Obama's insurance option

[canaan1967]

How can people actually listen to Obama? He is such a phony.

[canaan1967]

"I think it makes more sense to build on what works"

Translation: Nothing should be done to interfere with Insurance companies' and Big Pharma"s obscene profits.

[canaan1967]

People who voted for Nader saw this coming. 

IMPEACH OBAMA

[jamesyireland]

He has one hell of a battle on his hands. The HMOs are gonna fight him tooth and nail all the way. They simply have too much to lose! I wish him well , he's a brave man!

[canaan1967]

@jamesyireland

He doesn't want reform which is the point of this report

[phackqu]

these fukcs can bailout the banks and automakers but not the people?take notes from canada washington!

[NathanZackery]

It is fallacious to declare that since health insurance is 16% of the economy it is indispensible. Over 20% of the Soviet Union's economy was military spending, and we all know how they ended up.

A national health care system does not require thousands of insurance salesmen. Removing these leeches will save money, not harm the economy.

[canaan1967]

What did he mean by 16% of the economy. Was he talking about profits gained by the Health Care Industry or the cost to citizens or consumers?

[jahguy7]

haha.... real news gets the most extreme liberals for all of their interviews.  How funny...

[TheBrightBlackPearl]

THIS SHIT KEEPS GETTING RIDICULOUS!

[dsmoya31410]

The Medicare/Medicaid system is actually adding to costs of private insurance. David Swanson is an idiot - he doesn't get health care at all. Hospitals and clinics cobble together public and private money in order to deliver healthcare. By looking at public (Medicaid/Medicare) option without the private part of the equation, you really don't know the true cost of healthcare.

[Yankhadenough]

Pres. Obama is either very naive (compromise was never a "good" thing in American history... the 3/5ths compromise was later re-addressed with the Civil War), or he is very savvy to not push Single Payer if he believes it will be totally vanquished by the Republican just say no party (such as during Clinton era). Then again, if President Obama just said "YES let's go for it and then you face your constituents if you vote Single Payer down", would that not be a valid strategy ? What say ya'll?

[Tigrisofgaul]

BBBurton:

Social security, welfare, medicare etc doesn't turn a profit?!?! SHOCK HORROR!

As for the success of medicine, they are created by talented individuals in labs, whether they be run my private industry or government is totally irrelevant. Atleast if they were government run, they would not be solely focused on profit and therefore there would be less underhanded tactics and manipulation.

Obama is just another empty shill who campaigned on a lie, as most of them do.

[foundingfatherschild]

What a buffoon! Like Canada...???? Are you KIDDING??? They come down to the USA to get quality care...

They want it for us, but not for themselves...doesn't that tell you something??

If his wife gets breast cancer, is he willing to let her go without treatment, or treatment too late...??? I DIDN'T THINK SO

WHY WOULD WE WANT THAT?????

CANADA has admitted that they have more people dying from cancers that would have been caught sooner if there was better healthcare...

HELLO AMERICA....

[beldapriest]

You Lie!

[foundingfatherschild]

hmmmm... really?

That took a lot of thought..

[PsyogiBottoms]

I imagine while on vacation in the Hamptons the congress 'members' (I like that term - like dick) are busy taking bribes and whoring themselves out to the wealth elite.

Like they really plan to do anything but waste money. Seriously.

I wouldn't trust this government to hold my food stamps.

[immanent]

Man, I sure would like to see Real News interview someone who can make the case for unleashing the free market as a remedy to our health care woes. Tom Woods or Lew Rockwell would make an excellent case.

[PersonalJesus348]

I want single-payer.  Fuck the rest.

[SandCmpbll]

It looks like mindless tv watching and the propoganda from the insurance companies claiming "government take-over" of health care has worked. "you want don't a bureaucrat between you and your doctor". That's straight out of the insurance lobby playbook. Please understand this. We are the only Western democracy without universal healthcare. You don't know it yet, but you've ruined the best chance we have for a more human, healthy society. All because of fear and ignorance. Help us all.

[thequietkid10]

what the hell happened to "news?"

Fox News only does stuff that appeals to neo-cons

Russia TV only does stuff that appeals to libertarians

MSNBC only does stuff that appeals to Democrats

and RNN only does stuff that appeals to Progressives/Socialist

All four of these networks are nothing more then a mouthpiece for a current ideology and all four of these networks have superiority complexes.

