Obama's Single-Payer Flip-Flop.

Illustration 1: Ben Heine, "Barack Obama's Toughest Opponent: Himself". Ben on Articon
Illustrations 2, 3 & 4: Michael Thompson. 2: "Single Payer Insurance is the way". 3: "Single Payer Solution", 4: "NO more PAY-or-DIE Healthcare $ystem!." Michael on Flickr.

In 2003, Barack Obama said he was for single payer.

Q: What would it take to get single payer enacted?
A: "First, we have to take back the White House, the Senate and the House," Obama said at the time.

FAST FORWARD SIX YEARS:

The Democrats have taken the White House...The Senate, AND the House.

Q: So, what's Obama's position now that Dems have taken the White House, the Senate and the House?
A: In a speech this week in Chicago before the American Medical Association, Obama made clear he was now opposed to Single Payer health care. And, his lieutenants suggested that Obama would support legislation to make sure that single payer does not become a reality in America.

There's only one explanation for Obama's flip-flop on Single Payer: The health insurance and drug corporations have a hammerlock on Washington. And, Obama is going along to get along.

WHAT'S THE NET RESULT?

Sixty Americans are dying every day due to lack of health insurance (Institute of Medicine report).

Instead of getting behind single payer, Obama and the Democrats are engaged in the what Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief at the highly regarded New England Journal of Medicine calls "the futility of piecemeal tinkering."

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the most liberal of the Democrats' tinkering plans would cost $1 trillion over ten years and still leave 37 million Americans uninsured.

On the other hand, single payer would cost less than we are overpaying now -- and cover everyone.

Zero uninsured.

As Dr. Angell puts it -- single payer is not only the best option. It's the only option that will both control costs and cover everyone.

- Replace 1,300 insurance industry payers with one payer.
- Save $400 billion a year in bloated corporate administrative and executive compensation costs.
- Free choice of doctor and hospital. Use that money to insure everyone.
- No bills, no co-pays, no deductibles.
- No exclusions for pre-existing conditions -- because under single payer, you are insured from the day you are born.
- No bankruptcies due to medical bills.
- No deaths due to lack of health insurance.
- Cheaper. Simpler. More affordable.
- Everybody in. Nobody out.

According to recent polls, the majority of Americans, the majority of doctors, the majority of nurses, even the majority of health economists want Single Payer. That's why almost every health care town hall event I hear about is dominated by citizens speaking out for a Single Payer system.

Last month, we asked that you help fund a new non-profit organization - Single Payer Action - to focus this citizen energy, break through the corporate logjam in Washington and make single payer a reality. And, you came through with flying colors -- blowing past our initial fund-raising goals.

The foundation was set for action. Out of the blocks, Single Payer Action led a stand up protest before Senator Max Baucus' Senate Finance Committee. Thirteen doctors, nurses, lawyers and other single payer advocates were summarily arrested and charged with "disruption of Congress" (Baucus later told single payer advocates that he regretted not inviting them to testify before his committee). The arrests of the Baucus 13, their upcoming trial, and other similar single payer actions around the country have galvanized a nationwide movement.

Single Payer Action now wants to supercharge the grassroots movement for single payer by confronting members of Congress back home around the country - laying the groundwork for a national citizen's organization that will refuse to compromise with corporate power -- inside the beltway and out.

Many progressives are now confused because they took Obama at his word. They thought once Obama was elected President, he would do the right thing.

Clearly, he's NOT.

My colleague, Theresa Amato, isn't confused. She saw clearly through the Democratic Party's duplicity and shenanigans -- and has written a new book, titled Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two Party Tyranny (New Press, June 2009). The book documents how the corporate two-party system thwarts citizen activism and blocks challenging candidates in the electoral system and beyond. Phil Donahue said this about Grand Illusion: "Theresa Amato takes the biggest swing -- not a jab, but a roundhouse punch -- at America's corrupt electoral system."

