I organized and campaigned for Obama with all my heart - a blue marble in the red sea of eastern Oregon, but I'm with Ralph Nader on this one.
"To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it. The public option is only a means to that end - and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal."
I reject the President's attempt to frame and thus limit the reform issue for progressives in this way. The driving idea of reform has been to remove the profit motive from health care administration by insurance companies and take them out of their controlling position in rationing health care. Only a single payer system can accomplish this. HR 3200 appeases the health insurance industry, falls short of true reform and millions of people will continue to suffer for it.
HR 676 is the Single Payer bill that he should be supporting. Apparently the health insurance lobby got to Obama during the campaign and in the early days of the presidency to kill off his interest in single payer before negotiations and hearings even began. He used to be for it.
I'm guessing Ted Kennedy would have voted for HR 676.