[bbburton]

What a bunch of crap. No matter how you slice the pie, the taxpayer will lose big time. Just say no to gov interference in your health. Putting bureaucrats in charge of your health would be like putting the fox in charge of the chickens. No good will result from such a situation. This isn't news, it's propaganda.

[darthrevan6]

Look at any universal public health system out there in the western world, and they're all working much better than the current american health care system.

[grazianodeluca73]

i come from there and i can assure you its not true.think about all the people needs an urgent mri with a public insurance they have between 6-9 month of waiting list paying in full from your pocket the very next day.the lab and the nri machine it is the same but if you pay you can avoid months of waiting.and with examples i can go on and on so dont think or believe somewhere else its better,and anyway you have to pay from your paycheck it isnt free.

[darthrevan6]

Well all the stats and researches tells another story.

[abortabraham]

Don't cite facts when talking to "libertarians". They don't trust facts, those are all socialist ideas.

[rickbar123]

Sure the tax payer will get fucked, NAFTA AND FREE TRADE let big corp America get out of paying taxes. Corp. America loves to send good paying jobs that pay good taxes and benifits over seas(=more people in need of help). That leaves the the middle class to pick up the bill. Oh well, we picked up the wall street bill.

[bootleg42]

So you trust private tyrannies to your health instead??? If they don't see a profit, they won't help you, no matter if your dying and rotting on the floor. Plus with private institutions, you'll see level after level of bureaucracy beyond belief.

On top of that, the people can't influence private tyrannies. The people can influence a government, even if that government is a dictatorship. If the people of the country force a single-payer plan to run well, it will run efficiently beyond belief.

[kwillyou22]

you think that groups of angry people wont cause reform to private enterprises?

[asperin]

Reform to private enterprises should be achieved through the way the consumer spends his money.

A simple law of the market, Supply and Demand.

Unfortunately, we have people whining about "Capitalism is evil" but go to the movies, buy Nike, buy concert tickets, buy Coca Cola, watches TV, take loans from corrupt banks, lets their kids watch the Disney channel and believes that by voting for more government intervention in the market things will be solved.

[PersonalJesus348]

it is evil, get over it.

[bbburton]

What I trust is my decision about my health care. If I don't like what I get, I can go elsewhere. Try that with gov run anything. I don't know where you get your information about how gov works, but if you think the gov is more efficient, you are deluded beyond belief.

[bootleg42]

Government can run efficiently. Just look at NASA and the military. In fact ask the people in the military if they'd switch the government healthcare they get for any private stuff. They won't change it for the world.

And the government is basically responsible for the development of the country. The whole high tech portion of the economy came from the state (the pentagon and NASA), NOT private institutions. Private industry hasn't done anything.

[bbburton]

Are you serious?! Medicare, medicaid, Social Security, the Veterans Administration, are complete financial failures. You think NASA and the military are shinning examples of gov competence?! That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. High tech isn't a gov program, it's gov hijacking of private enterprise. I suppose you think the gov is responsible for the success of medicine, too! Where do you get this stuff? Out of thin air? Have you even been in the military? What you say is nonsense.

[bootleg42]

Easy, just ask most military personal if they'd switch their government run health programs for any private stuff that they'd end up paying. Watch most of their answers.

And the overwhelming majority of high tech development came from government funding and government itself, NOT market forces. The internet and high tech computers mostly came from pentagon funded projects (M.I.T. for example) and thermodynamics mostly come from NASA. Then all of it was given away to private institutions.

[bbburton]

I was in the military, and the fuckers nearly killed me with their injections, so don't give me that crap. Funding does not equal development. I suppose you think the gov invented the automobile, telephone, television, radio, aircraft, and all the inventions of the world?! And you probably believe the gov is behind all the software developed by Gates and Jobs?! The internet and high tech computers were developed by the gov?! Balderdash.

[bootleg42]

I live in NYC and all military people here love their healthcare. I ave no doubt that the military injects things into their solders that are probably not wise (every military in the world does that) but other than that, they wouldn't change their healthcare for any private option.

And funny you speak of the internet. The roots of the internet come from ARPANET, which comes directly to the pentagon. These concepts were then basically given away to private power for profit.

[Yankhadenough]

bbburton "Health" insurance corporations have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING innovative or contributive to society, nothing, zilch, nada, zero, 0, not a thing. These private insurance companies are MIDDLEMEN, nothing more, its all about the MONEY, nothing more. They are "protection money" like the Mafia, and "Ponzi money" like Madoff , combined. Private "health" insurance companies are just one big blood money scam. In other free societies profitting from healthcare is a felony.

