06/25/2009 03:59:03 PM EST

Rep. Adam Smith's Blind Spot

posted by EveningStarNM

Rep. Adam Smith is missing the point when he says there are problems with a public health care option that have to be addressed.  Does he think we don't know that?  For some reason, he wants to talk about other kinds of management systems even though we've made it clear that we're not interested in them.

The American people have spoken: we want a "public health care option", i.e., government-managed health care.  He might see some problems with that approach and, certainly, the program must be well-designed.  He might even see advantages in other types of management systems, but we don't care.  He was sent to Washington to do the people's will.  If a public program will have problems unless it's well-designed, then all that is needed is for him to do his job.

We've told him the kind of management system that we want, and it's his job to get it done.  The time for talking about co-ops or other privately-managed systems is done.

Incidentally, Rep. Smith received $152,605 in campaign contributions from the Pharmaceuticals/Health Products industry and "Health Professionals".

It seems there are a lot of Democrats in Congress who must be replaced, along with all of their Republican brethren.

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Rep. Adam Smith's Blind Spot | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
Fix the system (none / 0)
Replacing Adam Smith will not change anything.  Vote someone else in and the pharmaceutical companies will pay him or her off too.  It's the system that needs changing.  Campaign finance reform is a cause the American people need to get behind if they want to take their government back from the large corporations.

by jacque1981 on 06/25/2009 04:03:35 PM EST

You are absolutely correct. (none / 0)
We need campaign finance reform to clean the corruption out of Congress.  Public campaign financing is the only way the People can get their voice back and take power over the corporations.

by EveningStarNM on 06/25/2009 04:10:52 PM EST

[ Parent ]
All of a sudden Adam Smith is an enemy? (none / 0)

I loved the Adam Smith interview because it focused on actual policy as well as political strategy. He made it clear that he doesn't oppose a public plan.  He is trying to make the public plan better. 

He is doing exactly what he should be doing.  Fighting for effective policy.  When you pay for inputs, you get a lot of inputs.  I wonder what he thinks of the plan the give MedPAC the ability to make changes to Medicare's payments? 

At some point in the past couple of months the press,  Democrats, and Republican's decided that the only thing we were going to talk about was going to be whether a public plan gets passed or not.  If it does pass Democrats "win" and if it doesn't they "lose".  Did I take a crazy pill because I don't think this is the single most important feature of health care reform?  How about the creation of the health care "exchange" or the requirement that the plans listed on it don't deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions?  These features aren't even being debated because apparently we're already won those debates. 

by publius on 06/26/2009 04:19:53 PM EST

Yes, he did say that. (none / 0)
He said that he doesn't oppose a public plan several times while saying that a public plan has problems and that alternatives should be considered.

Personally, I think there's something disingenuous going on there.  Of course a public plan has problems that have to be worked out in the legislation.  But he was hired to work out those problems.  And with 70% of the people wanting a "public option", i.e., government-managed health care rather than insurance company-managed health care, we don't want him talking about the other options that he and his corporate sponsors appear to be so fond of.  We want him to address the problems with the public option and get it done.

Yes, he's a very smart man.  He "talks policy" very well.  He can sound very diplomatic, balanced, and informed while screwing you.  I'm not saying that's what he's doing even though a large portion of his contributions come from corporations that are adamantly opposed to what the public wants.  But I smell something unappetizing in his words, and I want his assurance that he'll do his job by doing what The People want him to do.

by EveningStarNM on 06/27/2009 02:29:28 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Rep. Adam Smith's Blind Spot | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
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