Rep. Yarmuth Draws Line in the Sand on Public Option

[soaringraven1]

John Yarmuth Sucks

[spinnersmetal]

SOCIALISM! I want to die with no healthcare! Protect the corporations!

[sciencemile]

I think, maybe, I don't know, if we weren't already so far progressed into the debate over Federal Health Care, I would probably argue in favor of keeping making it a State Responsibility just like Education is.

It works really well in Hawaii, and I've yet to hear any problems with it (though admittedly I've yet to look).

[RedneckResponder]

Hear that frog in Yarmuths throat? Thats money he's gagging on. The man is a trust fund baby worth millions of dollars and bought his way into office. He is my congressman and everytime I write him a letter I get back a form letter that has nothing to do with my concerns. He will never have to worry about using gov't insurance. He is history in 2010.

[Godz1Chozen]

Obama is going to drop the hammer, on the right next week. Public Option, here we come......Bye Bye!! Big Insurance. Time to sell some of those G5's.

[victormyers1]

yarmuth has no political future in kentucky

[skyflier337]

Yarmuth is unelectable in 2010. There aren't enough union thugs & Acronies to dredge up enough graves to throw the election. Lame duck.

[SmerkNomGool]

1 What Congress really wants is to get its hands on all that loot the med insurance companies already steal from us.

2 Congress is desperate and looting the med ins industry is their latest target.

3 Only about 15% of the people will, at any time, use gov't med ins (not everyone gets sick at the same time) so that will free up 100s of billions for Congress to take and spend elsewhere.

3 This is about diverting all the med ins co premium revenue into tax loot.

4 Yarmuth is lying.

[hillerm]

When you are classified by the insurance industry as "uninsurable", you have no freedom. If you get sick, you are screwed. Now that's what I call a real "death panel".

At the very least, some form of public option needs to exist.

[TheSteelGeneral]

About that strategy error ... Sometimes I think Obama plays too nice. He's too much of a trusting guy. He thinks these RepuKKKes are reasonable thruth loving people. His fundamental error is that they don't play for keeps, these bastards are gonna come for more and more and more.

Obama should get medieval on their asses ...

He's a soft professor from Harvard

[ddean1987]

single payer healthcare.

[kendrickdk]

Public option is the only way to fix all this mess.

[tonytheappraiser]

We don't want a PUBLIC OPTION!!! We want SINGLE-PAYER! Why has that pretty much been wiped off of the discussion table? It'll solve the economic crisis, housing market, job market, and auto markets immediately. The money people pay for their health insurance premiums will go right back into the economy and house payments. There's no excuse for the Dems losing their balls and trying to "negotiate" or pass legislation on a bi-partisan basis. Screw the Republicans and let's get it done!

[mert828]

Yeehee! That's my representative!

[will0ughby]

thats how we get it done in kentuckyyy... represent!

haha

[DoctorCataclysm]

Our health care system is disgusting, sick people can't get treatment from doctors because a company says so. Insurance companies are now dictating how long a doctor can spend with a patient. Insurance companies are now dictating what treatments or tests are allowed or needed for a patient. I can't believe there are people defending this! The greed and the apathy for the suffering of others is appalling to me. I can't emphasize how utterly repugnant this is.

[megamarsvin]

It's easy as long as it's not you. It's what you end up with in a society that's geared almost exclusively to financial profit. The almighty dollar dictates what's good or bad in our system.

Don't get me wrong I think capitalism is great, when taken in measure. But left to run wild, like we are still allowing, it's a recipe for disaster, like any system taken to extremes.

The free market is not the panacea the government would like us to think it is.

[DoctorCataclysm]

Exactly. To bad there aren't checks and balances in place for the health care companies.

[mbagouty69]

Health care is the most major issue of our time as Americans that any plan that calls for all of us to destroy the strangle hold of big pharma and these health insurance companies which that they can decide what not to cover or if you live or die. They are at an essence our masters. Why can' the masters be the people of the US how worst could it be if we become the competition at least everyone has access to health care whether you be rich or poor.