[KeeperOfTheWord]

Money -- and morality.

Think this through.

[RoyalDemonforChrist]

its going to be a failure no matter what you do.

[WattsFlyyest]

More of a failure than our for profit insurance companies like Kaiser and their death panels?

[RoyalDemonforChrist]

yes. more of a failure than that.

[boots920]

The US dollar going to 0 value should be the major focus.

Healthcare who needs it if you're dead ?

[Luv4Learning]

That's true. Congress and other members of gov do seem to have more control that the U.S. President, which will make it more difficult for our current president to push through legislation. On the other hand, given our last president, aren't you glad that the U.S. President doesn't have the end-all be-all power? As former President Bush claimed, "it would be easier if this were a dictatorship." Think about that. YIKES!!!

[InTheSticks1881]

Even the power brokers that run this country don't get that the dollar is doomed as a result of their policies, that consumer prices will rise as it falls. Or is that they don't care? The Sweds who inhabit the utopian welfare state decided that going broke wasn't an option back in the 90's. How is it that the clever and wise Sweds are privatizing their medicine, education and other programs as they were going broke. Too bad that we who are broke, have decided drive it into bankruptcy.

[jenisoutofhermind]

You can't have health care reform with out tort reform.

But the lawyers won't have that.

[psychientology]

Jen

Why is that so hard to understand ? Tort reform lowers healthcare cost. Simple as that.

[facelesshorseman]

Seventh Amendment Civil trial by jury. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

How is "Tort reform" any different than "Gun control" constitutionally? This amendment is much clearer than the second. There are laws against frivolous lawsuits, enforce them.

[psychientology]

That does sound right. I hadn't looked at that. How hard would it be to enforce them ?

[facelesshorseman]

Hell, I don't know!

Every tactic the corporate lawyers use in civil disputes add much more to the final cost than the penalties imposed. Delay, delay, delay, and if that doesn't wear you out, settle.

Get a secret agreement.

Admit to nothing.

If you read a pre-employment agreement, you'll find they fear a legitimate lawsuit more than any frivolous one.

Your average corporation files many times more lawsuits than the average citizen.

[OutlawzAK]

can anybody tell what was change they expecting for obama to change? or what was change he said he 'll bring to house white beside being first black presidents which is only change i seen so far !!!........

I bet no body knows........

[PsyogiBottoms]

That's because nothing has, nor will, change.

US GOVERNMENT = Liars, Thieves, and Adulterers.

Do we really expect more from anyone harboring War Criminals or who can ignore the biggest, illegal war in history? I think not.

[oraqol]

There will be no significant reform, the freemarketeers are playing for time, letting it drag, praying the public's 15-minute attention span flicks to the next blog or blurb. Seems like they legitimately believe private insurance is sustainable (tsk tsk), otherwise why kick the can down the road?  Unless they're waiting for something, staving off nationalization for just a few more years, counting down...to what?

[x11115]

ah yes "free" obama healthcare and coolaid at the cost of high taxes. this guy is a complete flop.

[MrBankRuns]

Since when did health insurance companies becaome dishonest? The President is lying, because almost every other vsentence he said does not make sense. He is lying to get his hands on all the money that goes though health care. Why? TO STEAL IT ALL!

[ragenut2112]

"Since when did health insurance companies becaome dishonest?"

Apparently, you don't fuckin read...

[darkherokaze]

You could also just watch "sicko" if you don't want to read about dishonest insurance companies.

[immanent]

If insurance companies are dishonest, then maybe you need to need to elect judges that will enforce the contracts that bind them to whatever it is they don't want to do.

[1140Cecile]

The progressives have to become as angry and vocal as the teabagger neo-cons who continue to insist of Republican principles even though they are now in the minority. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and progressives have to begin squeaking louder than the teabaggers.

[RCinPAWA]

I have an idea. How about the government let me take care of myself without government intrusion into my life.

Hey Swanson, you can take down the "Impeach Bush" sign now.

[flyhead2]

"Hey Swanson, you can take down the "Impeach Bush" sign now. "

Why? Has impeachment begun? Woot!

[RCinPAWA]

Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table.

[Ccolebrooked]

You against the public option or what?

[RCinPAWA]

Or what.

[sammso]

You (USA) have been in Afghanistan since 2001.

[lordblazer]

wow did he just say mediocricy is better?