Get Screwed! by Thom Hartmann
By Louise
Join the drawing for a free copy of Screwed:The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It. Post (leave a comment) what member of Congress you called and what you communicated to them about the healthcare bill and the best post gets a signed copy of my book Screwed at the end of the week.
Here's a few examples of what you could say....
--I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!
--Kill the bill! and start over
--Put this healthcare bill where the sun don't shine
--First they came for the banksters, and showered them with money and put them in the Administration in a way that was not change we could believe in. Then they came for the military industrial complex, and sent more and more of our children to die in faraway lands that had never attacked us in a way that was not change we could believe in. And now they’ve sold out our hope for a national health care system not run by millionaire gangsters in suits. Now we're all speaking up!
Thom
Comments
#2
It has probably been observed before, that the opposite of progress is congress...
#3
Speaking of the Clintonistas, Lanny Davis has been supporting the coup in Honduras.
Yeah, change we can believe in. The change I believe in is the two cents left in my pocket.
#4
Apparently a quote from Robert McNamara can't get through the censors...
#5
Dang - Here I bothered to type in a quote by Robert McNamara which referenced the 10/21/67 protest at the Pentagon:
"The front ranks indeed included many troublemakers, who used every devise to provoke the troops to violence. Young women rubbed their breasts against soldiers standing at attention with rifles at their sides and even unzipped their flies; the soldiers did not move."
Then I asked: "could such a conciousness recognize a peace feeler from Hanoi?"
#6
...well, it wasn't censorship...it didn't come out, and then told me I'd already said that...
Clinton destroyed the safety-net that we could really use right now.
#7
Thom, how do you do it? Debate these knuckle draggers? They all got the memo about "they're trying to cram this down our throats". Every last damn one of them have to say that.
#8
Here's copy of email sent to Sen's Bennet and Udall of Colorado.
As a Colorado voter I strongly protest you voting for the health care without some kind of public option. If you do, you can kiss my vote goodbye in any further election. Why bother to vote when the people's vote only gets you elected but when you get in office you tow the republican line. We the people are constantly conned by you politicians. You really don't represent us the people. You are controlled by the insurance, pharmaceutical lobbyists and wall street and depend on their campaign contributions to get elected, so you are naturally beholden to them and block any bill to regulate them...and consequently the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Please only cast your vote for the health care bill if it contains some kind of
public option...end of story
#9
I've said all along that the mandates should have been tied to the public option, and I've told both my senators that. At this point we should either kill the bill or strip out the mandates and just call it insurance reform. This is a lemon of a bill, nothing more than a big wet kiss on the backsides of the insurance industry fat cats. The Democrats would be crazy to pass something that hurts ordinary voters.
Thanks for having Howard Dean on the show. I gave him my political heart in 2003 and he still has it. Go Howard!
Calinda
#10
I've called my senators and I've called the White House as well as emailed the White House. My call to the White House was never answered because everytime I called the line has been busy. I emailed the White House and expressed my disappointment with the way the healthcare bill has evolved. I would LOVE to have a copy or your book, but I live in Texas and my senators do not listen to me. I am not a flaming republican.
David
P.S. I voted for Ross Perot. The events over the years have proven to me I made the right choice. Go Thom! Go Big EDDIE! and GO Dr. DEAN!!!
#11
I emailed Senator Merkley (several times) in the last two weeks regarding his stance on health care. I appreciate his support of a public option even though it is gone. He seems to be a senator who is listening to the people. Have you noticed how many Oregon reps and senators are on Rachel Maddow? What was really surprising about Senator Merkley was that his office actually called me back a few days ago. They asked questions and seemed to be making note of what I said. I have contacted my representatives for many many years and this was the first call back. Usually all I have gotten has been a standard form letter (email) in return. Jeff Merkley impresses me!
#12
I made my call(s) to Senator Kerry's office today. Sen. Kerry's website is showcasing a "photo op" of him with Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham. My blood pressure shot right up! My 1st call to the DC Office: An aide, "John," answered. I expressed my disappointment that the Senate was cow-towing to "It's about MEeeeee" Lieberman. I listened to John's spiel...then told him MY political age and credentials, explaining that saying Sen. Kerry was "working for a strong public option" was patronizing pap. My 2nd call was to Sen. Kerry's MA office: exact same speech from that aide and I gave the exact same response, only this time I added: "I've been reading that the 'T-Party' faction of the GOP is threatening to split with the RNC. The Democrats made find them in the same position with the Progressives abandoning the DNC. If that happens, the only winner will be Joe Lieberman."
