That’s why Obama is trying to prove to the insurance industry that he’s the more worthy suitor, faithful and true……..

“Every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry!”

One hopes that truth is allowed as a defense.

Weiner is the one guy–the only guy–who has really taken the fight for Single Payer to the politicians and the corporate media.

Do we know which “offended” Republican asked for Weiner’s words to be taken down – twice?
What other comments has that man ever asked to be taken down?

Don’t fall in love with Weiner quite yet. He talks a good game but he isn’t likely to vote “no” on the bad Senate/WH bill when the time comes. (Hint: he’s a protege of Chuck Schumer.)

The Democratic Party Is A Wholly Owned Subsidiary Of Wall Street. – now what?

“A wave of industrial and social unrest is building across Europe as workers resist attempts by governments and private companies to impose austerity policies, drive down wages and rescue some nations from near-bankruptcy.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greece-leads-europes-winter-of-discontent-1908527.html

“attempts by governments and private companies to impose austerity policies”
____

Coming to us shortly in the form of Medicare and Social Security evisceration attempts.

I believe I heard the name Lundgren.

The White House sold out to Pharma and the Insurance industry right from the get go. That’s quite a chunk of change the Republican administration forked over to their patrons, indeed.

That’s right. The Dems are owned outright by Wall Street and are now squarely the party of capital. Weiner is turning out to be a showboater. So wait before applauding. Picking on Republicans is easy. Calling out corporate Dems who sold out workers over and over is more worth our time. The Democrats has a thin patina of social concern, but that has worn off and exposed them for the sell outs they are.

Thanks for the link. Go European socialists!

Figured it was about time for him to pop up to mouth off and point fingers at someone else. Like clockwork.

I second that emotion. This douchebag, unfortunately is my rep from CA3 and a proud supporter of GOP obstructionism.

Wow the dismissers and the minimizers and the other trolls are out in force on this one.

Well-This is the kind of rhetoric I want to hear. His sincerity seems to be there. Whether he will vote where his mouth is remains to be seen. But I liked it.
He did not seem like a pussy today. If the dems quit being pussies they would go a lot farther with the public.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen David Dayen and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

First of all I’m disappointed that Phony Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in the House didn’t whip enough Democrats to keep the original language in and on the record…but after what Pelosi did to Representative Stark when he took down the fascist Bush administration on the floor, I certainly am not surprised. Secondly, Weiner may play a much more important role for progressives in the immediate future in tryin’ to control the direction and framing of debates between now and November. And finally, no matter how the November elections turn out I believe that there is gunna be a huge shake up in leadership in BOTH houses and Weiner may be well placed to give a couple of corporate bagmen (are you listening Stenny Hoyer) a run for leadership. Phony Nancy is lookin over her shoulder at the reincarnation of the Tiny Dancer in the House in 2012 and if she manages to save her majority this November she’s gunna need ta cut a few of Rahm’s shills off at the knees or we’re all gunna regret we ever heard the bastard’s name.

But a word of caution, Weiner has shown himself to be a Likudnik before he’s a Democrat on issues that impact Israel…jest sayin.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE TAKE A LITTLE BIT A THIS AND A LITTLE BIT A THAT AND PRETTY SOON WE GOT A LITTLE BIT!!

gee, I wonder why? Next thing I’m gonna find out is that you go to Sons of Norway meetings! Eatin Kumla and shit like that!

Good:

“The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry!”

Better:

“The Republican Party and my own party are wholly owned subsidiaries of the insurance industry!”

To those frustrated by the state of affairs – I have a question –

Say which route of healthcare-money management has least overhead?
1. Employer to Insurance industry to healthcare provider to doctor.
2. Employer to IRS to Treasury to HHS to healthcare provider to doctor.
3. Employer to Employee to doctor.

Why is it that Republicans stand for #1.
Democrats stand somewhere between #1 and #2.
Progressives stand for #2
And option #3 NEVER considered?

Either you have to believe that #1 and #2 have significant advantage, (i.e. Santa Claus intervenes and pays the difference between what you pay into the system and what it costs to provide you health care.) Or you believe that your employer has a fetish of paying everyone other than you – the same amount.
After all, unless someone else other than your employer is paying for your healthcare, #3 is the best option.

All of this mess has been created due to the weird idea that “collective” bargaining on behalf of employers would get cheaper healthcare. Now that it has not, instead it has led to the most expensive healthcare than anywhere else in the entire world – whats the solution – build even bigger a collective. I would say moronic.. but I want you to face the consequences yourself.

