NY Times - Cast out of power in Washington and most state capitals, Democrats and activist leaders seeking political redemption have embraced an unlikely-seeming cause: an actual government takeover of health care.
At rallies and in town hall meetings, and in a collection of blue-state legislatures, liberal Democrats have pressed lawmakers, with growing impatience, to support the creation of a single-payer system, in which the state or federal government would supplant private health insurance with a program of public coverage. And in California, the Democrat-controlled State Senate approved a preliminary plan for enacting single-payer system, the first serious attempt to do so there since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, vetoed legislation in 2006 and 2008.
As Democrats regroup from their 2016 defeat, leaders say the party has plainly shifted well to the left on the issue, setting the stage for a larger battle over the health care system in next year’s congressional elections and the 2020 presidential race. Their liberal base, emboldened by Senator Bernie Sanders’s forceful advocacy of government-backed health care last year, is increasingly unsatisfied with the Affordable Care Act and is demanding more drastic changes to the private health insurance system.
4 comments:
Sort of a minimalist Hail Mary but more than a day late and dollar short. Let's see, how many more clichés can I stack? But seriously, the time has long past for them to get on board w/ this
People protesting at town halls calling for single payer is not the Democratic Party shifting. Nancy Pelosi still says single payer is off the table and urges people to try passing it at the state level. The problem is no state can enact single payer. Every piece of legislation at the state level calling itself single payer was not (and is not) single payer. Why because they are all multi-payer systems including corporations healthcare plans, Medicare, Medicaid, the VA and whatever state system they put up. When you have multi-payers you do not get the efficiency of single payer nor do you get the ability to plan a health system. No -- the Dems have not shifted. In fact they are trying to confuse. They created a new word "PublicOptionMedicareForAll" because they are pushing a public option -- which is not single payer and has never worked. See http://healthoverprofit.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The-Public-Option-vs-Medicare-for-All.pdf. We do need the Dems to shift -- let's not let the NY Times give them credit when they have not shifted. And, we need Republicans to shift as well and recognize single payer is the most cost efficient and gives the most freedom and choice to people and businesses. Both parties need to wake up and join the people.
Kevin Zeese has done great work for many years, it's a pleasure to read his posts. His trepidation regarding the legitimacy of these latest DNC proposals is certainly shared as it all appears to be more manipulations about what the meaning of is, is.
Kevin Zeese, yes - and Dr. Margaret Flowers - who Obama's people had arrested to keep them from presenting the crunched numbers that proved the point. Goddamn treacherous demorats. At least the rethugs are wolves in wolves' clothing.
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