Like many of us, this has been a really frustrating time watching conservedems try to kill the PO and the White House bobbing andd weaving, supporting it verbally, but often signaling that a trigger or coop or whatever is an acceptable compromise. Governor Dean spoke to three key issues in his live blog that I think we need to discuss. I will have the full comments below and just highlight key points here:
This is a very important point. If the public option fails, that does not mean we should have no bill at all.
snip
The worst outcome would be to pass a bill which simply puts taxpayer money into the broken system we already have.
snip
And I think even if we lose we have to work our hearts out and leave no stone unturned in order to get ready for the next round.
If the public option fails, what do we do?
This is a very important point. If the public option fails, that does not mean we should have no bill at all. There is worthwhile insurance reform, even in the senate finance bill. What should happen in the event a public option is not in the final bill is that all of the money should be stripped out of the bill (since it would all go to insurance companies anyway), and the insurance reforms should be passed, which costs nothing. We too this approach in Vermont in 1993, when our attempt to reform healthcare failed. Although I will say we did get universal healthcare for people under 18 in addition to insurance reform.
by Gov Howard Dean MD
We likely would have to fight the Obama administration on that, but I agree with Governor Dean. Pass the consumer protections and kill the rest. We need to defeat a bill that merely funnels taxpayer money into a corrupt and flawed system.
But if we fail to defeat the insurance company bailout that the bill would be, what do we do?
The worst outcome would be to pass a bill which simply puts taxpayer money into the broken system we already have. If this happens the number of uninsured will drop significantly only to rise again to the same level we are at now over a period of years because of the lack of cost controls. So we end up with a broke America, the same if not more uninsured people, and a very wealthy insurance industry. The best that will happen is that the democrats will come to understand that they need a strong immediate reform bill as I described in my first post in this chat.
by Gov Howard Dean MD
We keep fighting for real health care reform even if we may lose.
I still believe the odds are in favor of a public option in a final bill. And I think even if we lose we have to work our hearts out and leave no stone unturned in order to get ready for the next round. This issue is not going away and we are going to keep fighting until we get a decent and fair system. If congress sends the president a bill that does nothing we will ignore it and keep fighting for real reform.
by Gov Howard Dean MD
If we lose completely and Baucus, Snowe and Conrad prevail, many will want to turn their backs on all Democrats and help defeat them through a third party and staying home. That would be a mistake. The Green Party in 2000 helped make the worst reaction possible.
On the other hand, we pick candidates carefully, and helping conservedems lose is just fine.
We look at who our allies really are. We support our allies and oppose our enemies, no matter what political party they claim. Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, in August spelled out the right strategy:
In very plain and frank language, Trumka warns the conservative Democrats who have wavered on labor and health care reform about the consequences of what working people will do when they are stabbed in the back after working so hard for these Democrats during election time:
"And then there's that other group: those fair weather friends who can't seem to decide which side they're on. I'm talking about politicians who love to have our help come election time, but, always seem to forget us after the votes are counted."
snip
"You know who I mean. They've been in the news a lot lately.
They're the ones who say that they're all for health care reform - so long as it doesn't offend the insurance industry and the drug companies.
They're the same people who're saying that the way to pay for it isn't to tax the rich; it's to tax our health care benefits!"
snip
"We need to send them a special message: it's that you may have forgotten what the labor movement did to get you elected; but, by God, we never will! And if you stab us in the back on health care this year don't you dare ask us for our support next year!"
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
But the key is: we don't lose hope. This is a long struggle. They want us to give up. Every leak in the New York Times by "senior administration officials" is designed to create despair among those who fight for real reform.
Jesse said in 1988:
And you hold on, and hold out! We must never surrender!! America will get better and better.
Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive! On tomorrow night and beyond, keep hope alive!
Teddy Kennedy said it in 1980:
For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.
We work our hearts out now and are better prepared for the future even if we do not prevail.
Olympia Snowe and her triggers or Kent Conrad and his coops cannot defeat our dream of a decent America.
As Governor Dean said:
And I think even if we lose we have to work our hearts out and leave no stone unturned in order to get ready for the next round.