Dennis Kucinich explains why he voted NO on HR 3962.

“We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care. We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit. That is our system.

“Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care. Because their massive bureaucracy avoids paying bills so effectively, they force hospitals and doctors to hire their own bureaucracy to fight the insurance companies to avoid getting stuck with an unfair share of the bills. The result is that since 1970, the number of physicians has increased by less than 200% while the number of administrators has increased by 3000%. It is no wonder that 31 cents of every health care dollar goes to administrative costs, not toward providing care. Even those with insurance are at risk. The single biggest cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. is health insurance policies that do not cover you when you get sick.

“But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies — a bailout under a blue cross.

“By incurring only a new requirement to cover pre-existing conditions, a weakened public option, and a few other important but limited concessions, the health insurance companies are getting quite a deal. The Center for American Progress’ blog, Think Progress, states “since the President signaled that he is backing away from the public option, health insurance stocks have been on the rise.” Similarly, healthcare stocks rallied when Senator Max Baucus introduced a bill without a public option. Bloomberg reports that Curtis Lane, a prominent health industry investor, predicted a few weeks ago that “money will start flowing in again” to health insurance stocks after passage of the legislation. Investors.com last month reported that pharmacy benefit managers share prices are hitting all-time highs, with the only industry worry that the Administration would reverse its decision not to negotiate Medicare Part D drug prices, leaving in place a Bush Administration policy.

“During the debate, when the interests of insurance companies would have been effectively challenged, that challenge was turned back. The “robust public option” which would have offered a modicum of competition to a monopolistic industry was whittled down from an initial potential enrollment of 129 million Americans to 6 million. An amendment which would have protected the rights of states to pursue single-payer health care was stripped from the bill at the request of the Administration. Looking ahead, we cringe at the prospect of even greater favors for insurance companies.

“Recent rises in unemployment indicate a widening separation between the finance economy and the real economy. The finance economy considers the health of Wall Street, rising corporate profits, and banks’ hoarding of cash, much of it from taxpayers, as sign of an economic recovery. However in the real economy -- in which most Americans live -- the recession is not over. Rising unemployment, business failures, bankruptcies and foreclosures are still hammering Main Street.

“This health care bill continues the redistribution of wealth to Wall Street at the expense of America’s manufacturing and service economies which suffer from costs other countries do not have to bear, especially the cost of health care. America continues to stand out among all industrialized nations for its privatized health care system. As a result, we are less competitive in steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping while other countries subsidize their exports in these areas through socializing the cost of health care.

“Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America’s businesses, with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals.”

Look I have the deepest of respect fro Congressman Kucinich. He is a man of deep principle and unequalled courage. Many times he was the lone voice voice heard in the House calling George Bush, and his crooked administration, out on their lies.

He campaigned for President when he full well that he had no real chance, in order to educate the people of this country and call out the other candidates on their bullshit.

However as bad as this bill is, and holy crap it is pretty bad, it is the first step in a process that would not even begin without first getting SOMETHING through the House. Is this bill the best we can do? God I hope not, but it may be the best we can do right now.

I think that it is sometimes important to see past your principles in order to see the big picture. Obama got a health care reform bill through Congress! Dammit that is HUGE! Kucinich should have been part of that victory. He can bitch about the details later, but at least his vote would be on the side of PROGESS.

Look at what this bill does.

The Numbers: H.R. 3962 will cover 96% of Americans, at a 10-year cost of “under $900 billion.” It will reduce the deficit by $104 billion over the same time period, and reduce Medicare spending growth 1.3% annually by cutting $400 billion primarily from private Medicare Advantage plans. Don’t feel sorry for them, see #2.

Consumer Protections: Guaranteed coverage, limited premium variations, standard minimum benefits packages and employer/individual mandates are all still included. That last one protects people from medical bankruptcy. But best of all, insurers are now required to spend 85% of premium revenue on members’ care. Currently in private Medicare Advantage plans, it’s almost the inverse; only $0.14 of every $1.00 in premiums is spent on members’ care. The bill also closes the “donut hole” in Medicare Part D, reducing senior’s out-of-pocket prescription expenses. Prevention and wellness services will be provided in all plans at no cost.