[hollywoodartchick]

What a great guest! I love what he said about how the stakes are too high for compromise. It is nice to hear a politician say that.

[semigotbanned]

very cool, straightforward guy! keep him in office Kentucky!

[GormTheElder]

NIRVANA!!!

[IntractableJ]

I missed it the first time, I thought that I heard something familiar, and restarting the video, sure enough.

[GormTheElder]

HI almost missed it, but then it hit me that something sounded familliar :D

[voyzovrezon]

Blue Cross, and its subsidiaries, dominate our state of Maine.

[ViLLiSTa]

try living in California.

[IntractableJ]

I have a query. How would a government-run healthcare prevent being sued to the point where expenses are unbearably large for all users? I myself support a public option, but my knowledge of the system is too limited for me to understand how a government option might avoid problems similar to those of the private industry. Or is the private industry a problem in itself?

If you could answer this question or direct me to an answer, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[Emperordante]

Does medacaid or medacare get sued like that? No.

The point of a public option is not just to provide care but to allow legislative inroads into the health care industry. Right now there is far too little regulation of health insurance and costs.

[logoth80]

same rules of lawsuits would have to aply.

thats why its 'rules' must be carefuly calculated, and clearly say whats covered, whats not. it cant be privilaged in any way here.

but devil lies in details as they say

[IntractableJ]

Yeah. I assumed that if this public option were initiated it wouldn't be half-assed, which shows the extent of my understanding. Thank you.

[blasphimus]

Private industry itself is a problem because it's for profit. Insurance works so that they sign up healthy people to pay for sick people. However, that means you want to leave out those that are already sick because it would kill profit margins. That's why old people have a hard time getting regular insurance without paying an arm and a leg for it. That was why medicare and medicaid exist.

[infinitextimes]

Arguing over the internet is retarded

:D

[IndiMusicLover]

Cons think Palin is smart enough and should be the one to sort this all out LOL!

[ddamico3]

this fred flintstone looking idiot is telling you what to feel. you are being mind controlled. aren't you the least bit insulted at relying on a goof like this telling you about your gov't, etc. i think he should go to turkey and run for president over there. he's so smart. wake up dolts. he's a repeater for the man. late.

[eirefrance]

What is with you and Fred Flintstone? And what is with you and mind-control? Are you completely incapable of rational discussion? Why is it that Republicans seem to attract this kind of lunk-headed anti-educated ad hominem-ers? Perhaps thats why they are so anti-education? They know they'd lose votes if citizens started informing themselves?

[mykecontrol314]

health care should be a universal right, not a monetary privelage. but I suppose if you work for john deer or the govt. basic human rights don't mean much to you

[shadowcnidarian]

If you really want to be fair, remove so many legal rights from corporations that consider them persons. What crap is it that they can have these types of legal rights but none of the legal responsibilities? Phantom persons who can get away with all sorts of crooked crap while actual persons pulling the strings are immune from everything while their lawyers and pundits scream about free market and prosperity. Yeah, their prosperity. Btw, fuck Microsoft.

[goldgrif]

a wealthy western nation like ours and nit have universal health care, we dump money on corps, but not care for people, insanity,

[olof790217]

Best interview ever!... well maybe a bit exaggerated but it contained many aspects of the democrats healthcare debate.

[hypnofan35]

When you go for medical care you are paying the rich to be rich. The rich have the advantage of being rich. We are working in conditions of severe power and wealth degeneracy. We can get more of the same very easily. The other aternative is to disrupt the flow of "more money to the ridiculously well monied". Health care is a scam with people's lives in the balance. They can't fight they're unable to fight, they're sick. Great scam!

[MitchofSmeg]

A public healthcare system is much better then privatisation, or at least boosts the priv area to a degree where it is brilliant and isnt costing that much.

