No wonder we call this guy, McSame. How about McEvenWorse?
I spent the morning reviewing some video clips of McSame's appearance at the Lance Armstrong Cancer Summit.
It's a treasure trove. The entire event should inspire fear in the hearts of all Americans. The one I selected shows just how absolutely clueless this man is.
It's a huge blooper, could be another senior moment, I don't know:
But this time, he was alone, there was no Joe Lieberman to whisper in his ear. McSame doesn't have a clue about the economy, Iraq, Sunni, Shia, the Anbar Awakening--now add to the McSame catalogue of cluelessness, the collapse of the U.S. healthcare system.
Things are not going well on the AHIP - America's Health Insurance Plans (we feel your pain) tour of our battered nation.
Karen Ignagni the CEO of the health insurance lobbyist AHIP was taped yesterday in Ohio.
Ms. Ignagni carefuly explained that profit is the guiding principle of AHIP, the for-profit insurance industry, and tragically, the entire U.S. healthcare system.
She says, "no margin, no mission".
This is a bad day for AHIP, because their leader/CEO, Karen Ignagni, told the truth, probably for the first time in her life.
Isn't the first rule of politics, don't tell the truth? Well, she fumbled, badly.
Take a listen. I've provided a decent transcript of some of the tape.
In a couple of hours, the insurance industry will roll out its shameless campaign of deceit in Columbus, Ohio.
And what exactly does bold faced deceit look like? Like this.
How do these liars sleep at night?
It is delivered to the American people courtesy of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). I haven't a clue why they've selected Columbus, but this is the venue where the despicable conning of America circa 2008 will begin. Think of this as Harry and Louise 2.0
This is a very dangerous con job--Al Capone would blush. Even he couldn't cook up something this atrocious. We should gawk, hiss, scream and not allow a second of their deliberate deceit to go unchallenged. That said, we underestimate the survival instinct of the insurance industry at our own peril. The message for today though is AHIP is literally off and rolling. The battle has begun.
Hello from Netroots Nation in the Lone Star State, Austin Texas.
I'm sitting in the beautifully air conditioned lobby of the Austin Hilton. The lobby here is a sea of bloggers and computers. There's free internet access and clusters of very comfortable arm chairs, so as you might imagine, we've turned it into one huge living room.
But despite all the noise and activity, lots of us are hard at work.
Here's the big news on the healthcare front. I just received an email from Mike Dundas the chief health care deputy city attorney in Rocky Delgadillo's office. Mike wanted to let me know that Rocky's office (The Los Angeles City Attorney), has filed a lawsuit against Blue Shield of California as part of the ongoing investigation regarding retroactive recission of health insurance policies.
And the great news is that Rocky Delgadillo will be at Netroots Nation on the health policy panel. Please join us, Saturday, July 19 Ballroom G at 10:30.
If you can join us on Saturday, July 19. 10:30 - 11:45 - Ballroom G, a warning: when it's over, you're going to be as angry as you've ever been. We're going to rattle your cages. You'll hear from people who won't shield you from the grim realities of our hopelessly broken healthcare system.
You'll also hear about what we, the netroots, will have to do going forward to get the authentic healthcare reform we so desperately need. If there's one take home message it's this, electing Obama is just the beginning.
You know me, I've been sounding the alarm for years, now others who have been touched, or harmed, or professionally horrified by our healthcare system in one way or the other, will talk and bear witness.
To say I'm honored to be involved with making this happen is the understatement of all time.
Here's the line up.
Hilda Sarkisyan, yes, Nataline's mother. I've met this courageous woman. Her pain is raw, her anguish is unbearable, yet she is determined to take this terrible tragedy and turn it into a means of exposing the terrible brutality of the for-profit health insurance industry.
Why is a group of top notch, progressive Americans waving the white flag of surrender before the first shot is fired in what will be a take-no-prisoners battle of historic dimension?
We're talking about the looming healthcare battle.
