Thanks for that, Fred. How terrific to see you in movie pictures, too. Good message, very well stated.

Also, I would like to give the VA Hospital system a big thumbs up. In 1975 I spent about 6 months as a patient in the Spinal Cord Injury Center in Palo Alto, Ca. It was fantastic - state of the art. Dr. Ved Perkash was director. (there was a Dr. Ved Prakash there also, I may have switched names). He had invented the simple little sphincterotomy surgery that allowed many paralyzed Vets throw away their catheters and all the misery associated with that procedure. In my stay there I met several old injuries who came in for the operation. It represented a very significant improvement in their lives.

The VA certainly shows that the government can operate first rate medical care.

You're the man, doc. Very thoughtful articulate detailed case you made. I'm going to suggest something that you may shrug off on first thought, but I really hope you give it due consideration.

See I feel, like Josh Marshall has said, that individual physicians have been phased out of this discussion. Somewhat intentionally it seems they are a non-presence (sure we hear from the AMA but that's a union and has different interests than an individual doctor). And yet, there is no other profession out there (not politician, not statistician, not journalist, not activist, not violent fingerless nutjobs) who would get the kind of immediately bestowed respect and open-mind that a doctor would receive in this debate. And here you are, a doctor with a highly accredited background, passionate but clear-thinking on the issue, aged with seeming wisdom and a strong commanding voice, who's willing to put himself out there for the cause.

What I'm driving at is I think you can do a lot better than a few dozen views on Youtube. If there's anyway you can make it to one of the remaining town halls or at any rally or protest, really get on the front lines, get on the mic, get on the bullhorn, and say your piece, that's where you would offer your biggest service. If you do so and you get some airtime in the mainstream you can do a host of good to dispel the cascade of myths and lies that are killing support and, equally, political will for this plan.

Excellent message Fred ... Thanks . . .


Without reservation ... Highly recommended.

It's so well done. clearly stated and without emotional histrionics that the video itself should be included as a TPMVideo and highlighted as such on the TPM front page. Not just the blog post that is also worthy for the front page, but the actual video. (I've all ready put my request in to Josh)


This video displays the clearest explanation of the issue that I have seen online.

I implore others to help get this video viral.

I will be embedding this at my MySpace page that reaches an audience in excess of 50,000 fans as the "Monthly Issue" highlight.

The following small transcript snippet is the key portion that to me is where Fred best explains and lays out the true underlying basis of the problems we all face as a nation in the coming years if there is no reform whatsoever.

At 3:55 of the video:

As I listen to the debate, sometimes I hear it phrased as a conflict between those who want change and those who don't, and I don't see it that way.

Change is rushing toward us like a runaway freight train. Expenses are now rising so fast that individuals who have adequate health care today will no longer be able to afford it in a few years and will have to settle for something less or pay much more out of pocket to achieve the kinds of benefits they need to take care of their health.

What I am saying is that I don't believe that staying where we are is one of our choices. We must either choose change for the worse if we continue along our present path, or change for the better toward a reform system that is more affordable and more accessible than what we have today.

All those who are happy with their health insurance have at least one thing in common;

none of them have any insurance against losing their health care insurance. Ask all those thousands of people that used to work in GMC auto dealerships or those 1100 in the Whirlpool plant in Indiana that is closing how they feel about "reform" today as opposed to how they felt about it 8 months ago.

Everything these people own is now at risk of a medical event; their homes, cars, life savings, 401Ks. If a child gets a hospitalization illness, or a wife, or dad, it could wipe them out financialy.

I wonder what goes through a person's mind who had health insurance 6 months ago and who was ambivalent or against reform, and who now doesn't have it while recently discovering he has prostate cancer, or mom has ovarian cancer or little Billy developed diabetes.

As I suggested, being happy with your insurance is fine if you have insurance against losing that insurance.

Thanks Fred, very well spoken and your video gives the message such a personal touch that it compels the listener to stay tuned and think.

This is a GREAT DISCUSSION much better than anything I have heard from Dr.Gupta. ha

Change is a comin. No matter what is accomplished by this Congress.

Hard to disagree with anything you said. I will listen to this again.

I agree with Dondi, Dank, Jason, John W, ...everyone it looks like.

Embedding. Hell I embed and those with firefox see it and usually the rest of the blog. Others do not.
I just link it like this now

Great show.

I have written to Peter Lesser and submitted a comment on the WH comment page as suggested by MoveOn.

Link to the comment page:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51843&id=17165-14356008-byGQ4lx&t=2