Rep. Dennis Kucinich to Vote ‘Yes’ on Health Care
by Sabrina Eaton
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich waited until Democrats had won last November’s health care reform vote before casting his ballot against it on the House of Representatives floor.
![[Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, accompanies President Barack Obama as they arrive at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Monday, March 15, 2010, en route to Strongsville, Ohio, where the president was to speak about health care reform. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/kucinich-obama.jpg "kucinich-obama.jpg")
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, accompanies President Barack Obama as they arrive at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Monday, March 15, 2010, en route to Strongsville, Ohio, where the president was to speak about health care reform.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)This time around — pressured by everyone from President Obama to Moveon.org – the Cleveland Democrat had no luxury to dawdle before taking a stance. He announced at a Capitol news conference this morning that he’ll vote “yes” on the bill’s latest draft.
“I have doubts about the bill,” Kucinich said. “This is not the bill I wanted to support. . . However, after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and close friends, I’ve decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation.”
Bill opponents pounced quickly. Said an e-mail alert from the National Republican Congressional Committee: “Left-wing icon flips from ‘No,’ exposes so-called moderates.”
Kucinich’s move came after months of insisting he’d oppose the bill because it doesn’t do enough to curtail insurance company abuses. Kucinich advocates bolstering Medicare and expanding its coverage to include all Americans.
But he acknowledged this morning that his choice now is to either vote “no” on principle, and thereby possibly block the biggest (though imperfect) advance in health coverage in decades, or compromise for the good of the estimated 30 million more Americans who could gain insurance.
“I have taken this fight further” than many other Congress members, Kucinich said, citing his two presidential campaigns in which he advocated universal coverage and his bill introduction and other attempts in the House to get single-payer insurance.
He told reporters that if they want to see first-hand the tough economic and health-care choices that many Americans face, they should “come to the 10th District in Ohio and you’ll understand.”
Kucinich’s field office on Cleveland’s West Side routinely helps constituents with their social services needs, and that includes dealing with insurance matters, he said. He cited his own impoverished childhood, saying, “I grew up understanding what it meant to struggling families who did not get adequate care.”
“I understand the connection between poverty and poor health care,” he said.
As an adult, he has struggled with Crohn’s Disease, and although he follows an alternative diet as one way of dealing with it, he also has had “access to the best” health care around.
“I know I have to make a decision, not on the bill as I would like to see it, but as it is,” Kucinich said.
His recent criticism of the bill included a column he authored for last Sunday’s Plain Dealer, in which he wrote:
“Even with the few modest improvements in the bill, the insurance companies will still have dozens of loopholes to deny care and continue to find ways to leave Americans with the unpayable bill.”But Democrats are struggling to round up the 216 votes they need to pass the bill amid heavy lobbying from its opponents and its supporters, and Kucinich”s arms were twisted.
President Obama personally lobbied for his vote Monday on a ride to Cleveland aboard Air Force One, and at a health care reform rally in Strongsville. Picketers descended on Kucinich’s Lakewood office to register their displeasure with his announced opposition to the package slated for consideration this week.
© 2010 Cleveland Live, Inc.
I found this article on Common Dreams. Posting it here, because I wanted to comment on it. How many people are disappointed in Rep Kucinich voting yes? How many feel angry at the members in Congress and all other elected office who do not keep the promises that they make when running for office? What happen to having the courage to stand up and fight for Progressive values.
I would have had more respect for Dennis Kucinich if he had just said no and stand for what he believes in. We all know it is a bad Bill. Some of us are against it as Catholics who believe that abortion should not be included in health care. Some of us are against it as Progressives who believe in Single Payer for all. Who liked the plan that Dennis and other Progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders were wanting to pass.
Catholics are not against health care for all. We believe health care is a Right and that every American should have access to health care. We want this Bill to go back to the Tables and work on it somemore before we pass it and make it LAW. I was counting on Dennis to stand up for Progressive Values and make them take this Bill back to the table and continue to fight for single payer health care. The House version of the Bill is a much better version and one that Catholics can support. Dennis you were in the driver’s seat. They needed your vote.
I think it is more important to get the Bill right then to just pass a bad Bill just to get something done is wrong. I understand what happen and why Dennis Kucinich had to vote yes on this lousy Bill.
As a nation, we in America are going to have to start taking an honest look at ourselves and decide to fight the evil corruption that is over powering our government. Corporations have ruined the two political parties known as Democrat and Republican. With actions like this health care Bill is bringing to light, more and more Progressives are going to join the Green Party, which is the truly Progressive Party in this country. Independents and Third Party members are becoming larger as more and more people flee from the two corporate parties.
Reading the comments on Common Dream which one of them I am going to post here as I want people to understand how other Americans feel. So often people think they are alone and that they can’t make a difference in the world, but the truth is that we all can make a difference for good in this world. As more and more people start to believe in Single Payer those people become a wave of action that can bring real change. Dennis and all the other Progressives in Congress, you would have had the people on your side fighting along side you to get real health care reform of sinlge payer. They needed your vote and you could have continued to fight for the people.
We the people feel like we continue to loose our voice in government. They lie when running for office and than once elected do not listen nor care what the American people think. There is a lot of anger in this country and much of it is valid anger. We see what is happening to our beloved America and want to throw out the bad apples. Congress has some bad apples who by their greed have corrupted the political process in this Country that was founded by the Founding Fathers. If they could see what has become of the America that John Adams, George Washington and all the other American Patriots, I think they would be broken hearted and cry.
Dennis, I hope you will look into your heart and do what is best for the American people. Please vote NO, and bring the Bill back to the table. I still think they can come up with a good Bill that Catholics and Progressives can agree on.