We're talking about a very simple concept. Bringing healthcare in the United States up to the same standard as the rest of the civilized world.
Healthcare for all. Guaranteed and affordable healthcare. Single-payer healthcare. Call it what you want.
Our friends at HCAN, and they are our friends, should know better. But I guess they don't.
Oh, and before I go any further, dear friends at HCAN and MoveOn, you don't go into battle with one arm tied behind your back.
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" (the Establishment Clause) or that prohibit free exercise of religion (the Free Exercise Clause), laws that infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Before I tell you about the crushing healthcare burdens destroying Americans of every socioeconomic level, I hope those of you too young to remember, will take a look at this video about how my generation changed the course of a nation.
THURSDAY NIGHT IS HEALTH CARE CHANGE NIGHT, a weekly Daily Kos Health Care Series
I've been asked to write a "patriotic July 4th" healthcare diary by the organizers of the Thursday night healthcare series.
What follows is how I see our nation on the eve of July 4th, 2008.
Patriotism is not picnics, fireworks, or a long weekend.
Patriotism is not simply showing up to vote. You don't change a nation at the ballot box alone.
Patriots fight for the voiceless. And in 2008 in the United States, the voiceless has become just about the entire population.
Scenes from an American horror movie:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
But like so many, you're hanging in because in a few years, you'll be eligible for Medicare.
Help has arrived.
Finally, as a Medicare beneficiary and citizen of the richest country on the planet, you'll be able to access healthcare. You'll finally pay a modest premium to receive that long deferred healthcare.
You'll be enrolled in Medicare, one of our most cherished social programs, a program designed to protect the most vulnerable among us, America's senior citizens.
In an ocean of sobering reports on the collapse of the U.S. healthcare system, this just released report from The Center for Studying Health System Change, is among the most horrifying I've seen.
Falling Behind: Americans' Access to Medical Care Deteriorates, 2003-2007
The number and proportion of Americans reporting going without or delaying needed medical care increased sharply between 2003 and 2007, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change’s (HSC) nationally representative 2007 Health Tracking Household Survey. One in five Americans—59 million people—reported not getting or delaying needed medical care in 2007, up from one in seven—36 million people—in 2003. While access deteriorated for both insured and uninsured people, insured people experienced a larger relative increase in access problems compared with uninsured people.
Some of you know that last Thursday, June 19th was a nationwide day of action against the for-profit health insurance industry.
I was in San Francisco where AHIP was holding its annual convention.
I marched with the heroes from the California Nurses Association. CNA took the lead in organizing the protests nationwide.
The protests began on Wednesday, June 18th outside the Moscone center. We had a press conference with Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Hilda Sarkisyan (who, I'm thrilled to let you know will be at Netroots Nation as a panelist on the health policy panel--I'll tell you more about that in another diary), Rick Colombo, the father of Nick Colombo and many others.
Important note for Kossacks in San Francisco: If you're attending the demonstration, please look for us at 12 noon at 4th and Howard Street - Moscone West. We'll be carrying a large orange banner which will say, (of course), DAILY KOS.
Thousands of Americans are assembling today at 12 noon today outside the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco. We're here to demonstrate against AHIP and for single-payer healthcare in the United States--what the rest of the civilized world accepts as normal.
AHIP is the chief lobbyist of the for profit Murder By Spreadsheet insurance industry.
It's the first time AHIP has held its annual convention and been greeted with thousands of outraged Americans. We're going to give them a hearty welcome to the City by the Bay.
We're here because AHIP is a parasitic organization whose only purpose is to take money and destroy lives. Before the day ends, AHIP will know it can no longer waltz into a great American city unchallenged. We will fight AHIP wherever it goes. And ultimately the American people will get guaranteed and affordable single-payer healthcare.
UPDATE: I was just advised that the The Courage Campaign has a petition asking McAuliffe not to appear at the AHIP gathering. Please take one minute to sign it.
