Kucinich responds to Obama’s health care address

[G_j]

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/10/kucinich-responds-to-obamas-health-care-address/


Kucinich responds to Obama’s health care address

By Raw Story

Published: September 10, 2009


Following President Obama’s Wednesday night address on health care reform before a joint session of Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) was interviewed by Jack Rice of Talk Radio/Talk Media News Service.

Kucinich, who has been a leading proponent of a single-payer system in which the government provides health insurance for all Americans, praised the president for giving a “great speech” but saw nothing to get excited about in the details of Obama’s proposals.

“Private insurance companies are going to get at least 30 million new customers mandated,” Kucinich told the interviewer. “We’re investing in the wrong people. … The insurance companies are being given a huge break. The pharmaceutical companies are getting a windfall. … We ought to be mindful of the concerns of the American people and not the concerns of the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies.”

Kucinich also worries that “the costs are not going to be sustainable” and that “a year or two after this program starts, we’ll be back at the problem where people are having trouble paying for their health insurance, having trouble with their copays and deductibles.”

“The system that we have now is wrong,” Kucinich concludes. “There’s an underlying fault with this for-profit system. … I’m not very optimistic at this point based on what I heard tonight.”

(Transcript at link)

[tekisui]

1. knr!~

[Joanne98]

2. He's right.

[Nite Owl]

3. As usual

Kucinich is right. It was a great speech but does little for us and lots for the corporations.

[ProSense]

4. "I’m not very optimistic"

Kucinich is going to vote for the final bill despite his grandstanding.

[G_j]

7. he is doing job, and well

giving the American people a voice in the debate.

[ProSense]

8. Kucinich is bordering on not knowing what he's talking about with this point

Kucinich also worries that “the costs are not going to be sustainable” and that “a year or two after this program starts, we’ll be back at the problem where people are having trouble paying for their health insurance, having trouble with their copays and deductibles.”

[G_j]

10. and what is so incorrect in that statement? nt

[tbyg52]

30. Really. The insurance companies (and corporations in general) are still in charge.

Not that I expected anything else.

[ProSense]

11. Will he vote for it:

RICE: One last question, Congressman. Based upon what you’re saying so far, will you vote against this system, this new bill if it ever comes before you.

KUCINICH: Well, as we learned from a few months ago, there is no telling what is going to come to us. I’m not very optimistic at this point based on what I heard tonight. And I’m not saying it’s my way or the highway. Yes, I’m the co-author of a bill for single payer. And that’s going to take a national movement that could take years to bring about. And it would be good if we made progress in the direction of trying to find a way to help people to survive in this economy. I think a bill that gives broad subsidies to insurance and pharmaceutical interests is a problem.

Excellent cop out.

[treestar]

14. That's his job, or the one he took on

The voice of the future - keeping the ideas out there.

I would love it if he were President and like every bill he proposes, from impeaching Cheney to health care.

If the rest of the country would elect Congressmen who would pass these bills, we'd have it made.

[ProSense]

18. Dennis is distorting the bill, and he will vote for it in the end. n/t

[treestar]

22. Yes, he's not delusional and he'll support going in the right direction

And keep talking about what could be and presenting bills for it.

I love Dennis!

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Yes, I would have rather had people pay into a gov't system at a lower cost. Not just

people in a certain financial bracket, but anyone who wanted to participate in that program.

[Deja Q]

6. The President too said "costs will be unsustainable" - or clearly alluded to it, last night.

Kucinich is right, but we'll see where this goes. I will take, in good faith, the President is looking at ALL Americans, equally. Maybe there is the "another way" of which he spoke of, last night.

[Vidar]

9. Thank you fro the truth, Dennis.

[justinaforjustice]

12. Kucinich Is Right! Very Poor Policy.

Obama's writing is superb, as are his speaking skills. But the policy he has put forward is a betrayal of the 2008 Democratic Party Platform and Obama's campaign promises. It does not provide health care for all at an affordable price. It is a massive give-away to the private insurers who have already killed and bankrupted hundreds of thousands of Americans.


