Kucinich a ‘yes’ on health care!
Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife
Chalk up a yes vote on health care reform courtesy of President Obama.
Appearing in Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s Cleveland district last week to rally support for his health care reform effort, Obama gave the Ohio Congressman a first-hand reminder of the popularity of reform in his own backyard – not to mention a reminder of the President’s own popularity among Kucinich’s constituents.
The result was the turning of what had been a very public ‘no’ vote into a badly needed ‘yes’ vote.
Speaking from the podium at the Capitol press gallery, as news networks carried the event live, Kucinich said,
This is not the bill I wanted to support. However after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and friends, I decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation.
Via TPM
Kucinich is a leading proponent of a Medicare for All plan and as a result, had voted against the House bill last November and had indicated he was still in the ‘no’ column.
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I suspect his wife had a lot to do with his change of heart, she’s a very smart woman and far more pragmatic than her husband.
So terrific! Not that he’ll notice, but I’m gonna write to thank him.
I don’t think Kucinich would have so publicly done an about face if he didn’t feel it was the right decision. None of us are going to find God in this bill, but it does offer help to many people.
… and with one swift about-face, Kucinich puts the Public Option in mothballs for another decade.
Oh well. At least we’ll get some kind of reform.
That long, really? Those Republicans sure have managed to cause mischief, haven’t they. I wonder how long change would take if the House and Senate Dems understood and really trusted that we believe in the changes that they are deciding upon and that we will support them when it comes time to pull lever. I wonder how long change would take if we dropped our cynicism and disappointment and frustration … It’s easy enough to be disgruntled; nothing ever turns out perfectly right. It’s something else to decide to stand up and assure the President and the rest of the Dems that we’re behind them — and mean it. Positive reinforcement. Faith in our ideals. A hunger for what’s morally right so deep that nothing else but change can be possible. As they said/sang in the 60s, change is gonna come. I’d want to be part of it.
In response to another comment. See in context »I wouldn’t be so sure that it will be so long. However, I would anticipate we will skip the public option and go right to a single payer system such as Medicare for All. Read my piece today on the continued failing of the private health care system. It’s happening faster than I imagined and will leave no choice but a single-payer system.
In response to another comment. See in context »Kucinich Goes All In, Pushes Other Lawmakers to Support Health Bill
“Astonished colleagues … [say] privately they’d never seen him get so involved in whipping a vote.”
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/03/18/kucinich-goes-all-in-pushes-other-lawmakers-to-support-health-bill/