Reform health care? Rep. McDermott headlines 34th DDs’ forum

It’s the hottest topic in coast-to-coast politics at the moment – will our health-care system change? Are the proposed changes for the better or for the worse? Our area’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, will take on health-care reform at next Wednesday’s meeting (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy), headlined by Seattle’s U.S. House Rep. Jim McDermott (who is a physician as well as a politician). The forum also will include Lisa Plymate, M.D., who’s active not only with the 34th DDs but also with Doctors for America. See who else is on the roster (and what else is on the agenda) by going to the 34th DDs’ website at 34dems.org — where you’ll also find information about their big annual fundraiser one week from tonight, the Garden Party.

charlabob August 7, 2009 (11:04 am)

Hmmmmm — wonder if we’re big enough and important enough to attract the teabaggers; I certainly hope so. :-)

Chris August 7, 2009 (11:23 am)

That’s some serious hate you’ve got going there.

Are people who are very worried about this health plan and how it will impact our families, parents, and grandparents welcome? When I told my wife about it, for the first time in her intentionally apolitical life, she was ready to go out and ask questions about why some parts of this are being proposed.

I have questions about the plan that I haven’t seen answered by any of the Representatives. Would I be welcome, or locked out and gagged because I’m not a Democratic party member (or any party supporter, for that matter)?

charlabob August 7, 2009 (11:59 am)

No, you’re wrong (at least if you’re talking to me.) The enemy here is the people who shout down speakers and questioners. I hope in Seattle we can show people th emeaning of questions and dissent.

Eric August 7, 2009 (12:27 pm)

Chris,

It’s a little disappointing that you see Charlabob’s comment, written with a smiley face, as hate.

What I would consider hate is hanging a congressman in effigy, suggesting that a Senator with cancer commit suicide to cure the disease, or shouting obscenities to prevent other people from asking their questions.

I agree with Charlabob that I hope in West Seattle we can have a proper discussion, so that people can see for themselves how fixing health care is good for all Americans.

Smitty August 7, 2009 (1:06 pm)

It’s very fun watching the “party of tolerance” be so intolerant of the oppostition.

Maybe if they wore pink t-shirts and interrupted congressional hearings that would be ok? Or better yet, maybe they should start chanting “Bush is Hitler”, or “Bush is a baby killer”?

The media seems way more tolerant of those folks. Funny that.

Michael August 7, 2009 (1:24 pm)

NO ONE should have to put up with the um, teabaggery that the Big Pharma-paid health care opponents have been perpetrating.
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Serious debate is being sidestepped in favor of TV-bait antics, which helps no one. And people like Smitty should be ashamed of that.
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Chris, I GUARANTEE you and your wife won’t be “shut out,” if you’re respectful and sincere. There’s a lot of what the computer industry calls FUD out there, and an incredible amount of corporate money to help spread it.
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Pharma and the insurance industry is focused on stopping any kind of public healthcare option, and they’re paying good money for politicians to stop it.

mike green August 7, 2009 (2:07 pm)

get involved or else suffer the consequences of a
CORPORATE country !!

Smitty August 7, 2009 (2:57 pm)

Oppose the death penalty? Good for you!

Oppose the war on Terror? Awesome!

Oppose subsidizing “big oil”. Excellent!

Oppose Guv’ment run healthcare? Shut the F#CK up!

Chris August 7, 2009 (3:22 pm)

I think you’ve nailed it Smitty. I get this “vibe” of intolerance living out here (Seattle) that I never felt back east. From Tea Party protesters being called “teabaggers” to the anti-Bush or GOP stickers stuck to what seems like every pole, bus shelter, and street sign, I can’t help but feel like neutral or dissenting voices are unwelcome. I’ve never felt this way before, and I’ve had close friends all over the political spectrum.
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I’d like to think that listening to Beck or Limbaugh in the morning and NPR in the afternoon gives me more perspective on the issues, but I’m afraid that the vocal, intimidating minority will brand me as a right-wing neocon instead of an independent critical thinker and observer.
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Let me be the first (in this community, at least) to say that I find the term “teabagger” offensive and demeans the free speech of the participants, and the attempt to petition the State and Federal governments to redress grievances that was made by the Tea Party movement. I’m proud of my fellow Americans for exercising their rights (and getting off the couch), just as I’m proud to be in a country where everyone from labor unions to Boy Scouts can do the same. I’d hate to take the time to go to 34DD meeting only to have to endure that kind of language just to speak to my Representative.

Lindsey August 7, 2009 (4:17 pm)

Chris, I’m afraid that movement branded themselves with that unfortunate name. They’re not using it anymore, obviously. I watched in wide-eyed horror when I heard an anchor on Fox news say it early on. It quickly caught on and the movement was mocked for it.

JamminJ August 7, 2009 (4:41 pm)

“”“party of tolerance” be so intolerant of the oppostition.”

tolerance??? – most left wing wackos that show up to protest a meeting or talk are usually escorted out. The right wing nut jobs showing up at these town halls are allowed to stay to continue to disrupt any civil discussion to take place. Who’s the intolerant ones??

