Pelosi issues statement on Weiner Amendment

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on Representative Anthony Weiner's single payer substitute amendment:

Within the next few days, the House will vote on the most comprehensive health care legislation in our history. Our bill will provide affordability to the middle class, security to our seniors, and responsibility to our children by not adding a dime to the deficit. While our bill contains unprecedented reforms, including an end to discrimination for pre-existing conditions and a prohibition on raising rates or dropping coverage if you become ill, our bill cannot include provisions some strongly advocated. The single payer alternative is one of those provisions that could not be included in H.R. 3962, but which has generated support within the Congress and throughout the country.

Congressman Anthony Weiner has been a forceful and articulate advocate for the single payer approach and our legislation. His decision not to offer a single payer amendment during consideration of H.R. 3962 is a correct one, and helps advance the passage of important health reforms by this Congress. While single payer, like other popular proposals, is not included in the consensus bill we will vote on this week, Congressman Weiner has been a tireless and effective advocate for progress on health care, and his work has been a vital part of achieving health care reform.

Released by the Speaker of the House on 11/06/2009

Weiner amendment info from SICKO stars...

Capitalism - A Love Story, trailer and review

Michael Moore's new movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story" includes timeless and timely film footage of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's final State of the Union address where he introduced the idea of a Second Bill of Rights. Among those rights was "The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health".

On the eve of the release of the film, Michael Moore posted a critique of the current health care reform effort in Congress: Why the Current Bills Don't Solve Our Health Care Crisis. This article urged support for the Weiner Amendment - that Michael Moore's fans contact their member of Congress and ask them to vote for Representative Weiner's substitute amendment to transform the flawed HR 3200 into a Medicare for All solution.

The film depicts the successes and failures of America's political system under enormous financial pressures, perks like preferred loans and threats like 2008's financial meltdown right before an important election. The film is both shocking and necessarily inspiring. Michael Moore says he can't do it alone. He needs us to take action on the moral outrage he causes us to experience.

Take some positive action to help realize FDR's vision of a Second Bill of Rights. Take some affirmative step to further embolden and protect the progressive truth tellers in Congress he interviews on TARP. Encourage them to pass Medicare for All by voting for the Weiner Amendment. The Congressional switchboard number is: (202)224-3121

Petition calling on Obama to support progressive Rep. Keith Ellison

Here is a link to the google document version of the petition calling on Obama and his healthcare campaign OFA (the DNC really) to support Representative Keith Ellison on healthcare reform and issues of war and peace.

Please print out a few copies and collect signatures and send them in to the address of the Ellison campaign.

The Ellison campaign has held a few healthcare events, and OFA brought a petition to Ellison's annual Labor Day BBQ asking Keith to support the president's plan.

Keith Ellison has historically been a champion for the Conyers bill, HR 676, which is also supported by the Minnesota State Democratic-Farmer-Labor platform.

We need Keith to see that he has nationwide support for his faithful representation of the progressive, pro-peace political aspirations of Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District (Minneapolis and suburbs).

We need Keith to stand up to the ressure been imposed on him from those in the White House who have cut bad deals with PhRMA, etc.

We need a champion for the Weiner Amendment, and we need a champion for peace. Once, we had that in Keith Ellison.

Petition text - Obama, Support Keith Ellison's Agenda for Healthcare Reform!

Obama, Support Keith Ellison's Agenda for Healthcare Reform!

We call on Obama and Organizing for America to support Representative Keith Ellison and his agenda for true healthcare reform – the creation of a single-payer system through the vehicle of Chairman Conyers' HR 676 or Rep. Anthony Weiner's substitute amendment. We demand universal access to health care, with no barriers – no co-pays, no deductibles, automatic enrollment in comprehensive health insurance – medical, dental, and mental – paid for by a progressive income tax.

We call on Obama to follow Keith Ellison's agenda on matters of war and peace. We call on Obama to back the creation of a Department of Peace, to halt the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, to end the occupation of Iraq, to close Guantanamo, to hold to account the criminals of the Bush/Cheney administration and restore confidence in our system of government.

Minneapolis election night results watching parties

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party members will have gatherings to watch the results come in at several locations around the Twin Cities metro. In our area we will have parties at:

Walker Church, victory party for Jeff Hayden, 3104 16th Ave. S, Minneapolis 55407

Trocadero's, victory party for U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, 107 3rd Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401

And the main election night party for the DFL will be in St. Paul at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Towards the end of the evening you can find me there, and I'd like to have a lot of little meetings to raise some funds to cover some of my expenses to date and figure out where we go from here, how to create a shared vision for peace, sustainable development, and economic justice in these next four years!