Howard Dean: A fuller account of what Dean actually said .... "This is not health care reform"

[Better Believe It]

Dean On Health Care: "Kill The Senate Bill"
Bob Kinzel - Montpelier, VT
December 15, 2009


Host) Former Governor Howard Dean is back at the center of the health care reform debate in Washington. Dean says the time has come for Senate Democratic leaders to kill the current health care reform bill because it's no longer worth supporting. Dean is upset that the Democrats appear willing to weaken a public option provision in the bill in order to secure the vote of Independent Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman.

Dean, speaking from an airport in Puerto Rico, said the Democrats' apparent decision to appease Lieberman has left them with a bill that's not worth supporting. He thinks they should start over using a parliamentary procedure usually reserved for budget bills, known as reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority of senators to pass.

(Dean) "This is essentially the collapse of health care reform in the United States Senate. And, honestly, the best thing to do right now is kill the Senate bill and go back to the House and start the reconciliation process, where you only need 51 votes and it would be a much simpler bill."

Dean) "The American people don't care how we get this, as long as we get a decent process. The Republicans in the Senate will moan and groan, but they're out of touch with where America really is. You have the vast majority of Americans want the choices, they want real choices. They don't have them in this bill. This is not health care reform and it's not close to health care reform."

Dean) "There are some good things in this bill, but they're small, and let's have a small bill for this $32 billion. Doesn't sound like a small amount, but compared to a trillion dollars - 27 percent of which is going to go to the insurance companies' pockets, it's a small price to pay to help community health care centers and prevention and wellness programs."



Read the full article at:

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/86681/

[mike_c]

1. it's terrible legislation and should be killed....

It just gets worse and worse. Time to pull the plug.

[rateyes]

2. Dean speaks for me.

[VMI Dem]

3. Some center right idiots are calling Dean a teabagger now.

[LooseWilly]

4. While the House starts reconciliation, I think Reid should make a SHOW out of the filibuster.

I think Reid should re-insert the public option and the medicare buy in both... and let the Republicans filibuster. Get them on camera. Get the pundits talking about it. Let the people see the Republicans stalling, and for a change show the Democrats willing to put up a fight.

Tip off the media on the day that Joe Lieberman is no longer welcome in the Democratic Caucus, so the cameras can catch the look in his eyes when security tells him "You're not welcome. Buh bye." (Let's see how much contributions he can shake out of his corporate donors if he's locked out of the system, rather than the pivotal cog.)

What's the worst that could happen? Republicans get their talking points out hour after hour? (They get that already.) The Democrats can't get a bill past the filibuster? (They already can't.) The Republicans, exhausted after 23 days of straight filibustering, slip and say something they really think while the cameras are rolling? (Slim chance.) The Republicans might actually start to feel some pressure about their filibustering and obstructionism?...

Kill Bill... and maybe actually help, rather than cripple, election success odds in '10.