McCain: Public option 'camel's nose...'

Why should I give a damn about what Gramps McCain has to say about healthcare?!?! He's had tax payer funded, gov't sponsored healthcare (public option style) his entire life through the military.

So McCain, who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt last year that he could not even manage his own campaign for President, resorting time and again to made-for-media gimmicks in order to try and recapture momentum, apparently thinks his nationally recognized incompetence qualifies him to weigh in on the single biggest domestic issue that has faced our government in over a generation?

The angry old man who thought it was a good idea for Sarah Palin to be a 72-year-old heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States is now, with a straight face, trying to instruct The White House how to run its health care reform efforts?

Get lost McCain. Go far away, you loser.

The problem with all these "town hall meetings" we've seen so far is they are all so partisan. Either democrats with a hand picked democrat audience, or republicans with a hand picked republican audience.

What I'd like to see is the dems and reps agree to each pick one high profile senator. Hold a town hall meeting at a neutral location. Make sure, as is possible, that the audience is evenly split on each side of the issue. Like the town-hall style debates. Then each senator can explain their position against REAL opposition.

"...So McCain, who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt last year that he could not even manage his own campaign for President, resorting time and again to made-for-media gimmicks in order to try and recapture momentum, apparently thinks his nationally recognized incompetence qualifies him to weigh in on the single biggest domestic issue that has faced our government in over a generation? .."

Posted by: Johnny Knoxville | August 25, 2009 2:52 PM

You do know that McCain is a Senator- he represents people that will be impacted by the bill, and he will cast a vote on the bill... right?

As far as his campaign- the McCain/Palin ticket absent the financial meltdown last fall he was dead even with the messiah...all this as one of the weakest Republican candidates in years and w/o the adoring media.

So I would ask you- what qualifies the community organizer in chief to not only weigh in but initiate (your words) "...the single biggest domestic issue that has faced our government in over a generation?..."

Horses..........

If his concern is for the deficit-spending of the stimulus package, where were his ideas to save the Bush-damaged economy at that time? Kvetching only, eh?

And if he's so tuned into healthcare, why didn't he denounce Sarah Palin's trumped up delusions about "death panels" when asked directly by George Stephanapolous?

What a reactionary blowhard.

Maybe McCain (and all the legislators) should be required to be on the same health care plan as the average constituent he represents.

I agree with McCain. Let's get the government out of the health insurance business. Cut off McCain's coverage now! The national debt demands that we quit paying for health insurance for multi-millionaires like him and his heiress wife.

NO CO-OP'S! A Little History Lesson

Young People. America needs your help.

More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% republicans). Basically everyone.

Our last great economic catastrophe was called the Great Depression. Then as now it was caused by a reckless, and corrupt Republican administration and republican congress. FDR a Democrat, was then elected to save the nation and the American people from the unbridled GREED and profiteering, of the unregulated predatory self-interest of the banking industry and Wallstreet. Just like now.

FDR proposed a Government-run health insurance plan to go with Social Security. To assure all Americans high quality, easily accessible, affordable, National Healthcare security. Regardless of where you lived, worked, or your ability to pay. But the AMA riled against it. Using all manor of scare tactics, like Calling it SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! :-0

So FDR established thousands of co-op's around the country in rural America. And all of them failed. The biggest of these co-op organizations would become the grandfather of the predatory monster that all of you know today as the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry. And the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry.

This former co-op would grow so powerful that it would corrupt every aspect of healthcare delivery in America. Even corrupting the Government of the United States.

This former co-op's name is BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD.

Do you see now why even the suggestion of co-op's is ridiculous. It makes me so ANGRY! Co-op's are not a substitute for a government-run public option.

They are trying to pull the wool over our eye's again. Senators, if you don't have the votes now, GET THEM! Or turn them over to us. WE WILL! DEAL WITH THEM. Why do you think we gave your party Control of the House, Control of the Senate, Control of the Whitehouse. The only option on the table that has any chance of fixing our healthcare crisis is a STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION.

