Monday night on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Congressman Dennis Kucinich said that he would be willing to be the deciding vote to sink health-care reform. Video below.
This was news to those who heard him speak on the issue the night before at the annual Cuyahoga County Democrats’ dinner. There, in front of Congresswomen Marcia Fudge, he not only gave no indication that he’d made this hard-and-fast decision about his vote, but suggested that he was still open to discussion. He mentioned meeting with President Obama Thursday and hoping that some kind of agreement would be worked out.
This turnabout vividly demonstrates why Kucinich, for all his stated noble intentions, has proven to be so ineffective. You don’t build coalitions by telling your fellow Democrats — including someone like Fudge, who shares his goals but is far more practical-minded — you’re willing to talk when you’ve already decided you won’t budge from your single-payer-or-nothing position. — Anastasia Pantsios
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2010.
He’s not single-payer-or-nothing… it’s just that this bill, even with the public option, is a freaking joke. Requiring me to buy insurance? Signing up 40 million new insurance customers? And this is supposed to help ME? No, it helps the insurance companies. I’d rather have nothing than be forced to pay for ridiculous expensive healthcare. And even with the public option, the CBO estimates premiums would only go down about 10%. 10% is nothing to shake a stick at, but it’s not enough to really solve the problem.
This “healthcare reform” that is being talked about should be called “health insurance reform.” Because it still puts insurance companies front and center.
Right on, askantik. It is a national shame that every “progressive” representative of the people isn’t lining up to back Kucinich’s principled stand against this white flag of a “reform” bill. Nobody on the hill ever approached this matter from the standpoint of the American people EXCEPT Kucinich. I love Dennis because no matter what they throw at him and no matter how his own party tries to sabotage him so they can still dance with the corporate interests, he just keeps on coming. God bless you, Dennnis, and the rest of you can take a long hike off the top of the Humana building.