Yes, that Terry McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
But before I tell you what Terry's up to, you might be amused to know that I applied for press credentials to cover the health insurance industry depravity which will unfold next week in San Francisco. All I wanted to do was write about Terry's speech and to let you know what AHIP is planning in the year ahead. The bastards turned me down, with a curt one sentence email from Robert Zirkelbach, one of the press flacks from AHIP.
Subject: RE: Press credential request for Institute 2008
Date: 6/12/2008 4:31:32 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
From: rzirkelbach@ahip.org
Reply To:
To: nyceve@xxx.com
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide you with a press pass for the Institute.
Scared that nyceve might tell the truth to some bloggers? Holy Patootie, they ain't seen nothin yet.
Many of us have long argued that elected officials should not receive the heavily taxpayer-subsidized health benefits which they seek to deny the American people. Please note: I'm only referring to elected officals not government employees.
Opening up the FEHBP to the American people is at the heart of Senator Obama's health plan. Giving the American people the same health benefits as John McSame is a central goal of Barack Obama's health reform .
Holy Jesus, Obama wants to give us what they have!
So, as the campaign moves into high gear, and if the media does its job, which I supposed one could argue is highly unlikely, we should start to hear some interesting details about the healthcare of our elected officials.
Things like what elected folks pay for their FEHBP benefits, and how much the taxpayers shell out for them. This is information they don't want us to have.
But first a word to the naysayers. If you think we can win this in November without Alegre and all the Clinton supporters then you're nuts.
So let's acknowledge their profound sadness. Let's acknowledge the grief of Hillary Clinton supporters. Imagine the anguish the Obama supporters would feel today if the situation were reversed.
My beloved 85-year-old mother who hoped she would live to see a woman in the White House, well you know how she's feeling.
Wipe away your tears Clinton supporters. We need you. We need my mother. I'm desperate as are tens of millions of Americans.
I'm also scared about, God forbid, a third Bush term. Really scared.
Alegre, when you were at Daily Kos, bravely and beautifully supporting your candidate, I believed at the end of the day, you were going to actively and enthusiastically support the nominee of the Democratic Party.
I can say this because I had the great pleasure to get to know Alegre. She is a fierce and committed Democrat.
I haven't felt this demoralized and revolted in a long time. You might feel some outrage once you read about the latest insurance industry assault on the American people.
The New York Times is reporting that many American women are facing significant additional health insurance hardships as a result of having a cesearean delivery.
I'm writing this diary listening to CNN and the intrepid Sanjay Gupta in the background interview Arlen Specter about his recurrent Hodgkins disease. Specter's advice, "Never give in". But nary a question from Dr. Gupta--just the usual breathless fawning--to the senator about survival strategies for Specter's fellow citizens who do not have his Cadillac Congressional health benefits.
This is one of those days when you don't know whether to laugh or cry.
The New York Times is reporting that in a major reversal, the SEC "has told companies they must allow shareholders to vote on a proposal for universal health insurance coverage."
This is huge. I make no claim to be an expert on the SEC or corporate proxy statements, but my power of intuition is intact, and this strikes me as a transformative event.
Over the years, the commission said, it had reversed its position on certain issues to reflect "changing societal views," and that now appears to be the case with respect to health care.
I've had a bunch of emails asking where are the healthcare catastrophe diaries?
I've been spending some time on the unhealthy side of life. A touch of viral meningitis. I'm better but not perfect. There's nothing to treat viral meningitis, trust me, I went to two doctors.
I'm lucky, I have insurance, though one of my doctors doesn't take my crap junk insurance, I don't blame him. Why should a doctor accept a shit 20 cents on the dollar payment from a blood sucker insurance company? So I pay him. But when you shell out a couple of hundred dollars to a doctor, you understand what it feels like to be uninsured. You also ask yourself, what in the hell is wrong with a country that regards basic healthcare as a luxury?
Allow me to give you some bad news. We're all going to be paying a lot more for a lot less, and the insurance industry doesn't give a rat's ass how many Americans just throw in the towel and are forced to go naked.
