- Sen. Obama (2003 at AFL-CIO event): “I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care system”
- Sen. Obama (3/24/07, at SEIU “Universal Health Care Forum”): “I don’t think we’re going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s going to be potentially some transition process”
- Jan Schakowsky (4/18/09): “And next to me was a guy from the insurance company, who then argued against the public health insurance option, saying ‘it wouldn’t let private insurance compete’ — that ‘a public option will put the private insurance industry out of business and lead to single-payer.’ He was right! The man was right!”
- Barney Frank (7/27/09): “I think if we get a good public option, it could lead to single-payer; that’s the best way to reach single-payer”
- Video
- Single-Payer Health Care
- Universal Health Care
- Health Care Reform
- Health Insurance Reform
Can't shake the tags: socialized health care, government-run health care.
Nationwide Tea Parties wildly successful.
Health care reform protests abound.
August recess town hall meetings become contentious.
White House, Congress demonize reform opponents. "A year ago, Democratic leaders such as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama praised organizing, dissidents, and protest. Today they have become near-Nixonian in demonizing popular resistance to their collectivized health-care plans as mob-like, inauthentic, scripted, Nazi-like, and un-American."
Union thugs intimidate citizens. "Punch back twice as hard" replaces "Yes We Can."
Horror stories come from countries with socialized health care. "Overhauling health-care system tops agenda at annual meeting of Canada's doctors."
Obama’s popularity plummets to 50 percent and lower in some polls.
Opponents Gain Support (8/13): In spite of hopes by proponents of reform that voters would be turned off by the sometimes ugly scenes, a poll yesterday from USA Today gave an indication that the debates were having the opposite effect. Some 34 per cent of respondents said the demonstrations had made them more sympathetic to the protesters, while 21 per cent said they were less sympathetic. In the all-important independents grouping, 35 per cent against 16 per cent said they were now more sympathetic to the protesters – a margin of more than two to one.
Frightened congressmen hold controlled tele-town hall meetings.
Obama holds series of desperation town halls with partisan plants (8/12).
Death Panel provision removed from Senate bill after Sarah Palin blogpost (8/13).
Former ABC correspondent Linda Douglass puts out desperate propaganda video for the White House to counter revealing Obama videos surfacing on YouTube.
Obama pulls the plug on flag@whitehouse.gov (8/17).
60,000 AARP resignations (8/17): About 60,000 senior citizens have quit AARP since July 1 due to the group's support for a health care overhaul.
Gallup Poll: Conservatives Outnumber Liberals in 50 States (8/17).
White House caught spamming email accounts (8/18).
Public Option provision removed (8/18).
Obama Reaches New Double Digit Low in Popularity at -14
Nationwide Recess Rallies a huge success.
Blue Dog Democrats promise to block HR 3200. Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11) declares he will not vote in favor of the current HR 3200.
President Obama, pushed back on his heals, gives lackluster, last ditch health care pep talk to Congress (9/9).
Drudge reports: "At least 44 more moderate Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record in opposition to the current health care bill in the House, a Hill source claims. Likewise, at least 57 liberal Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record saying they will vote against a health care bill without a strong public option." (9/9)
Obama bumper stickers quietly disappearing.
