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green for victory

(591 posts)
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 07:28 AM Apr 2013

Max Baucus on Obamacare: "I just see a huge train wreck coming..."

Max Baucus, facing an election next year, suddenly is "very concerned not enough is being done so far. Very concerned."

In the following video Baucus grills Kathleen Sebelius on Wednseday April 17, 2013 on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.



at 9:25 President Obama explains why he didn't fight for Single Payer.

"You've got this system that's already in place. We don't want a huge disruption as we go into health care reform where suddenly we're trying to completely re-invent one sixth of the economy.."--Barack Obama

If you want to see exactly what is wrong with Congress skip to 13;21 where Amy Goodman reveals the financial holdings of key congresspeople involved with "Health Insurance Reform".

Harry Reid: $50,000 invested in a health care index,
Judd Gregg=$560,000 worth of stock holdings in major health care companies
Family of Jane Harman: 3.2 million dollars in more than 20 health care companies
John Kerry: at least 5.2 million dollars in companies such as merck and eli lilly
Chris Dodd: Wife serves on the boards of 4 health care companies

Max Baucus:

As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus called the first Senate meeting of interested parties before the committee to discuss health care reform, including representatives from pharmaceutical groups, insurance companies, and HMOs and hospital management companies. The meeting was controversial because it did not include representatives from groups calling for single-payer health care.

Advocate groups attended a Senate Finance Committee meeting in May 2009 to protest their exclusion as well as statements by Baucus that "single payer was not an option on the table." Baucus later had eight protesters removed by police who arrested them for disrupting the hearing.

Many of the single-payer advocates claimed it was a "pay to play" event. A representative of the Business Roundtable, which includes 35 memberships of health maintenance organizations, health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, admitted that other countries, with lower health costs, and higher quality of care, such as those with single-payer systems, have a competitive advantage over the United States with its private system.

At the next meeting on health care reform of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus had five more doctors and nurses removed and arrested

Baucus has used the term "uniquely American solution" to describe the end point of current health reform and has said that he believes America is not ready yet for any form of single payer health care. This is the same term the insurance trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), is using. AHIP has launched the Campaign for an American Solution, which argues for the use of private health insurance instead of a government backed program. Critics have said that Medicare is already effectively a single-payer system

Baucus has been criticized for his ties to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and has been one of the largest beneficiaries in the Senate of campaign contributions from these industries. From 2003 to 2008, Baucus received $3,973,485 from the health sector, including $852,813 from pharmaceutical companies, $851,141 from health professionals, $784,185 from the insurance industry and $465,750 from HMOs/health services, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A 2006 study by Public Citizen found that between 1999 and 2005 Baucus, along with former Senate majority leader Bill Frist, took in the most special-interest money of any senator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Baucus




Uniquely American Indeed...


36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Max Baucus on Obamacare: "I just see a huge train wreck coming..." (Original Post) green for victory Apr 2013 OP
Looked in the mirror, eh, max??? elleng Apr 2013 #1
Max Baucus is concerned about Max Baucus, period. nt babylonsister Apr 2013 #2
+1 Lyric Apr 2013 #5
Regarding the holdings & connections w/care providers... Honeycombe8 Apr 2013 #3
No doubt at all. Every time someone has a claim denied, they make money. What's not to like? nt raouldukelives Apr 2013 #20
I have mutual funds in my 401k. They probably have health care companies. Honeycombe8 Apr 2013 #21
I noted his name on the list of background check "Nays" Lyric Apr 2013 #4
He's preparing to be re-elected. green for victory Apr 2013 #10
The only "train wreck" you are seeing is the one you look at in the mirror. GoCubsGo Apr 2013 #6
ouch green for victory Apr 2013 #7
Kerry was for public option, and actually for universal healthcare, so, why pretend he was a blm Apr 2013 #8
I was just typing what Amy Goodman was saying... green for victory Apr 2013 #11
I hate this guy........ a kennedy Apr 2013 #9
Oh gee really? sendero Apr 2013 #12
Bingo n/t Fumesucker Apr 2013 #16
With "Democrats" like this, who needs Republicans? bullwinkle428 Apr 2013 #13
He helped write the ACA from what I have heard. Cleita Apr 2013 #14
He's so right, and so was most of DU. Zax2me Apr 2013 #15
HE wrote this piece of shit legislation. Get a clue. nt DevonRex Apr 2013 #33
Maybe Baucus is ProSense Apr 2013 #17
trainwreck for the repukes... Javaman Apr 2013 #18
It was a Heritage Foundation plan... nt green for victory Apr 2013 #26
Doesn't mean much. Republicans now hate it. They were also for the Civil Rights Act, the EPA, pampango Apr 2013 #27
which mainstream republicans hate it? Glenn Beck and Huckabee don't count... green for victory Apr 2013 #32
Which mainstream republicans hate Obamacare? Which don't. All their public statements and votes pampango Apr 2013 #36
Obama has not only had to deal with a united GOP but also with Dems like Baucus. WI_DEM Apr 2013 #19
Exactly! And this is why I wasn't freaking out that Obama didn't press for single payer. PragmaticLiberal Apr 2013 #22
With Baucus arresting advocates at a hearing green for victory Apr 2013 #23
Yep, he is a DINO davidpdx Apr 2013 #25
Baucus is good for nothing davidpdx Apr 2013 #24
If you google 'Obamacare' + 'train wreck', you get a whole lot of Baucus quotes on right-wing sites. pampango Apr 2013 #28
did you expect this exchange to be ignored? nt green for victory Apr 2013 #29
No. And neither did Baucus I am sure. He knew good and well which audience he was aiming for. n/t pampango Apr 2013 #30
From America's "Satirical" Newspaper: HughBeaumont Apr 2013 #31
Jesus fucking Christ. He and Harry Reid are worse than useless. nt DevonRex Apr 2013 #34
Doubt it could be bigger than the 'train wreck' it already is..and the uninsured have already been.. Tikki Apr 2013 #35

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
3. Regarding the holdings & connections w/care providers...
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 07:37 AM
Apr 2013

the only one that concerns me is that Dodd's wife was on the board of several providers. That's different from investing.

