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First Posted: 07- 1-09 09:44 AM | Updated: 07- 1-09 11:06 AM
One of the Senate’s most vocal progressives is demanding that the Democratic Party commit to voting against filibustering health care legislation now that, with the impending arrival of Al Franken, the party has 60 caucusing members.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called on the White House and Democratic leadership in Congress to ensure that party members agree unanimously to support cloture on legislation that would revamp the nation’s health care system. Democratic senators on the fence, he added, could still oppose the bill. But at the very least they should be required to let the legislation come to an up-or-down vote. Source Article
ANNANDALE, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday sought to build support to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system as a key Republican questioned whether bipartisan support among lawmakers is possible.
With Congress out of session for a week, Obama urged participants at a question-and-answer session in a Washington suburb to be wary of “scare tactics” and hugged a woman who said she did not have health insurance or money of her own to treat a tumor.
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(CNN) — The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation’s doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.
Dr. J. James Rohack told CNN that the AMA supports an “American model” that includes both “a private system and a public system, working together.”
In May, the AMA told a Senate committee it did not support a government-sponsored public health insurance option. Source Article
Afshin, a shopkeeper from south-west Iran, alleges that one of his friends was beaten and repeatedly raped after being arrested at an opposition rally after last month’s disputed election. He gave this account to Esfandiar Poorgiv, a journalist and academic. It is published here as part of the Guardian’s project to trace those killed and detained during the unrest. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the account
He came to my shop around 10.30am. You could tell straight away that he had just been released. His face was bruised all over. His teeth were broken and he could hardly open his eyes.
He was not even into politics. He was just an ordinary 18-year-old in the last year of school. Before the election he came to me and asked how he should vote. He looks up to me. His father is an Ahmadinejad supporter.
He had gone home directly after his release, but his father did not let him in. He didn’t mention he had been raped. At first, he didn’t tell me either. It was the doctor who first noticed it and told me. Source Artice
Yesterday we printed a touching letter from an Iranian woman that began with these ominous lines: “I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed…”
Tonight, she posted a second letter, passed along and translated by two readers. She writes about her “sister” in this cause who was killed today, referring to Neda.
Yesterday I wrote a note, with the subject line “tomorrow is a great day perhaps tomorrow I’ll be killed.” I’m here to let you know I’m alive but my sister was killed…
I’m here to tell you my sister died while in her father’s hands
I’m here to tell you my sister had big dreams…
I’m here to tell you my sister who died was a decent person… and like me yearned for a day when her hair would be swept by the wind… and like me read “Forough” [Forough Farrokhzad]… and longed to live free and equal… and she longed to hold her head up and announce, “I’m Iranian”… and she longed to one day fall in love to a man with a shaggy hair… and she longed for a daughter to braid her hair and sing lullaby by her crib…
my sister died from not having life… my sister died as injustice has no end… my sister died since she loved life too much… and my sister died since she lovingly cared for people…
my loving sister, I wish you had closed your eyes when your time had come… the very end of your last glance burns my soul….
sister have a short sleep. your last dream be sweet.
The Obama Justice Department has reached out to major gay rights organizations and scheduled a private meeting for next week with the groups, in an apparent effort to smooth over tensions in the wake of the controversy over the administration’s defense in court of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Tracy Russo, a spokesperson for Justice, confirmed the meeting to me, after I posted below that top gay rights lawyers were miffed that administration lawyers had rebuffed their requests to meet and discuss ongoing litigation involving DOMA.
At the meeting — which hasn’t been announced and is expected to include leading gay rights groups like GLAD and Lambda Legal — both sides are expected to hash out how to proceed with pending DOMA cases. Source Article
Fighting to improve health care for people in my state of Connecticut and across the country has been a crusade of mine for the last 25 years. The ability to care for yourself and your loved ones and to live a long and healthy life shouldn’t be a privilege. In this country, particularly in 2009, it must be a right. You shouldn’t have to be well-off to get well.
Because you and millions more across the country worked for change, we have the votes to pass a bill that expands coverage to millions of Americans, improves quality, protects patient choice, cuts costs, and averts disaster for our economy and our families. Source Article
I don’t remember where I was in the days after the 2001 election. I know for sure I wasn’t out in the streets protesting. I remember being angry - but angry like when a sports team I follow loses in the playoffs. Not angry like I would have been if I’d known George W would spend the next 8 years showering the World with torture and pestilence and taking a virtual hot carl right on our Constitution.
But in Iran they have an election that is flawed (most likely rigged), and instead of just running home to their TV’s and the internet, and going to the mall and buying shit - the Iranian people come out to the street in unprecedented numbers to ensure that the Democratic process is fair and that their voices are heard. They even risk death from the Dick Cheney like police there. Source Article
First, sorry about the length of this post but this is “THEE” ISSUE that will make the PUBLIC OPTION in any Health Care Reform Bill a moral imperative. And a BIG re-election issue for ANY lawmaker that refuses to support the Public Option.
Most are aware of my feelings when it comes to the SOUL EATING BASTARDS called Health Insurance Companies, but the absolute undiluted bullshit called “Post Claim Underwriting” takes the outrage to a whole new level, but it also provides the fulcrum for The Public Option.
Imagine that you actually have enough money to go out and purchase health insurance for you and your family. You find a company you like, you fill out the application, the company issues you a policy and you pay your monthly premiums on time for 2 or 3 years, all the while thinking you actually have health insurance.
Then one day you go to the doc and get the news you have cancer, but they caught it early and with the right treatment everything should be fine, so you start making arrangements for the FIGHT OF YOUR LIFE and schedule the necessary treatment. Source Article
This is what happens when you don’t allow real competition into the picture. It’s also what happens when you have a for-profit healthcare system:
Executives of three of the nation’s largest health insurers told federal lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that they would continue canceling medical coverage for some sick policyholders, despite withering criticism from Republican and Democratic members of Congress who decried the practice as unfair and abusive.
The hearing on the controversial action known as rescission, which has left thousands of Americans burdened with costly medical bills despite paying insurance premiums, began a day after President Obama outlined his proposals for revamping the nation’s healthcare system.
Susan aka Trouble aka "Grace"