TX-32: What Part of Support for Healthcare Reform Doesn't "Taliban Pete" Understand?

When I saw this poll, I was reminded of the fallacy my area's Taliban congressman, Pete Sessions (R-TX-32), and others in his party continue to peddle-- that healthcare reform is not popular with the American people.
Not only is Sessions wrong when he claims that healthcare reform has been "rejected" by the American people, this latest poll, along with a recent CBS News/New York Times survey, show support for reform with a robust public option continues to be strong.
To review, here's what Sessions said in response to President Obama's address on healthcare reform:

“Tonight, President Obama launched another prime time sales pitch for a government-run health care product that the American people have already undeniably rejected."

Actually, contrary to Sessions' claim, healthcare reform support has INCREASED since the summer of screaming, lies, and distortions coming from the Republican party and its allies in the media (most notably right-wing talk radio and the fraud of a "news" channel called Fox), according to a Huffington Post article.
Here's part of what the Huffington Post reported:

The anti-reform town hall anger that dominated the health care reform debate appears to have ebbed. Support for health care reform increased in September after falling over the summer, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans now believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever -- up from 53 percent in August. The proportion of Americans who think their families would be better off if health reform passes is up six percentage points (42% versus 36% in August), and the percentage who think that the country would be better off is up eight points (to 53% from 45% in August).

So what part of this don't anti-reform politicians like Sessions understand? Have these guys become so blinded by their own lies that they can't even acknowledge that they have been proven to be wrong?
Yes, Democratic politicians like Max Baucus, Blanche Lincoln, and Kent Conrad must be held accountable for their demonstrated preference for protecting insurance company profits and discretion at the expense of the public interest, but the same must be said for others who have made a living of fanning the lies of insurance company opponents of real healthcare reform.
That list, sadly, includes my area's Taliban congressman, Pete Sessions, and the sooner this nutjob is retired from his current position by voters, the better we all will be.
I hope folks in my district will see a strong opponent rise up to confront Sessions with his "public be damned" attitude when it comes to healthcare reform and a host of other issues.

Baucu$ Plan: Good For Insurers, Bad For America

Do you really want a healthcare bill that does nothing to deliver real reform but instead rips off the middle class while lining the pockets of corrupt for-profit insurance companies?
That, to make a long story short, is the long ballyhooed proposal of Montana Sen. Max Baucu$, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on healthcare.
Baucu$ has sung a great song when it came to his support of a real public option during numerous appearances, but does his proposal INCLUDE a public option?
No.
What he proposed is a weak co-op with little, if any, accountability.
Does he really think this will pass as real healthcare reform? I think it passes more as snake oil instead of reform.
Here's what The Bagof Health and Politics observed in his Daily Kos diary called "The Moral Case Against the Baucus Bill":

If Baucus bill passes, millions of Americans will face a 13 percent tax hike in order to line the pockets of Baucus' insurance CEO buddies.
Since Senator Baucus shut progressives out of his negotiations, I will take the opportunity to explain my concerns, as a progressive. I have no problems with an individual mandate...as long as that mandate comes with strict restrictions on insurance industry profit and insurance industry executive compensation.
The current system, despite Baucus claims to the contrary, would be largely untouched by the Baucus bill. The problem with that is that the current system creates incentives for bad practices. Insurers try to please Wall Street by lowering their medical loss ratio. In layman's terms, that means insurance companies try to increase their stock price by denying cancer patients and abuse victims the medical care that they need in order to live healthy lives.

Is this the definition of change we can believe in? I dare say no.
I hope the Baucu$ bill reaches the trash heap as fast as possible so real healthcare reform proposals that will really rein in insurance companies while providing real competition and really affordable prices for Americans at large.

Max Baucus: "I Want A Public Option Too!"

This is HUGE!
Here's what's being reported in Firedoglake:

U.S. Senator Max Baucus has finally broken his silence regarding his personal position on including a public option in health care reform legislation. Last Monday night (8/17), in an unprecedented conference call to Montana Democratic central committee chairs, the powerful leader of the Senate Finance Committee told his strongest supporters that he supported a public option.
While discussing the obstacles to getting a public option through the Senate, he assured his forty listeners, "I want a public option too!"
The conference call was groundbreaking in that none of the recipients could ever remember this kind of call ever happening before. The teleconference was set up seemingly in reaction to rising discontent among the local Democratic leaders with the Senator's failure to take a clear position on the issue.
The discussion, which became contentious and rancorous at times, also touched upon the wisdom of creating insurance cooperatives as an alternative to a public option. When several of the county chairs objected, commenting that they did not trust the health insurance companies to police themselves and limit their outrageous corporate profits, Baucus commented, "Neither do I."
In the aftermath of the teleconference, a coalition of eighteen Montana counties in the Senator's home state decided to move forward with their plan to issue a Unified Statement accompanied by a joint press release. The statement sends a loud and clear message to their Senator: Any health care reform package coming out of his Senate Finance Committee must contain, at a minimum, a provision for a strong public option.

Now let's see how another senator, "co-op" Kent Conrad, handles similar pressure when confronted with a strong push for a public option.
(NOTE: In all the stories I'm seeing about the public option in the mainstream media (particularly the Los Angeles Times), I haven't seen a word about polling that shows 77 PERCENT SUPPORT for a public option.
So much for us losing the battle).

Unions Fight Back Against Healthcare Reform Foes

I'm so glad to see a lot of fightback now against the GOP's lying efforts to defeat healthcare reform.
I'm glad these phony Democrats are being spotlighted in the ads in no flattering terms. Here's part of the Daily Kos diary reporting on the ads:

The ads focus on Senators Chuck Grassley (IA), Max Baucus (MT), Kent Conrad (ND), and Blanche Lincoln (AR). The Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and a coalition of Unions representing almost 2 million workers are planning to run these ads through the end of Congress's August recess.
The SMWIA is diverting the political funds it would regularly use for donations to purchase time for these ads, rather than to padding the campaign coffers of the Democrats targeted in them. The Union suspended all financial and intangible campaign donations to political candidates to focus on efforts to pass real health care and labor law reform. Other Unions are considering similar action.
These ads are part of an effort to cut through the noise and highlight the truth about the broken healthcare system the insurance industry, Republicans in Congress and some Democrats are fighting to protect.

The only thing I can say is "Yea!" Let the real fight begin.

GOP Throws "Bipartisanship" Right Into Max Baucu$' Face

I have never seen a politician get played as bad as Sen. Max Baucu$ (D-Montana) was by Republicans in his bid for so-called "bi-partisan" health care legislation. It reminded me of the Ralph Cramden character on the old "Honeymooners" TV series in which he was constantly played by schemers and then gets forced into buyer's remorse afterwards.
For more, check out this.