e light on the abuses of the health insurance industry by highlighting Bill Moyers' Journal conversation with Wendell Potter about their efforts to keep the American people from knowing how universally acceptable Universal Health Care is.Today I want to continue it with video clips of my state rep, Bart Stupak (D. Mich) forcing the insurance execs to admit that they wouldn't change their policy of arbitrarily turning down PAYING clients for whatever reasons suit their needs (i.e., to keep profits right where they are).
The first clip shows Joe Barton (R - Texas) and Stupak doing the kind of smack-down we've been wanting to see for lo, these many years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sYTLbAtzhs
Bravo to both of them, and a big "thank you" to Republican Joe Barton, who courageously took the righteous road.
But the following clip goes into my all-time favorite video clips file. Stupak, from the wilds of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is the kind of "rube" that Wilford Brimley played t
o perfection in "Absence of Malice". I'm betting those big shot execs took one look at Bart, heard him speak, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Bad mistake. Stupak's passion for the people makes him a seemingly unlikely but most formidable opponent. He hates cheating creeps, and he makes no bones about it. But he bides his time. He has a knack for asking seemingly innocuous questions, building on them, and then letting these people dig their own graves. You gotta love a guy like that:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y97__KA4xHQ
Again I'm asking you to pass these clips along. This hearing took place a month ago. Both Paul Begala and Karen Tumulty wrote about it soon afterward, but since then there's been virtual silence. So please - send them to everyone you know. Post them in your blogs. Include them in your comments. Get them OUT there. The insurance companies are winning and good people are dying because of them. We just can't let that happen.
And while you're at it, you might want to contact both Barton and Stupak and thank them for their service. They're my Good Guys today and I salute them.
Ramona
(Crossposted at Talking Points Memo here)
Ramona:
ReplyDeleteYou entered this comment in reply to my post at TPM (re: health care reform):
"Okay, you've got me. I'm mad as Hell. Now what?
(not being confrontational, but just--now what??)"
Posted by Ramona
July 14, 2009 2:42 PM
I replied in the comments section, but wanted to send you this personally in case you're interested (you asked what now... here's something):
http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/single-payer-rally/
The California Nurses Association is organizing a single-payer rally in DC on July 30. Originally (in my reply to you) I said that I was thinking of attending. Well I've stopped thinking about it and decided to do it. Have already made flight and hotel reservations and have contacted HealthCare NOW! to volunteer and to lobby Congress.
Sinchronicity submitted a post on this at TPM and it appears that TPM members are willing to raise money for other interested TPM members who have the will but not the funds.
As for me, I'll pay my own way... and have offered to assist TPM in any way possible.
Just FYI... as you seemed sincere...
K. Freed
kfreed@yeswecan.com
kfreed00@yahoo.com
www.AETP-SPEAK.com (still in progress)
o.m.g. Ramona--
ReplyDeletethey wouldn't commit themselves to not rescind policies when they knew the applications were not filled out fraudulently! WTF is that???
the insurance companies are simply proving what we've known all along.
K. Freed, thanks for the info. I didn't have a chance to answer here before, but I did follow up and I've been following the events on TPM. Nice to have you here. Come back again!
ReplyDeleteTwoCrows, I thought their responses were just astonishing. Their arrogance is unbelievable. They've had health care to themselves for so long, they don't see anything wrong with what they've done. We have to make sure the electeds make SURE they understand.
do these people have families? have they ever known someone who got sick?
ReplyDeleteit looks to me that the only way to make them understand that their actions are criminal is to take away their shiny playtoy.
Two Crows, I think they live in worlds so unlike ours that it never occurs to them that real people are hurt by their actions (or inactions). But the politicians and people in power DO know what happens when real people can't get the help they need. Yes, their actions are criminal, but the real criminals are the ones who have the power to do something about it but they stand back and do nothing.
ReplyDeleteYear and after year, they do nothing.
Administration after administration, they do nothing.
Congress after congress, they do nothing.
I honestly don't know what it's going to take to get it through their heads that allowing the private sector to make life-and-death decisions about health care is in itself criminal.
So the criminals aren't going to police the criminals. I guess that leaves it to the rest of us.
one more:
ReplyDeleteI just posted one of the vids in a comment on Soda Head.
now, I'm going to post it on its own topic. that's a high-readership forum and will get lots of eyes, I imagine.