Bernie Sanders: The VA is a Socialized Health Care System, Right Mr. McCain?
By Heather Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 6:00pmYou can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!
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Bernie Sanders gives John McCain an uncomfortable moment asking him if the VA is socialized health care, and if he or anyone else in the Senate is advocating doing away with it. Sanders is exactly right. It is not the job of the Senate to protect the private health insurance industry. It's a shame the best we may get out of the Senate is a public option and that we don't have a few more Bernie Sanders out there fighting for real health care reform.
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republicans really need mental health care. How else could you explain the things they do and say?
republicanism is a mental illness!
Democrats are selling us out to private insurance as well. Bernie is an Independent.
The reality is our only chance in this country is to boot out the Democrats and Republicans who only support lobbyists and get more Bernies, McKinneys and the likes who try to help Americans regardless of how much they contribute to re-election campaigns.
...so far with our Dems. We got "more". Now we're working on "better". If more Independents (progressive, of course) run, I shall vote for them over a DinoDem.
I'd like to hug Senator Sanders. Can't so I'll make a small $$ donation to him.
And great action. If every uninsured American gave $1 to Bernie Sanders for his support of us over the insurance companies maybe his colleagues would take notice since the only thing that gets their attention is money.
I've been looking for an election site for Sanders and nothing comes up in my searches. Could you provide me a link so I can make a donation too?
Thank so much for the inspiration and your help.
if he has an election website per se, but he does have his official Senate website. If you go to congress.org and look him up there under "Officials" there will be a link to take you to his site.
This is the site to make a donation to Senator Sanders:
http://bernie.org/?page_id=82
!!
He'd get my $$$$, volunteerism and votes in a heartbeat.
Abbybwood, R.N.
:)
ALL of our Senator! No matter where we are from - Iv'e called his office on more than one occasion and his staff is intelligent and courteous. He is fighting like mad, along with a tiny handful of others. He tried to get the usury laws reinstated to put a lid on the predatory credit card issue as well. We all need to support him and thank him in any way that we can.
We need a lot more like him.
We did have Wellstone, but the Bush Crime Family saw to it that his career wouldn't last long ...
BID
How's Sanders/Dean sound in 2012?
wonderful! Can we make it happen??
TERM LIMITS....I have and will certainly vote for independents --if they are qualified! Though a Dem [registerd] I am beyond over their slip sliding to the tune of Lobbyists! Call Congress 1.828.0498
I respect your sentiment, but you are dead wrong about term limits--it'll do nothing but ensure 365/day/year campaigning. We'll get new faces but the same corporate-critter-types.
What's needed is Campaign Finance Reform--get money out of politics. It's the only way to ensure that people WE choose are elected to represent us.
convoluted comment is convoluted.
Would you be kind enough to clarify and perhaps put your remark into context.
transference
.
Like forcing Americans who have limited income to hold out on medical care until it's critical and they end up in the emergency room where it costs much more to treat the illness. Oh wait, that's compassionate conservatives.
We do force stimulus money on broke Southern states so they can keep much needed teachers and social workers. How evil!
Like forcing Americans who have limited income to hold out on medical care until it's critical and they end up in the emergency room where it costs much more to treat the illness.
And make them pay a fine for not having insurance in the first place. Don't forget that gem!!
...that version of legislation will probably propose re-establishing debtor prisons.
Obama wants us fined for not having insurance. Hell, if we could pay fines we would have bought the insurance instead! This is nothing but a subsidy for employers who will purchase empty-benefits health plans, make a huge profit on withholding premium plus profit, and we will still be SOL when the bills arrive.
If Congress can have comprehensive health coverage, the rest of us can and should have the equivalent. If they fail on this one, shall we, may we, can we please get a Constitutional amendment limiting Congressmen's and their aide's pay to half the minimum wage--and no tips, O'Neill or otherwise!
What does that make Democratisism...."normal"?!!