An insurance mandate and subsidies without a strong government-run public option choice available on day one, would be worse than the healthcare catastrophe we have now. The insurance, and healthcare industry have been very successful at exploiting the good hearts of the American people. But Congress and the president must not let that happen this time. House Progressives and members of the Tri-caucus must continue to hold firm on their demand for a strong Government-run public option.

A healthcare reform bill with mandates and subsidies but without a STRONG government-run public option choice on day one, would be much worse than NO healthcare reform at all. So you must be strong and KILL IT! if you have too. And let the chips fall where they may. You can do insurance reform without mandates, subsidies, or taxpayer expense.

Actually, no tax payer funds should be use to subsidize any private for profit insurance plans. So, NO TAX PAYER SUBSIDIZES TO PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PLANS. Tax payer funds should only be used to subsidize the public plans. Healthcare reform should be 100% for the American people. Not another taxpayer bailout of the private for profit insurance industry, disguised as healthcare reform for the people.

God Bless You

Jacksmith — Working Class

Twitter search #welovetheNHS #NHS Check it out

(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)

Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o) CYBER WARRIORS!! - TAKE THIS VIRAL

RiffRaff (and you seem to be all of that) you should care because McCain offered a plan for health care during the campaign. He suggested taxing employer provided health care, but replacing it with a $5k tax deduction for anyone buying health insurance. That put all of us on the same plane. McCain also advocated allowing insurance plans to be offered and purchased across state lines. The average health care premium is over $8.5K in Mass., but less than $1.25 in Wisc. That is mostly due to mandates.

If you actually took the time to figure out what problems we need to solve in health care, you would see there are a lot better ways to address those problems that allowing the government to take control of health care. That is a move away from liberty to state control.

Rick

Rick-

Gee you forgot to mention that McCain also proposed eliminating the requirement for coverage of pre-existing conditions. This would have made health insurance almost impossible to get for those very people who need it the most. McCain was most concerned about preserving the liberty for health insurance companies to make enormous profits without actually paying for patients to get the cioverage they need.

You do know that McCain is a Senator- he represents people that will be impacted by the bill, and he will cast a vote on the bill... right?
Posted by: heartburn | August 25, 2009 3:17 PM
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Really? So McCain is saying that the gov't sponsored healthcare that he has been provided with throughout his entire life, the healthcare that has saved his life from cancer more than once, IS BAD?!?!

The stupid, it hurts!

Try again, PrePuke.....

Caird, the paid RNC troll is back! You should see his Google profile.

Deconstructing the Right Wing Lies (like McCain's here) on the Health Insurance Bill! The Complete Collection on One Page!

READ IT AND PASS IT AROUND, PEOPLE!
The right's lies about the current health insurance proposals before Congress have rarely been compiled in such concise form before.
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http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/deconstructing-rw-lies-hcbill.html
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Forget McCain. Just read the words of the Democrats who are authoring the bills. A key member, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, says in his current newsletter: "I stay philosophically attuned and espoused the need for a SINGLE PAYER HEALTH PLAN." Single payer, folks, means SINGLE PROVIDER! Take them at their word. They want nothing less than a government takeover of your health care.

62% of McCain voters have no idea that Medicare is a government program.

And what if we had not bailed out the auto industry? I trust the economists not some old guy who has never run a company and the guy who was in office before him who ran the economy into the ground.

They want nothing less than a government takeover of your health care.

Posted by: Jerauld | August 25, 2009 5:30 PM
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Yes, because we all know that getting screwed over by the Big Health Insurance Co's and being told that we're not covered - IS JUST THE BEST SYSTEM EVAH AND WE WANT THEM TO CONTINUE SCREWING US BECAUSE WE LIKE IT! Go 'Merica!, we're # 1 !.....not.

