By Hootsbuddy
This twitter phenomenon is wild.
Nancy Scola at tech President posted this yesterday.
The gentleman from Nevada went from Senate Majority Letter to Twitter trending topic in a few seconds flat today. After Reid announced that he was fine with holding off on health reform legislation until after the Senate's August recess, the hashtag #harryreid took off. And no, not in a good way. Congressional Democrats might have trouble getting their talking points together, but the Twitterverse is remarkably good at it. In no time at all, the mockery coalesced around a few themes: Reid lacks vision, kowtows to Republicans, and isn't particularly good at this legislative leadership thing.
I didn't even know what a "hashtag" was. I gotta get out more.
The Twitterverse can be as savage as a swarm of Africanized bees. (No double entendre intended.)
Lookit what just turned up. Only a couple hundred views at this writing.
Here is a little collection of tweets. The list runs pages and pages. Check the hashtag link above.
ReplyDeleteI hear Pearl Harbor was bombed. What? It's July? We'll be back in September to deal with it.
Chris, the world is flat. Flat I tells ya. Turn the boats around!
OK, all you people stop dying and getting sick 'til we get back from summer vacation!
I just don't think your speech at Gettysburg will be remembered, President Lincoln. Make it longer.
I don't know, General Eisenhower--the water looks kind of choppy. Maybe we should invade next summer?
Bipartisan negotiations have resulted in a nonbinding resolution that Lucy will not pull the football away this time.
I don't know, man, staying through August means having to put up with weather at least 20 degrees cooler than anything in Nevada!
Take an aspirin and call me next month.
That dang horseless carriage? Think we should wait on it. Not useful.
A man on the moon? I don't know, sounds complicated. And isn't Russia pretty close to doing that already? Let them have it.
for @SenatorReid Who matters more? Humana or Humanity?
Don't be silly, that iceberg is miles away and besides, this ship is unsinkable!
No, I don't think we should round the corners. These cars should move just fine with square wheels.
Imagine how much $$ we can rack up from the insurance lobby if we give them a whole extra month!
Without a vacation, how can one evolve into a chordate?
MLK: Well, I had a dream, but I can't seem to remember how it went...
What's a few million more americans without health insurance in comparison to keeping my GOP friends happy?
Lieberman won't invite me to his BBQ unless I'm able to delay this silly health care thing.
Does #HarryReid even feel the doggin' he's getting here on the Twitter?
Why in the world would you want the internet on your phone? it's too small and we have desktop PCs, after all.
I just turned up a few more of those great videos:
ReplyDeleteLee Stranahan's Save Health Care In 4 Minutes
Joe Stranahan's Sen. Baucus's Health Care Bait and Switch
This is Max Baucus, the head of the Senate Finance Committee.
He's gotten more money from the health and insurance industry than any other member of Congress.
So what's the healthcare lobby getting for all that cash?
Well, you know that affordable public option you've heard about? He'd replace that with what he calls 'Co-Ops' that would be controlled by the insurance companies.
And right now, he's trying to create a law that will actually force everyone to buy health insurance.
The healthcare lobby pays Max Baucus -- so he forces you to buy their product??!
Call Senator Baucus right now (202-224-2651), and tell him to stop the bait and switch on healthcare reform.
Lee Stranahan's Hey Joe! The REAL Reason?
You SAID it's because 'there's plenty of competition in the private insurance market."
But that's not true at all.
In fact, a recent report said that in the past 13 years there have been more than 400 corporate mergers (involving health insurers). And in the past few years, the premiums we pay have gone up 87%, and health care insurance profits rose over 400% (427%).
So maybe you oppose the public option because you've received more money from the health insurance lobby than almost any other Senator.
Why not give Senator Lieberman a call (202-224-4041), and say, 'Hey Joe! I want access to the same government insurance plan you have.'
Joe Stranahan's Healthy Economy
ReplyDeleteEvery country has infrastructure -- things like law enforcement, plumbing and roads -- services that don't turn a profit on their own, but that make it possible for people and businesses to succeed.
The United States is the only wealthy country that doesn't treat health insurance like infrastructure. And that puts our country and businesses, big and small, at a disadvantage (in) competing with the rest of the world.