Doh!!
I feel very normal and I feel very up lifting when I think about democrats.
That's D'oh!!
I think it is a spiritual disease.
Someday, maybe the god of logic will strike them and they will finally "get it". Geeeesh, are these idiots dumb or what?
Or perhaps the Gods of logic need to visit you???
Why is it you insist on stealing from others via the government??
Constitutional:
Member for
1 week 4 days !!!
MedievalRightWing: about 35 minutes.
could it be we have two shiny new (albeit covered in boils and sores as are all of them) troll's
Lions and tigers and trolls! Oh my!
have this same level of outrage about BigDick Cheney's Haliburton stealing our tax dollars via the government? The same company that apparently couldn't afford GFI outlets in barrack showers? Or the 10 billion in unmarked bills that disappeared off of palettes in Iraq? The same money that Dan Senor, aka Mr. Campbell Brown of the "liberal media" said was lost because Iraq didn't have "first world accounting standards? Were you having teabagging parties over that? Or did your outrage start on January 20, 2009?
Very well said.
They're insisting that the rich should pay their fair share, for a change. You idiot. Apparently you missed out on Warren Buffet saying that he pays less taxes than his secretary, who makes orders of magnitude less money than him.
250k/year adjusted gross income - and even if that was the case (highly unlikely) - paying fair share would seem to be the appropriate thing. Why do reich-wing knuckle draggers vote against their own best interests? Just amazing! Time for the U$A to join the rest of the "industrialized" world.
And....Fight on Bernie! Please don't stop!
And our elected representatives vote for it?
You keep forgetting that in this country, WE ARE the GOVERNMENT. So How can one steal from oneself?
we have free health care here in canada, and its no big deal.
its not perfect.but like your system is not either.
i dont have too worry about,getting health care cause its free.
i dont know why some of you are bend over backwards opposing it.
the problem is in your country is that you spend too much
on the millitary [which is way over bloated}and dont tell me
that you got too protect the world ,thats bull.what your country needs
is more rep. like bernie,who has backbone and is not bought and paid for'
I totally agree.
indeed
is my favorite socialist. Franken is a close 2nd. Blue Dogs and repugs can kiss my commie a**.
That was very refreshing. I like him.
My gosh, someone besides Kucinich standing up for the American people? And this guy was dead on. Bravo!
...to depict him as a lunatic commences in 5....4...3...2...1...
I am turning my tv off.
"Bernie Sanders gives John McCain an uncomfortable moment"
Then McCain makes the inevitable wise crack and affects the same shit eating grin that all the white,privileged frat boys have always indulged themselves in.
Jesus wept.
While I appreciate Mr. Sanders' point that the VA is providing socialized health care, I wonder if anyone in Congress will point out that their own health care is socialized medicine, too. It's called the Rolls Royce of health care plans.
This Republican talking point that the Democrats are aiming for socialized medicine is preposterous. At least if one doesn't find roads, bridges, and other infrastructures offensive and "socialized" benefits.
...that don't constitute socialism are acts of tyranny towards, and predation upon, the citizens. All actions of government that serve the People and work for the well-being and continuation of the nation are, by definition, socialist.
We are so used to government that is based upon the idea of applied sociopathy, that any act of government which is based upon a foundation of justice is held suspect? Sorry, Republicans, but I must repudiate that model.
I'd love to see a list of all "socialized" American benefits alongside another list of all benefits to corporations that harm Americans, both provided by government statutes. Even the most recent ones would be a good start.
Then we could surely get those Republicans who parrot the alarm cry, "SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!" to agree to voluntarily and personally give up all socialized programs and benefits and live with corporate benefits and no government protections or oversight of them.
That that c&*ksucker McCain gets 30,000 dollars a year SSDI disability payments and free medical along with his senate salary?
I thought people are eligible for disability payments ONLY if the disability prevents them from working.
I think it's more likely he qualifies for VA Disability Insurance, which does not have the same requirement.