I found this comment on Common Dreams and I thought it was very good and wanted to post it here.
voxclamantis March 17th, 2010 1:39 pm
Ironic that Lieberman, a lone right wing psychopath, recently found himself in a position to singlehandedly kill the public option and did so, even after his personal chat with Obama. Now in a grotesque mirror image we have Kucinich, our lone left wing champion, in a similar position with respect to the whole reeking package, only instead of sticking by his guns he caves in. Lieberman, a perfect psychopath, yet has the courage of his abominable convictions, while Dennis, who believes in the correct things, folds with a whimper. The best, per Yeats, indeed lacks all conviction, while the worst is full of passionate intensity. I am not surprised, but I am full of sadness because of this. Rather than jacking ourselves up with another dose of Quixotic optimism we might better spend our time documenting the slide of our silly society into the dysfunction and chaos that lie ahead. Like the hippies who predicted most of this fifty years ago, we can at least look forward to the booby prize, as we someday stand among the ruins, of saying we told you so.
This is another excellent comment to the article.
minitrue March 17th, 2010 1:36 pm
Over the years, the Oligarchy has stayed in the shadows, slowly gaining power, manipulating the economy, buying officials. Each election cycle, their power has grown. Their wealth has grown.
Now, they feel enough in control to start coming out of the shadows, climbing out from under their rocks.
Why do they feel safe now? Just as in Nazi Germany, they have gained control of the legislative branch, the executive branch and now the judiciary. Hitler said that control of the judicial system was necessary, as then anything you did was legal, anything the opposition did was illegal. Really simplified things.
The fact is, the Oligarchy now holds about 98% of the wealth and power, world wide. They have left 2% for 98% of us to fight over, to feed, house, clothe and find health care for our families. That way, they don’t have to worry about us forming a coalition that could sweep away their puppets. We’re too busy trying to eat.
Remember, like their parents, the “Robber Barons” of the 19th Century, the Oligarchy feels that the natural order of things is a handful of powerful people controlling everything, and a huge number of sick, ragged, starving serfs with their hands held out, watching the limos drive by, willing to work for pennies to survive.
We are getting very close, my friends, very close indeed.
Here is another good comment.
petrkrop March 17th, 2010 1:27 pm
Well, at least now when I talk about what sell-outs the Democrats are, and how sorry I am that I supported Obama, and will NEVER vote for a Democrat again, I don’t have to add, “But of course I’d vote for Kucinich.”
Just another sell-out. It’s a sad day, with many more sad days to come when people realize that the “insurance” they are forced to pay for turns out to have high deductibles and copayments, so they can’t afford to use it, anyway.
I almost sent money to “thank” Kucinich for his “integrity,” but decided to wait until he had actually voted. I’ll use that money to buy everything I need to start a garden, instead. We’re in for very hard times, friends, and we’re on our own.
U.S.A.: Nation of sheep, ruled by wolves, owned by pigs.
“About those sheep and wolves, the bumper sticker on my car reads: “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” – Edward R. Murrow
That is a quote that I really liked that someone posted on Common Dreams.
I am posting this quote because I want to comment on it.
AD March 17th, 2010 1:24 pm
With Move On.Org being involved in this, it’s virtually certain they would launch a grass roots primary challenge to Dennis J Kuciinich to combine with the White House to double team DJK.
Hell with the US House Speaker and others jumping into the act, this purely a matter of these swine ganging up on this congressman. It’s crucial to note that Move on. Org was created to save Slick Willy’s booty from being removed by senate trial following his impeachment. That outfit has never been all that progressive. They won’t get one buck from me nor should they get any funds from any true progressive after this. We need to get organizations which actually are progressive to represent us. Hell the right at least has the good sense to only support organizations which support their agenda. It’s time we did the sa
As my friend of Afro Caribbean background would say to the current president and his toadies “Asanti” or “Uma sa sadiye.”
AD
————————————-
My comment:
“They won’t get one buck from me nor should they get any funds from any true progressive after this. We need to get organizations which actually are progressive to represent us. Hell the right at least has the good sense to only support organizations which support their agenda. It’s time we did the same. ” AD
I argree that the time has come for true Progressives to join the Green Party. The Green Party is the true Progressive Party. We have the strongest stand on the Environement and Social Justice.
Progressives in Congress need to build a backbone to stand on. Instead of being warriors for good they have become sellouts. Maybe some would say that is very very strong comment, but I think it is true. What do you call it when your elected Congressman gives up the fight when he was in a good position to bring Single Payer into the Bill and make it real healthcare reform and not be stucked with forcing people to buy healthcare insurance from the same insurance companies or face going to jail. Dennis should have had the courage to face the threat comming to him if he chose to continue the fight that the American people want. I think instead of hurting Denis by having someone run against him, he would have gained the respect of the people and they would have voted for him inspite of someone running against him.
There are a lot of comments to this article. Here is another comment I think is really good. I think if Denis had the courage to do the right thing in continuing to fight for single payer, that he would have found the American people on his side who were willing to fight along side of him so the right thing could be done for the American people.
bakunin2 March 17th, 2010 2:31 pm
This is indeed a sad day for those of us who thought Dennis Kucinich had true statesman-like qualities. God knows there are precious few of those in our country’s capital these days. Aside from Bernie Sanders the only one I can think of offhand is Ralph Nader, and we know how he is still mistakenly vilified by democrats as a spoiler in the 2000 election. My prediction is that people are going to stop looking for solutions in our money-corrupted capital and will start focusing more on solutions on the state and local level, where citizens can more closely monitor the actions of their representatives. But come November many incumbents of both parties will go down to defeat. It is a shame that the process for getting on the ballot is so hard in most states, because if it was easier there would surely be a spate of independents vying for positions in the House and Senate.