Saturday, March 13, 2010

Carney to Health Insurance Companies-Buzz off

A TV ad sponsored by an outfit calling itself The League of American voters has been airing on local cable and broadcast stations this last week asking people to call Congressman Chris Carney to tell him to vote no on the on "the Obama-Pelosi Plan" for healthcare reform. It is full of the usual lies and distortions (transcript here) and the LAV is headed up by that man of integrety Dick Morris. It is a 501(c)4 organization that is not required to disclose donors but you can guess where the money is coming from. Wherever you are on political spectrum I think we can all agree that if an organization runs a political spot we should be told who is paying for it. Congress really needs to amend the law especially after the Citizens United decision by the activist Supreme Court that overturned the will of the legislature and it's own precedents.


Instead of convincing Carney to vote against the bill it sounds like the ad pissed him off. I got this press release on Friday.




CARNEY: BIG HEALTH INSURERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED

Carney calls out insurance executives for running national ads in the 10th District



CLARKS SUMMIT – Congressman Carney (PA-10) released the following statement in response to the four ad campaigns funded by big health insurance companies that are running in the 10th District:

"I appreciate the input I have been getting on both sides of the health care debate. But I find it appalling that the hardworking families of the 10th district have to compete with big health insurance companies to get their voices heard. Big health insurance companies are seeking to use scare tactics to influence my vote. There are at least four national groups funded by big insurers that have poured more than $267,000 into our district. I represent the people of central and northeastern Pennsylvania, not insurance executives.


These big insurers should be ashamed. People getting dropped from their coverage because of preexisting conditions don't have millions of dollars to spend on TV ads. How many of those people could have been covered by the millions of dollars insurance companies are spending to organize and advertise against health care reform?

As I've said throughout this debate, I will judge every plan based on whether it increases affordability, denies insurers the option of rejecting people with preexisting conditions and enables people to take their insurance with them when they change jobs. We must also protect coverage for our seniors and ensure that federal funds can’t go to pay for abortions.

It is time to give families the choices that they have been badly lacking and bring affordability into a system that has run out of control.”

Carney voted for the bill the first time around and it sounds like he will vote for it again despite all the national publications that list him as undecided. I made my view clear to the Congressman last week and have told Paul Kanjorski's office the same thing. Pass the damn bill. It's not perfect but can be improved on just like Social Security and Medicare have been over the years. Their Republican opponents are going to slam them for voting for it the first time and if they vote no this time they will look weak ala John Kerry. I voted for it before I voted against it.

I usually look at the overall voting record knowing that our reps will sometimes vote for or against things that I disagree with but this is a litmus test with me. If a Democratic Congress can't get this done it shows that they are not fit to govern.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen- Carney's head is screwed on right. Has the people in mind rather than special interests.

Anonymous said...

Jobs, what about jobs!! We are dire need of jobs FIRST, not more debt right now. just because you have a job I guess you can't relate!!!! This healthcare BS has taken more time and money and is NOWHERE! Get jobs and then, step by step fix the healthcare problem.NOT turn it upside down and create more debt when people need JOBS! Yes, JOBS! Hello?????? Meanwhile people are losing more and more JOBS!

Anonymous said...

Carney's head is just plain screwed up. There isn't one industry or one aspect of our lives you big government wonks don't want to control. Our history is not rooted in socialism, nor has it ever worked anywhere.

Instead we've become infested with entitlements, consider them rights, and now have a massive welfare state that is out of control and destroying GDP and the dollar.

Mr. F said...

Perhaps is would help our jobless friends to have good healthcare for themselves and their families that they can afford.

Anonymous said...

Carney is a big government liberal/ progressive. He'll support the gov take over of everything to expand the power of gov (take over of student loans is now part of this "health care" package.

Boil it down to what it is - more gov or less gov.

Nothing in this bill reduces costs - its a sham - and for you well education liberals out there who know what's best for us - you'd be surprised what we know and what we want.

shivas said...

Are you kidding me..."can be improved on like Social Security and Medicare"...any more improvements like that and we'll be a third world country again.

When are are you going to realize that granting extra rights to some citizens like privacy to the Insurance executives or money and value to senior citizens is the problem and not the solution. This healthcare bill with all its bells and whistles for certain citizens in order to get their representative or senator on board is an example of just that. Unfortunately, our congressmen have gotten used to working like pigs at the feeding trough and don't know any other way. To Obama's credit he's asked them to remove the pork, thankfully that should keep it from happening.

Anonymous said...

The bill will send health care costs soaring. It will add tremendous demand and reduce and raise the cost of supply. I can't stand people like you who say just pass the damn bill. Yes it fixes certain unacceptable aspects of our system. But it will create more problems than it solves. And the idea that represents Obama going after insurance companies and big pharma is a joke. Why can't we buy insurance on a national basis? Why can't we import lower price drugs from Canada? Why can't medicare negoitiate prices with drug companies? What about some reasonable tort reform? Obama is just as big a sell out as every other pol. This is your stupidest post ever.

Anonymous said...

Don't look at what the other hand is doing. It's actually a great use of money on the insurance companies' part.

$267k in a play action pass fake to keep billions in profit they can acquire from being forced to purchase their product. I guess there is a reason why Pennsylvania continues to fall behind in football.

Austin said...

Socialism has never worked? Every industrialized nation in the world except us has universal healthcare. The majority of those with a single payer solution.

This nation has over 70 million people on socialized medicine between medicare and the VA. Our legislators sure seem to enjoy their socialized healthcare.

Hell even places like Mexico and Cuba have gone universal. Almost everywhere is so far to the left of us and they keep moving that direction.

Anonymous said...

Hard to believe how many ass holes live in this area. My Medicare supplement went up 40% this year but that doesn't seem to bother these bubble heads. Health reform is needed and needed now! Where were you jerks when Bush was starting two wawrs and having China finance them? That debt was OK because Haliburton and the other big buck companies were getting fed at the trough. Screw each and every one of you. Thank you Kanjo and Chris for having the balls to stand up to the Insurance Millions.

McGruff said...

Excuse me anon @1:46 AM Kanjo and Carney are in office while your supplement went up 40%...
They could and should have addressed that issue long ago..but alas...lets create another behemoth we need to fund with China's money...
Scare tactics are on both sides but don't be fooled that this healthcare reform means you are going to be helped....aren't the taxes coming first long before the mechanism to get people insurance??
Social Security IOUs were discussed in 2004 http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/09/Misleading-the-Public-How-the-Social-Security-Trust-Fund-Really-Works Those IOUs were the subject of an article two days ago where we are cashing in something we already spent http://article.wn.com/view/2010/03/15/Social_Security_to_start_cashing_Uncle_Sams_IOUs_v/
Healtcare needs reform but I disagree that the usual lies and rhetoric come from one side.