by RW Spisak (r) 2008
When Senator Clinton appeared at the Convention she struck a note that hasn't received enough emphasis. It was similar in many ways to the famous, John Fitzgerald Kennedy speech known as the "Ask not what your country can do for you..." speech.
Many hoped for a dramatic moment, some for conflict. Senator Clinton instead delivered something all too rare in American political dialogue. She delivered good, patriotic common sense. Like President Lincoln did when he said, "with malice toward none, and charity to all...". Senator Clinton asked a simple question of her dedicated supporters, who had given so much energy and effort connected to her historic candidacy. She asked this very simple yet very deep question "Are you in this for me?"
That simple question was aimed beyond her die-hard supporters and I thought was equally addressed to every American who listened to her commments. Human motivation, unlike cartoons, and commercials is far more complex than it might at first seem. Party loyalists, campaign workers, and candidates, do what they do for a variety of reasons. She asked that they pause and reflect to obtain some clarity.
Beyond the simplistic question which asked will you support my candidacy to the exclusion of party unity? Will you oppose the party standard bearer ? Or will you stand with her in support of Senator Obama? "ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR ME?" She asked, not just her supporters, she was asking all Americans, what are you doing for your community? She was asking what are you doing, to make your neighborhood, your government, your society better?
The next morning after that historic speech Senator Clinton appeared at a Healthcare event entitled "Healthcare First" hosted by
Families USA and SEIU. You may recall she spent a great deal of time and effort working on the problem of the un-insured and under-insured during the early years of her husbands' presidency. She has returned to the effort with vigor. She addressed the topic before an enthusiastic crowd at the Denver Performing Arts Center.
Senator Tom Daschle had just adderssed the audience and had listed the allies who support Single Payer Healthcare for all Americans and its opponents. he explained there are a cadre of vested interests who benefit from the expense and confusion we live with now. Poor infant health, terrible access to Emergency Services, horrific bankruptive costs face any American in need of Healthcare. This must change and it will take a constant, vigilant and resourceful opposition to challenge these interests. These interests it must be conceeded, have if nothing else, very deep pockets. Senator Dascle told us about Heathcare rationing in Oregon where 24,000 people are selected at random for healthcare benefits because under the current cost structure, Oregon can't afford to care for all it's citizens.
Universal, single-payer healthcare, is what we are aiming for. We need Healthcare for all Americans. Senator Daschle spoke also about the lack of transparency in healthcare. He said, "We can learn alot from the FAA". When a plane goes down there is a study on why it happened. The president can find out, as can every American, why that plane went down. Why do medical mistakes happen in the dark. Why can't the president ask, how many patients died today due to medical acccidents? How many people know that right now? The answer is no one. Medical transparency must also be part of our new national health care policy. Which doctors are performing well, and which aren't?
He advocated that those of us, who are interested in Healthcare for all Americans must be prepared to stay on the offensive and continue our advocacy until the plan is in place. He quoted Nelson Mandela "Many things are impossible, until they are done". Make sure you let your representatives know "I am a Healthcare Voter". We must put an end to the "Pre-Existing Conditions" mentality. The program must be out before the public by November 4th. Every person running for office must be vetted on the issue of Universal Healthcare for All Americans. We must address those who support the status quo -" Take Them On and Take Them Out!"
Just as the crowd rose to give Senator Dashle a round of enthusiastic applause, I noticed a union man just in front of me, with a t-shirt that read "United We Bargain, Divided, We Beg!" The shirt could not have been more apt.
Senator Dashle concluded his remarks with a few points about Senator McCain's plan to privatize social security another extention and expansion of the Bush-Corporate agenda. McCain has also promised to tax any employer based medical insurance benefits. This dis-incentive will reduce further the number of employers offering medical insurance. Remember opposition will be fierce, we must call out the Health care villains.
Senator Clinton arrived to a five minute standing ovation, which spoke quite eloquently to the respect that healthcare reform community has for the Senators past efforts. She urged the audience to work together to prepare a Healthcare Program so it can be placed before the new president and the new Congress on January 21st. Senator Clinton made five points:
1st "We must make high quality affordable healthcare available for every American, no exceptions, nobody left out. If the new healthcare system we propose is not comprehensive, we will get cherry picked. It must be a seamless system. Which is not only morally right, but it is also the only way to make it economically sensible."
"2nd its important to move the legislation at the beginning of a new president's term, to insure every opportunity for passage. The honeymoon period is short enough, and the transition period far too brief, to wait for a plan to evolve during the first months of a new presidency. We must make sure the democrats legislative language is prepared and inplace. I hope that congressional leaders will work together between now and January 20th 2009, so that a plan can be offered President Obama at the very beginning of his term. The new president will have more than they can say grace over, in those first weeks, internationally, budgetarily, and domestically. Our democratic plan must be ready for passage. She's happy to work to achieve a new consensus. We must engage congress and the committees of jurisdiction early".
"3rd The fact that all the stakeholders must participate from business groups to consumer groups, from labor to small businesses. We don't have an option of doing nothing. Back in '94 there was a feeling that it was a good idea, just not really necessary. It was believed that piecemeal solutions would provide adequate cost reductions. No one really wanted to do the heavy lifting. The consensus seemed, that some problems could be managed, they could be solved, industry by industry.
Now, it's obvious that there is no solution to be found, in that direction. You can manage yourself into a frenzy, but its not enough. We have a non-solution now, where people are both totally un-insured and dramatically under-insured. Where there are no regulations or restrictions on insurers to provide the coverage real people need. Insurance companies must be required to cover everyone. There going to have to re-learn how to make money the old fashion-way, by providing services to people.
4th we also have to modernize the system, she has been working for the last five years on a bi-partisan bill to up-date medical information systems. She hopes to pass this bill by the end of this current legislative session in September. Like so much else in Healthcare it is imperfect, we can all find problems. We can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We can't afford to wait much longer. Let's get the first system in place, and then make the adjustments. The folks on the otherside who are making plenty of money are perfectly happy to see the current system remain in place. We've got to make up our minds to make flexible steps toward the new consensus.
5th "When we have a democratic Congress and a democratic president it will be easier but, we must have all Americans behind the process. We can't continue in the current bankrupt system. I'm looking forward to standing beside President Obama when he signs this bill into law. You'll all be with us. All of us are ready for this change now. So lets work together and elect President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden."
How many under-insured Americans are there? Everyone, every single one.
As the Senator from New York asked.
Are you doing this for me?