WE TAKE A LITTLE BIT A THIS AND A LITTLE BIT A THAT AND PRETTY SOON WE GOT A LITTLE BIT

I will toast to you with vodka from the freezer as we eat smoked haddock this evening.

PS. What the fuck is up with the Nordic Skiers from Norway?

Citizen Raven:

Ah Brother Freebird, ya come outta yer nice safe perch ta give the Norseman a little tweek here? We’re takin’ our youngest ta Evanston tommorrow…any place or anyone ya want us ta drop a nod from the Birdman? What did yer old man coach? We went by the high school last time through and I saw a lotta larcross and soccer-types walkin’ home down the gold coast road.

Have a good trip, my ex lives there now. The old man coached it all, football, basketball, swimming. . .in the 50′s coaches didn’t specialize much. Of course Northwestern is a great school so she’s on the right track.

Go European socialists!

Well that’s me for sure but the rest of the diatribe was weird.

Citizen nomolos:

What with cross country skiin’ spashin’ through the rain and the biathalon folks slidin’ through the mud to the firing lines I’ve lost interest…sorry Gampa Ole.

too bad the Administration didn’t have the guts to fix health care properly by taking the employer out of the equation.

Could have easily set it up that the employees got a pay raise to match their health care benefits and then the whole of the nation would have been in the same pool. Certainly would have made getting health insurance more fair for those not employed by big corps. I suppose unions are partly to blame here because so much of their negotiated benefits involve health care.

The Swede’s emptied the net with 1:30 to go!

Citizen Raven:

I’ll raise a glass a seltzer for the old coach at our favorite Greek deli on Saturday…peace brother.

Here’s something that will annoy the firepups

USA USA USA

oh please

Weiner doesn’t have a whole lot of room to talk. If republicans are wholly owned, democrats are at least partially so.

repugs-owned
dems-rented

“Administration didn’t have the guts to fix health care properly by taking the employer out of the equation.”

Its actually the other way around. Government fixed wage maximum limits, and exempted taxes on health care benefits (thus maximizing benefit for both employer and employee if the pay package involved health care benefits that would not count against taxes or max wage limits).. thus creating the incentive for employers to get involved in health care.

OK, but we agree, your #3 was the way to really reform health care.

If you follow the money you find that health care insurance companies are the largest institutional investors on Wall Street. Wall Street. The fog is lifting. Seems like both parties can agree on something!

beowulf has a great idea for both healthcare (decent universal insurance – via public option on steriods) and the climate (carbon tax that is a republican bill which makes the whole thing bipartisan to boot) — and could be done with 50 votes in reconciliation (haven’t seen anyone say otherwise yet).

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/31490#comment-148503

Come on, we beat the Swiss in hockey!

right, and you act like some of us were rooting for Switzerland.

Thanks for the plug Selise. :o)

I’m afraid that after this cold winter, we’re not going to see any climate change legislation (whether cap and trade or carbon tax) anytime soon.

I learned something interesting over the weekend, One of Ted Kennedy’s cosponsors on his first Medicare for All bill in 1970, (back then it was called National Health Insurance, was Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky (Mitch McConnell got his start in DC working as an intern for Senator Cooper). Also cosponsoring the bill was GOP Senator William Saxbe of Ohio, who later served as Attorney General under Nixon and Ford.

So there have been at least two Republicans who weren’t wholly owned subsidiaries of the insurance industry. ::o)

well, i don’t think we’re going to see an end to the wars anytime soon either. but i expect it will take even longer if we concede without a word.

p.s. thanks for the history. two is certainly better than none!

Picking on Republicans is easy
Like shooting fish in a barrel. Like calling Trig’s mom Bristol.Like calling McCains wife a pill popper. Like calling Rush a Dominican Sex Tourist Mega Pill Popper.Like calling Glenn Beck a fear mongering jerk off.Like calling Lindsey Graham a closeted Homo. Like calling David Vitter a diaper wearing whore monger.Like I can’t take it anymore.

Picking on Republicans is easy. Calling out corporate Dems who sold out workers over and over is more worth our time.

while the dems are in control, i certainly agree. maybe that is why they are trying to lose control of at least one house?

I still think a revenue-neutral carbon tax is very good policy. Leaving aside the climate change issue, I like the idea of using carbon tax revenue to reduce payroll taxes.