NHS is the perfect model to show this, before it, sod all public health support, it comes up, health becomes brilliant and pretty much 1 of the best world wide, then it is made private(to a degree), such as no more matrons, cleaning staff hired out to lowest bidder etc, its gone to crap, which was better... Yea, any would say gov controlled

[DrQuijano]

There's one thing that concerns me. Rep. said this is the single most important thing they'll ever do. If that's so, then what about economic reform or other much needed reforms? I think, as Pokemanz says, forced car insurance is something that should be taken off. I also think our credit based economy should be changed into something that has actual backing. And what about energy issues? Gay legislation issues? AA issues? Obama's administration has a lot of challenges maybe as important as PO.

[Scoforever]

Th insurance market is not competitive because there are limits on getting insurance from other states. Wait a second. Those limits are regulations from the government. Trusting government with health care is like letting the fox guard the hen house.

[MitchofSmeg]

so the NHS is bad then? (its gone worse when government stopped looking after healthcare, i would think that to be a big issue for government controlled healthcare)

[Scoforever]

The NHS's main problem is not that it is very bad but the long waiting times and not much choice. You need a triple heart bypass immediately then your fine. You just have to wait a year. I heard that in Canada there was a case of a pregnant woman who was told she would have a space in the hospital in 10 months time. Not much use.

[Cutchswife]

Are you Lord-Lister-of-Smeg on gagajoyjoy? :ninja:

[mrbadguysan]

Yes, those are regulations from the government. State Governments, that is.

So what is it you're saying, you're against state's rights?

[Scoforever]

Complete straw man. People should stop blaming the insurance companies when they would do well if they told their governor to take down these restrictions. I'm not against states rights. You are confusing the states with the state governments.

[mrbadguysan]

I think you need to brush up on your informal logical fallacies.

There's two things I can conclude from your response.

Firstly, and perhaps most strangely, you seem to be suggesting that state governments are not the legitimate representatives of their people. In any event, you're saying that states shouldn't have the right to regulate insurance in their borders.

Secondly, our problem is much more complex than "insurance companies = bad guys". That being said, they are partly responsible.

[Scoforever]

Companies and corporations don't exist. A corporation is just many people working together to make money. I'm not saying that state governments shouldn't have the right to regulate. I'm saying that people should instead of going to the Federal Government and telling them to spend more they should go to their state representatives and tell them to spend less.

[talismansoul]

Corporations are legal entities which are formed to shield the people involved from liabiltiy. Corporations can do all sorts of evil things and the "people" can be nearly immune from responsibility.

"A corporation is just many people working together to make money"

Sounds nice, but the "people" making the money are the big wigs; CEO making millions, etc. The people who do the real work usually get shit on.

Corps are a fucked up invention of the filthy rich...oh, and they OWN this country!

[mrbadguysan]

Keeping in mind that your statement is a truism that could be applied to any group, corporations are considered individual legal entities. In other words, corporations really do exist.

I'm not really catching your argument, considering the majority of Federal Spending doesn't go to the State Governments.

[Scoforever]

What i mean is that while Obama is suggesting spending more on health insurance which would cause the cost of health care to go up and ration health care I am saying that people should go to their state governments and tell them to spend less on regulation in order to decrease the cost of healthcare by increasing competition.

[talismansoul]

"spending more on health insurance which would cause the cost of health care to go up and ration health care"

How does spending more on health insurance cause the cost of health care to increase and create rationing of health care?

From your statement, I could argue that health insurance should be abolished so that costs can be kept to absolute lows and prevent "rationing"....but I would have to lose a great many more brain cells to go there.

Wondering how you can back up such a statement?

[talismansoul]

Scoforever...

Never mind. I just looked at your profile and realized you are only 14 years old.

That explains everything to me. Don't get me wrong...I appreciate youngsters getting involved in affairs of our country and speaking out. I applaud you for that.

