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Platform Fight: Activists Win Commitment to Guaranteed Care
"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Pressured by progressive activists who objected to the tepid language in a draft document prepared by the Barack Obama campaign, the Democratic platform-writing committee reworked the party's official agenda Saturday to include a clear commitment "that every American man, woman and child be guaranteed to have affordable, comprehensive health care."
The official draft, which was adopted at the platform committee's gathering in Pittsburgh, will now be submitted to the Democratic National Convention for approval.
The platform is likely to adopted without a fight at the Denver convention where Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be nominated for president.
What is significant about the platform committee's endorsement of language calling for guaranteed health care for all is that the statement goes a good deal further than the Obama campaign would have preferred.
Obama's camp, which dominates but does not entirely control the platform-writing process, wanted to avoid talk of guarantees. It also wanted language that was friendlier to the insurance industry. Progressive Democrats for America, working in conjunction with a number of Pennsylvania organizations and Democratic leaders that support single-payer health care, pushed for a deeper commitment to health-care reform.
PDA collected signatures from almost 500 convention delegates - including backers of Obama and his chief rival for the nomination, New York Senator Hillary Clinton - urging the platform committee to commit the party to:
* "Guarantee accessible health care for all."
* "Create a single standard of high quality, comprehensive, and preventive health care for all."
* "Allow freedom of choice of physician, hospital, and other health care providers."
* "Eliminate financial barriers that prevent families and individuals from obtaining the medically necessary care they need."
* "Allow physicians, nurses and other licenced health care providers to make health care decisions based on what is best for the health of the patient."
PDA brought a key Obama backer, House Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers, D-Michigan, along with Donna Smith, a "star" of the Michael Moore documentary "SiCKO," to Pittsburgh to appear with Pennsylvania single-payer activists in Pittsburgh to promote the package.
Bob Remer, a Clinton delegate from Chicago who is a member of the platform committee, introduced the PDA language as a proposed amendment Saturday.
The activists did not get all the language they wanted, and they certainly did not get the commitment to single-payer that Democrats should be campaigning on six decades after Harry Truman ran and won on a promise to develop a national health-care program. But PDA and its allies did force the Obama camp into negotiations that resulted in the addition of stronger language to the official document.
Also added, at the behest of Clinton backers, was a statement that, "There are different approaches within the Democratic Party about how best to achieve the commitment of universal coverage."
Conyers, the sponsor of HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, called the language shift "huge."
Tim Carpenter, the national director of PDA, said, "We were happy to discover the level of support among committee members for guaranteed health care and are pleased that a compromise was reached, but we won't be satisfied until HR 676 is passed by Congress."
Both Conyers and Carpenter are right.
The real work within the Democratic party and in Congress remains unfinished.
But the strengthening of the platform language is significant. It shows that the Obama campaign, which is often too rigid for its own good, is willing to listen to the left - and even to bend a bit. That's the good news from the fight over a platform that is, by and large, a tepid document.
While the 51-page draft platform document is somewhat more poetic than the uninspired Democratic document of four years ago, it is no more of a fighting manifesto.
But, thanks to PDA, Conyers and their allies, grassroots Democrats will be able to say that their party is committed to health care for all.
John Nichols' new book is The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism. Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson hails it as a "nervy, acerbic, passionately argued history-cum-polemic [that] combines a rich examination of the parliamentary roots and past use of the 'heroic medicine' that is impeachment with a call for Democratic leaders to 'reclaim and reuse the most vital tool handed to us by the founders for the defense of our most basic liberties.'"
Copyright © 2008 The Nation
15 Comments so far
Show AllThe Demoks aren't even close to earning the progressive vote. Keep bending, Demoks, until we see a smile on the face of every American, indicating satisfaction in our healthcare system. As for those insurance chimps - let them eat cake.
John Nichols: "But the strengthening of the platform language is significant. It shows that the Obama campaign, which is often too rigid for its own good, is willing to listen to the left - and even to bend a bit. That's the good news from the fight over a platform that is, by and large, a tepid document."
WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE LEFT? TEPID DOCUMENT?
Never underestimate the disappointment you can feel from national Democratic Party power-wielders. The war on the poor continues within that party. The platform creation is merely a work of art, mere fumes from the engine that fueled internecine battles in the past.
I'm not sure why John Nichols bothered to cover this faux-fight. The Obamans won, regardless of the wording.
Vote Nader or McKinney if you want to move the country closer to Healthcare for All. Neither will win, of course, but we all win if their national numbers cause the political calculus to change in Washington.
While the national parties have consigned us to the political sidelines, our time must come -- if we work for it.
Right On.
AS usual, if something good is done in DC, the Democrats do it.
With Obama as president and greater control of the senate, hopefully 60 seats, things would get better.
Because Obama is so attacked here as Nader is glorified, I include this:
1/3 of Nader's $, over one million dollars, is in Cisco Systems alone. google nader cisco 2008! Naomi Klein* says Cisco Systems "works hand in glove" with China implementing Police-State Surveillance Systems. Lesserevilism? This is evil. Absolute.