Selective Taxation: The bill derives revenue from a 5.4% “millionaire’s tax” on individuals making over $500,000 and couples making over $1 million (0.3% of households in the US, to be exact.) It also taxes medical device makers to the tune of $20 billion.

Choice and Potential Competition: A public option will finally give consumers another choice besides private insurance or nothing. The Insurance Exchange where we can compare plans remains intact.

Insurance Anti-trust Exemption: This feature, unique to health insurance and baseball, is now history. Meaning private insurers are no longer immune to regulations concerning price-fixing, big rigging, and market allocation. The Federal Trade Commission also now has full rights to investigate the industry.

This is nothing to sneeze at. Perfect? Not even close. A victory? Yes, it is.

You know there have been numerous times when I have been very disappointed in President Obama. But recently I heard Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe say something. Something that my friend Shannyn Moore had also said a few months back to me. And here I am paraphrasing:

"Barack Obama is a chess player, in a world of checker players. Opponents see his move and think that he has lost the match. But while you are focused on that ONE move he is thinking three or four moves ahead, and ultimately the match will be his."

Kucinich is a smart man, perhaps he needs to take up chess.

Update: As for the other NO votes on this bill, I think this Washington Post comparison chart will be instructive.

Click here to sign petition to demand impeachment hearings.

I could not sign the thing fast enough.

Congressman Conyers to investigate George Bush's "Imperial Presidency".

Rebuffing Dennis Kucinich’s calls for impeachment hearings on George W. Bush, the House Judiciary Committee instead will hear testimony about Bush’s “imperial presidency” and several of his administration’s scandals.

In a press release issued Thursday, Rep. John Conyers, House Judiciary Committee chairman, said his panel will explore a variety of Bush controversies, including manipulation of prewar Iraq intelligence, politicization of the Justice Department, and refusal to cooperate with congressional investigations.

But the Michigan Democrat also left little doubt that the committee’s review was meant to fend off demands from Rep. Kucinich that Conyers initiate impeachment proceedings against Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

With impeachment ruled out, it’s unclear how much the Judiciary Committee’s inquiry can accomplish, given Bush’s broad assertion of executive privilege when his subordinates are faced with congressional questions about criminal and other wrongdoing.

This seems like a weak and pathetic excuse for a full impeachment hearing to me.

There is nothing I would like more then to see this President face the full fury of the Congress concerning his abuse of power, this seems to fall well short of "full fury".

However I am a pragmatist and I am painfully aware that an impeachment right now would certainly fail. It would split the country at a time when we are just now starting to come together and put Obama's Presidential aspirations in jeopardy.

So I am going to wait patiently. But when Obama is our President and we have the 60 percent majority in the House and true control of the Senate, then by God I want a REAL investigation launched and an outcome that insures these bastards will be convicted and punished for their crimes against our country.

Dennis Kucinich, Keith Olbermann, and the impeachment of George W. Bush.

In all of American history there has never been a more compelling case for impeachment. And yet our lawmakers do next to nothing about it.

If not for the doomed attempt by Kucinich the word "impeachment" would not even be uttered on the floor of Congress when it should, in fact, be job one for that august body.

As a parent I find it very difficult to explain to my children why the President can break so many laws and not be held accountable.

Kucinich is out.

Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job—U.S. congressman.

What a shame.

I wonder what we are going to miss the most about his candidacy?

This is what should be done everytime Diebold machines are involved in any part of the process.

Could New Hampshire be headed for Florida redux?

Just three days after Tuesday’s primary election, the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office says it will conduct a hand recount of the votes in both the Republican and Democratic primaries starting next Wednesday after receiving formal requests from two candidates this week.

On Friday, Albert Howard, an obscure candidate from Ann Arbor, Mich., who appeared on the Republican ballot and received 44 votes in the primary, hand-delivered his recount request and a down payment of $2,000 to the statehouse in Concord, N.H.

And Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio Congressman and presidential candidate, sent a letter to the New Hampshire Secretary of State asking for a recount of the Democratic ballots. Mr. Kucinich’s letter cited “unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots.”

I have no idea if the Hillary surge was the result of any hanky panky or not.

I watched "real Time" last night where Bill Maher pointedly brought up the idea that the Republicans want Hillary to be the nominee, and that they might cheat to get that result.