The whole point is that he doesn't need it let alone deserve it after his show above. He is talking out of both sides of his mouth when he spews the medical for profit bull.
Bernie nailed him on it tho, good for him
It’s very difficult to refute absolute logic. Not to mention that logic also has a liberal bias. A rebuttal would be very entertaining.
It's called bribery.
It is so encouraging to see our elected representatives in Congress apeaking truth to power.
We need more floor time for Sanders and Kucinich discussing these issues. We need more expert panels where the relevant experts on both sides of the issue are vigorously cross-examined. You know single payer will come out ahead on the merits.
The more this happens the more likely the tide will turn with the public. Just like S-CHIP, if enough of the public supports something it eventually gets very embarassing for Congress to continue to whore it out for the insurance companies.
I've lived in NY (Queens, Nassau - d'Amato and Pete King, the uber schmucks; Suffolk), VA (Fairfax and Loudoun - don't start on THOSE fascists) and Vermont (OK, I'm home), and Bernie is the first elected official I'm proud to claim. He's THE man - I'm shocked to always find that not only do I not have to demand that he votes for my interests, he co-sponsors the BILLS.
Would you like your health care to come from the VA? Didn't think so. Yet, the VA medical program is what the new Obama care will be like. Yeah, that's the kind of health care I want.
And what is "Obama care"?
The President hasn't released a health care plan though numerous versions are winding their way through Congress now.
Obama care will be state-run "you have no choice but to accept it" health care, because there will be nothing else. Oh the lines of humanity waiting for treatment. It will be oh so efficient and masterfully handled, just like every other burearcratically run failure...er...program.
Au contraire ye of nil facts.
The house plan fully protects private insurance and the companies that offer it.
Private insurance and the companies that offer it might be protected, but who is going to buy it? Companies that employ people can and will dismantle their insurance programs as they see fit and leave employees no other choice but to go on Obama care...
Now be a good little troll and go back to freeperland. The words are so much shorter easier to spell.
Why should he? Are your arguments that weak that they cannot be challenged???
Your so deliberately nonspecific. Why is that?
Do you not understand the issues? Or are you simply slow?
Is that what you call coming on here and talking about a fantasy that isn't even being discussed by Congress? When you America haters can come up with an argument that isn't based on complete falsehoods THEN you can talk abour challenging.
You keep paying your ins policies.
You keep paying. And when they deny you coverage and then drop you. Write them another check. I'm sure you'll feel like you got your money's worth.
are now on my ignore.
buh bye
Which side of the argument are you taking?
Of course it is a joke. It is meant to be a joke.
The joke is on you and me. On all of us.
For profit health insurance companies have a 20% overhead. That means 20% for profits and administration.
Medicare has 3% overhead. It is government run, there are no profits. The 3% is pure administrative cost, and very effective and streamlined at that.
That is what wrong with FOR PROFIT health insurance. The less health care they pay for, the more profits they make.
They have been doing their damnest to NOT pay for health care.
That is why SINGLE PAYER is what we need.
"...employees no other choice but to go on Obama care..."
Well BOO-HOO! At least they'll have a health plan if they are laid off.
if the private insurance companies are providing as good of service and are otherwise competitive. Besides, isn't that what the American free market is supposed to be all about? Whoever provides the best service and is most competitive? Sounds like you want the private insurers to continue to have a monopoly without having to be competitive or provide a service that people will be happy to pay for.
UPS and FED EX and several other mail-package delivery companies are able to do quite well competing with the Post Office (tho that is partially privatized, isn't it?
No reason Blue Cross and Aetna should be destroyed. They'll just have to give better service.
BALONEY.
They force the private insurance companies to PAY for the government plans!!!
The plan increases the cost of private insurance, takes their money and uses that to subsidize their competition!!!
They force the private insurance companies to PAY for the government plans!!!
Links, please?
