Morning Jokesters loved Bernie Sanders straight talk on the health care bill which Sanders supports.

[flpoljunkie]

But Senator Sanders, D-Vermont, made plain why the bill is what it is--and that is because of the 'Big Money' influence in Congress. Sanders says the only to make health care affordable is Medicare-for-all so our health care expenses look more like the other industrialized countries. Sanders is responsible for the $10 billion added to the Senate health care bill for community health centers--which will help a lot of people who cannot otherwise afford to buy insurance on the new exchanges.







http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/11/an_insurance_industry_ceo_expl.html

[midnight]

1. More and more, I'm beginning to understand why I hear people say they can't

afford to live in the U.S.

Thanks Senator Sanders-every little bit helps.

But can we just have someone in congress tell us how they can go to church and hold their head up knowing American workers are being sacrificed for their golden, but temp. lifestyle here on earth...... This is just wrong...... I posted earlier today on a post about if this HCB works would those of us condemning it cop up and say we were wrong. But OMG this graph sadly will prove how wrong this bill is....

[flpoljunkie]

4. Bernie Sanders says he cannot vote against providing healthcare to another 31 million people.

Neither can I. I applaud him for getting $10 billion worth of community health centers added to Reid's managers amendment.

[Honeycombe8]

7. He was paid off. That's how politics works, unfortunately. So he's not credible.

He'll say what he's paid to say, apparently. He was against the bill before he was for it.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Sanders used his leverage to help people all over the country, not just his state--unlike Nelson,

Nelson, Landrieu, et al.

[Honeycombe8]

13. He was paid off with multi-million dollar building in Vermont. nt

[cali]

15. are you utterly dim?

Bernie secure 10 billion for CHCs around the country. Very little of that is headed toward Vermont. The vast majority will benefit millions around the country.

[flpoljunkie]

31. Apparently. Some 25 million more Americans would be served by these community health centers.

Some 25 million more Americans would be served by community health centers that would provide primary medical and dental care, low-cost prescription drugs and mental health services in 10,000 more communities. “Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been a leader on this issue and deserves credit. He was dogged. He looked to this bill to provide a helping hand across America,” Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate leader, said on Monday.

from Senator Sanders newsletter today...

[cali]

14. bzzzt. if by paid off you mean extending primary health care and dental care to millions

you're right. And no, sorry, he never committed to vote against the legislation.

You know dog shit about bernie if you think he'll say what he's paid to say, honey. I do know. He was my rep before being my Senator and I've met him many times.

I certainly trust bernie over the likes of YOU.

[phleshdef]

16. Bernie Sanders doesn't GET paid off. You obviously don't know who you are talking about.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Ah! Another hit-and-run 'Unrecommender.' Coward!

[stray cat]

3. I appreciated it - refreshing honesty versus partisan spin

[flpoljunkie]

5. Bernie Sanders is my favorite senator. He's smart, liberal, and tough as nails.

[golddigger]

6. The comments section to this...

piece are very interesting.

[chimpymustgo]

8. I posted an OP on this in GD. He was refreshingly honest. Perhaps that will be the good that comes

from this god-forsaken "reform" bill: the scales have fallen from many eyes about our President and Congress and who they serve.

[flpoljunkie]

11. MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan is looking to open eyes. He just designated '09 'Year of the lobbyist.'

Interestingly enough, Bernie Sanders has not signed onto Dick Durbin's 'Fair Elections Now Act' which would provide for public financing of federal campaigns. He mentioned on Thom Hartmann that he had some problems with it, but did not say what they were.

Sanders thinks if the American people held their representatives accountable at the ballot box and paid attention to what they were doing, we could have much more influence than we do. He's right, but how do you get the American people to pay attention. Easier said than done.

[suzie]

21. You sound exactly like a right-winger.

I've been reading them for years and since a black man was elected President, they spend all their time insisting that he's a dupe, a puppet.

Funny to read that same sentiment on a site that's supposed to be for "progressive" Democrats.

[Armstead]

22. Because Obama is black he can;t be criticized?

[suzie]

25. I didn't say that.

But the tone and rhetoric of posts lately on DU is almost the same as that of the right wing.

And most of it seems to focus on Obama being some kind of puppet. We read all kinds of stuff about "puppets", "trojan horses", "sellout".

Seems like the right wing is simply more honest than a lot of "so-called progressives". They go ahead and make the racist statements instead of hiding behind the rhetoric of "progressivism".

[chimpymustgo]

28. You sound exactly like an asshole.

[suzie]

30. Guess I was right about you at least.

[Cha]

33. Look who's calling someone else "an asshole".

[Cha]

32. You may have "scales" but my family and friends had their

eyes wide open when Obama won, chimpy.

