Senator Conrad Town Hall Meeting 08/20/09 in Center, ND (part 1 of 4)

[DPBismarckND]

Run time: 09:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtOs3J7VL5o   Posted on YouTube: August 24, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 27, 2009 By DU Member: DPBismarckND Views on DU: 1429

 
Real Democrats in North Dakota put the pressure on Senator Conrad over the public option! This video was taken in Center, ND on August 20th, 2009.

[grantcart]

1. that's a lot of video can you give a summary? welcome to DU

[Jane Austin]

2. Yes, I'm not going to have time tonight to watch the videos.

Very interested in what happened, though.

Thanks for letting us know.

[DPBismarckND]

5. Why this Video Matters.

This video is important because Senator Kent Conrad is being told by his constituents that he will lose their support if he does not support the public option. There will be huge support for any serious Democrat who might run against him.

The video is also important because Conrad is on the Senate Finance Committee and is the chair of the budget committee. We need him to vote for reconciliation, so the public option can pass with 51 votes instead of 60. In this film he was asked several times if he will vote for cloture. He deflected the question repeatedly.

Also, never before in North Dakota have Democrats stood up against Conrad in this way. It’s like one of his constituents said, “you cannot have it both ways.” You cannot side up with the Right and the Left.

Summary of Comments made by Conrad’s Constituents.

1. You are taking a lot of money from pharmaceutical and health insurance companies who are based outside North Dakota. How can I compete with them.
2. I am a Democrat. When I voted for you, I wanted a Democrat. You cannot side up with the Right-Wing and retain my support.
3. You are not representing the people of North Dakota
4. I will vote for whoever runs against you, if you kill the public option.
5. I stand with President Obama. Which side are you on?
6. It is not that the public option cannot pass, it’s that people (Conrad) does not want to pass it.

[Jane Austin]

7. Many thanks for your summary.

Much appreciated.

Very heartening to read what his (very well-informed) constituents told him.

[Cha]

12. Thank you so much, DP! Let's get this video Rec'd!

:patriot: I just read Conrad said he was voting against PUblic Option so he's putting his career on the line for the big pharma and the bucks they obviously contribute.

[democracy1st]

21. great post

[boomerbust]

3. Conrad

Had to take a Maalox break? ROFL

[ejpoeta]

4. here is my summary for this video...

first there was a guy that was talking about how we elected the first black president and the dems got a majority... 60 seats in the senate and it's great that they tried to work with the republicans, but they don't NEED the republicans and we want healthcare reform. and we want a public option. conrad responded by saying we don't have 60 seats because there are two sick senators. so we have 58. then we have three senators besides conrad who say they won't vote for a public option. so now we are down to 55, and we need 60 to pass it. (actually you need 60 for cloture if the republicans fillibuster.) the man asked conrad if he would vote for cloture if the bill got to the floor.

a woman stood up and started to ask a question, and conrad decided he just had to go potty. people wanted to ask him questions, but he went potty, took his jacket off and then the next guy asked about the public option. he said people need to do their own research instead of listening to limbaugh. he brought up keith olbermann calling conrad out. the guy speaking told conrad he had supported and voted for him, but that conrad is 35th in insurance lobbyist contributions. he wanted to know if conrad was going to represent him over the insurance lobbyists. he also discussed a conversation he had with a couple of canadians at the pharmacy or somewhere, and found out they only pay $400/year for insurance while this guy's 30 year old daughter's insurance is $800/mo which this guy is paying for. his daughter wants to start her own business, but can't afford insurance and her only choice is to go work for someone else. nowhere else does this happen... canada, england... he also discussed a friend of his daughter who I guess is the same age and did everything she was supposed to do but ended up bankrupt because of healthcare costs. Nowhere else would this happen. not in canada or england. very compelling. he also brought up that we are 19th in deaths from preventable illnesses (?) etc. he knew his facts.

[Jane Austin]

6. Thank you so much

for your summary.

That's very heartening.