That's a new one on me! I thought we'd raise the super Rich's taxes by...maybe... 1%?
you better look into the plan then. My source is the plan itself.
And which plan? Here's the tri-committee House version.
After your thorough review of its 1000+ pages, perhaps you could point out where private insurers have to pay for the public option?
A page number would be sufficient.
You said your "source is the plan itself." It's only 1000 pages, and you said you'd already done it.
So where is it?
You know, you can admit you weren't being truthful when you said you sourced from the plan itself.
It's not like your reputation here is going to suffer. You shouldn't even need a basic grasp of statistics to figure that out.
And... you've... still... got ... nothing.
My questions have been fully answered.
Have a nice day.
... I am starting to be convinced that these trolls don't even believe 3/4 of whatever bullsh*t it is that they write...
They don't. They're paid by the RNC to make these posts.
No working in the hot sun summer job. Nice and cool in Mom's basement and she supplies the Hot Pockets for free!
You're just a self centered shill for selfish insurance interests whose motto is: I've got mine---tough shit if you don't.
Don't like government run medical programs? When you are eligible for Medicare, don't take advantage of what's offered you. That would be the honorable thing to do, right? Sure pal.
And you advocate using government to STEAL from those you are jealous of.
Or how about your "brilliant" bankers who so earned their billions?
Or how about George W. Bush, the poster boy for nepotism, corporate whoredom, and outright idiocy?
At least now we know who invited MRW here to get his ass kicked.
...and the Rich, and Corporations have plenty of 'representation' in D.C., believe me.
Actually, if the Gov closed some -not all!- of the disgraceful loopholes that enable businesses' to pay virtually NO taxes, while making good use of the Fed Gov't services, and squeezing the American people for every penny they can, well, that could probably pay for a very fine single payer plan, indeed. If.
Win an election, teabagger.
Let's talk about that Constitution of which I believe you speak. From Article 1, Section 8:
Then there's the Sixteenth Amendment, part of the Constitution since 1913:
Do you just speak of the Constitution but not believe in it?
and you apparently are not a veteran. Therefore you have no personal experience with the VA. Do you know someone who has had a bad experience with them? All the vets I have run into at the VA seem very satisfied. What are you basing your assessment on? What you know or what you think you know?
Medicare
during this administration you ought to stop taking whatever drugs are making you delusional.
You have no direct experience with the VA. Ergo, you can not, and do not speak from a position of authority, nor first hand knowlege.
I have seen VA treatment provided to my brother (a Viet-nam vet) and I beg to differ with you as to your opinion of the VA and the care that it provides.
"Obama-Care"?? Is that the best that Limpbough can come up with? One would think that with the millions of dollars per day being poured into stopping any health care change, by big pharma, big insurance et al, they could do better. Do your OWN research - THINK for your self.
Further, why do you rail against your own best interests? (That is rhetorical and I am not seeking a reply)
Obama care will be state-run "you have no choice but to accept it" health care, because there will be nothing else. Oh the lines of humanity waiting for treatment. It will be oh so efficient and masterfully handled, just like every other burearcratically run failure...er...program.
You have a member for 15 minutes and already you have made more mistakes than most make in a week.
If you were a patriot as you claim then you would want to improve the VA capabilities to the highest possible level.
I would.
means tearing the country apart.
made in China "I support the troops" ribbon on their SUV. How's about supporting the troops by going to an Army post and doing some MWR volunteer work? ( I have!) Or volunteering to help the USO!
Or how about going up to a car that has the "gold star" on it, in a parking lot, near Fort Campbell and telling the driver how sorry you are, and having her break down in your GD damn arms!!!! (my eyes fill with tears just remembering that!!) Or if you are of age, sir, as you are such a "patriot" going down, volunteering to be a ground pounding puke, swear the oath, and put on the suit? Just STFU please.... you make me ill
As many doctors say: "You are what you eat." And a wingnut's favorite dish appears to be chickenhawk.