#13
I called Sen. Stabenows office, and said to the person i spoke to, Quote: This health care bill smells so bad, i can smell it through my computer.Vote no and start all over.
#14
Here is what I told my representative:
Dear Representative Larson,
Thanks for emailing me all that information about what you are doing to get me health care. But let's simplfy the whole proces: I want the same health care program that you have: totally free, and that covers everything. Every other industrialized country in the world has single payer health care, so obviously it can be done. And if you are unwilling to vote for me to have the same health care that everyone else in the industrialized world enjoys and that you yourself enjoy on my dime, exactly why is it that you think I'm ever going to vote for you again?
#15
I called Senator Harry Reid and told him he has done a lousy job of orchestrating healthcare reform and requested that he throw out the mandate with the public option...
#16
I called both my Senators' offices in CO: Michael Bennet and Mark Udall. I got voicemail at Bennet's and left a little tirade, but I got a live person at Udall's and went off on him about Udall, Obama and the entire mess, while he politely listened and said he'd relate my concerns. But here is what I just sent the Denver Post: "What should have been legislated as a single-payer healthcare system to rid our society of the entrapment and extortion perpetrated by the health insurance mobsters has turned into nothing less than terrorism and fraud perpetrated by our very own Congress against We The People. What a disgusting, despicable and retaliation-inspiring spectacle by the three-ring circus we call the U. S. Government. The People will rise to correct this injustice, and those of you deserving of retribution shall receive it! We are now forced to take to the streets and acquire the CHANGE we thought we elected leaders to bring. What a sad, sad day for this country." I've been published with such small articles about five times now in the past six months. Hopefully this one will make it into the paper.
#17
My email to my Senator Richard Durbin(through the senate.gov site):
Dear Sen. Durbin,
In my short perusal of this website, it doesn't come off as a constantly updated and monitored interaction point for you, but I hope that my message makes its way to you soon.
I voted for you gladly, and barring horrific, out-of-character votes, I will continue to do so and support you. I happened to catch "Meet the Press" from 11/22. I know the environment you have to work in requires compromise. I also know that those of us who want, strike that, NEED, Medicare for all, just can't get it straight out in the partisan environment Washington has become. But I'm frightened by the fact that our public option was laid out as a bargaining chip to be gambled away.
I ask that you please heed Dr. Howard Dean's recent words about what this bill is becoming. I vote for Democrats most of the time, and voted for you and for President Obama. One of the biggest reasons I did that was in support of health care for all. I fear the deal-making and compromises that have been made "just to get a bill" are tilling us into the ground.
I ask as one of your represented; as a voter; and as a citizen; vote the conscience you presented when campaigning. There's so much wrong with the current Senate bill, I'm not sure where to stop. I do however know where to begin; if there is a mandate for insurance without a non-profit public option, any vote other than "no", IS one of those horrific, out-of-character votes.
Please be MY senator,
John
Sycamore,IL
/end
Time will tell,
John
#18
Thought this was totally true:
#19
I called John Kerry's office yesterday, told them I was a constituent, and asked them what the Senator's position on the Healthcare Bill was. They wouldn't tell me. So I pointed out that the senator's job is to represent me, and I deserve an answer. I was told that if I put my request in writing they would "try to respond in three or four weeks"
#20
One, two, three, four, we declare a wealth war
five, six, seven, eight, it time to roll back the reagan tax break
Its time the bottom 90%, the workers of America get what we have coming to us, a real chance to gain wealth for working hard every day
#21
I called the offices of both Congressman Grayson and Frank because 1) they serve on the Financial Services Committee and 2) they have enough intestinal fortitude to speak out about the follies of the GOP.
I told them that I was distressed to hear many GOP congress critters rave on about voting against spending bills and then, in the same breath, tout all the earmarks they brought to their districts. I asked them to insert a paragraph in each of these bills to say that any earmarks inserted by a representative who does not vote for the bill becomes null and void.
Each staffer was intrigued by my idea and said he would forward my suggestion to the representative.
