deadline to register Wednesday

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Do you support a Medicare-for-all approach to health care but don't know how to persuade others it's the right thing to do?

Huntsville pediatrician Pippa Abston and North Alabama Healthcare for All are organizing speaker training on that topic the afternoon of Dec. 6.

Participants must sign up by end of business Wednesday by calling 513-9638 or emailing physicians [at] northalabamahealthcareforall [dot] org.

Who even knew there was a Nothern Alabama Healthcare for All?

Via Avedon Carol, this little item from Caltics:

Now it looks like they're moving to up the Hooverite ante, and two of California's powerful federal politicians are at the center of the debate. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is joining 6 other Senators to demand that Speaker Nancy Pelosi approve a commission to recommend cuts to Medicare and Social Security - or else they'll refuse to vote to increase the US government's debt ceiling: ...

Look, I'm totally sure that paying to bail out the insurance companies by cutting Medicare won't have any real effects on old people who are going to die soon anyhow. Especially given this great news:

Senators from both parties on Tuesday put new pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to turn the power to trim entitlement benefits over to an independent commission.

Sens. Conrad, Gregg, Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) publicly vowed to vote against raising the debt ceiling if a budget reform commission bill doesn't come along with it.

Six others had previously made such threats, bringing the total to 13 senators drawing a hard line on the committee legislation.

“You rarely do have the leverage to make a fundamental change,” [shock doctrine!] said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who said he hasn’t ruled out offering the independent commission legislation as an amendment to the healthcare reform bill.

Yay!

Mike Lux:

Speaking of determined leadership, Nancy Pelosi deserves enormous credit for finding a way to get this done. Like all progressives, I am deeply unhappy with the abortion language that was allowed to be voted into this bill. That language is unacceptable and has to be changed in conference committee. But I was looking at the vote count on Friday night too, and we really were done unless that vote was allowed. There were literally no good choices at that moment, because to let the bill fail or pull the bill from being voted on would have caused everything to get unraveled. We still have a very good chance at stripping this terribly restrictive anti-abortion language in conference committee, and need to keep fighting to do that.

On the final vote, the whipping process was intense and impressive. Democratic leaders I have known in the past have rarely played this kind of hardball, but some kneecaps were broken Saturday night to get these votes, and the Speaker did a masterful job of doing every little thing that needed to be done. She gave no passes to people, and she was very clear there would have been consequences to all who voted no. She got the job done.

Oh, bullshit. I mean, I understand the Open Left business model, so I understand why Lux has to say this, and he may even have brought himself to believe it, but bullshit. The tell?

No Associated Press content was harmed in the writing of this post

All Eyes Are on Pennsylvania

Name sponsors of the legislation, Senator Jim Ferlo (D) and Representative Kathy Manderino (D) were joined by co-sponsor Representative Bill Kortz (D) in delivering impassioned messages to the rally attendees.

Billed as the keynote speaker, Sen. Ferlo expressed his passion oratorically and physically, pounding the podium for emphasis with such gusto he nearly sent two CS2 cassette recorders flying. He spoke of inclusiveness, advising, “Don’t write anybody off as we build this movement.”

I just wish "public option" advocates could figure out what to call whatever it is they're advocating. Leader Pelosi:

Ms. Pelosi said the public plan, which she prefers to call a "consumer option," would compete with private insurers. But the speaker was apparently unable to muster the votes needed for the 'robust' liberal version of a public plan, which she has repeatedly said would save more money for consumers and the government.

Dammit! Now I've got to change:

[a|the][strong|robust]? [Federalist]? public [health insurance?] [option|plan]

to:

[a|the][strong|robust]? [Federalist]? [public|consumer] [health insurance?] [option|plan]

I mean, it used to be whatever else the ... "public option" was, at least it was public; that was the constant factor.

Versailles wants to continue to be consumers of for-profit health insurance, which delivers as much care as is consistent with as much profit as possible, as opposed to citizens for whom health care is a right. That's why Versailles, including our "progressive" access bloggers, took single payer off the table from the start. So, in a way, the honesty of "consumer" is a refreshing change from the dishonesty of "public."

Meanwhile, I think I know what to call it:

[So what's the outcome? I've been Googling, checking around, and nada. What's up? -- lambert]

On Monday Pelosi will decide whether or not to restore the Kucinich Amendment as a managers amendment.

If you live in her district you can contact herhouse site.

If you have a YouTube account you can leave a comment at her YouTube Channel.

If you have a blog you can write an open letter to restore the Kucinich amendment and track back to Speaker Blog.

ralphbon, blogging at FireDogLake

According to Tim Carpenter of Progressive Democrats of America, one avenue of appeal remains regarding these efforts:

Democratic House leaders can insert what is called a “Manager’s Amendment” into legislation, even when it is closed to any other amendments. The managers are the majority and minority members who “manage” debate for the bill on each side.

Today, tomorrow, and beyond, we need to call these “managers” and insist that the Kucinich Amendment is restored into the healthcare bill….

The “gang” that holds our future in their hands includes:

* Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Washington, DC, office (202) 225-4965; San Francisco office (415) 556-4862

If you want the Kucinich Amendment -- the one that would allow states to opt out of those stoopid exchanges and set up their own single payer systems -- to survive the next step in the melding process, call now!

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
DC (202) 225.4965
SF (415) 556.4862

Representative George Miller:
DC (202) 225.2095
Concord (925) 602.1880

Representative Henry Waxman:
DC (202) 225.3976
LA (323) 651.1040

h/t National Nurses Movement

Thank gawd we've got true progressives in office and a charismatic President who's a combination of Lincoln and FDR! Reuters blogger James Pethokoukis:

You can add House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the group of Democrats or Obama allies (John Podesta, Paul Volcker, Roget Altman) calling for a value-added tax. (I predicted all of this days ago.) Here is Pelosi (via The Hill):

Thank gawd we've got true progressives in office and a charismatic President! Reuters blogger James Pethokoukis:

You can add House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the group of Democrats or Obama allies (John Podesta, Paul Volcker, Roget Altman) calling for a value-added tax. (I predicted all of this days ago.) Here is Pelosi (via The Hill):

Pelosi, appearing on PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show” asserted that “it’s fair to look at” the VAT as part of an overhaul of the nation’s tax code.

“I would say, Put everything on the table ...

Ha ha. Except single payer, of course, which would save the country $350 billion a year, since we wouldn't be paying the health insurance companies 30 cents on the dollar to deny us care. But whatever.