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Proofreading can help:

Graf 2--WHY did Obama take single payer out of the dicussion, "off the table"?

Final graf--DEregitration from the Dem Party by any of us who feel the party has lost its way

Remember the Time cover which photoshopped Obama as FDR?

Ha! As an earlier caller said, FDR said the financial sector needed to be regulated for the good of the many, not catered to for the good of the few. Our current Dem prez?

BAILOUTS for the private sector; MANDATES to purchase for-profit private sector offerings and increase the profitability of the private for-profit sector.

Since costs need to be cut for health CARE to be sustainable, WHY did Obama take single payer, the only plan which is known and proven in other countries to bring costs down (Canada but the closest example)...WHY?

We can't know his inner motives; we can only observe his actions and his inconsistencies.

This is not my father's Democratic Party. It's not the Dem Party of my youth or my middle age.

It's now a Corporatist, center right party. The Repubs are bat guano crazy far to the right.

Right now, party leaders are saying, "Where ya gonna to, sweeties?"

I think it's time for a National Month of DEregistration from the Democratic Party by any of us who feel they have lost their way, are not governing under the principles of the party (unless there's a secret set of principles we little folk are never told about), are no longer representing the interests of the many but of the few. This resignation should be followed by a brief note explaining to the DNC why individuals have done this.

Producers:

Instead of naming only Democratic names in the McCarthyesque manner promised in the promo of this show, name ALL local politicians regardless of party affiliation less their we forget at the ballot box and only have the “rogue” Democrats names stuck in our head. Coverage like this only fuels the belief that Democrats only should worry about November.

Also, please refrain from “X % of Americans hate this bill” kind of speak without differentiating why Americans do in fact hate this bill. Simply saying Americans hate the bill presumes the majority of Americans agree with Republicans when many see the bill as too anemic.

Lastly, WNYC (and NPR broadcasted by WNYC) seem to insist on adopting the political far Right’s verbiage on abortion in the bill framing language that already goes above and beyond the so called Hyde amendment portraying it as support for abortion on demand.

this country needs 434 more dennis kucinich's. he seems to be the ONLY reasonable elected official who is actually legislating for the PEOPLE. what a concept, huh?
he's using his intellect to make a sensible decision that represents the people of this country who don't have any connection to lobbyists to buy their cause.
this is bad legislation and should not be passed. it's a disguised gift to those same lobbyists.

Health insurance is now up. but it ties in inextricably with the topic of the Ravitch segment: States who CARE for their populations face high Medicare and health insurance provision costs for their populations.

Oh, woe is us! I've been arguing since before a new Dem president took office that our economic problems were tied inextricably to our health care problems. That universal single payer would free much of the creativity of our economy and people.

PNHP and others have presented solutions for the health CARE based on some kind of single payer system, with universal coverage creating one huge pool in this nation, and the profit aspect removed from the system ON THE INSURER LEVEL.

Small businesses and the self-employed must face the huge and ever rising costs of health insurance on their own. Large corporations do as well, but have larger pools to offer to a for-profit insurer, have deeper pockets, and many are self-insured bcz their pockets are deep enough to absorb the occasional cost spkes.

OK -- Ravitch is saying the Medicare is a huge cost factor for the state, as it is for many states unless those states choose to ignore the plight of their uninsured.

Unfortunately, the Dem president we elected has decided to protect the ongoing profitability of for-profit private insurers, Big PhRMA, Big Hospital chains -- and not the needs of the population.

PNHP says we could have saved (still could) $400B per year with single payer Medicare (Improved!) for All...with private PROVIDERS, full CHOICE of providers,comprehensive coverage from dollar one, dental and vision.

But, no, said the new Dem prez --that could NOT EVEN BE CONSIDERED.

We are going to pay for that choice on many awful levels and mostly on the backs of the little people.

The current BHIP-PPP? Big Health Insurance Parasites Proft Protection Plan? Nibbles around the edges and will not control COSTS.

How bad is this healthcare legislation? House Democrats considering the Slaughter Solution: a way to avoid actually VOTING on the bill, just DEEMING it passed. Profiles in courage, baby!

They rival the New York State legislature.

It's just that the Republicans are master fact twisters and super propagandists.
Insurance Companies are greedy capitalists and find ways to make us pay several times over for the same potential( broken leg ) examples, Health , Auto , Home and Business liability.
Reform tort law, so as to reduce lawsuits and help keep all these forms of insurance down.
Oh, but then we have to deal with the Greedy Capitalist lawyers.
I give up, beam me up Scotty, there is no intelligent life here.

Why can't Democrats threaten to use Republicans blocking it in the upcoming election in the same way that Republicans are threatening Democrats? Why can't Democrats say things like, "The only winners in defeating this bill are the insurance companies?"