Why Single Payer Gets No Respect

July 28, 2009

Just returned from a press conference on Capitol Hill.

Held by single payer advocates.

Room 2226 Rayburn.

Quite moving.

Dr. Patch Adams was there.

Phyllis Zolotorow was there.

Her boy is ill.

Insurance company harrassed the family — tried to deny the son coverage.

She had to get a legal separation to keep her son on Medicaid.

“If you think you are happy with your employer based insurance, you haven’t been put to the test yet,” Zolotorow said.

Donna Smith was there.

She told a heart wrenching story about her battle with cancer.

And her family’s descent into medical bankruptcy.

Dr. Ogan Gorel was there.

He just finished walking from Chicago to Washington, D.C. to highlight the plight of the uninsured and underinsured.

No reporters.

Let’s move downstairs to Rayburn 2141.

House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing starring single payer advocate Dr. Steffie Woolhandler.

And Ms Elizabeth Edwards.

They were talking about the disgrace of medical bankruptcies.

In the richest country in the world.

Two reporters.

Now, ask yourself this question.

Why is it that single payer advocates get no respect?

While if the Blue Dogs pee, they get on the front page?

Why?

One answer — the Blue Dogs laid down a demand.

The Blue Dogs said — if you don’t do this, we’ll rip your little health care reform bill to shreds.

The single payer advocates rolled over and played dead.

If the 85 members of the House who have signed onto HR 676 stood together and drew a line in the sand, then they too would get some respect.

But no.

Not one of the 85 members of Congress who have signed onto HR 676 has said no to Obamacare.

(Definition of Obamacare: weak or no public option, bound to break the bank and not cover tens of millions of Americans. As Donna Smith put it today — about what we have now.)

How do you spell respect?

No to Obamacare.

Yes to single payer.