Deval Patrick’s likely Senate pick raises ‘serious concerns’

The Kennedy-backed pick for interim senator - a Beltway insider who could enjoy a lifetime pass to the Senate floor - has deep ties to special interests, sitting on a board that oversees a health-insurance provider and having lobbied for the pharmaceutical industry, the Herald has learned.

We need a HR 676 co-sponsor to primary this jerk.

The article is about a dispute between Jon Cooper and Gillibrand about who is more committed to the public option. Cooper is challenging Gillibrand in the 2010 primary.

Spokesman Matt Canter cited a Gillibrand mailing issued last week stating: "I continue to advocate for a public health care option, like "Medicare for All," that would allow people to buy in at an affordable rate - something like five or six percent of their income.

This is a way of piggy backing off of the popularity of the real Medicare for All without actually doing anything.

Landrieu: Under "Very Few, If Any" Circumstances Would I Support A Public Option

"I'd like to cover everyone -- that would be the moral thing to do -- but it would be immoral to bankrupt the country while doing so," Landrieu said. The public option as currently conceived is expected to be a deficit reducer.

Now as we know, HR 676 would save the US Treasury $400 billion a year. That is $400 billion a year that Landrieu and others are willing to spend to prop up health insurance parasites.

Booman

Jpol, asked a great question about why Sestak opposed Kucinich's amendment on PA single-payer health care. Sestak has some strange explanation about how he opposes single-payer because it doesn't allow for more than one payer.

Businessweek

UnitedHealth's relationship with Democratic Senator Mark R. Warner of Virginia illustrates the industry's subtle role. Elected last fall, Warner, a former governor of his state and a wealthy ex-businessman, received a choice assignment as the Senate Democrats' liaison to business. The rookie senator landed in the center of a high-visibility political drama—and in a position to earn the gratitude of a health insurance industry that has donated more than $19 million to federal candidates since 2007, 56% of which has gone to Democrats.

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Via the Hartford Courant:

U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. Dodd is scheduled to undergo surgery during the Senate's August recess and said he expects to be back at work after a "brief recuperation" at home. "It's something that's very common among men my age,'' said Dodd, who is 65 and the father of two young daughters. "In fact, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their life.'' Dodd, a Democrat who is up for re-election in November 2010, said he feels fine. "As you have probably noticed, I'm working some long and hard hours lately,'' he said. "And that will continue."

I am certain that everyone wishes him the best in his treatment and hopes for a speedy recovery. I only wish that every American could have a chance to receive the kind of treatment he will receive. Via tparty, An email from Sen. Dodd to supporters below the fold:

Dumezich Pondering Senate Run, Cites Bayh’s ‘Conflict’

NASHVILLE, Ind. - Former state representative Dan Dumezich told Howey Politics Indiana early this afternoon that he is indeed considering a Senate challenge to U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh and said the incumbent has a “fundamental misunderstanding of what the word ‘conflict’ means.”Dumezich

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Congress will adjourn for the 4th of July. Over the holiday they will be everywhere, parades, festivals, fireworks displays, picnics, everywhere. That is the time to approach them personally and ask them to support single payer, or at least not pass anything that prohibits the states from enacting their own plans.

Tell them that no plan is better than a bad plan.

Check their calenders, they may have their events on their Senate website, or it might be on the campaign website, or it might be on the web site of the local Democratic or Republican committee. Don't let the Republicans off the hook, ask them to support single payer. Believe me, there is a lot of nervousness behind that facade of Republican obstructionism.

The Hill

Baucus has kept much of the Senate, including members of his own committee, in the dark about the details and cost of the policy proposals he is considering. Several members of the Finance panel, for example, said they had not seen the CBO report that Baucus will use to scale down — or eliminate — proposals on the negotiating table.

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Senators Weigh 3 Government Health Plans: AP

The three approaches being discussed are:

_Create a plan that resembles Medicare, administered by the Health and Human Services department.

_Adopt a Medicare-like plan, but pick an outside party to run it. That way government officials would not directly control the day-to-day operations.

_Leave it up to individual states to set up a public insurance plan for their residents.

Looks like if the health insurance parasites can't kill the public plan outright they will try to be put in charge of maladministering it.

oh, and check out this goody -

What Does Specter’s Switch Mean For Health Care Reform?

When it comes to health care reform, Sen. Arlen Specter may be one of the few (former) Republicans open to negotiation. A co-sponsor of the Wyden-Bennett health bill, Specter has been a strong proponent of reforming the health care system.

The healthy parasite act would disolve the current employer based system and replace it with a mandate that we all buy our plans individually.

