AFL-CIO Leaders Work to Derail Rank and File Drive for Single Payer

The reason Dennis Kucinich is attacked so much by DLC-types is not that they fear Kucinich winning the nomination, what they fear is Kucinich's ideas taking hold.

Dennis Kucinich stands for all the things the Democratic Establishment hates and fears. One of the things they fear the most is that people will demand single payer health care.

Washingon DC is corrupt and disconnected from the American people, and so are the top union leaders.

Published on Friday, November 9, 2007 by Corporate Crime Reporter

AFL-CIO Leaders Work to Derail Rank and File Drive for Single Payer

by Russell Mokhiber

Does the leadership of the AFL-CIO favor a single payer, Canadian-style, Medicare-for-all, health insurance system? They do not.

The California Nurses Association, which joined the AFL executive council earlier this year, supports single payer.

More than 350 other union locals support single payer.

More than 80 members of the House of Representatives support legislation that would create a single payer system in the United States (HR 676).

But the leadership of the AFL-CIO does not support single payer.

<snip>

By the way, here’s a new rule of thumb for Washington: when you hear the words “universal health care” or “health care for all,” wait a few seconds and a health insurance industry lobbyist will walk to the mike.

Yesterday, leading off the press conference was Ken Thorpe - introduced as the nation’s leading health policy expert.

<snip>

Who were you paid by?

“Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.”

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/09/5111/

a good chunk of AFL-CIO economoics is invested heavily in their own individual health plans and deals with insurers. Does this also explain some of the union endorsements of Hillary's fall short plan and Edwards' caution? That would be extraordinary pressure on Edwards who would have a tough time losing support of the leadership while trying to get rank and file approval. DK would feel no such pressure in his own political situation.

I found this in the "comments" section. There is more to be said, but I don't know the story:

we will never get universal health care in the usa. never

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/candidates.cfm

This is on a different issue (Trade & Manufacturing) but I found it interesting that they only posted some votes when there were other candidates who also voted for or against the same bill???

Kucinich was the only Dem candidate to vote with the people and unions when they had the chance, Clinton and Obama were not in the Senate at the time of this vote.


My post from September, more details at link. Brownback is no longer listed as he dropped out of the race.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1777600#1778935


There's something happening here...AFL-CIO issues page
Working Families Vote 2008 > Issues

Trade & Manufacturing
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/issues_trade.cfm


I came across this page when looking back on the votes for the China Trade bill in 2000. What is interesting is how the page includes information on the China Trade bill for certain candidates and excludes vote information for other candidates. I would assume this page is compiled for the benefit of their members so why would they be selective on the voting records of the candidates? Does anyone else find this strange?


No mention of the votes that the Dem candidates cast for this bill


YES

Biden
Dodd
Edwards

NO

Kucinich


Republican YES votes are mentioned

Brownback
McCain
Thompson

Republican NO votes are NOT mentioned

Hunter
Paul
Tancredo

Blagojevich was asked why he didn’t support single payer:

“And my reading of history in the United States is that when change happens in America, it generally happens by building on existing institutions and existing structures rather than tearing them down and building something completely new and different."

Fine.
I agree.
MediCare is an existing institution. Lets build on this very successful existing instution by expanding MediCare to ALL. If the "For Profit" Health Insurance Industry wants to compete, or offer supplemental policies...great!


There is another piece of propaganda being catapulted by the Corporatist Candidates.
They are pimping Mandatory Health Insurance programs and calling it "Universal HealthCare".
Not the same thing at all, and the two very different systems need to be separated in the minds of the voters.
The Hillary Campaign is the WORST at propagating this piece of willful deception..

It fails to cover everyone, particularly the increasing numbers of the working poor that have to work more than one job just to stay afloat.