• February 13, 2012
  • TUT TUT, HOWARD DEAN, TUT, TUT: It’s nice that Howard Dean keeps going on the teevee to argue for strong, progressive health care reforms, but we agree with young communist Ezra Klein that it’s… snooty, maybe?.. for Dean to keep blaring his “no public option, no point in health care reform” ultimatum when his own plan in 2004 didn’t include a public option. Neither did John Kerry’s. And people were fine with these plans! Universal health care! [Ezra Klein]

{ 27 comments }

V572625694 August 18, 2009 at 2:31 pm

Yeah, right. And Dean didn’t call for massive bailouts to Goldman Sachs, either. So WTF?

slappypaddy August 18, 2009 at 2:32 pm

the universe needs health care, and it needs it pronto, seeing’s how it seems to be presided over by a god with a wicked sense of humor, pulling the wings offa flies, blasting the limbs offa babies, sending galaxies colliding into one another, and dumping on us the likes of plumb dumb joe and babble spass, all of which blue cross or cigna will tell you sorry charlie, are pre-existing conditions.

biggiantannoyingthing August 18, 2009 at 2:35 pm

It’s not 2004 anymore. Congress is very different than it was leading up to the ’04 election. Dr. Dean is right. And not snooty, also.

Gopherit August 18, 2009 at 2:41 pm

Hey Newell! YAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHHH!!1!!!!1!

That is all. Be nice the the Doctor now.

Fox n Fiends August 18, 2009 at 2:44 pm

there were NO poor people back in 2004!! sheesh get a memory.

Jim Newell August 18, 2009 at 2:45 pm

[re=389530]biggiantannoyingthing[/re]: You’re right. He’s right. Can’t get a public option? Well then scrap the expansion of Medicaid that would cover 20 million poor people, too! It would be meaningless.

Scruffy_The_Janitor August 18, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Scruffy’s brain is starting to slowly saturate with health care reform BS.
Scruffy needs a doctor.

Scruffy_The_Janitor August 18, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Listening to the local conservative talk radio, you would assume this country’s liberal mob is going to destroy mom, baseball and apple pie as we know it.

Hope you guys can sleep well at night knowing you’re destrying Merica with each and everyone of your hurtfull comments. Also.

And oh yeah, Savage is beyond crazy.

dum librul August 18, 2009 at 2:54 pm

Huh. 11 balanced budgets, lower taxes, paid off debt, and (near) universal health care for children and pregnant women during his tenure as Vermont governor, and we should be finding someone else to listen to right now when everyone else is vascillating between co-ops and not a damn thing?

KilgoreTrout_XL August 18, 2009 at 2:56 pm

I recall a speech in 2003 when Dean proved that he had a lovely screaming voice.

He should have that screamy sound “button-ready” for _all_ interviews he gives on healthcare. You know, like a fart machine (is that how a fart machine works?) It would make him sound realer, GOPpier, and stupid, and that’s the kind of shit that wins health care debates.

You fucking people are the fucking laughingstock of twitter.

Bearbloke August 18, 2009 at 3:02 pm

[re=389536]Gopherit[/re]: Hopey still should’ve given him the Surgeon General job… can the current office holder be gracefully ‘retired’?

Aurelio August 18, 2009 at 3:11 pm

“No Public Option, No Health Care Plan!” — That’s a clunky slogan. Compare: “No Justice, No Peace!” Now that’s got a ring to it.

the problem child August 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm

[re=389557]Bearbloke[/re]: Time to arrange a death panel?

SayItWithWookies August 18, 2009 at 3:25 pm

[re=389569]Aurelio[/re]: How ’bout “No smidge of socialism, no constant stream of blithering insanity from the right?”

Buzz Feedback August 18, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Barry would not have been elected were it not for Gov. Screamy’s 50 State Plan. So as far as I’m concerned, the good doctor can say whatever he wants.

Bearbloke August 18, 2009 at 3:29 pm

[re=389579]the problem child[/re]: no, no – just a nice sinecure at some Uni somewhere – U of Chicago, U of Hawaii, perhaps?

liquiddaddy August 18, 2009 at 3:57 pm

I saw Ezra Klein ask this question and Dr. Dean replied that he wanted to cover 0-25 and over 55 with Medicaid and let 26-54 opt to purchase Medicaid if they had no employer option. So Mr. E seems to be playing gotcha, which would be fine if I could give Ezra painful purple nurples, a restroom swirly, pull his pants down and laugh at is tiny penis.

slowuncle August 18, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Health Care Reform Debate of 2009
The Cliff Notes

Hillbilly Mob: Stop health care reform NOW, because everything you libruls propose smacks of SOCIALISM!!

Us (mustering our loftiest rhetorical riposte): So if you hate Socialism so much, how’s about we repeal Medicare, Social Security and V.A. Medical??

Greek Chorus (comprised of G Norquist, P Gramm, M Friedman, R Reagan & D Armey): We thought you’d never ask !!!

Jukesgrrl August 18, 2009 at 4:43 pm

Jim, I wouldn’t say anything mean about Howard Dean if I were you. How many former governors know how to give a prostate exam? You could be calming walking down the street one day and …

hobospacejunkie August 18, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Why they didn’t start bargaining from the position of allow everyone into Medicare, allow Medicare to bargain with Big Pharma, and go from there? If I didn’t know better (do I) I’d think no one in DC really wants substantive health care change, and to hell with what they were elected to do.

trickyrick August 18, 2009 at 4:53 pm

[re=389551]dum librul[/re]: also neighborhood clinics at low cost to end inappropriate emergency room visits. ALL CHILDRENS in Vermont haz de health cares.

Dean is the only one standing firm on a public option. or so it seems. Go HD!

auduboner August 18, 2009 at 5:10 pm

Wait. Wonkette is agreeing with something published by the NeoCons at the Post, and criticizing Dr. Dean?

I’m outta here… You can’t see that Wapo only published that in order to advance the Wingnut Nation’s cause?

There’s snarky, and there’s Stoopid. Wonkette just went Stoopid. Also.

Eric Cheney August 18, 2009 at 7:17 pm

[re=389543]Jim Newell[/re]: Yes Jim. Provide additional benefits without genuine reform to pay for them. That’ll keep the Republicans from eating your lunch.

I think generally Dean is right. If there’s no viable public alternative to being force fed policies from the insurance mafia, spin again. Make the right wingers kill it, then go after them in the coming primaries.

Waco Bandito August 18, 2009 at 7:35 pm

[re=389726]hobospacejunkie[/re]: I guess that’s why I’m not a liberal democrat like Ezra. They’re so hot to be open minded and thoughtful that they bend over and let the right wing compromise them meaningless positions. “Yes, if only we can insure everyone, who cares what we have to pay the insurance companies.”

LoweredPeninsula August 19, 2009 at 4:08 am

Sorry, Dean is right, here, period. We should have never allowed the debate to drift into death panels and socialism in the first place. We should have said “give us the public option or will shoot” simple as that and begged those crazy motherfuckers to filibuster.

If someone wants to try and compromise with a dining room table, fine. Do it on someone else’s time, not our’s.

foog August 19, 2009 at 5:08 am

Today, we are all dining room tables.

Eric Cheney August 19, 2009 at 9:06 am

I would totally hit that dining room table.

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