Jerauld, Barney Frank admitted in public that the Public Option [also known as the "pubic option," is the first step toward single payer, as it will undermine private insurers by using taxpayers' money to compete with unsubsidized insurance. Within a decade, single payer will be inevitable.
It's the camel's schwanstueke under the tent, coming to impregnate our mares. A nightmare, for sure.... Barney knows his metaphors.

McCain is out of it, best to ignore him.
He couldn't bring himself to say there's no Death Panels and seems to go along with the lies of his pal, Princess Quiter of Wasilla.

Glad we did not elect these clowns and we can't let townhall thugs overturn the last presidential election.

Jerauld, Barney Frank admitted in public that the Public Option [also known as the "pubic option," is the first step toward single payer, as it will undermine private insurers by using taxpayers' money to compete with unsubsidized insurance. Within a decade, single payer will be inevitable.
It's the camel's schwanstueke under the tent, coming to impregnate our mares. A nightmare, for sure.... Barney knows his metaphors.

to T. Herman Zweibel: You had me scrambling a bit. I didn't know I had a Google profile. I do have a Google sign on, but I never use it. When I remembered the sign on and got in, it told me I did not have a public profile. I am not on facebook either, but I have been told there are one or two people with the same name.

Sorry to disappoint you, but whatever you found is not me. Hint: I live in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Rick

Do you believe the Constitution is the rule of law? Do you believe in the original intent of our founding fathers? Do you want to reform Congress? If your answer is yes, we have to work together to make this happen.

http://animal-farm.us/change/constitution-project-575

Vince, there are ways to handle the pre existing condition. One way is with a government subsidy to the health plan of a persons choice. What you have to avoid, though, are the people who don't take health care until they are sick, get it, and then cancel. That is happening a lot in Mass. Medicare does that by raising the premium for every year after 65 someone does not sign up.

Rick

"antacid " needs one. He is seemingly unaware that McCain suffered serious injuries while captured by the North Vietnamese. Second, all combat veterans are eligible for VA. It is part of their pay package. I have a good friend who still suffers from PTSD after Vietnam. Are you trying to argue that those who served in the military should not be eligible for the VA? That would be quite a strange argument and I doubt even you would actually try to make that one.

Rick

'My fellow prisoners, I promise you no robust public option, I promise you no reform of the private healthcare insurance industry, I promise you no change to the current situation.'
(Wild applause from the hive)

Everyone is accusing some people of supporting 'single payer' like it's bad.

That is the solution. Unfortunately it's never been on the table. We can only hope we get there somehow.
Yes, hive members, we need single payer national health insurance.
And yes, I do trust the government to manage my health insurance more than the privateers in the health insurance syndicate.

I'm aware of McCain's injuries rick. I'm also aware that many of the people that McCain is happy to leave without healthcare need it just as much as he does. I don't value those peoples lives any more or any less than I do McCain's He is no better than them, his life is no more valuable then theirs. All men are created equal, remember? Or do you and the Senator beluieve that his life is somehow worth meore than that of a mom workibng full time at a minimum wage job who cannot afford health insurance. Are you and the Senator saying that she doesn't deserve the same care the Senator gets? UIs the Swenator pepoaredf to go look that miother in the eye and tell he is healthcare is more important than that of her and her children? Is he prepared to stand in their doctors doorway and tell them they can't see the doctor, but he and his wife can? Does he have that integrity? I think we both know that answer to that is absolutely not.

Anyone think McCain ever had to try and get a healthcare policy on his own? Anyone who does not think the public option is a good idea probably has never been turned down for coverage... try it Senators and Representatives or those of you who think it is so easy. Let me know how that goes for you.

"We have committed an act of generational theft, we have robbed our children of their future... The deficits are now out of control,'' said McCain, voicing a familiar refrain: "My friends, there is corruption in Washington... This system is broken."

Yep....that is exactly what we had under George Bush. Well said John!!

It is currently being fixed. You can go home now.

Antacid, your claims are still wrong. Just because neither McCain nor a lot of people do not agree with a government takeover of the health care system, does not mean "McCain is happy to leave [people]
without healthcare".