#22
I wrote to Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell this morning and informed them both that after a lifetime of Democratic support, I won't do be back next time around. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. From now on, I'm an Independent. It's not just Joe Lieberman or Harry Ried or Blanch Lincoln. EVERY Dem in Congress and the Administration is responsible for this mess by waffling, hand wringing, and a shortage of stones. They all know what needs to be done, yet not one of them has called for all of them to step into the woodshed and apply the rod to the spoiled children's bottoms.
#23
I called both Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this morning and told them that if legislation is going to be passed without a public option or Medicare buy in, they should strip out the mandate that uninsured HAVE to buy insurance from the insurance cartels.
#24
I called Senator Daniel Inouye's Washington office and spoke to his staff this morning. My message was that my family has experienced our health payments rise to the point we can barely afford the payments and had to switch to a high deductible plan... and this is through the State of Hawaii's EUTF plans. The health care bill has been gutted. The health insurance companies are running a monopoly on healthcare. Everyone will be required to buy into their system and without a strong public option (preferably single payer) for affordable health insurance and keep the private monopolies in check... we the people will get "SCREWED" AGAIN!
#25
I emailed the following to Joe Leiberman's office: Dear Senator Lieberman, May the God of Isiah, the God of Vengeance visit his wrath not on you sir, but on your children, your children's children and their children. May His vengeance make those innocents known to you suffer at the hands of heath care insurance companies. May they know the vengeance of higher premiums because they have a health condition. May they know the vengeance of outrageous profits taken by health insurance companies. May they know the vengeance of how you and your wife took the health insurance company coin and instead of protecting the children of your children's children. May the tribe of Lieberman know the vengeance of sickness and disease without mercy from a health insurance reform.
#26
Ya' know, I've gotten so ticked at the spineless reaction and cohelsion by the Democrats in both the House and the Senate, and knowing both my House members and Senate members here in Idaho are positively worthless, that I went right for what I considered the jugular vein. I called both the chairmen of the DCCC and the DSCC. OK, so I called their Washington offices, hoping to hit that vein even faster, the silly little seething vampire I've become with my frustration over this health care bill. Chris Van Hollan's office forwarded me to the D Triple C and I got voicemail. OI VEY! So, I let 'em have it. "My wallet is now closed! I've donated! I've been a moderate worker bee, and I can't believe you people can't even hang together and get something passed for the American people that you have as a Congressman." And I ranted for about another minute more until I felt better. I marked the message urgent, left my phone number, and requested a reply. I'm still hoping to hear something back.
Next, I went on to Senator Bob Menendez's office as chair of the DSCC. Yea, I called his Washington office hoping for that quick fix. Oddly, I got an automated reply that his mail box was full. So, I called one of his local offices. They patched me into somewhere, the where, I don't know. I said I wanted to leave a comment for the Senator in his capacity as DSCC chair. After being on hold for awhole, I actually got a real person! I launched into my rant, previously used on Representive Van Hollan, but inserted that I wanted the Senate Dems (and President Obama also) to "grow a pair of Roosevelts and stand up and yell for what they believe in." The kind lady on the end of the line muttered, "Grow a pair of Roos....a....felts?"
"A pair of Roosevelts", I said.
"A pair of Rose...." I heard her say softly, still trying to get the meaning of my message. "I'm writing this down", she added. "Let me get this right."
"A pair of Roosevelts," I said. "Like Teddy and FDR!"
"OH!" she said, and began to chuckle. "A pair of ROOSEVELTS!"
She continued to chuckle through the remainder of my call. I sincerely hope that the Democratic Senators and the Representitives will suddenly 'sprout' a pair of Roosevelts....before it's too late. That's what we're waiting for, and they haven't figured it out yet.
#27
I phoned both Senators from Washington to inquire as to their position on the drug re-importation bill (they both voted AGAINST re-importation). As I spoke to Cantwell's staffer, I urged the Senator to do the right thing, and told her "you guys are killing us". She responded that she had heard a lot of that kind of talk lately! Interesting for her to acknowledge that I thought. Then she thanked me for being so polite with her. I was a bit surprised by that as well. Lets not let our frustration over this situation turn us into T-Baggers, rudely getting into people's faces. Lets keep up the fight, and do it politely.
