Last night I attended an Open Health Care Forum organized by my friends (and fellow Cardinals) Emily Langner and Deb Hall. The esteemed panelists–Katie Robbins from Healthcare-Now!, Donna Smith from the California Nurses Association (also featured in Sicko!), and U.S. Congressman John Conyers, author of HR 676–spoke for the majority of the program before it was opened up to questions.
U.S. Congressman John Conyers and Katie Robbins at the Open Health Care Forum at Wesleyan University, May 28, 2009
All of the panelists spoke about the need for a national single-payer health care system. I can’t recall ever having been to a health care event specifically geared toward the single-payer argument, though it is an end that I believe we should strive for myself. However, I also believe that there is more than one path between what we have now (which can hardly be called a health care system) and a single-payer health care system, and it was my impression that the panelists have chosen the direct path.
Wherever you stand, if you want to learn more about single-payer or HR 676, you can’t do much better than to hear about it straight from Congressman John Conyers, who authored the bill. You can see his remarks and those of others in the videos from the panel are below, which are arranged in chronological order. I ran out of tape after about 93 minutes, so the second part of the Q&A video was recorded to my digital still camera in two video clips, with a dramatic difference in quality.
Full Disclosure:I am the Online Organizer for the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. However, this being my personal blog, it is maintained on my own time using my own resources. The content of this blog post should be attributed to me, and not my employer. All that said, take my opinions on health care reform with as much salt as you like.
Last week, State Rep. Tim O’Brien announced the formation of an exploratory committee as he considers running for Mayor of New Britain. The Italian Fraternal Society was packed for the announcement on St. Patrick’s Day Eve, with upwards of 200 turning out.
State Rep. Timothy O’Brien announced he was considering a run for mayor Monday night and ignited a crowd of nearly 200 Monday night with an oration promising better times, renewed vision and a new beginning for city residents.
“We can do it better,” O’Brien exhorted several times in what may be a campaign slogan voters will be seeing this fall.
[...]
O’Brien said he would be going into the community during the next two months to find out what the major concerns of residents.
“New Britain needs hope,” he said. “We need to take back the country that was ours to begin with. I believe in you and I know you believe in New Britain.”
When you watch Tim O’Brien’s speech–even if you know nothing else about him–you will learn two things:
He is passionate about New Britain, and sees enormous potential for this city.
He has a tremendous base of support for his exploratory candidacy. So much so in fact that I had to cut the first five minutes of the speech during which he thanked all of the many people who came to speak on his behalf.
I am excited about the possibility of Tim throwing his hat into the ring. New Britain needs deserves a mayor who is not only committed to the city, but who envisions a bright future it too. Tim O’Brien is that person.
Click the thumbnails to view photos from the event.
Connecticut Bob posted something disturbing today (in addition to the creepy Bill O’Reilly audio clips that are making the rounds ::shudder::) about how Senator Chris Dodd intends to be the one who opens the door to let Sen. Joe Lieberman back into the metaphorical family home of the Democractic Party. Bob writes:
Joe Lieberman has been, for all intents and purposes, forgiven by Chris Dodd and the Senate leadership for his little foray over to the dark side in 2007-08.
Of course, Lieberman wants to have it both ways, and he continues to call himself an “Independent Democrat”. I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a party designation or simply an expression of what a wild and unpredictable “free-thinker” Lieberman fancies himself to be.
Using his video expertise, Bob put together footage from Sen. Dodd’s appearance on Face the State with tape of Joe Lieberman stumping for McCain:
Below is how I imagine things went on the day that Joe Lieberman decided that he wanted to rejoin the Democratic Party:
*Knock-knock*
Sen. Chris Dodd: Who’s there?
Sen. Joe Lieberman: Why, it’s Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman. I plan to endorse you in 2010, won’t you let me in?
Sen. Chris Dodd: Sure!
What I have trouble illustrating with words above is that it seems that Senator Dodd could not open the door fast enough.
Senator Dodd has many redeeming qualities–and I am a big fan of his work–but his soft-spot for Joe Lieberman goes a long way toward overshadowing all of them.
The other day, Nurse Toadstool and I talked in the break room over reheated mushroom casserole. She appeared sad. She mentioned turning a Goomba away because his health insurance wouldn’t give him enough gold coins for treatment. Then I realized why the same viruses continue to appear again and again. Each time we turn a patient away for financial reasons, not only are we denying care to the poorest creatures, who often need it the most, but we’re putting the disease back into the world, where it continues to spread.
There is no real liberal candidate in the race. The Democratic Party’s progressive wing doesn’t have a candidate yet. Lamont, if he did jump in, would instantly have a core group of dedicated, enthusiastic supporters to promote his candidacy. None of the other announced candidates have this.
I added the emphasis there.
I think that Genghis is spot on — the field is not particularly exciting to progressive liberals who want to challenge Governor Rell. Considering the path that she’s taking the state down (by giving the finger to education, for one example), I think that the best challenger to Rell would be someone who stands in stark contrast to her. Ned Lamont may be that person, and if nothing else he proved in 2006 that himself willing to step up to a challenge, unlike some folks we know…
He is months away from a final decision, but after previously disavowing any interest in the job, Mr. Lamont said that a gubernatorial campaign grows more intriguing as the economy worsens and the deficit deepens, all harbingers of a protracted budget fight in Hartford.
[...]
Mr. Lamont said Mrs. Rell and the Democratic-controlled legislature are more intent on gamesmanship than confronting what even some Republican legislators privately concede: in addition to the budget cuts proposed by the governor, tax increases and labor concessions must be part of the mix.
“I think she punted,” Mr. Lamont said of the governor’s two-year budget proposal, which the legislature’s nonpartisan budget office says may be out of balance by more than $2 billion. “Frankly, the legislature hasn’t stood up and come forward with anything very cogent. To me, both the legislature and the governor are playing a game of cat and mouse.”
Pazniokas continues, writing about how Lamont might find himself in a four-way contest for the Democratic nomination against Former CT House Speaker Jim “The Crusher” Amann, Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz. That’s a crowded field, but I want to see Ned jump in — and I think there is room for him — because with three solid candidates (plus Amann) piling on Rell, I don’t see how we could lose.
Connecticut Bob posted 
Dr. Mario weighs in on 
Mark Pazniokas has a new gig at the NY Times, and he’s writing about how 