“Maybe if they wore pink t-shirts and interrupted congressional hearings that would be ok? ”

no that would not be ok, and those who did that were asked to quiet down or were escorted out. Instead of quieting down, we know have right wingers tweeting to bring armed weapons to the meetings!!!!!!

mar3c August 7, 2009 (6:28 pm)

@ chris and smitty:
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where is the serious debate? all i hear from these tea-baggers is bally-hoo. what i want to hear is defense of an average of 10-15%/year increase in health insurance premiums, people being denied care, people going *beyond* broke when they become ill, a full sixth of our population without access to health care or a means of paying for it, and a defense of the status quo. can you defend our current system? would you? seriously?
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unfortunately, it seems that the people who are shouting down congressional representatives at town hall meetings either can’t articulate what it is they decry, don’t understand, are misinformed, or are bald-faced waterboys for people who wouldn’t pee on them if they were on fire on the sidewalk.
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please, let’s engage in serious debate. after all, *we* are the government, despite how much diatribe is thrown around about some all-seeing all-powerful evil eye.
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i encourage anyone – left or right – to listen to what “baghdad jim” mcdermott has to say on the subject. he is, after all, an m.d., he’s well-informed, and he’s very compassionate.

mar3c August 7, 2009 (6:35 pm)

and furthermore, health care – like access to clean water – should not be a business.

jamminj August 7, 2009 (7:57 pm)

This is the mentality that must be dealt with unfortunately:

“At a recent town-hall meeting in suburban Simpsonville, a man stood up and told Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.) to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.”

“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072703066_2.html?hpid=topnews”

They will argue against socialized medicine (while using it), & at the same time praising the socialized defense, while driving on socialized freeways, and going to a socialized school system.
Never mind that arguing that socialized medicine is SO BAD, it’s what we give to our bravest. Either you don’t mind govt health care, or you care very little for our soldiers.

Carole August 7, 2009 (9:11 pm)

Chris, if your wife has serious concerns, I hope she can ask about those and get serious answers. I hope we can all engage in rational discourse. I hope her questions are not drowned out by people who have no intention of discussing but only want to disrupt. I for one would appreciate a calm, reasoned question and answer session in which we can all behave respectfully of each other, regardless of our political leanings. If next week’s meeting degenerates into the name calling and chaos we have seen on TV, none of us, including your wife, will benefit or learn from it. And I would suggest people read the bill, not rely on what they hear from commentators (left or right) on TV or radio. There is waaay too much disinformation being peddled. Read it for yourself.

Smitty August 8, 2009 (8:48 am)

@mar3c – why is it that when war is protested it is considered the highest form of patriotism, but when government run healthcare is protested it is referred to as a lynch mob?

Ever see code pink? Where is the outrage on their planned disturbances?

Ever see a pie thrown in the face of a (conservative) politician during a speech? Where is the outrage?

The left (as well as the media) has a double standard here. They love to be called the party of “tolerance” (gay marriage, immigration, etc, etc) but when someone doesn’t agree with them they (all the way up to the POTUS himself) say it is dishonorable to shout down THEIR ideas.

I would find it humorous if it wasn’t so frightening.

Grazer August 8, 2009 (9:19 am)

Please everyone go and have your concerns addressed! Those that are abusing the democratic process should not have the ability to shut this debate down. I believe the fear and violence being used by BIG INSURANCE will backfire. We not only need healthcare to save our economy we need it save our fellow citizens. I for one want to know why Big Pharma has reportedly gotten assurances that the bill will not allow the government to negotiate lower drug prices. We all need to get active to make this a bill that is truly supportive of our needs and not corporations that are creating a murder by spreadsheet profit motive.

mar3c August 8, 2009 (9:47 am)

@ smitty: we have the death penalty, a war on terror, and big oil subsidies. we don’t have a government health insurance program so that people who can’t afford your health insurance can get treatment.
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@ chris: it would have been helpful if the tea-baggers knew what the boston tea party was actually about. the colonists were throwing off the corporate yoke of the dutch east india company, because the british crown was subsidizing big tea and driving smaller local merchants out of business.
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seems that today’s “patriots” are actually trying to carry a bigger corporate yoke. it seems that they enjoy cheerleading for those who are sending jobs to china, spending billions to buy elected representatives, and making them sell their homes to pay catastrophic medical bills.
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i think that we on the “left” – who are actually a vocal majority in this region – have more in common with the early colonists, but the port of seattle won’t let us get to the container ships to start throwing wal-mart merchandise in puget sound.
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yes, come to the 34 dems meeting and tell dr. jim mcdermott how we can afford to keep subsidizing big medicine.

bongo August 9, 2009 (7:48 pm)

From WIki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_McDermott
On March 31, 2008, Chief Judge Thomas Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered McDermott to pay $1.05 million to Boehner, covering attorney’s fees, costs and interest. McDermott also has had to pay over $60,000 in fines and close to $600,000 to his own lawyers. McDermott said he would not appeal further.[12]
I’d like for McDermott to pay $1 million toward public healthcare instead. What an upstanding kind of guy. :) :) smiling faces make it all OK, right? :)

Michael August 10, 2009 (11:37 pm)

LOL, “teabaggers” called THEMSELVES that.
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Second, of course, no civil discourse can be complete without people bringing up things that aren’t even parts of the discussion, like Bongo there, or people faking outrage because of what some other guy did sometime, like Smitty.
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It’s disingenuous and quite frankly ignorant.
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If you can’t have a civil discussion on the issue, then don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Michael August 10, 2009 (11:38 pm)

Oh, and the pharmaceutical companies will be happy to have Smitty and Bongo on their side. Keep up the good fight, keep medical costs high, you guys!

Angelina August 22, 2009 (11:05 am)

wonder how many bus loads of fake anti-reformers will be present…Since most of them are be paid by private insurers to appear as the majority and to disprupt any rational talk…There really should be Address checks to validate the so called majority who will be dispruptive and paid well for it…What an outrage…