Posted on 05/06/2009 8:12:59 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Yesterday morning, eight doctors, lawyers and other activists stood up to Senator Max Baucus.
And the private health insurance industry.
And the corporate liberals in Congress.
The eight activists demanded that single payer - everybody in, nobody out, free choice of doctor and hospital - be put on the table.
And as a result they were arrested.
And charged with a so-called "disruption of Congress."
The Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Democracy Now and National Public Radio all carried stories about the protest.
C-Span carried it live.
And it was widely disseminated on the Internet.
Baucus crafted a hearing to kick off the health care debate in the Senate yesterday where 15 witnesses would be at the table to discuss health care reform.
The insurance industry was at the table.
The Business Roundtable was at the table.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was at the table.
Blue Cross Blue Shield was at the table.
The Heritage Foundation was at the table.
And corporate liberals like Andy Stern, Ron Pollack, and AARP were at the table.
But not one person who stood for what the majority of Americans, doctors, nurses, and health economists want - single payer - was at the table.
Not one.
When I heard about this corporate line-up last week, I called the office of Senator Baucus.
And politely asked that, as a matter of fairness, a single payer doctor be allowed to testify.
I was told - no way, Ralph.
The deal is done.
So, yesterday, at 10 a.m., the Baucus Eight, led by Single Payer Action and other single payer groups, took to the Senate Finance Committee.
And directly and respectfully confronted a room full of corporate lobbyists.
And corporate controlled Senators.
And again asked that a group of doctors who were in the room to support Medicare for all be allowed to testify.
The answer again - no, no, and no.
Remember what Senator Richard Durbin said last week?
Durbin said that the banks "own" the Congress.
To which we might add - the health insurance industry and the drug industry own the Senate.
Faxing, writing, and e-mailing is not getting it done.
Enough is enough.
Time for action. *SNIP*
YouTube Eight Healthcare Activists Arrested at Baucus Hearing
Senate Finance Committee Members
NEWS WIRE from SinglePayerAction page
We see the Left in greater division, the Right has become David, the country strongly divided and entering a most dangerous time when:
| "....the governments' power does not come from The People..their power is not limited and tend to expand their scope of power to control every aspect of The People's Life...leader(s)unrestricted by law, constitutions or other social and political factors within the state"... |
...the latter is the definition of?
(Note: This is not for the purpose of joining any group; but for news on re: single payer/finance committee/arrests of protesting doctors,lawyers others-of interest only)
The Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Democracy Now and National Public Radio all carried stories about the protest.
C-Span carried it live.
And it was widely disseminated on the Internet.
This is the lesson the "tea partyists" need to learn.
8 people who were willing to be arrested, broke the law, disrupted business as usual in DC, and got more press coverage than 5000 people with all the proper permits giving speeches and waving signs in a park.
So, it starts!
The USA now has political prisoners!
How long before they come in the night for you and for me?
I agree, they got coverage, and the senators attention.. this is what we are going to have to do, to wake up the politcians that we are fed up..did any one notice how many times the politicans laughed at the people shouting.. like it was some joke..
“I came here for the vote of every American, and our Democratic Party threw us down the tubes. I was a second class citizen before, now I’m nothing. Why? Because they want to do what they want to do."-One "Older American citizen" ,Harriet Christian, who got thrown out of the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting.
But a carefully placed "few voices" in the "right places" can grow into the most "powerful" of voices. Who is leading the Republicans now, the Independents, the Libertarians..? Hmmmm....I guess the People just have to do it. Then a leader(s) will emerge.
I agree...it would have been great (under so many Washington opportunities as invitees) if the corporations lead by some true entrepreneurs of America, the automobile makers, bankers, had the "right stuff" to stand up and speak "back" to the Government! Even collectively. Why are they so afraid of our government? And then those knowledgeable (in this case professional) citizens that do, are laughed at!
I don’t recall Code Pinkos being charged with disrupting Congress. They came back too many times for there to be any fangs behind the charge.
I have zero sympathy with their demands; essentially free healthcare. WE DEMAND OTHER PEOPLE GIVE US THEIR TIME AND MONEY!
Their “free” healthcare would also raise MY out of pocket costs ($5 asprin tablets) and limit my own access to privately funded healthcare.
Members of Congress seemed to be providing special access passes to Code Pink. Even after they’d tried to handcuff Condi Rice.
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