Castle, Carper and Kaufman: DE’s Triumvirate on Healthcare Reform
The Stand With Dr. Dean campaign is seeking help getting clear answers from the Senate on where they stand in the current health care reform debate with regard to a public option. Senator Kaufman has already come out and stated that he supports a public option, and the false moderate Congressman Mike Castle has already come out against it. Tom Carper had not yet embraced a position. Given that Castle will and already is at the center of the negotiations in the House, and given that Carper, with his Blue Dog status, will be key in the Senate, it is time to Stand with Dr. Dean and get clear committments from all three of Representatives in Congress.
Yes, Kaufman is already on our side. But we need to get the pressure up so that he realizes Americans want healthcare reform. So we need to call him as well, and congratulate him on supporting the public option. With respect to our vaunted centrist, Mike Castle, tell him that we will remember his vote against us in 2010, no matter which office he runs for, and that maybe he should think about changing his position if he really wants a promotion. As for Carper, just ask him the following:
1. Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?
2. If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?
3. Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?
4. Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?
The following is their contact information:
Sen Thomas Carper
Phone: 202-224-2441 | Fax: 202-228-2190
Email: http://carper.senate.gov/contact/
Rep Michael Castle
Phone: 202-225-4165 | Fax: 202-225-2291
Email: http://www.house.gov/formcastle/IMA/zipauth.html
Sen Edward Kaufman
Phone: 202-224-5042 | Fax: 202-228-3075
Email: http://kaufman.senate.gov/services/contact/
The public option is DOA and would do serious damage to patients, budget at all levels and providers.
There are much better ways to have universal coverage but the public option and its price tag of over $1.3 trillion is bad policy.
Mike Protack
A bill without a public option is DOA in the House.
And if a $1.3 trillion price tag is bad policy, then why did you support the Iraq War, Protack?
Mike also forgot that all Fed Gov’t employees have a public health insurance option, and their health insurance is stable and rated about the best in the nation.
Why can’t we all have the same approach?
The Repubs haven’t come up with an answer to that, neither has Mike!
Mad Mike Rulz the Foolz!
Biggest fear the R’s have is in Obama and the D’s passing real health care reform. If they do, it will be historic and cement the D’s in place for a generation, just like Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation did in the 30’s.
Tom Carper needs to get in line and support his president and his party!
Here comes Protack who when he ran for “guv” claimed he had a universal health care plan? What happened Mike? Appears you have become one of the “rebiblicans” on the extreme right who have opposed Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and kept this country from having a single payer option like every other industrialized, civilized nation in the world.
Obama’s Plan is going to be a big disppointment to liberals! Its incrementalism at its worst.
Dr. Dean was never for single payer or universal health care. But everywhere he goes to sell the Obama plan he is met with single payer supporters.
The Public Option (if there really is one) will never save a dime and will leave 30 million people out. Thats what those who run the numbers are saying. Get ready to be taxed if your employer pays your insurance. Great Demorats, just friggin great. This is the best you can do?
Bill Maher is right. Its time for liberals, progressives and moderates to start speaking out.
Tom Carper is supporting his party, the neo con democratic party, no different than the neo con rethuglican party.
RC is right. Part of the reason that Republicans oppose reform is because it will be popular and Obama will get the credit for it.
Single payer is the only option that would actually save money vs. what we spend on health care today; anything that expands coverage through for-profit insurance will, of necessity, cost more than we spend currently.
I agree with anon, incrementalism at its worst, or rather near it — watch government long enough and you’ll realize no proposal is so bad it can’t be made worse.
Spend 1.3 trillion to do what? Insure a 10 million more than complain that over 30 million are uninsured and we need to do something. We can do better.