Being subscribed to Dennis Kucinich's MySpace blog, I usually receive e-mail notifications from MySpace whenever he has a new post. Here is currently his most recent. Verbatim. It was posted on Sept. 15th. It seems to be a kind of cynical take on the health care reform bill that is currently being negotiated in the Senate Finance Committee. And I say that, with no disrespect to Rep. Kucinich. He seems to be one of those rather (unfortunately) few sincere lawmakers in Washington who really takes his job seriously, and who has been fighting hard to get a "real" health care reform bill passed, that would not be an insult to the ordinary American citizen. A bill that really benefits and helps people! He has been in politics and a member of Congress for quite some time now, and if anyone knows how Washington works on the inside, it is him. Here is that blog post...
"Dear Friends, It is said one should not ask how sausage or laws are made. Are you concerned about a public option? Let me share with you some insight about health care legislation which may not be good for your health.A lesson in politics. The Kucinich Prediction: Here's what's going to happen ...
House will make a big deal about keeping/putting a public option in HR3200 because it competes with insurance companies and will keep insurance rates low.
The White House will refer to the President's speech last week where he spoke favorably of the public option.
The Senate will kill the competitive public option in favor of non-competitive "co-ops". Senate leaders like Kent Conrad have said the votes to pass a public option were never there in the Senate.
The bill will come to a House-Senate Conference Committee without the public option.
House Democrats will be told to support the conference report on the legislation to support the President.
The bill will pass, not with a "public option" but with a private mandate requiring 30 million uninsured to buy private health insurance (if one doesn't already have it). If you are broke, you may get a subsidy. If you are not broke, you will get a fine if you do not purchase insurance. This legislative sausage will be celebrated as a new breakthrough and will be packaged as health insurance reform. However, the bill may require a Surgeon General's warning label: Your Money or Your Life!The bill that Congress passes may pale in comparison to the bill that millions of Americans get every month for having or not having private health insurance. It will take four years for the new legislation to go into effect. During that time we are going to build a constituency of millions in support of real health care, a constituency which will be recognized and a cause which is right and just: Health Care as a Civil Right. Join our efforts. Sign the petition. Contribute. Insure a democratic future. Thank you."
-There is also a link on his blog, if you would like to sign the petition in support of "real health care". Or, you can visit his website at: kucinich.us
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