[NorthDakotan80]

16. Good Summary

That sums it up pretty well.

Have you seen parts 2-4? The whole series is worth watching!

[ejpoeta]

19. yep. watched the rest on youtube so if there were posts on here i didn't summarize them.

but that conrad is something else, that's for sure. co-ops are bullshit. the key in any competition has to be in the numbers... the bigger the pool, the better the cost for everyone in it. i personally think expanding medicare is the best idea.... even if it is the public option, it would shore up medicare so it isn't bankrupt in eight years, if that is even true which i doubt.

[Jane Austin]

8. Recommended! .............. n/t

[DPBismarckND]

11. Please Recommend this Video!

Thank you for recommending the video. I hope others do the same!

[grantcart]

9. I believe that Conrad is the key to keeping all 60 votes together

Please keep us informed with regular posts on what is happening with this guy.


BTW There are two different questions (first raised by Senator Sanders):


Question 1: Do you support the Public Option


Question 2: Will you join the Republicans in filibustering this bill?


While I consider yes to 1) and no to 2) to be the minimum he should do there is a difference between the two.


If Conrad wants to vote against the public option but refuses to filibuster the bill it will be bad but the legislation will still pass without using reconciliation.

[DPBismarckND]

10. Reconciliation is the question.

Conrad is saying that he will not support the public option as it came out of the House committees. He did not totally shut it down. He has never answered, to my knowledge, the question of voting for cloture or reconciliation to allow it to pass with 51 votes. We need to keep the pressure on him.

[Jane Austin]

13. Conrad is a key player and the good citizens of ND are doing their part.

This video needs only one more rec to qualify for the greatest page.

Anybody?

(Edited to add "ND")

[bluedogcatcher]

14. rec this video

I'm so glad to see the citizens of ND standing up for the
public option, and holding our Democratic Senator accountable
for being the single biggest road block to meaningful reform
we have down in Washington.

[NorthDakotan80]

15. CONRAD MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!

Senator Conrad is blatantly lying about the public option. North Dakotans do not believe in him anymore. If he sides up with the Republican party, he will not get re-elected next year. North Dakotans are organizing! A real Republican would be better than a fals Democrat. We will run a serious Dem against him in the upcoming election, unless he supports the public option.

Conrad has been really good on some issues. He supported Obama early. He opposed the war in Iraq. But this deal about siding up with the Pharmacuetical companies and health insurance companies instead of the people of North Dakota? That is too much. We will vote for whoever runs agaisnt him IF he screws us on the public option.

[DakotaBlue75]

17. CONRAD IS FISCALLY CORRUPT

Amgen Inc, A pharmacuetical company that opposes the public option gave Conrad $42,000 in campaign contributions in the last few years.


"The biggest contributors included the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Amgen, and the American Hospital Association. These interests favor mandated insurance coverage but oppose a public option. Big Pharma also wants strong patent protection rights to delay the availability of cheaper generics and no change in the ability to charge high prices. Until health care issues are resolved, lobbying and political contributions will continue at a ferocious pace, and as always yield industry-friendly results at the expense of real change."

ANOTHER INTERESTING STORY

Senator Conrad was among the prominent politicians who may have received favorable mortgage deals from Countrywide, a mortgage lender at the heart of the current mortgage crises. According to an investigation conducted by Conde Nast's Portfolio, Countrywide's V.I.P program may have bent rules to offer Senator Conrad a better deal on a mortgage for a 8-unit apartment building in Bismarck, North Dakota he was seeking to purchase.

[BeyondGeography]

18. Watch all of it, folks

The people do what they can to bring this hopeless hack to his political senses. And he is hopeless.

[democracy1st]

20. K & R

[democracy1st]

22. Must see part 3

[Sky Masterson]

23. Wow!

That was amazing.
Thank you.
I posted it to facebook.
Everyone should.

[NorthDakotan80]

24. Conrad Video on Facebook

Thank you for posting it on Facebook. I have it on my facebook as well. We need everyone to see this.