A healthy economy needs healthy citizens, and The Public Option for health insurance is a great start.
Call your Congressman and tell them you want The Public Option.
Lee Stranahan's Wait Times
As the health care debate gets more serious in the next few weeks, here's an argument I don't want you to fall for...
Wait times....
See, the people trying to kill health care reform love to talk about wait time, especially in Canada.
They'll say, "Canadians need to wait 10 weeks for an MRI," and stuff like that.
And this is a very calculated lie.
For one thing, it's hard to compare wait times, because the U.S. "hodgepodge healthcare system" doesn't really have data on it.
In a single payer system like Canada, they know about wait times -- and if they get too long, it becomes a big public issue that can be fixed.
Also, it's very hard to compare wait times because, in the US, if you need an MRI or some other procedure, and you can't afford it, your wait time is Infinity - Forever - You Never Get It. So that tends to skew the sample results.
See, in countries like Canada, the doctors put people who NEED procedures to the front of the line -- not just the people who can afford it.
So when it comes to waiting, remember this:
We've all waited long enough for a sensible health care system -- like the every other [developed] country in the world has.
Joe Stranahan's Memo to Rahm: No Compromise
On July 6th, President Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel indicated the White House mgiht be willing to compromise on the public option, saying, "The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest."
To which we say: "Right - the same way you kept financial industry honest."
Mr. Enamuel - let me put this in a venacular you'll understand - do you think we're motherf%#king stupid?
We voted for change - not compromise with lobbyists and Republicans.
And if you think we'll be happy with anything less than a public option -- check your messages -- because we're calling the White House (202-456-1111) to tell Rahm, "I want The Public Option."
Joe Stranahan's Alone
ReplyDeleteSo, just think about this...
The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized country on planet earth that doesn't have universal health care.
The only one where millions of people (46 million) have no access to health care at all.
Where millions go bankrupt if someone gets sick. (Every 30 seconds, an American files for bankruptcy after a health issue.)
Where millions are turned away because of pre-existing conditions.
Of course, other countries have problems with their health care. There isn't a perfect system.
But not one of those countries is stopping universal health care, or thinking, "Hey, we need a private health insurance system like they have in the United States."
Support The Public Option. It's a good start. And it's about time.
Joe Stranahan's Well, I Wonder...
There are politicians who want to scare you about how expensive they say health care reform will be.
They ask, "How can we cut cost?"
Yeah... How can we cut cost? Let me think about this. Hummm.... Is there some obvious way to cut cost that the politicians and the media seem to be totally ignoring?
Graphics:
2008 Compensation - Michael McCallister, CEO: Humana - $4,764,309
2008 Compensation - Angela Braley, CEO: Wellpoint - $9,844,212
2008 Compensation - Jay Gellart, CEO: Health Net - $4,425,355
2008 Compensation - H. Edward Hanway, CEO: CIGNA - $12,236,740
2008 Compensation - Ron Williams, CEO: Aetna - $24,300,112
See, the healthcare lobby spent $35,000,000 in the first three months of this year alone -- just so politicians will act confused about how to save money on healthcare.
But... You're not confused. Right?
Call Congress -- Demand The Public Option.
This message was created by Lee Stranahan. I'm one of millions of uninsured fathers with uninsured families. And I'm asking you to join me in taking on the healthcare industry.
Joe Stranahan's Different Kind of Health Care Reform Video
This is a different kind of political video, because I'm not gonna try to convince you that health care reform is a good thing.
See, I don't have to convince you because, according to polls, you probably already believe that.
Graphic:
% of Americans who support a government sponsored health plan:
New York Times/CBS Poll: 72%
NBC/Wall St. Journal Poll: 76%
And, even though I'm a Democrat, I'm not gonna attack Republicans. That's because the people who are threatening health care reform right now are all Democrats.
What I am going to ask you to do is to pick up your phone, rewind and pause this video, and call these Senators [see list with phone numbers in video], and tell them you want nothing less than a real Public Option -- not a compromise.
Thanks for watching. Start dialing.
My apologies to Lee Stranahan for getting his first name wrong in a few places.
ReplyDeleteI'm put the blame on a caffeine deficiency. ;-)
Kat