His speech reveals that President Obama is prepared to jettison a really effective public option for one that only covers 5% of the people -- those who don't have any other insurance. His watered down version will not reduce health costs because the private insurers will not have any real competition from a public option that would be open to everyone to choose. His plan will mandate that everyone but the very poor will be required to buy insurance from private companies, thus insuring that the private insurers makes loads more money. There seemed to be no control over what the private insurers can charge their windfall mandated customers for their policies.

Folks, President Obama is a brilliant writer and speaker, which camouflages the fact that he is selling out all those who worked so hard to get him elected. His plan will not insure quality health care for all citizens, which was what the 2008 Democratic Party platform promised and what presidential candidate Obama promised.

We need quality health care for all at an affordable price. Opening up Medicare for All would do that. Obama's plan will not. We need Doctor Howard Dean in 2012 to bring meaningful health care reform.

[G_j]

13. quality health care for all at an affordable price

that doesn't seem to be the bottom line..

:-(

[Bushknew]

16. Dean & Dennis!!!

[Bushknew]

15. The same people here who were impressed with John Kerry’s gravitas are ...

the same people who bow down to Obama’s eloquence and say he hit
it out of the park.



Dennis doesn’t have Kerry’s gravitas or Obama’s oratory skill.

What Dennis has is sound judgment. As time passes, many who are cheering now will find

out this was not the best course of action after all. Just as Dennis was one of the few voices against the war.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x368612

[ProSense]

17. "Dennis doesn’t have Kerry’s gravitas or Obama’s oratory skill" so he resorts to grandstanding?

He will vote for this bill in silence just like he vote for SCHIP and the stimulus package.

[G_j]

19. is he still trying the influence the final outcome?

Yes. And it's a good thing.

[ProSense]

20. By distorting the bill?

While Dennis is out distorting the bill, the progressive caucus is out fighting to preserve it.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), the co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that her caucus would work to define the public option in debates over healthcare reform as Congress and Obama press forward with their top legislative priority.

"Last night, we got our marching orders," she said in an interview on MSNBC. "The progressives in the House, we're ready, we're going to help define the public option so it's actually what the president want."

But she said that the caucus, comprised of the most self-identified liberals in Congress, wouldn't settle for a compromise on the public (or "government-run") option.

"The public option is the best idea, so I won't be open to any options that would weaken what the public option would bring," she said.

link

[G_j]

23. ..wouldn't settle for a compromise on PO

the main difference I see is optimism on the part of the Caucus.
You still haven't pointed out the distortion on DK's part.

[druidity33]

33. the fact is

not everyone will be able to opt in to the Public Option. I believe Kucinich wants EVERYONE who wants to, should have access to the PO. That is what Dennis is talking about. There ARE too many giveaways to the Pharma and Health Ins industries in this bill. He's not making that up!

Please give me one concrete way that Dennis is "distorting the bill". The final bill hasn't even been written and there are at least 4 versions out there. None of them reconcile the cost adequately because they will allow those Corp industries control over the process.

The key is having a National NOT FOR PROFIT Public Option available to anyone who wants it. Can someone besides the government do that?

:shrug:

[G_j]

34. I tried

also to get an answer,
:shrug:

[Donnachaidh]

32. expressing an opinion is grandstanding?

How Rovian can you get? He voted for Schip so children, specifically poor children, could get healthcare.

[WI_DEM]

21. if only he could come in better than fourth in the Ohio presidential primary.

[Bushknew]

26. If people only had better sense.. nt

[Donnachaidh]

31. exactly! +1000

:thumbsup:

[Individualist]

24. K&R

[SIMPLYB1980]

25. DK is getting about as bad as Nader and almost as useless.nt

[Trillo]

27. +36

or is it +1

[sabbat hunter]

28. unfortunately

Single payer has ZERO chance of passing right now. We can look at this as a step in the right direction, a few years from now take another step towards eliminating for profit health insurance companies.

I would have loved it if back in 1950 we listened to Harry S Truman and passed a single payer for all. Alas even then the right wing of this country used panic words like "socialism" and "Communism". Hell even when SS was being passed they yelled it, luckily the dems had a huge majority in both houses and more of a backbone, passed SS.

[G_j]

29. saw an old B&W photo

the other day, of someone holding a sign accusing LBJ of being a communist and a socialist.


But, I believe DK views the single payer fight as one that will take more time.