(He has $ in Dow=Napalm also via the Fidelity Magellan Fund as well.)
*Article on CD Now.
Obama '08.
Health care is assured as long as you got the cash to pay for it. Of course, what would Nichols know about that? His health insurance is paid for by an elitist rag the Nation. I am 55 and without health care for the last twenty years. I also served two tours in Vietnam. Kucinich and Gravel were the only two Democrats calling for a single payer system. Of course Obama has single payer, Clinton has it too, and the rest of the political pond scum Nichols speaks on behalf of.
What a joke! What an insult!
"that every American man, woman and child be guaranteed to have AFFORDABLE, comprehensive health care."
That could be the new slogan for Blue Cross or Blue Shield.
This is absurd. We want national universal single payer health coverage with no insurance companies. No more excuses. The richest country in the world can afford to do what Cuba does.
The Clintonian/DLC Dems water down useful platform language and progressives accept the "compromise," which refuses to mention HR 676.
All declare victory after vomiting up vaguely-written sentiments and the fight for truly universal, affordable health insurance flounders in a sea of shit.
Thank You for this wonderful display of cowardice and stupidity. What's the next compromise? The merger of the DLC and PDA?
While PDA is crowing about their "victory," I'm deeply troubled by the adjective "American" in the guarantee. Given the current context, I take that to mean that immigrants (or at least those without green cards?) are not included in this guarantee. Nor are visitors to the country.
The government's refusal to provide Medicaid to both undocumented and recently arrived (less than five years) documented immigrants is disgraceful, and is putting huge burdens on hospitals and other care-givers in our communities. Having large numbers of people excluded from "guaranteed" "universal" healthcare is equally disgraceful and unacceptable. Which of your children's classmates do you want NOT to have access to vaccinations, antibiotics, and other basic care?
Now, now RichM-- Fetus steps! Fetus steps!
"What is significant about the platform committee's endorsement of language calling for guaranteed health care for all is that the statement goes a good deal further than the Obama campaign would have preferred.
Obama's camp, which dominates but does not entirely control the platform-writing process, wanted to avoid talk of guarantees. It also wanted language that was friendlier to the insurance industry."
And when it comes time for legislation to be considered, would it be the Pres. or the platform committee who OKs it? If Obama wants legislation that is "friendlier to the insurance industry", that's what you'll get, MUCH friendlier, I'm sure.
We happen to live in a world where mathematical probabilitity structures exist. All forms of American political campaigns know their success probability structures. Due to monetary and organizational impediments, all political forms other than the Dem. or Rep. parties do not have the necessary mathematical probability chance for success. If you wish to see any other form of political party succeed in the US I respectfully suggest that you begin to plan and organize and solicit money so that you may establish a reasonable probability for victory in 2012. For it is to late for you to have a chance to beat the mathematical odds in 2008.
some candidate of change!
pathetic! obama's campaign had to be brought kicking and screaming to forcing families to buy "affordable" healthcare! nevermind universal coverage like every other respectable country in the world!
Where's your dignity democrats?!
VOTE NADER 08
"that every American man, woman and child be guaranteed to have affordable, comprehensive health care.""
Affordable to whom? I've found that people making 100K have a very unrealistic idea of what's "affordable" for most of us.
This is sellout language and clearly inadequate, even Nixon though health care should be a right.
It sure is uplifting to see all of the responses pepperring Nichols with ridicule for being naive enough to think he could insult the intelligence of the American People by putting on this Pathetic Charade.
PDA deceives people into think they actually accomplished something by dragging Barack Obama into a position of compliance through the addition of a "Platform Plank" that is purports to advance "National Health Insurance". When in point of fact this document is nothing more than a vaccuous statement LOADED WITH WEASEL WORDS that enables the criminal existance of the 3 Dozen Insurance Companies. Three dozen insurance companies that suck the life blood from the American's People's Necks.
Until that plank says HR-676...IT MEANS NOTHING !
Until that plank says MEDICARE FOR ALL...IT MEANS NOTHING !
Until that planks says SINGLE PAYER...IT MEANS NOTHING !
We asked for Single Payer in 96 and they said no not now.
We got 4 years older and demanded Single Payer in 2000 and Senator Ozone told us no !
And we got 4 Years Older still and demanded Single Payer again from the Vietnam War Criminal and he wouldn't give the American People the time of day on the issue.
Then John Conyers sponsor a piece of legislation that despite receiving 88 Cosponsors never makes it out of committee.
We are now another 4 years older and Single-Payer Healthcare is no where in sight.
You can fool Some of the people all of the time,
and All of the people some of the time.
But you can't fool All of the people All of the time !
We are "all of the people" Mister Nichols and this is "All of the time" Mister Nichols. Until that plank includes the words Single-Payer and spells out in EXPICIT DETAIL a timetable AND how it will be implememnted. You, Norman Solomon and the rest of your PDA GLEE CLUB can take your plank and WIPE YOUR AZZES WITH IT !
SINGLE PAYER YESTERDAY....NADER IS THE ONLY WAY !
SINGLE PAYER YESTERDAY
Platforms are meaningless.