You are going to have to learn a great deal more and understand what you are actually saying and thinking though. I think you are on your way, just keep learning and keep an open mind.

Best Regards

[mrbadguysan]

Well, your statement would be true, if it were true.

Obama's so called public option is the ultimate form of competition. It pits the inefficient, caniving, litigeous, heath insurance industry (an industry not known for competitions, seeing as it's excluded from many anti-trust laws), against the Federal Government. This is hardcore competition.

And another thing. As it stands now, health care is being rationed, by the O'Mighty Dollar. Health Care goes up x2 inflation. Which do you prefer?

[Scoforever]

Efficient federal government? WTF!? I think that the lack of competition is to do with government regulation. Thee public option isn't competitive because it will be exempt of taxes and it will get a giant taxpayer subsidy. Health care is largely rationed because of Medicare and Medicaid as well as people not caring about the cost of health care. If insurance required people to pay around 10% of their medical bills the system would work a lot better. This should be promoted.

[mrbadguysan]

Sentence by sentence.

1) Yes, it is. Reference USPS, Manhattan Project, and FDIC.

2) I would hope the federal government doesn't levy taxes on itself.

3) Health Care is currently rationed by the amount of money you have in your pocket, unless you have insurance, then it's rationed by a insurance company that is beholden to it's shareholders, not you. Alternatively you can show up to an emergency room nearly dead.

4) Insurance policies do have cost sharing policies in excess of 10%.

[Scoforever]

watch?v=zzoxRr24N5U

[mrbadguysan]

I'm having a conversation with you, not Glen Beck's Stand-In. Hell, if I wanted to have a conversation with Glen Beck, I could just as easily have a chit-chat with an asylum resident.

Having said that, I have now come to realize that:

1) Everyone involved is a massive hypocrite, because none of these jackasses made noise when John McCain purposed the very same idea.

and

2) Glen Beck, Rand Paul, and Nancy Pelosi all agree that taxing health benefits is a bad idea.

[blasphimus]

well said

[mrbadguysan]

Ran out of analogies.

[zahir13]

By that logic, clubs and unions and fraternities and even armies or ship crews don't exist.

[Scoforever]

I might argue that.  It's just a lot easier to say something like forest than dense collection of trees.

[zahir13]

At this point, you're arguing that a definition does not mean itself.

[Scoforever]

At this point I don't understand what you mean,  explain.

[crowdaddy13]

insurance companies are the only assholes that say "adding more customers will make us lose money".........thats like the reverse of every business model i was ever taught.

[afchan]

obama wont dont shit. he will compromise like the pussy he is so he can get reelected and we will all be fucked. im voting for an independent next time

[darealdjnutz]

Obama needs to dangle Cheney in front of the Republicans. Either we get the health care we want or we start investigating war crimes.

[tkwsni]

Two quotes:

"The health insurance companies and Major League Baseball are the only business which are exempt from the anti-trust laws."

"We've got to provide competition to lower costs, and that competition can only come from a public option."

Well, first, I'm not sure that first quote is even true. I can't find anything to suggest that it is. Second, if you want to provide competition, why not just bust the companies up like they did with the phone companies years ago?

[logoth80]

you must understand that insurance bussines is nothing more than a casino. house always win.

you dont want government telling them what odds should they fx on their games etc.

but you might just go by example, seting a puplic standard that isnt great, but is an option. those who want better, or worse, they can

[ameshkin69]

I worked for Cigna. tehy waste money, and they don't care.

Because if the stock market goes up, they make money..

it goes down..BAILOUTS!

[tkwsni]

So having a government-run casino in town will make the other casinos play fair? I'm not really sure your analogy demonstrates your point very effectively.

[nilbud]

The post gets delivered UPS and Fed Ex are still in business.

[tkwsni]

nilbud,

That statement is true, but what does that have to do with anything I've said?