And you’re right, conceding without a word is never a good plan. As W. liked to say, “I don’t negotiate against myself”.

Woopdy-doo. A bunch of rhetoric followed by nothing. Does that mean Obama should be a FDL Fire Dog too?

Doesnt it strike anyone else that instead of focusing mostly on the public option right now, when it shows some small signs of life, he is focusing on the un-passable single payer system?

Kinda like how Rockefellar was for the public option when it had no chance of passing, but suddenly against it when it showed signs of life.

I wish Weiner was in the Senate, where he would have to back up his rhetoric with meaningful votes. Lets see if he votes for the sellout to the insurance companies we seem destined to get.

I see from Weiner a few “its the best we could get” and “dont let the perfect be the enemy of the good” in our near future in rationalizing his sellout vote, when he falls in line with all the other good little corporate democrats.

i’m with you on the revenue-neutral carbon tax, but since we’re playing “i wish”… i’d rather have it as hansen has proposed — as a per capita dividend that goes to the employed as well as the unemployed. helps everyone deal with quickly increasing carbon tax, increases the political base of support (everyone knows where that monthly check comes from), and provides incentives to invest those $$$ in conservation tech and non (or low) -carbon energy.

Yes, of course #3, is the way to reform healthcare. Unfortunately I don’t see anything like that being advocated on FDL, instead they are strongly for #2.

Doesnt it strike anyone else that instead of focusing mostly on the public option right now, when it shows some small signs of life, he is focusing on the un-passable single payer system?

there are many issues i have a problem with weiner over. but any focus on a policy that works vs one that never has is not something on my list of issues.

Obama be their Bitch, yes sir he be their Bitch as they say in the big lock up.

how about a #4 with no employer and no private insurance companies involved?

I agree , and Chuckie Schumer has a bucket full of Ins. Co. $$.

awwwww

Maven –

Did Jane pass on my contact info (re: protection from the goons at some future Montana Dem confab)?

Thanks for the kind words. I’ll keep fighting for the public option, but I need your help.

The Republicans are wholly-owned by the insurance companies, but as for me and my campaign, we’re wholly-owned by grassroots Democrats.

To prove it, I’m organizing 2,000 donors to show that the people willing to stand up for the people and against the special interests will always be rewarded. Join this “moneybomb” today.

Click here to make a contribution and fight with me for the public option. Even as little as $5 from you will help make our voices heard.

I’ve been saying all along – We have to stop making concession after concession to win Republican votes. We haven’t won over a single person from the other side.

That’s why I’m so pessimistic about tomorrow’s health care summit. We know the Republicans won’t bring any real ideas for reform.

But just in case the Republicans thought they could tap dance their way through the summit without getting called on their baloney, I’m going to be live-blogging all day at countdowntohealthcare.com.

Thanks for the kind words. I’ll keep fighting for the public option, but I need your help.

The Republicans are wholly-owned by the insurance companies, but as for me and my campaign, we’re wholly-owned by grassroots Democrats.

To prove it, I’m organizing 2,000 donors to show that the people willing to stand up for the people and against the special interests will always be rewarded. Join this “moneybomb” today.

Click here to make a contribution and fight with me for the public option. Even as little as $5 from you will help make our voices heard.

I’ve been saying all along – We have to stop making concession after concession to win Republican votes. We haven’t won over a single person from the other side.

That’s why I’m so pessimistic about tomorrow’s health care summit. We know the Republicans won’t bring any real ideas for reform.

But just in case the Republicans thought they could tap dance their way through the summit without getting called on their baloney, I’m going to be live-blogging all day at countdowntohealthcare.com.

Thank you… Chipping in now.

PO or no mandate! And nooooo Stupak!

So good to have you here in person, Mr. Weiner. I had to admire your persistence on the floor today. If only you were one of the many instead of one of the few.

Then there is nelson, lincoln, and leiberman, share the wealth.

Wow, this is great a Representative that represents and does this make my heart glad. Oh yeah. Are your listening Mr. President?

I love it!!!

The truth was already said….”Republicans are wholly-owned by the insurance companies/big Corporations/Monarchy form of government!!! Deal with it!!!