I love how you support our troops.
a chicken hawk?
Normally I'd say yes.
But being that he didn't start this mess. I'd have to give him a pass on this, for now. But make no mistake, he's on the clock. And time is running out.
Or are not a Veteran. The only you stop being a Veteran is when you die. And even then, you're still considered a Veteran.
Your ignorance is showing.
via experience, do you posses to trash the VA?
My wife had a couple of rotations at the VA in San Diego, they provided top notch care. My dad is ex-AF and he has had a couple of procedures done at the VA, again he received top notch care.
If that is the level of care the so called "Obamaplan" is going to provide... then count me in!!!
By the way, funny how you a**holes used the troops when you needed all those photo-ops to fed the patriotic masses. And as soon as they get in the way, it takes two seconds flat for you guys to be the first ones to trash our troops. There are tons of dedicated professionals at the VA, you just trashed. A**hole...
How much per post are they paying you?
Just wondering.
Why do you hate America?
MedievalRightWing
How aptly named, as in Neo-Feudalism.
Do not worry your silly fascist head for one scintilla of a second about Obama's health care.
It is going to be exactly the same as before, except now everyone will have to buy their shitty for profit policies and if not they will be fined.
The insurance companies are ecstatic I am confident. 75 million new suckers on a platter.
The public option, which is flim flam anyway, given the 'level playing field with private insurers' statement therein, which is bound to mean no government sponsored savings, the same booby trap as Medicare D, doesn't kick in until 2013. Plenty of time to make it far worse or disappear altogether.
How about the 47 million people who have NOTHING? They'll gladly take VA--because something is better than what they have now. Public option---That's the kind of health care the uninsured want. Stop being a self centered shill for private insurance.
Those who have no health care insurance have nothing? Can the not walk into any hospital in the USA and get treatment? Yes, they can because they cannot by law be turned away...so don't say that they have no health care...they do...and you know it...
They let them die in the waiting room!
Do you mean like the do in Canada???
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/...
It never makes the news in the USA because it happens ALL THE TIME!
/
Do you think that there is no cost to someone that is indigent or uninsured walking into a healthcare facility that needs treatment? Either the private sector or the taxpayers through subsidy absorb this cost.
What the hell is wrong with you people?
What is wrong with us is that we are tired of the left's LIES about this issue.
There are NOT 45 million uninsured Americans.
The number is closer to 7-8 million and the prescription for that is FAR different than for the grossly exaggerated number the left puts up.
We are tired of the delusion that a government bureaucrat is better than an insurance company bureaucrat.
We are tired of the left constantly using government to FORCE to destroy individual liberty.
delusional!
Always lying about how many insured Americans there are, how humans are responsible for climate change, latina women can be fair minded... don't get me started on the theory of evolution and gravity!
THE EARTH SUCKS!
Individual liberty, as in the right to die on the curb outside the hospital with no one intervening.
That right?
You are in the right country for that, pal.
Why can't you guys argue on facts instead of insults and sound bites???
like to use FORCE!!!
Where is the insult?
Do you not read English?
You are the one without facts.
You obviously have not read the post where I dissected the Census study to show what it really counted and how many Americans are actually uninsured.
Look to the post I submitted here Wed, 07/15/2009 - 20:23
Since you have this strange and compelling need to be "right" at others expense, please move on. People like you confuse opinion with fact, thinking they are the same. They are---to the terminally stubborn and egotistically hidebound.
The burden is on you. If you need help, I'll teach you how to copy and paste URLs.
And the allcaps don't make you look forceful, they make you look like what you write isn't worth reading on its own merits.
Guess you miss the point that in reality, there should be ZERO uninsured. You selfish libertarians who worship John Wayne and Ayn Rand are a real pain in the ass and set our country back decades through your paranoid and delusional fantasies.
There are NOT 45 million uninsured Americans.