[logoth80]

its not about fair, insurances just as casinos are 'unfair' by definition.

ppl just need to know there is one option, that might not be great, but noone will kick you when you are 'wining' too much.

that will force others to compete without the monopoly position. insurance companies will be forced to change their product, and you can achieve that by artifically forcing busines models on to them, or providing gov. competition.

[tkwsni]

If insurance companies were unfair "by definition", then the vast majority of sane people would be self-insured.

We don't need to artificially force a business model on insurance companies. They and the government have forced a business model on health care providers through years of legislation.

Forgive me if I'm skeptical when the organization that caused this problem in the first place (the government) claims to be the only one who can fix it.

[logoth80]

i dont ask anyone to trust government, ever.

no sane person can self insure, unless its freaking billionare, and even then its not sensible. basically noone need insurance untill they are very unlucky. but once they do, they wont be able to pay. thats it.

insurance is a form of 'everyone pays 100$, we take 5$ for us, and spent 95$ on those who need' so insurance company doesnt take any risk, they just need certain ammount of consumers to negate any risk. there is no reason for competition

[tkwsni]

I'm familiar with the basic premises of insurance.

You're paying to be part of a group that shares risk. The admission fee to this group is the $5 in your scenario, and that's the reason sane people don't self-insure. It's too risky.

That's the value insurance companies provide. Casinos provide no value other than entertainment, so I don't think your analogy works.

I don't understand your last sentence in the previous post about there being no reason for competition.

[logoth80]

sorry, trying to fit in 500characters makes myposts chaotic...

this bussines is always profitable, as long as your consumer base is lorger than X. unlike any other busines, it profits simply from being. competition is handicaped from both sides, it got amazingly high entry costs, and on other side existing companies dont need to expand, becouse consumers are nicely shared. casino analogy was simply about big numbers math. with enough $ house never lose. if it does, it makes sure it wont. and500

[Bladewing10]

Alright! Louisville getting a shout-out on TYT! Go Yarmuth!

[gmcmudder1]

Why couldn't the U.S. evaluate the pro's & con's of each of the other countries single payer plans, and develop a workable plan of our own.

Don't we already have a limited version, i.e. medicare. I say restructure that and expand it to universal. At least the injured and sick would get "some care" instead of a denied claim.

[ndvuncle]

This is a quote from the Wall Street Journal you're taking seriously?

[gmcmudder1]

I would rather have government supply health care, then to have a paid private Ins. co. continuously deny my claims and respond with 101 reasons why my problem is not covered. Refusing or delaying to pay approved claims causes the provider to seek payment from me, thus damaging my credit rating. Getting the care that I'm paying for, usually involves a few court trials,all the while my condition worsens.

So Ill choose Gov. until something better comes along.

[pokemanz]

Tired of private insurance running roughshod over everyone they insure. They can deny whoever, for the weakest of reasons.

Hell, we're forced by law to pay companies like all-state, state farm, etc. our hard earned dollars for car insurance. They got a nice scam going. Basically a government sanctioned cartel as some have put it. Let's not let them force us into paying these fuckers for our damn HEALTH.

[bongoss0022]

this is the best show ever

[dangerouslytalented]

The entire Western World have universal healthcare, with the public option or single payer. Just taking away the public option will mean that private corporations will get a government mandated monopoly, they have an effective cartel anyway.

We all know what is going on: The crooks who have control of the system the US has now are trying to keep their monopoly, and the end game for them is using this to make themselves EVEN MORE PROFITABLE.

[theforethought]

Ain't that the truth...

[Amsah]

-.- @ first/second/third or whatever screaming people

[Nab314]

top ten comments!!!

[91962]

Say first if you fuck your mom

[try23223]

what do i say if i fuck ur mom

thats right i went there

[91962]

Hahaha that's pretty good...Kudos.

[antsmasherjack]

TYT WOOT!!!

[FullOfFail]

I voted for him

[bigballa269]

congratulations don't you feel accomplished