You mean Republicans again…why would I like ” harshness, strictness, asceticism, rigor” to impose austerity policies. The rich dont like it when we/progressives make them PAY their fair share in taxes. They pay less than 17% of their money for taxes. I pay 33%. Tax them at the rate BEFORE Reagan screwed the middle class with his “pee on the peons” aka trickle down economic policies!!! AT 80% for anything above 2.3 million….wow that’s where the money for schools, roads, etc. etc went……

Could you check sources? – is it the health insurers or the insurers are largest? My understanding is insurance (I’ve been reading the Buffett biography) not health insurers. But I’m just making medical devices for cancer surgery, so whadda I know?

You have to give Rep. Weiner credit; he’s not afraid to come into the firehouse.

no reach around for thrice weinered repubicans

Need I say, and so are about 80% of Dems in Congress (owned by the ins. cos.) – the other 20% who aren’t corporate plutocrats (or would-be ones), we need to organize into a progressive caucus with power.

Weiner was terrific. He is among the good guys in the House. Isn’t it amazing the House is made up of 435 voting members with the power of the purse and the Senate has 100 voting members. That is 23% of the population of the House and yet the Senate is holding itself up as the more representative of the american people. I don’t think so. The Senate is sitting on 291 House Bills funding important projects across the country. Senate republicans would rather see Obama fail, than the people succeed. And that is why Weiner was sooooo right. The republicans believe that the economic aristocracy should “rule” not govern the country and that the people are just a means to an end, that is why so many lies are promulgated by right wing repugs. Remember, Rupert Murdoch who own 34% of News Corp abandoned his native Australia to become a US citizen to make money, and 7% of newscorp is owned by a Saudi Prince who has bragged about how he has shaped the message of the right wing media across America.

Will dig for the vitals, but WellPoint’s portfolio is roughly 20 billion.

Info retrieval is tough, but you appear to be correct. Insurance in general is largest institutional investment. Will try to get health ins as a percentage. Big bucks involved, and, for me, difficult to ferret out.

but any focus on a policy that works vs one that never has is not something on my list of issues.

Its like the joke about the drunk who drops his keys by the door but is out looking for them by the street, “because the light’s better”.

When I wrote #3, I meant something that amounts to #4. Although in #3 could be a bad variant where employee has to turn in healthcare bills to employer for health insurance.. which would be a bad idea. So I advocating your #4. Pay doctor, get treatment. Simple as that. No forms to fill, no unnecessary and shared paperwork – I like the system just for its ultra high privacy.

yeah. only the joke is on us and i’m not laughing.

with hr 676, which weiner did a good job of advocating for, it’s: go to the doctor, the doc files the forms and the gov insurance pays the doc. no paperwork for you. not as private as when you pay the doc directly, but most of us don’t have the financial resources to do that, especially, in the case of major illness.

“but most of us don’t have the financial resources to do that, especially, in the case of major illness.”

Do you think there is Santa Claus that is going to pay for your healthcare bills somewhere? Not to be callous, but this is just a plea for money that someone else earned and was expropriated, directly or indirectly by the government – under penalty of imprisonment or death. What is quite ironic is that the some people whose money you are trying to use have taken control of the “puppets in power” you cry foul. In a fight of might makes right, who can blame them.. not me. Its a game between you and them – neither of you are interested in solving the problem, rather deciding who is to pay for the losses.

Enjoy the brawl! Sensible solutions are not for you.

this is just a plea for money that someone else earned and was expropriated

no, public insurance that we all help pay for when we are able. like we pay for the police, for the court system.

as for sensible solutions, since we as a country are already paying enough in total national health expenditures to provide first dollar coverage for everyone, i’d like to get what we’re already paying for.

“we all help pay”
help whom?
And if “we” all pay for “we” all.. implying that you are paying your costs, and I mine, then why the need to entangle your business with mine? It might seem plausible for an unaware mind that does not know what the penalty is for disagreeing with “we” is once such measures are passed.

“we all help”.. Please. Don’t help – if you want to pay for me, just give me the money – if you want my money, ask for it nicely – no need to pretend as “we” everything is just hunky dory. Just pay for your own thing and let me pay for mine. You mind your own business and I will mind mine.

Sign the petition Below.

Sign this petition, urging Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to support the public option through RECONCILIATION! Sign and pass it on.

Leave your state’s abreviation and the name of your city in the “comment” box (especially if your from PA ;)Remember, the more folks from PA the better!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/caseytosupportpublicoption/

Duly noted. Credit where credit is due. It is encouraging to see strong words. Actions count now, though.