Only a logical incompetent such as you would claim favoring a different plan is the same as "abandonment".

Rick

Rick, sare you refering tio McCain's plan to remove protections from those having pre-existing conditions? Is he willing to have HIS pre-exisitng conditions coverage removed? No, of course he isn't.

Tell us Rick, what bis McCain's plan for the uninsured? What\does he propose to help them? Is he willing to accept what ever coverage they get, or is he happy with his government provided coverage? Is he happy with the camel all the way inside his tent, and only concerned about the nose entering the tent of others. Come on Rick, what is McCain doing to help the unisured? You know the answer is absolutely nothing. He's only concern about increasing insurance company profits by remove the few meager protections the poor and the sick have currently.

What the Hell!! The only thing that will save our health care in this country, is the public option. Health insurance is a racket created by the insurance company's. They don't sell insurance to sick people, old people, folks with pre-existing conditions. "I don't want to destroy the strongest health care in the world"???? WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT MCCAIN?? We are ranked around 27th or so in the world. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR @#$!! If you want to sell me insurance, sell me auto, life, accident, or property insurance. DON'T TRY TO SELL ME HEALTH INSURANCE, THAT IS A RACKET DREAMED UP BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S, WHO WON'T INSURE SICK PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE, OR FOLKS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. MADOFF SHOULD BY IN CHARGE OF THAT RACKET. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO HEALTH CARE. IF THE CITIZEN'S OF THIS COUNTRY DON'T GET NATIONAL HEALTH CARE, THEN NO ONE SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO HEALTH CARE PAID FOR BY THE TAX PAYER!! THAT INCLUDES TEACHERS, POLICE, FIREMEN, FEDERAL WORKERS, STATE WORKERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS, THE MILITARY, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT GETS HEALTH CARE PAID FOR BY THE TAX PAYER!! PERIOD!! AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT, NO ONE SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO A PENSION PAID FOR BY THE TAX PAYER, PERIOD!! IF YOU WANT A PENSION, FORM A GROUP AND CONTRIBUTE MONEY OUT OF YOUR OWN PAY TO FINANCE YOUR OWN PENSION, PERIOD!! AND WE DON'T NEED A CO-OP, WHICH WOULD STILL LEAVE THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S IN CHARGE OF WHETHER YOU COULD HAVE THE PROCEDURE OR TEST DONE!! What we need is a single payer, government run plan, eliminate the health insurance business which is a scam and a racket. I thought we had racketeering laws on our books. BULLDOZE THE EXISTING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, AND CONSTRUCT A NEW SYSTEM IN A FORWARD AND ON A MEASURED PACE, WITH OR WITHOUT THE RIGHT WING NUTS!! REMEMBER THE REPUBLICANS NEVER DO ANYTHING FOR THIS COUNTRY THEY ONLY DO THINGS TO THIS COUNTRY!! JOHN MCCAIN, BY THE WAY HAS A 58,000 DOLLAR PENSION FROM THE TAX PAYER THAT HE PAYS NO TAXES ON, YET I PAY TAXES ON MY PENSION AND MY SOCIAL SECURITY MONIES!! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT! HOW MUCH INSURANCE MONEY ARE THESE REPUBLICAN'S STICKING IN THEIR POCKETS TO STOP THIS HEALTH CARE FOR THE CITIZEN'S OF THIS COUNTRY?? HEALTH CARE FOR ALL CITIZEN'S NOW, A SINGLE PAYER PLAN IS THE ONLY WAY, WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRY ON THIS PLANET WITHOUT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE. JUST GET IT DONE!! whiteagle38

Antacid, what are you talking about? When did McCain, or anyone else, say they had a "plan to remove protections from those having pre-existing conditions". I think everyone is pretty well agreed that preexisting conditions need to be addressed, but in a way that does not allow people to bounce on and off health plans depending on the current condition of their health.

There are lots of ways to handle pre existing conditions without a government take over of the health care system.