Essentially that is what a lot of us believe. We are convinced that the Republicans do not want to run against Obama, and fear him ever becoming Prresident.

I just cannot understand why ALL of the elections are not being done with paper ballots. After the 2000 and 2004 elections it just seems completely insane that we would allow such a possibly unreliable system to determine the next leader of this country.

BradBlog has been doing an excellent job of tracking the activities of Diebold and the problems that exist with it's machines. There are very serious questions remaining and more then enough reason to walk away from any contracts with that company.

(By the way I simply must give a hat tip to Skippy for bringing my attention to this article.)

Do you want to read something that will put a smile on your face?

House Resolution 333, the impeachment of Dick Cheney for High Crimes and Misdemeanors will be brought to the House floor by Congressman Dennis Kucinich as a privilege vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6th. American Research Group Poll says 54 percent of Americans favor the impeachment of Cheney and the National Lawyer’s Guild passed a Resolution for Impeachment on Friday, Nov. 2nd, giving further support for the impeachment proceedings.

Yeah I know this will not amount to anything, but damn isn't it awesome to know it is going to make it to the House floor?

Kucinich to bring impeachment to the Senate floor.

.....when citizens are asked what they think about holding members of the Bush administration to account, they respond with an enthusiasm far greater than that displayed for impeaching Richard Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal. It is this reality — as opposed to the state of denial fostered by so much of the media and the political class — that Congressman Dennis Kucinich will act upon next week, when he offers a privileged resolution on the House floor to bring articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney.
Kucinich will face an uphill fight in a chamber led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who continues to say that impeachment is “off the table.”

The Ohio congressman and long-shot presidential contender may not be following the rules of engagement as dictated by major media and his party leaders. But when Kucinich raises the issue of impeachment, he will be speaking for a great mass of Americans who agree with his argument that, “Congress must hold the Vice President accountable.”

How great?

A fresh poll conducted for Vermont’s WCAX television station finds that citizens of that state enthusiastically believe that Congress beginning impeachment proceedings against President Bush.

Sixty-one percent of the Vermonters surveyed favor taking steps to impeach the president, while just 33% oppose doing so.

The numbers are even higher for impeaching Cheney. Sixty-four percent of Vermonters favor beginning the process of holding the vice president to account, where only 31 percent are opposed.

I don't think that Kucinich has a snowball's chance in Hades of being nominated, but I have to admire his guts in going after this issue.

As I have stated repeatedly, I want BOTH Cheney and Bush impeached as soon as possible.

I believe that every day they remain in power is just one more day that our country suffers incalculable damage.

They are a cancer to our country, and surgery is definitely required!

I have to give mad props to Kucinich for this.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich says he is so concerned about what he sees as the Bush administration's push for a war with Iran that he is considering using a parliamentary measure to force the House of Representatives to vote on impeaching Vice President Dick Cheney.

"We're preparing for another war, and they're going to destroy America," the Ohio Democrat said Thursday on the Ed Schultz show. "We have a government in place right now that has to be challenged. I'm seriously thinking about calling a privileged resolution on impeachment of the vice president and forcing a vote on the floor of the House."

Kucinich is dead right on this issue. Let's face it, neither Cheney or Bush has changed one iota of their plans despite an overwhelming negative response to the Iraq war and domestic spying, among other policy decisions.

I am completely on board with impeachment proceedings going forward. It won't happen, but at least we get a dialogue started in the Senate. Maybe it fails this time, but if the administration continues its suicidal foreign policies it will not fail the next time.

Somebody needs to start throwing rocks at Goliath's forehead.

I am not a Kucinich supporter, but you have to admit that he makes an interesting candidate. Especially if you include his hippie wife.

An Essex girl may be the first lady with a tongue stud to have set her sights on the White House. The wife of Dennis Kucinich, a left-wing Democratic congressman and 2008 presidential candidate, is a 29-year-old hippie chick from Upminster at the end of London Underground’s District line.

It would almost be worth helping Kucinich get elected to see how the media deals with this

I have no idea what the attraction for her is, but you just know that Kucinich can hardly wait to get his knickers off and climb this willow tree.

She is a very beautiful woman and she at least make Kucinich seem a little more interesting. A little more.