The problem of course is that President Obama has RUN for the centrist position, and in so doing, he has tossed the progressives who elected him under the bus. The President once said he was willing to be a one term President if he didn't get this done, I just assumed it would be because the crazies on the RIGHT had stopped him, not because he was leaving the LEFT out in the cold!
Matt
#28
I called both of my senators yesterday, Bennett and Udall of Colorado AND sent them an email from their web site. I also called and emailed my representative, Betsy Markey. Basically I said I am 58 and self employed with a pre existing condition. (something every one has after 50), therefore I can't get health insurance period. I WANT TO LIVE SAME AS YOU DO. I want life and liberty from the fear of catastrophic illness. I want you to to the right thing for the American People. I want you to represent "We the People" and not "We the corporations". Therefore I demand that you address Campaign Finance Reform, because the bottom line is that we the people WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK. It is OBSCENE that 125 people die EVERY DAY because they can't access medical care.
PS On my FB page I called Joe "Obstructionist" Lieberman a tergiversating rodomontading hebetudinous windbag, (Stephen Colbert inspired Thesaurus hunt). translated as: and evasive blustering obtuse windbag who's time has come to GO.
#29
I tried for 2 hours & the state numbers were busy. I received an anti abortion call this morning. I told Luke in DCA per American Journal of Public Health 45,000 Americans die annually because of lack of health care access, that is 122 die a day. Please put the same value on living Americans as Senator Nelson values fetuses. Also if he runs for re-election, he needs Democratic votes to win and we are angry.
#30
I e-mailed Ben Nelson:
What is all the concerned with the embryo and then HATE the child?
Have you even read Genesis 2:7?
Why don't you just say you how you really feel about women?
I hope you find your rewards in Hell for selling out the people to the Big Corp. Money Handlers!
#31
I know I’m too late for the drawing, but I have two stories that you might enjoy.
The first happened in 06, when the Senate was debating whether or not to give Habeas Corpus to the detainees at GitMo. Everyone’s favorite Senator, Joe Lieberman, decided to change his vote from the previous year’s vote on the same issue. This means he decided to deny the detainees rights in '06 after voting to give them the right in '05, citing U.S. treatment of German POW's in WWII as precedence. Being a student working on a M.A. in history, I decided to call him on this erroneous belief. I called his office, told the aid that I had seen his comment on MSNBC, and asked if the Senator stood by his comment. The aid said he did, so I asked the aid if the Senator also thought it would be a good idea to have WWII style internment camps for Muslims, like we did for the Japanese. The aids response was "I believe he says that in his comments". Completely taking a back, I asked the aid, "So he would be for it", and the aid replied, "Yes, that is what he is saying". I was so surprised by the response that I just said thank you and hung up.
The second was a call to Sen. Feinstein in ’05 as the price of gas began to soar. I was pumping gas at Costco and paying $3.30 a gallon, which at the time was a huge jump in the price of gas. Being upset that the price of my education had just jumped nearly %25 simply because of the cost of driving to school while the profits of oil companies were larger than the profits of any corporation in history, I called my Senator to find out if she was going to support removing the tax breaks given to the oil companies. When I asked the aid, his response was “Economists tell us that as the resource becomes scarcer the price of gas will rise”. The cost of oil per barrel the week before had gone from $75 a barrel to $60 a barrel, so I asked the aid what economist tell should happen to the price of gas as the price per barrel drops. His response was “I’m not going to argue with you about this”, and he hung up on me. Unlike my other Senator, Boxer, Sen. Feinstein’s office never has current or logical information, and hangs up on me frequently.
Thanks Thom
Jeff Shettler
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I've got the congressional switchboard number programmed into the phone and have been pushing single payer till I'm blue in the face. I've started saying forget insurance reform and start investigating/prosecuting torture and lies leading to the crime against humanity, war.
That said, everyone should listen to Evo Morales from Copenhagen.
Bolivian President Evo Morales: “Shameful” For West to Spend Trillions On War and Only $10 Billion For Climate Change
Bolivian President Evo Morales recently arrived in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Summit. In a press conference Wednesday, Morales said, “The budget for the United States is $687 billion for defense and they want for climate change–to save life, to save humanity–they only put up $10 billion. This is shameful.”
From Democracy Now! http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/16/bolivian_president_evo_morales_sh...