Black Agenda Report

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette has an article about Kennedy's effort to form a "concensus" on health care, filled with fluffy quotes from special interest lobbyists.

Special attention is given to the role of John McDonough, who is described as a former law maker and head of Health Care For All. Sounds like a nice guy huh?

Let's review who McDonough really is:

SEC Loosens Accounting Rule Banks Blame for Crisis

The standard, also known as "mark to market," has led portfolios to plunge in recent months as banks affixed fire sale prices to their assets, a move that sometimes required them to raise still more capital to meet regulatory requirements. The measure also led to clashes between corporate executives and independent auditors over how low the markdowns should be forced to dip.

The Fraser Institute: Canada and U.S. Should Look to Switzerland, Netherlands as Models for Health Care Reform

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Sep 30, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Canada's single-payer health insurance monopoly is failing and policy makers across North America should look to other models, such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, if they want to provide universal coverage, concludes a new study from independent research organization the Fraser Institute.

Debate over its future lingers in background as two-tier system gains appeal among patients

Queen's Park Bureau

It was an icy Feb. 3 when Graham Martin slipped and fell hard on his elbow, jamming his arm up into his shoulder and painfully tearing a tendon and shoulder muscles.

Martin, a police officer, was feeding the horses at his country home overlooking Sturgeon Lake near Fenelon Falls when the accident happened.

The nagging injury has pushed the 55-year-old – who might not get surgery until he's 57 – squarely into the debate about Canada's medicare system.

Maryland Public Television is broadcasting a series on the health care debate: Health Care '08: Search for Solutions Television Series

Check out the past guests. Notice anything missing? As in any advocates of HR 676, Medicare for All? This is how we get shut out of the discussion. It is outrageous that PBS is yet again pulling a stunt like this. We do not have to put up with it.

Single Payer has enormous support in our country. Any objective discussion of health care in America must include advocates of single payer or your just doing agit-prop.

Obama's shifting positions on technology

Merrill Matthews, executive director of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance writes a letter to the Kansas City Star:

In single-payer systems such as Britain’s, taxpayers pay higher taxes for universal health coverage and the government pays most of their medical bills.

So AHIP's astroturf site, Campaign for an American Solution, aka, murder by spread sheet has a web site. Sign up if you want to. Don't give them your address (you have to give a zip code, use theirs, 20004). Give your name as Single Payer and address as HR 676.

Shakesville alerts us to Insurance industry forming activist army

“On an issue as big and far-reaching as health care reform, you need to be working with real people and you need to have a reach outside the Beltway,” AHIP spokesman Michael Tuffin told Politico in an interview outlining the industry’s strategy. “The issue isn’t going to be settled just by lobbyists in Washington. The American people are going to have their say.”

Projection, thy name is AHIP.

Sits on Wellpoint's Board of Directors

Susan Bayh, wife of Senator Evan Bayh, sits on the board of directors of Wellpoint, a huge health insurance company. poputonian has an excellent run down of the history of Wellpoint.

Molly Ivins dings another one out of the park. Via Chicago Tribune:

I'm not attempting to make this a partisan deal--only 73 percent of Enron's political donations went to Republicans. But I'll be damned if Enron's No. 1 show-pony politician, George W. Bush, should be allowed to walk away from this. Ken Lay gave $139,500 to Bush over the years. He chipped in $100,000 to the Bush-Cheney Inaugural Fund in 2000 and $10,000 to the Bush-Cheney Recount Fund. [snip] Until January 2004, Enron was Bush's top contributor.