Union And Left Upset With Bart Gordon About Opposition To Health Care Reform Bill
Posted on November 5, 2009 at 2:08 pmFrom Marc Naccarato of SEIU:
“We’re deeply disappointed at Bart Gordon’s decision to vote against meaningful healthcare reform,” said Doug Collier, President of SEIU Local 205. “We know that there are approximately 54,000 families in Bart’s district who are uninsured and will get covered if this bill passes. We know that approximately 2,200 families will not have to file for medical bankruptcy if this bill passes. We also know that for the last eight months, Bart’s office has received thousands of emails, phone calls, and letters from people in his district asking that he support healthcare reform and that there have been pro-healthcare rallies in front of his office that hundreds of people have attended. All of this leads us to believe that he is making his decision based on politics, not on what the people of his district want and need.”
“This isn’t just politics for Bart – it’s bad politics,” said Mark Naccarato, SEIU Local 205’s political coordinator. “Only two days ago there were two special elections for Congress. Democrats won them both by running on a pro-healthcare, pro-public option platform – even in the district that hadn’t voted for a Democrat since the Civil War. I don’t know who Bart thinks he’s going to make happy by voting against this bill. The Tennessee Republicans already have a candidate ready to go against him and he’s angering the Democrats he needs to get re-elected. President Clinton just told Tennessee Democrats at their Jackson Day fundraiser a month ago that the failure to pass healthcare reform was how the Democrats lost the Congress in 1994 and I would think that Bart would remember that. This makes no sense politically, especially in light of the fact that his constituents want reform and that this is a fiscally sound bill – even by the standards of the Blue Dog caucus that Bart belongs to.”
From Tony Cani of Change That Works:
We believe Representative Gordon is a committed public servant, but we strongly disagree with him over the cost of the bill. This bill is a major step towards reducing health care costs and bringing down the federal deficit. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that the legislation will save taxpayers $30 billion over the next 10 years and eventually create a budget surplus.
Tennessee Change That Works will continue to work with citizens in the Sixth District who support health care reform. While we hope Representative Gordon reconsiders his position before he votes, Tennesseans will continue to urge him to support this historic bill.”
Comments
19 Responses to “Union And Left Upset With Bart Gordon About Opposition To Health Care Reform Bill”
“President Clinton just told Tennessee Democrats at their Jackson Day fundraiser a month ago that the failure to pass healthcare reform was how the Democrats lost the Congress in 1994 …”
Some things will never change. Clinton still talks out of both sides of his mouth saying one thing to one group and something totally different to the next group depending on who he has to make happy on which day. That’s the same thing he did to get elected twice. Previously, he blamed the NRA for completely changing Congress in 1994 because of his gun control agenda. Now he blames it on the failure to pass HillaryCare. So, which is it Slick Willy ?? Make up your mind.
Bart is WRONG to vote against this bill. And the AARP and AMA are BOTH endorsing it, which should give him political cover.
Who is he trying to protect? What is his preferred plan?
The Republicans and conservatives aren’t going to re-elect Gordon if they have a candidate who can breathe on the ballot so he’d better go home with the ones who brought him to the dance.
yes, because if he won’t vote for this, why should any Democrat lift a finger to help him.
Democrats need to be DEMOCRATS.
Democrats being democrats?? That’s a novel idea.
Mark Naccarato is a looney wing-nut and SEIU (and ‘change that works’ for that matter) are both off base on this. Don’t they realize that there will be NO REFORM ON ANYTHING of we lose both houses of Congress in 2010 and subsequently get redistricted into oblivion. At the pace that the Senate is moving it looks like this thins doesn’t have a prayer of becoming law until next spring at the earliest.
Also–these people will be out of a job one this thing passes. Joooob security baby.
Andy.. The AMA and AARP are supporting it because they get huge Kickbacks if it passes.
Part of the 1.2 Trillion dollar bill.. Payoff those that would oppose you.
AARP has one of the largest Medicare Insurance Plans… They get Billions (1000s of Millions) of dollars
The AARP is selling out the Seniors for 30 Pieces of Silver.
TNinExile, how do you figure that the Democrats will “lose both houses in 2010″ when every single poll out there shows that between 58-72% of the American people WANT healthcare reform (with or without a public option)?
I guess that makes 3/4ths of the American people “loony wing-nuts” like the union guy, right?
And who is going to be “out of a job one this thing passes”? That doesn’t even make any sense. The only people that will be out of jobs are the paper pushers at the private health insurance companies.
Sounds like you’ve thought this thing through about as much as Bart Gordon has. That is to say - not at all.
TNVol- Show me specifically in the legislation where the AMA and AARP “get huge Kickbacks if it passes.”