And, he's doing the work while his detactors continue posting shit on the internet.

[jefferson_dem]

10. The Hill has a write-up on Sanders' comments, if you're interested.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/73311-sanders-big-money-interests-control-congress

[flpoljunkie]

19. Thanks, jefferson_dem! It's below for those who did not see Bernie on MSNBC.

Sanders: 'Big money interests control' Congress

By Michael O'Brien

Moneyed interests "control" the Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lamented Tuesday.

Sanders, the liberal independent senator, said that health insurance companies and drug manufacturers are getting too much out of the Senate healthcare bill, but said he'd still vote for it in order to extend coverage.

"The insurance companies are going to make out like bandits. The drug companies are going to make out like bandits," Sanders said during an appearance on MSNBC. "No question about that. This is not a strong bill."

A number of liberal senators have lamented the strength of the bill, complaining about its subsidies to insurers in the absence of a government-run option to stay competitive with private health providers.

Sanders unloaded on Congress, though, for being too beholden to corporate interests. He said:

The truth is -- let me break the bad news to the American people -- big money interests control the United States Congress. That's the reality. Some of us, for years -- I'm an independent -- have been trying to give the working class, middle class, low-income people some power. But the reality is, campaign contributions -- What do you think? We bailed out Wall Street; we're giving insurance companies, drug companies breaks here. But the choice that I have is whether you kill this bill and you allow 46 million people to continue without health insurance. I think that's the worst option.

But while the state of the Congress may be bad, Sanders argued, it is better than it was under Republican control.

"What I'm trying to say is, the political situation in this country -- it was worse under the Republicans. Nothing was done that didn't have the support of the big money interests," Sanders argued. "I think it's better under the Democrats, at least they are trying to do something."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/73311-sanders-big-money-interests-control-congress

[Clio the Leo]

12. I agree with them, "Thank you Bernie for speaking the truth!"

..... and that's something we can all agree on because he covered ALL of it and said things that ALL of us believe.

[freddie mertz]

17. Bernie's words and his actions don't really add up.

Yes he got his clinics, including big breaks for Vermont.

But this was achieved at the expense of what he still describes as his principles.

I recognize that he is stuck between a rock and hard place, but his statements provide a more cogent argument for NOT supporting the bill, while his action is to vte for it anyway, in a kind of resigned gesture of submission.

I feel bad for him, but wish he could have used his position to get something better.

[cali]

20. He did not get big breaks for Vermont

As a matter of fact, it was Leahy who engineered the big breaks for Vermont. At most, VT will get two new health centers out of what Bernie negotiated.

No, his comments make it clear that he believes it would be unconscionable not to vote for this legislation, flawed and ugly as it is. Why? Because bernie actually cares about the people who need healthcare so desperately.

[freddie mertz]

24. That is the charitable interpretation. And in this case, I'd like to be charitable.

Standing up and fighting a bit more for the PO would not have negated his decision to vote in the end-game, but it would have required that he at least threaten to support the filibuster.

I understand what that would have made him uncomfortable.

Still in the end, its odd to listen to him, saying the bill is corrupt and terrible while, in the same breath, expressing his willingness to vote for it on the basis of its god features.

It's a testament to how badly our government, and the Democratic party in this case, has been poisoned by special interests.

[Armstead]

27. I agree with you overall -- But I do think Bernie did the best anyone could do

he pushed for community health centers nationwide. A lot betyter than the jackasses like Nelson who wanted Medicaid exemptions for their state.

[freddie mertz]

29. I am disappointed in him, myself.

In the end, not one progressive senator stood up for the public option or against the healthcare benefits tax.

Not one.

Several said they would, but they all fell into line as the store was given away to Lieberman and Nelson.

I'm pretty pissed about it, actually.

[WI_DEM]

18. I like Bernie Sanders he isn't a grandstander like DK.

[Cha]

34. Or russ GRANDSTANDER feingold.

[Armstead]

23. Bernie does not want to be a left-wing Lieberman -- But he hates this crappy bill

Bernie has long been my political hero and he will continue to be.

What is most disgusting is that he has been put in the position by the Spineless Democrats where he realizes he has to support a rotten bill just to get a few crumbs.

[AspenRose]

26. I agree.

And I like Bernie too. What you see is what you get.

I think he was between the devil and the deep blue sea.

[grantcart]

35. Catch hardball today

He was clear that he wanted more but he was enthusiastic repeat enthusiastic about this bill.


"25 million more insured"

"20,000 more primary care physicians"

"10,000 more community health care centers"