Even average people with mutual funds in 401ks are invested in health care companies, no doubt.

Wealthy people are invested in literally every industry in the world. That's what investing is about.

The thing that affects this most, though, is the law that Reid & Senate (I think it was the Senate) that just reversed the law that required them to post holdings resulting from possible insider information. That is, we ALL knew what might happen to the health care industry. But Reid might know something the public doesn't know that affects say, the oil and gas industry, so he might move to sell his investments in that industry. That is illegal.

Kerry is soooo rich that I can't imagine he'd base a vote for a law on a few million dollars. That's like $50 to me. And Kerry knows that being diversified, no matter what Congress does, his investments are going to be affected in one way or the other.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
21. I have mutual funds in my 401k. They probably have health care companies.
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 10:37 PM
Apr 2013

I probably have $ in all industries. Anyone who has any mutual fund in a 401k, or has a pension, is invested in the various for-profit industries.

But that has no bearing on how I feel about single payer health care. If health care doesn't continue to be profitable, the mutual funds will simply shift their holdings to other things.

blm

(112,919 posts)
8. Kerry was for public option, and actually for universal healthcare, so, why pretend he was a
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 07:45 AM
Apr 2013

part of the problem?

sendero

(28,552 posts)
12. Oh gee really?
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 09:19 AM
Apr 2013

Who could have predicted that a 2600+ page piece of legislation with so many provisions that no one, not even the ostensible authors, could ever really understand it, would have potential problems?

That's been my problem with ACA all along, it is TOO COMPLEX TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERACTIONS AND SIDE EFFECTS.

And no one really does so it is no surprise that folks are "worried".

 

Zax2me

(2,515 posts)
15. He's so right, and so was most of DU.
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 09:26 AM
Apr 2013

Single-payer the only way to go.
There were so many here that said this legislation would be a train wreck if passed.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
17. Maybe Baucus is
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 09:27 AM
Apr 2013

pissed because the law he tried to sabotage is being sucessfully implemented.

Howard Dean on the health care law
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022560359

HHS finalizes rule guaranteeing 100 percent funding for new Medicaid beneficiaries
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022584523

Obama budget is a disaster for drugmakers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022670043

Javaman

(62,439 posts)
18. trainwreck for the repukes...
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 09:28 AM
Apr 2013

they could have been a part of this but they chose party over the people.

this will have such a long term positive effect upon the American people that the repukes are pulling their hair out over it.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
27. Doesn't mean much. Republicans now hate it. They were also for the Civil Rights Act, the EPA,
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 09:26 AM
Apr 2013

a guaranteed annual income, cap-and-trade and high tariffs at one time or another in the past, but republicans hate them all now. If we jettison every policy that a republican has ever supported - even in the distant past - we will be throwing out a lot of good with the bad. We have more to worry about from the positions of modern day far-right, tea party-intimidated republicans than we do from those of the old republican party.

 

green for victory

(591 posts)
32. which mainstream republicans hate it? Glenn Beck and Huckabee don't count...
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 02:19 PM
Apr 2013

Paul isn't mainstream either and even he isn't talking about it. Who is?

pampango

(24,692 posts)
36. Which mainstream republicans hate Obamacare? Which don't. All their public statements and votes
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 02:56 PM
Apr 2013

in congress indicate that they hate Obamacare.

Or is "mainstream" a trick adjective here. 'Any republican who hates Obamacare is not 'mainstream''.

The 2012 GOP platform proposed eliminating Obamacare. The Texas state GOP party platform had the same thing. The House of Representatives votes about every two weeks to repeal Obamacare. About half the republican governors have refused federal Medicaid money on the principle that they don't want Obamacare in their states. It survived in the Supreme Court with all 4 liberal votes and 1 vote from the 5 conservatives.

I suppose that the GOP party platform drafters, the Texas GOP, the republican house members and half the republican governors are not 'mainstream' enough, much less all the state and local republicans who, at least in my area, never have a nice thing to say about Obamacare.

Is there some secret republican support for Obamacare that I have missed? Or are they just playing more of that 3D chess with us poor Democrats and their poor conservative base? Proclaiming constantly that they want to repeal it; voting every chance the get to eliminate it; but they secretly love Obamacare and are happy that it passed with no republican votes.

Or is this one of those - "If I hate something republicans must love it (even without evidence of that). Otherwise the world just does not make sense."?

PragmaticLiberal

(904 posts)
22. Exactly! And this is why I wasn't freaking out that Obama didn't press for single payer.
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 11:15 PM
Apr 2013

Let's be realistic, with folks like Baucus there was no way that was going to pass.

 

green for victory

(591 posts)
23. With Baucus arresting advocates at a hearing
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 07:45 AM
Apr 2013

there was no way for the people to hear about the alternative.

And that is not going to be forgotten.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
25. Yep, he is a DINO
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 07:49 AM
Apr 2013

or whatever other term you want to use. Funny I almost typed "turd". I guess that would have been the truth.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
24. Baucus is good for nothing
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 07:48 AM
Apr 2013

Someone should just push him over to the Republicans side. He votes with them often enough.

Tikki

(14,537 posts)
35. Doubt it could be bigger than the 'train wreck' it already is..and the uninsured have already been..
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 02:32 PM
Apr 2013

... thrown off the train and run over on the rails with what we have had here.



Tikki

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