I don't think I've ever read more ridiculous justifications than I'm reading right now about why it was a "good idea" for Obama to appoint a Republican to Sec. of Commerce, and agree to have a Democratic Gov replace him, with another Republican.

Because the massive filibuster-proof uberliberal majority Dems have in the Senate is so Huge! Or something...

Jane Hamsher reports on the Progressive Media Summit:

Wyden: Answering a question about whether we will be moving toward single payer, Wyden says that single payer winds up devolving into an argument with people who are opposed to "too much government." But if you use the term "universal coverage" and you say that for the same amount of money everyone can have the same coverage as members of Congress, it's not so polarizing. So basically, no.

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I have been distracted, but if you have not already called your Representative and Senators. Please be sure to thank our health care heroes.

This post is the first of a series preparing for Thursday's National Call in Day. Some general considerations in contacting politicians:

In a post-anthrax world it is necessary to use the web/email contact form, telephone, or personal visit to the district office. Regular mail is delayed for weeks because of post-anthrax security procedures.

ALWAYS be courteous. It is not possible to over emphasize the importance of this.

ALWAYS be brief and to the point. No one has time to read your flowing periods. That is what blogs are for.

Will this man play de Klerk to Conyers’ Mandela?

Yesterday nyceve had a diary on health care that asked readers to contact Richard Lugar and ask him to introduce a Senate version of HR 676. Since Lugar was specifically singled out, I assume there is some reason to believe that he is receptive to the idea. I don’t know much about Lugar other than the obvious, and I don’t know much about Indiana politics. What follows is pure speculation, make of it what you will.

One of my high school teachers was fond of saying that there were two reasons for everything, the good one and the real one.

I don't live in NY, so am reluctant to weigh in on the Senate seat, but one of the people interested in the seat, Carolyn Maloney is a cosponsor of HR 676, Medicare for All.

If, and only if, you live in NY, you might contact Gov. Patterson and tell him that you would like a supporter of single payer as your next Senator.

Edit -
If you feel strongly that CK would not be a good candidate, sign this petition

Sen. Evan Bayh is working to create a Blue Dog coalition in the Senate and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid --quelle surprise!-- is "upbeat" about the idea.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) is trying to mobilize moderate Democratic Senators to form a group based loosely on the House Blue Dog Coalition.

“I think we have a wonderful opportunity to break the gridlock that has existed in Washington for too long,” Bayh said in an interview. “We need to do that in practical ways that will solve problems. The place that will be most important in striking that right balance will be in the Senate.”

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Received this note from Healthcare Now!:

Dear Healthcare-NOW! Supporter,

On November 19th, 2008, at 10 a.m., the Senate Finance Committee will hold a host a hearing in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, in Washington, D.C., titled: “Health Care Reform: An Economic Perspective.”

As of this time, only two U.S. Senators, Max Baucus of Montana and Charles Grassley of Iowa, are slated to offer statements, and only four other individuals are being offered as witnesses. There is no citizen or patient voice in this discussion of economic perspectives, and there is no nurse, doctor or other health care provider or professional voice in this discussion – no balance of perspectives from which our Senate can make informed choices.

Booman has a run down on the membership. Problems in the Senate, more when I am not so tired.

Baucus says he will lead effort to overhaul nation's health care system

The Montana Democrat said he will not support a system in which the government covers all consumers equally, a system typically known as "single payer.''

"We are Americans; we're different from Canada, we're different than the United Kingdom,'' he said Friday in referring to nations with some form of single-payer health care funded by the government. "We have to come up with a uniquely American solution, probably a combination of private and public coverage.''

Typical corporatist, predating upon people's nationalism to divert them from their best interest.

Proposed Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute

Declaring that “it’s high time that we built a foundation of evidence for the trillions of dollars spent on health in America each year,” US Democratic Senators Max Baucus and Kent Conrad have introduced legislation to create a Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute, which would “review evidence and produce new information on how diseases, disorders, and other health conditions can be treated to achieve the best clinical outcome for patients.”

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Salazar talks rural health care in Valley

ALAMOSA — “I’ll be the first to admit I have a lot more to learn,” said U.S. Senator Ken Salazar about health care in Creede yesterday. He discussed health care with a vocal community at the Creede Ambulance Barn, one of 32 stops he will make statewide to thrash out the issue.

This is a good sign. This is how politicians talk when they are preparing to shift positions.

Health Care Reform Panel Discussion at Netroots Nation

Behind the firewall: Bush loyalist Mike Connell controls Congressional secrets as his email sites serve Karl Rove

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