I agree with TNinExile I hope these crazy-bot groups don’t mess up all that great momentum the Dems have going for them in TN right now!
“Democrats need to be DEMOCRATS.” Yup. TAX AND SPEND AND TAX AND SPEND AND KEEP GOING TILL USA IS BANKRUPT, THE ECONOMY IS IN A SHAMBLES, AND THE VOTERS GET SO SICK OF IT THEY DUMP THE DEMS EN MASSE … IT’S THE DEMOCRAT WAY TO F-UP THE COUNTRY BIGTIME AND THEN THE GROWN-UPS (aka Republicans) HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS. IT HAPPENED UNDER CARTER AND WILL HAPPEN AGAIN UNDER OBAMA.
This ObamaCare bill is an absolute disaster - $1.2 trillion in new taxes, mandates, fees and cost increases. This leftist morons who want to push socialist healthcare need to pay for their OWN solutions and stop trying to rip off the working American taxpayer all the time.
“TNVol- Show me specifically in the legislation where the AMA and AARP “get huge Kickbacks if it passes.” ”
THIS BILL IS 1900 PAGES LONG. HAVENT YOU READ IT ALL?
The AMA payoff is a ‘doc fix’ (vote that Harry Reid lost last week) for higher doctor reimbursement. The Dems are lying about the numbers in the bill and not counting the $250 billion ‘doc fix’ cost.
The AARP payoff is killing medicare advantage while allowing medigap coverage - which is what AARP, an insurance company, happens to sell.
“TNinExile, how do you figure that the Democrats will “lose both houses in 2010″ when every single poll out there shows that between 58-72% of the American people WANT healthcare reform (with or without a public option)?”
Majorities of Americans OPPOSE the ObamaCare/PelosiCare health deform bad bills.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform
42% support and 54% oppose. IF THE Congressional vote in 2010 was 42% Dems and 54% GOP, the GOP WOULD WIN 100 SEATS.
These are dreadful bills that will personally harm MY healthcare and your healthcare as well. supporting these bad bills the Democrats are pushing is insane.
Bart Gordon is no socialist. By all accounts he has been middle of the road to conservative on issues. That is where Tennessee is. That is why Tennessee elects him. This house bill is radical, left wing, socialist non-sense. Not one of us has a real handle on all the crap that’s in the bill, but I know it eliminates individual health plans in three years from private insurers, raises taxes, and throws our current healthcare system into turmoil.
Threats from SEIU demonstrate exactly the type of organization you are. I am one American sick of your threats.
All you socialist union leaders go back and read George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The closest we have ever come to utopian society is when everyone has equal opportunity for education and freedom from tyranny (like this country prior to this administration) not enslavement by the government.) Humans have proven that there are always gonna be some pigs who think themselves more equal than others. That will certainly be true in your “perfect” world of union/socialized/government-run/healthcare. Only there will be a new set of pigs.
Wow, a congressman lsitening to his constituents. Good job Bart.
Patrick told the truth to all of you, open your eyes.
I praise Bart Gordon for doing what the people of Tennessee want him to do. Hard working people are fed up with the liberal programs that are pushed through. Both Democrates & Republicans do what ever helps them not what the voters want. I am feed up with a small percent of liberals changing this country while hardworking GOD fearing people continue to allow it to happen. I help people as much as I can but people have to help themselves. The Bible state if you don’t work you don’t eat. But , it also states that we should take care of widows & orphans. We need change alright , but the change we need is to clean out politicans that have been in Washington too long and don’t listen to what the people really want that elected them. There are probably a lot of peole that want the health industry changed. Everything that the Federal Goverment runs they BANKRUPT. They are too good to have the same health coverage the general public has. They are too good to have the same retirement the general public. I am 100% positive that what the people of the United States want is change, but what we continue to get is the same BULL out of both parties.
Gordy will be gone in 2010.. this district will be represented by an R or an I, not a D.
Mr. Nacarato is obfuscating on a number of points. First, there were many, MANY people calling, e-mailing, town-halling Bart who see this bill for the vampire it is and demanded he do his part to put a stake in its heart. Secondly, people are aware of the SEIU’s involvement in hijacking the town hall movement this summer (look up Ken Gladney). The union thugs in the SEIU have become nothing more than shock troops for the Dems. Third, yes it is just politics for Bart, and that is why he SHOULD go! Just because he was dragged kicking and screaming to the right side of this issue doesn’t mean he hasn’t voted wrongly on a number of others (such as cap & trade). Lastly, the health care bill is NOT fiscally sound, nor does it improve care; it is simply a massive power grab by the government to decide how you and I live our daily lives. We need representatives who have read the constitution and understand the principles of independence. If the founders were alive today, I am convinced they would start the revolution all over again.