Single Payer Action needs to raise $50,000 over the next month to fund its actions around the country this summer. So, if you can, please, donate -- $10, $25, $50, $100, $500 -- or whatever you can afford. If you donate $100 or more now, Single Payer Action will send you a copy, hot off the press, of Amato's hard cover, 379-page masterpiece -- Grand Illusion (okay, since it also includes chapters about my campaign against the corporate Republicans and Democrats -- and since I wrote the foreword -- I'll autograph it).

So, don't delay. Let's break through the corporate barriers and make single payer a reality. Together, we can make the difference. Onward to a life-saving, cost-saving single payer.

Yours,
Ralph Nader

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Eight Single-Payer Advocates Arrested & Charged with Disruption of Congress.

Yesterday morning, eight doctors, lawyers and other activists stood up to Senator Max Baucus. And, the private health insurance industry. And, the corporate liberals in Congress.

These eight activists demanded that SINGLE PAYER - Everybody IN, Nobody OUT, free choice of doctor AND hospital - be put on the table.

As a result, they were arrested, and charged with a so-called "disruption of Congress."

The Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Democracy Now and National Public Radio all carried stories about the protest. C-Span carried it live. And, it was widely disseminated on the Internet.

Baucus crafted a hearing to kick off the health care debate in the Senate yesterday where 15 witnesses would be at the table to discuss health care "reform".

---> The insurance industry was at the table.

---> The Business Roundtable was at the table.

---> The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was at the table.

---> Blue Cross Blue Shield was at the table.

---> The Heritage Foundation was at the table.

---> And, corporate liberals like Andy Stern, Ron Pollack, and AARP were at the table.

But, not one person who stood for what the majority of Americans, doctors, nurses, and health economists want - SINGLE PAYER- was at the table. Not ONE!

When I heard about this corporate line-up last week, I called the office of Senator Baucus.

And politely asked that, as a matter of fairness, a single payer doctor be allowed to testify.

I was told - "No way, Ralph."

The deal is done.

So, yesterday, at 10 a.m., the Baucus Eight, led by Single Payer Action and other single payer groups, took to the Senate Finance Committee.

And, they directly and respectfully confronted a room full of corporate lobbyists - and corporate controlled Senators. They again asked that a group of doctors who were in the room to support Medicare for all be allowed to testify.

The answer again - no, No, and NO!

Remember what Senator Richard Durbin said last week?

Durbin said that the banks "own" the Congress.

To which we might add - the health insurance industry AND the drug industry own the Senate.

Faxing, writing, and e-mailing is not getting it done. Enough is enough. It's time for action. This is a winnable issue. But, the American people need to focus on 535 members of Congress - and get mobilized.

Single Payer Action is at your service to get the job done.So, donate now -- $8, $18, $80, or $800.

To honor the Baucus Eight - who all wore black yesterday in memory of the more than 20,000 Americans who - according to the Institute of Medicine - die every year from lack of health insurance.

And, to fuel a citizen action movement that will deliver single payer to the American people - sooner not later. Together, we can break the corporate stranglehold on Congress. And deliver health care for all.

Single payer. More comprehensive. More efficient. More humane. More peace of mind.Let's get it done.

Onward to single payer,



Ralph Nader

PS: Remember, if you donate $100 or more by May 14, 2009, we'll send you two galvanizing books that concisely detail the case for single payer in America.

• Health Care Meltdown by: Robert LeBow, MD, revised and updated by Dr. C. Rocky White - a Republican doctor so fed up with the needless suffering caused by the insurance industry that he become a leading advocate for single payer.
  
• Ten Excellent Reasons for National Health Care, Edited by: Mary O'Brien and Martha Livingston.
  

This two-book offer ends 11:59 p.m. May 14, 2009. So, don't miss out. Please consider Donating now.

We're building one million Americans strong for single payer. Please share this post with friends and family. Urge them to sign up and donate @ singlepayeraction.org.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.