1 Payer Megathread - Sanders discusses on MTP - Likely to run as Indy in 2018

[publicunofficial]

Very good article that's a rebuttal to the "Single payer isn't the only option" folks: Yes, I'm Sure I Want Single Payer

[publicunofficial]

Mazie Hirono has jumped on board.

And so have Blumenthal and Baldwin

[publicunofficial]

Sad to see so many Red Avatars on here root against universal coverage just because they're butthurt the left wing of the party is getting a win.

[publicunofficial]

Confirmed: The Sanders bill repeals the Hyde Amendment

[publicunofficial]

Shadows, it's already started...

"David Merritt, an executive vice president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a lobby for insurers, said: “Whether it’s called single-payer or Medicare for all, government-controlled health care cannot work. It will eliminate choice, undermine quality, put a chill on medical innovation and place an even heavier burden on hard-working taxpayers.”"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/politics/health-care-obamacare-single-payer-graham-cassidy.html

Wow I was all for single payer until I heard that the lobby that represents an industry I think shouldn't exist told me it's a bad idea.

[publicunofficial]

Shadows, it's already started...

"David Merritt, an executive vice president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a lobby for insurers, said: “Whether it’s called single-payer or Medicare for all, government-controlled health care cannot work. It will eliminate choice, undermine quality, put a chill on medical innovation and place an even heavier burden on hard-working taxpayers.”"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/politics/health-care-obamacare-single-payer-graham-cassidy.html

Wow I was all for single payer until I heard that the lobby that represents an industry I think shouldn't exist told me it's a bad idea.

Well I don't agree with the lobby. It's just the fact that the fight will be extremely tough that I'm pointing out with that quote.

All the best legislation is extremely tough to pass. It's the terrible legislation that passes easily and with bipartisan support.

[publicunofficial]

Confirmed: The Sanders bill repeals the Hyde Amendment

Boo

You can't have the Hyde amendment in a single payer system, it just doesn't mesh.

[publicunofficial]

The bill covers dental as well!

[publicunofficial]

I agree on the cult thing. I only vote for politicians that no one likes, just to be safe.

[publicunofficial]

I agree on the cult thing. I only vote for politicians that no one likes, just to be safe.

Do you ever get tired working at the strawman factory?

Yeah and the worst part is they don't even give me heath insurance.

[publicunofficial]

Dawn of the Berniecratic Party

Despite more than two decades toiling in Congress, Sanders remained a backbench player, he confided to a top adviser at the time, according to "Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign." He sought a higher profile in the U.S. Senate for the liberal causes he had built his career around. A well-run White House campaign, win or lose, would do the trick. Fast-forward more than two years and Sanders is seeing that notion bear fruit.

While his former primary opponent, Hillary Clinton, is relitigating the last war, an emboldened Sanders is already making moves to shape the next one. Clinton may technically be right, as she continues to assert in interviews, that Sanders "is not even a Democrat." But it's Democrats who are increasingly gravitating to Sanders, as 16 did this week by joining his legislation calling for a Medicare-for-all health care system.

Just look at some of the names who stood next to him Wednesday to roll-out his universal health care pitch: Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey. All are prospective candidates for the presidency in 2020 – and 10 months following the party's harrowing 2016 defeat, they found themselves moving towards Sanders ideologically and physically, as each waited for his call Wednesday to make remarks at a Capitol Hill podium.

But in a sign of how far the debate had moved, even Sen. Joe Manchin, who faces a potentially competitive re-election challenge this year in increasingly conservative West Virginia, paid tribute to the legislation's concept if not its particulars. "It should be explored," he told Bloomberg, later issuing a statement clarifying his skepticism about the merits of single-payer. "Look at the number of people standing with him. [New York Gov.] Andrew Cuomo standing with Bernie Sanders for free college tuition," he said, referring to their joint appearance in January. " Sanders himself may decide to run for president again, but regardless of his personal decision, he's setting an early bar of what constitutes a true progressive in the era of Donald Trump.

https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-09-15/bernie-sanders-sets-the-bar-for-democrats-ahead-of-2020

I feel sorry for Democrats opposed to Bernie, especially the Blue Dogs.

I just don't like the whole cult of personality around Bernie - he can do no wrong, anyone who opposes him is a DINO, his chosen endorsee is the best candidate hands down. This kinda happened, but to a much, much lesser extent, with Obama and Hillary.

Some of the policies he's advocating for ARE good, but I'd rather have them without the cult of personality.

The Bernie ''cult'' pales in comparison the cult following of Obama in 2008 (the first election I was old enough to vote for)

The only difference between Obama and Sanders is that Obama told his grassroots supporters to go away after 2008 while Sanders is trying to engage them long-term hence why they're still around

I wasn't old enough to vote in 2008, so I'll take your word for it.

Also, I think using scare quotes for "cult" is kinda disingenuous. I'm not saying "cult," I'm using the term "cult of personality" which is an actual term in political science.

I'm just opposed to any of those kinds of followings, which is why I also couldn't really see myself supporting Melenchon in France unless it was a runoff vs Le Pen.

I would not "Cult" but the only successful presidents in terms of policy wise have been massively popular with huge approvals, support, a dedicated fanbase. Sometimes they would be more popular than the party. FDR & Reagan are two great such examples who could define an era.

Sanders in many ways has tried to base his campaign on policy. Bill Clinton & Obama were much more personality focused than Sanders whose appeal is heavily based on policy.

I'll kind of disagree with you here. Sanders' personality is a massive part of his appeal. It's why you can't just take his policies verbatim, give them to a guy like Cory Booker, and have them resonate in the same way.

However unlike Obama or Clinton, this popularity is kind of by accident rather than the feature their careers are centered around.

[publicunofficial]

Sanders/Warren/Merkely should co-sponsor the medicare at 55 bill. Better than what we have currently and would help unite the party.

Medicare for Boomers < Medicare for All though.

[publicunofficial]

Cuomo backs federal single-payer health care system — and even says he’d approve it on a state level


ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo on Monday became the latest potential 2020 presidential candidate to come out in support of a federal single-payer health care system. "I think that would be a good idea," Cuomo said when asked about the issue on WNYC public radio "Brian Lehrer Show," because he fears the Republican attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare are far from over.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cuomo-backs-federal-single-payer-health-care-system-article-1.3504271

The Sanderization of the party continues

I love that Democrats are embracing a universal health care system (How couldn't I, having a picture of both Russ Feingold and LBJ in my signature?). But can we please call this embracing something other than Sanderization? I can't stand that term.

Get Sanderized, bish

[publicunofficial]

Aweee, are all the right wing dems on here sad that your party is embracing single payer? Poor muffins

There are legitimate cases to be made that reform is best in incremental steps rather than massive transformations.

Incremental change in most cases means "Pass a half-assed compromise bill now, and then promise to pass a stronger version at some point in the future AKA never" in Congress-speak.