The number is closer to 7-8 million and the prescription for that is FAR different than for the grossly exaggerated number the left puts up.
Citation needed.
The number of uninsured should be ZERO.
Got it now?
I thought a little repetition might help you out.
The number of uninsured should be 100%.
Health insurance companies are a worthless relic that do nothing except enrich themselves. They'll be gone eventually; they're just trying to see how many billions they can STEAL (is that how you do it CS?) before we finally throw them out on their backsides.
I agree, that should be the end result. I'ts going to take time to get there, though.
Heard it straight from Nancy Pelosi today.
And you advocate stealing from someone else to provide them coverage???
I have shown below that most are covered and have no problem helping those who are truly in need.
But scrapping a system where nearly 80% are satisfied with their OWN coverage is beyond idiotic.
Cause this one shows 72% support a government sponsored health care plan.
You do understand that 72% includes quite a few Republicans, right?
This is a perfect example of how the left lies.
They cite this poll result (and it is a real and valid result) but ignore the other question asked that shows they are happy with their OWN insurance.
They "support" a government sponsored plan because they have been mislead as to the magnitude of the problems.
... yet is a "perfect example of how the left lies"?
Do you even read it before you post it?
Oh, and where's that link?
YOUR LINK - you should read your own links!!!
Here, I'll help you out (they did after all bury it)
"Most Americans who have health insurance are fairly happy with the cost and quality of their own care, but perceptions of the country’s health care in general are much more negative. In terms of quality, 77 percent say they are satisfied with their own care"
foolio?
Now THERE is a good source!!!!
the super rich, they paid for your brainwashing and your knee pads too.
Now THAT was a real rebuttal of the facts!!!
So far you seem to be under the delusion that your opinions equal fact. What you think smells like a few dozen of roses, it does in fact smell like a massive pile of cow manure defecated by disease-ridden cows suffering from a bad case of diarrhea.
But could you tell me where it says they're happy with their "coverage"?
Your word.
Or do you think "coverage" and "care" are synonymous?
other than a semantic difference.
If I say it--it's fact. If YOU say it, you're misinformed because you don't accept my word as fact. What rubbish.
We get how you selfish fools roll, buster.
Who is selfish??
You are asking other people to pay for what you will not.
Imagine that, your "stolen" tax dollars funding something you don't personally approve of. A society of sharing and equity---why the horror of it all.
You selfish jerks need a moral overhaul.
When you use your own money in the same percentage that you ask of me, you can call me selfish.
[It's about time for you to wrap it up for the evening. You're really chattering now. Bandwidth is expensive. Thank you. Site Monitor]
they know that when the uninsure need treatment, it usually drives up health care prices.
When someone can't afford insurance, they tend to use a hospital's emergency room, then they work out a payment plan (and it costs to administer that plan). Then a percentage opf those can't keep up on their payments, but the hospital needs to pay for the materials used and the labor. And Bill Frist still wants the investors of HCA to make their profits. That cost gets passed on to the insured.
The poll you are citing is from The Onion.
I am looking over your link (Census & Insurance). So far I see nothing supporting your bizarre contention that there are only 8 or 9 million uninsured. Especially considering the different studies & different dates they were done. Now that we have 8% official unemployment, which is really closer to 20% I think the numbers of uninsured is higher. Or do you think the unemployment numbers are too high, too?
And your dismissal of "illegals" is without merit. Weather they are legal or not, sick people must be cared for. Otherwise we have epidemics. As for whether illegals "deserve" health care, most of them work very very hard doing jobs American's won't do for exploitation (slave) wages.
They are here ILLEGALLY. They should not be here PERIOD - until they follow our immigration laws.
You said "non-citizens."
Care to clarify?
Or are you spouting nativist theory as well?
hahahahahaahahahhahhaha oh dear! hahahha
poor sad silly troll.... oh my
I think the only one lying here is you and your weak argument.
Go Bernie!
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