Rick

http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/mccains_health_proposals_under_2.php

Educate yourself abiout the cold, callous and brutal way McCain's plan would have tossed the sick by the wayside in the name of insurance company profitability, while cynically calling it "Health care reform."

Assume for a moment that "quality, affordable health care for all Americans" is indeed a right. So is voting. The government does not force you to register to vote, nor does it come pick you up from where every you are, deliver you to the polls and force you to vote in every election.

Protecting or guaranteeing your rights is not accomplished by forcing you to exercise your rights.

For those who think of this as a right, I ask you who is denying you this right?

You already have quality, affordable health care for all that is second to none. If you chose not to participate in insurance plans, so be it.

For those who believe insurance companies are denying them this right (such as pre-existing conditions, of which I have), there are ways to take care of this. Why is Congress trying to nationalize health care when all they have to do is revise the laws they passed in the 70's, to allow for more competition, and prevent them from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions? Why do we have to socialize medicine – and do it NOW – without debate, when there are other, simpler (non-freedom stealing) options to explore?

@Bobster

McCain is part of the 40% of Americans who already have single-payer govt run healthcare coverage, which he's is certainly content with since he's not trying to change his own coverage. He just wants to prevent you from getting a fair deal, on behalf of special interests who own him. Thank god we didn't elect that spineless sob.

In case you didn't notice - McCain lost the last election. Americans have been debating healthcare reform for years and the majority of the country that wants healthcare reform also win the last election. They should proceed with passing reasonable healthcare reform. Anyone with half a brain realizes that our current healthcare costs are unsustainable and we should get it done before insurance and pharma companies bankrupt the country with their elite monopolies (serving up viagra to all the grouchs that make up this shrill conservative complaining).

Antacid, I don't think you read the whole article from the CJR. The proposal is certainly not "cold, callous and brutal". If you read closely, the WSJ question was about how much would be subsidized.

I thought the guy from Maine was basically crazy. Maine has moved a lot of people to their public option and now is watching its public option go bankrupt.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/In-Maine-good-intentions-paved-the-road-to-health-care-Hell-50653362.html

No matter how you propose to take care of preexisting, it is going to be expensive. If you force all health insurance companies to take preexisting, everyone's rates will go up to cover the cost. There is no free lunch.

I thought the CJR article was written as a campaign prop for Obama. They only addressed McCain (because Obama never really offered anything) and were quite light on the failure of the public option in the states that have tried it.

This is what amazes me about those who want a government takeover. Tennessee, Maine, and Massachusetts are failing at great cost. We know about the problems in England, Canada, and the French system is losing scads of money. I do not understand why those who support a public takeover are unable to learn from any of those 6 examples. For some reason, they just wave their arms and "hope" we won't see the same problems. We will.

Rick

Hank,

Why is 40% of americans (if that is even accurate) on single payer healthcare (doubt this) a good thing? It certainly is not. I agree reform is necessary. Chopping of your legs is not reform - it's just stupid. There are better options than turning this over to the gov't You remember them? The people that have brought us scandal after scandal, bankrupt medicaid, bankrupt medicare, bankrupt social security, bankrupt amtrack, bankrupting the financial industry, 9 trillion in debt, etc. etc. Why do you trust these people, regardless of party???

@bobster

Yes, its a good thing. They have healthcare cost a 1/3 cheaper than anything else available in the US, and anyone on Medicare or the VA should thank the Lord. We should all be so lucky.

The only way to control costs is single payer healthcare. I'd rather have govt reducing healthcare costs than to be continued to ripped off by the health insurance companies.

The folks who have been bankrupting the country are the same party Will Rogers made fun of - "Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it."

In this democratic republic we have elections to decide how we are governed, and Democrats should do everything possible to stop the out-of-control healthcare in this country. Republicans have never lifted a finger to prevent rising healthcare costs for Americans. Forget bipartisanship anymore and forget the obstructionists who would continue to try to bankrupt America. I really don't go for that anti-American crap anymore or the lies to obstruct any reform.