Howard Dean on Ed Shultz's show; Re: HEATHCARE

[Political Tiger]

I'm paraphrasing:

"Single payer is NOT off the table."

"Obama has the BEST health care plan around."

[polichick]

1. And, yet, single payer advocates are not currently at the table...

It won't happen unless millions of Americans contact our reps ~ that was the other part of Dr. Dean's message. That's why he's trying to mobilize people.

[Cleita]

2. I was disappointed in his answer. He was somewhat evasive also about how

people were going to have choice. Bill Press said it best that it should be in the health committee first to define the need and then go to the finance committee. He says Congress has it ass backwards and he's right. They are nothing more than corporate shills with Baucus in the lead. Who is that Heidi person? Talk about throwing all the insurance company talking points at Ed. He really needs to slap her down with facts or at least make her cite her sources which are non-existent except in some health insurance company lobbyist's propaganda file.

[DrToast]

3. It seems like when Dean says single payer

He means a "public plan," because from everything I've read single payer isn't even being considered anymore.

[polichick]

4. That's what it seems like to me too.

[madfloridian]

5. Dean is saying this.

that we are going to have to fight very hard to even get a government funded public option included in the new health care plans.

That public option if included will be the only way to get single payer if people choose it over private care plans. People would do that now for sure, with the millions out of work and without health care.

Right now only 21 Senate Dems support the public option which Dean is working to get.

From a recent post of mine

"Only 21 senate Dems support public option? Update at Think Progress. Updated at 6:25 PM

Not very many, or am I mistaken.

At the bottom of a post today by Think Progress...they have this update:

"Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-MO) office has just issued a press release announcing that "FIVE ADDITIONAL SENATORS EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION." This brings the total in the Senate to 21: Sens. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) Russ Feingold (D-WI), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jim Webb (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY"

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/05/06/ignagni-media/

21 does not seem like very many.

It seems to me what he and Katrina vanden Heuvel were saying on Ed's show was just that.

I am inclined to agree.

If they are actually escorting doctors out of the room who support single payer, refusing to give them a place at the table....then how are you going to realistically get that this year.

The point both made was that it was a way to get started on the goal of single payer.

Like it or not, it is a realistic stance. If only 21 have come out in favor of the public option out of 59 in the senate....how do you think they will react to single payer?

I honestly think they are trying to be realistic.

Dean says get real health care reform or lose.

Baucus is in power. Dean is not. Dean is not in the national party leadership anymore. Baucus can do what he wants to do if we do not fight back.