Stockholm Syndrome.

That’s where hostages have positive feelings towards their captors – feelings that appear irrational in light of the danger and risk of the captivity.

Now we have a derivation –

Hartford Syndrome.

That’s where Americans have positive feelings toward their insurance industry captors – feelings that appear irrational in light of the danger and risk of the captivity.

(Hartford, Connecticut is one of the poorest cities in the country – despite being home to some of the wealthiest insurance corporations in the world – corporations that dominate its economic and political landscape.)

Wendell Potter has come down with a bad case Hartford Syndrome (HS).

Potter is the former insurance industry executive who for more than 15 years worked for CIGNA – many of those years in Hartford.

Last year, he quit, and became a whistleblower.

In September 2009, Potter said that the Senate health care plan was an “absolute gift” to the industry.

“It’s just an absolute joke,” said Potter. “It is an absolute gift to the industry. And if that is what we see in the legislation, (America’s Health Insurance Plans chief) Karen Ignagni will surely get a huge bonus.”

Potter told reporters at the time that the proposal would not provide affordable coverage, it gives the industry too much latitude to charge higher premiums based on age and geographic location, fails to mandate employer coverage, and pushes consumers into plans with limited benefits.

Now, just a few short months later, Hartford Syndrome has kicked in.

And Potter is having positive feelings for the insurance industry that held him hostage for all those years.

Potter is now appearing with Nancy Pelosi and the other corporate Democrats captured by the insurance industry – supporting basically the same bill that Potter called “an absolute joke” and a “gift to the insurance industry” just a few short months ago.

Earlier this month, Dr. Marcia Angell appeared with Potter on Bill Moyers.

Moyers told Angell – this is all about politics now – it’s not about pure health care reform.

“Well, I think you really do have to separate the policy analysis from the political analysis and I’m looking at it as policy,” Angell said. “And it fails as policy. Moreover, a lot of people say, ‘Let’s hold our nose and pass it, because it’s a step in the right direction.’ And I say it’s a step in the wrong direction.”

Angell’s take – single payer is the only reform that both controls costs and covers everyone.

Apparently, Potter took offense.

“Well, that sounds terrific,” Potter wrote on a blog this week. “It’s a wonderful sound bite, and it can actually be accomplished in a classroom at Harvard. It cannot be done in the real world we live in, certainly not the political world that is Washington. To suggest otherwise is being naive at best and disingenuous at worst.”

Potter now wants Congress to pass this “absolute joke” and “gift to the insurance industry.”

Who’s being disingenuous, Wendell?

Single payer is possible.

But we can’t get it done with leaders afflicted with Hartford Syndrome.

First, Potter and Pelosi have to stop being in denial.

And admit that they have HS.

Then they have to directly confront their captors.

Shake them off.

Stand with the American people.

And push for single payer national health insurance.

If Potter and Pelosi and others afflicted with HS had stood from the beginning with the majority of the American people, with Dr. Angell and the thousands of doctor members of Physicians for a National Health Program, then single payer would have had a chance.

But they didn’t.

And it didn’t.

Instead, they continue to make excuses for their captors.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Just yesterday, for example, Stephen Lynch (D-Massachusetts) announced that he was going to vote against the insurance industry bailout – also known as Obamacare.

“We’ve paid the ransom, but at the end of the day the insurance companies are still holding the hostages,’’ Lynch told the Boston Globe. “This is a very good bill for insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. It might be good for Nebraska, I don’t know. Or Florida residents. But it’s not good for the average American, and it’s not good for my district. Or for Massachusetts.’’

“There’s a difference between compromise and surrender, right?” Lynch said. “And this is a complete surrender of all the things that people thought were important to health care reform.’’

Stop being naive Wendell.

There is a difference between compromise and complete surrender.