Kucinich Switches Vote on Health Care

Kucinich Switches Vote on Health Care
By JEFF ZELENY
10:28 a.m. | Updated

Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, said today that he plans to support the health care bill when it comes up for a vote this week. He becomes the first Democrat to publicly disclose his intention to switch from a “no” to a “yes” vote on the legislation.

“I’ve decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation,” Mr. Kucinich said at a morning news conference in the Capitol. “If my vote is to be counted, let it count now for passage of the bill, hopefully in the direction of comprehensive health care reform.”

Mr. Kucinich said he was “quite aware of the historic fight” underway and decided to drop his opposition that the bill did not go far enough. He said, “I believe health care is a civil right.”

Natl Health Policy Guru Coming to TN

Mr. Ron Pollack, founding executive director of Families USA, will be the  keynote speaker at two of the

Tennessee Health Care Campaign’s 5^th Annual Regional Conference

“Putting the Pieces Together: What Will National Health Reform Mean for Tennessee”

Saturday, February 20 – 9am-3pm

Saturday morning @ Cherokee Health System, 2018 Western Ave., Knoxville  Register with Beth @ buselton@thcc2.org

Saturday afternoon @ Cookeville Regional Medical Center, 1 Medical Ctr. Blvd., Cookeville — Register with Christina @ ckretchik@thcc2.org

Registration: $15 at the door; $10 in advance.

Mr. Pollack is the founding executive director of Families USA, the premier national organization for health care consumers. Families USA’s mission since the mid 1980’s has been to achieve high-quality, affordable health coverage for every American. In 1997, Mr. Pollack was appointed by President Clinton as the sole consumer representative on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. In that capacity, Mr. Pollack helped prepare the Patients’ Bill of Rights that has been enacted by many state legislatures.

GOP Scare Tactics Continue

Those with no hope or vision for a better way can offer only fear and darkness for tomorrow and today.

Did you catch any of the Senate debate yesterday?   The GOP senators continued their strategy of trying to scare seniors & their families by, shall I politely call it, delivering misinformation.  Sen. Dodd challenged them to show one–just one–example of where there were going to be cuts to the currently guaranteed Medicare programs or services. A challenge, which was of course ignored because there is not example.

Truth is the American taxpayer has been subsidizing the PRIVATE Medicare Advantage plans and all the reform bill is bring funding for private Advantage in line with traditional Medicare–which BTW most seniors prefer.

Oh, and BTW, AARP, the Medicare Rights Center, and Center for Medicare Advocacy are supporting the reform bill and opposing GOP attempts to spread untruths.  Read this joint letter from MRC & CMA. , which likely helped in defeating McCain’s amendment to keep the pork in Medicare.

McCain A Flip-flopper

It is soooooo easy to be a high & mighty critic, especially when you count on the fact that most Americans have trouble remembering their own names let alone what a candidate for president had promised to do with Medicare.

McCain Dec. 2009: Champion of Seniors — offers an amendment to strip out cuts to over-funded private Advantage plans, claiming he “cares” about seniors.

McCain: 2008 Presidential Candidate – Promised, if elected, he would impose $1.3 trillion in cuts from the two government-administered programs over the course of 10 years — well more than the half trillion he says Democrats are pushing.

McCain, A History of “Caring” for Seniors: 1997, McCain voted in favor of raising the eligibility age for Medicare recipients (from 65 to 67) as a way of promoting cost containment within the health care system. In 2005, meanwhile, he backed a budget reconciliation bill that reduced spending on Medicare by $6.4 billion.

Sen. Ted Kennedy still champion for progressive reform

Despite poor health, Sen. Edward Kennedy is still finding the strength to be the champion of the common man and woman. He is pushing back on colleague Sen. Max Baucus, who seems all to willing to cave to conservative demand that their be no public plan choice.  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3042787920090531