "mandates."

[Perky]

37. No thanks