Welcome, Jonathan. So good to have you here. How is the campaign going?

Hi there…the campaign goes quite well, Jane. I’ve felt for a long time that this is an entirely winnable campaign, having nothing to do with my opponent but really the incredible opportunity to capture the mood of the people who want real change. But, of course, the biggest challenge will be to raise money. If we raise the needed funds, we win the election.

I want to start by thanking Jane and Firedoglake for continuing the incredible organizing work around health care. This site has given voice to the fight for real health care and given voice to the millions of citizens who are not being heard in the cascade of special interest money that is flooding the political system.

And thanks to my friend and grassroots comrade, David Swanson for moderating. I often wonder whether David actually ever sleeps given the number of hours he puts in to a whole slew of efforts.

And to all you out there!!! Never be silent (as if you needed to hear that).

I’ll start off the questions, Jonathan. I first encountered you when you were known primarily as a leading thinker and strategist in the labor movement. From 1990 to 2003, you were the president of the National Writers Union, which tripled in size under your leadership. You were the lead plaintiff in Tasini vs. The New York Times, the 2001 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that major media corporations had illegally used the works of writers in electronic form. But you have also been a leader in the struggle to expand and enforce the basic right to organize. Why have we not heard a peep about the Employee Free Choice Act from the labor movement in the past few months? And would passing it even be enough or must we also win the right to strike and to strike in solidarity with others?

How do you plan on paying for Healthcare?

Hi, Jonathan. I’m a long time fan of your blog workinglife.org and your appearances on CNBC. Don’t know how you do it, but you are able to get your points in even with motor mouth Larry Kudlow trying to cut you off. Well, I do know how you do it. You have a gift of being able to explain complex things in a simple, direct and, yes, honest way. You would make an articulate and passionate Senator.

Why is single payer a defining issue for you?

Raise funds, you say? Jonathan, you seem to have a deep understanding of how corrupt our system of government has become. You’re campaigning on a platform that denies you the funding of war mongers, Wall Street, and the sickness industry. Can you compete?

Welcome, Jonathan.

Why do you think Rep. Kucinich has been less than successful in advancing single-payer Medicare for All, and what do you think he could have done differently thus far (i.e. leading up to the passage of H R 3962)?

Well, I don’t want to be silent, but healthcare reform is in a terrible place. The House Bill isn’t progressive enough and the Senate looks as if it will come up with something worse. What is to be done?

What system would you use as a model for healthcare if we didn’t have to worry about insurance company profits? Japan, France etc.

Let me start by answering David’s question and then work down and I will try to keep my nimble fingers working as fast as possible.

This may be an important issue for a lot of people, Jonathan: In the long-term struggle for healthcare reform, will we be better off with the current legislation passing or being defeated?

Welcome Jonathan, just got in and been looking forward to this. I think after Obama’s speech on Tuesday there will be a seismic shift in this country, at least I hope so. I know he can’t Lucy and the football me any more waiting for change.

I want to double my activism efforts and I hope to work for you and FDL more to be in the solution not problem.

Good question, and I’ll add: How important is Kucinich’s amendment (now unceremoniously stripped out) facilitating state single-payer. Will you work to pass such language? Would you like to see states move out ahead of the feds?

Thanks Jane and David!

As a technical note: there is a “Reply” button in the lower right hand of each comment. Click on the “Reply” and it will pre-fill the comment number and name of the commenter to whom you are replying.

That way we can all follow the conversation easier (and save you some typing).

Is there an audio portion to this broadcast – if so how do you access it? -

Welcome to the Lake, Jonathan and David, what a pleasure.

What about drug company prices I think its evil that American drug companies charge Americans more for drugs than they charge Commies in Commie countries for the same drug we invented! Kim Jong Il gets American viagra cheaper than we do! ( I made that up but still he very well might be!)
Will you hold hearings to expose the Commies in the Drug Industry and their Dupes in the Senate!

We’re being buried in the first beautiful snow of the year, Jonathan, and I have a three-year-old. No time for sleeping. I need to know your policies on sledding and snowmen.

I’d like to focus as much as possible on single payer here but let me quickly answer the issue about EFCA. The failure to pass EFCA is very much related to the health care debacle–we have too many Democrats who believe that their first loyalty lies with the corporate interests who bankroll their campaigns–it is sad to see too many Democrats forget that our party must be the voice of the people. Second, I do not think the labor movement did an effective job of making this an issue that caught fire–and there are a lot of reasons for that (again, would rather stick w single payer here in detail). but, finally, even the passage of EFCA–which now, at least in the last version, does not have “card check”–will not trigger, I believe, mass union organizing unless we solve the larger question: how do we build an effective movement across the country to change the rules of the economy?

a senator skilled at telling the corporate media what the agenda is rather than allowing them to tell him.

Hopefully a Senator smart enough never to talk to Fox News where they will edit his clips if he makes a good point.

Glad you brought up the House and Senate. Maybe Jonathan can address this concern too: Most legislative efforts these days, in my opinion, deserve to be blocked rather than passed, and it is in the House that we can most likely block them. What good will it do our campaigns against bills in the House to have a senator who stands with us? Why are you running for the Senate and not the House?

Libby Liberal hit the nail on the head. We need to focus, focus, focus on what it means to be a Democrat. Joe Bageant said it was to defend working people and to work for a “collective progress”. How can we become a nation of “we” again instead of the governing elite’s “me” society?

If I was a Senator like some of my future colleagues, I’d probably have to say (a) let me call PHARMA and ask what my position should be or (b) let’s see, let me come up with principles that will get me elected, not what I really believe in (see my opponent).

Jonathan, should Libbyliberal and others fed up with pointlessly lobbying and obsessing over the president turn their focus to Congress? And are election challenges a good tool for changing the behavior of incumbents in the short-term?

Jonathan, how would you advise us to wake up our not as active family, friends and neighbors to the seriousness of what is happening in this country. Health care in particular brings on a real reluctance to discuss or examine what is going on right now. Is this afterglow of Obama? The corporate media that isn’t giving a true analysis. Seduction of medical/pharma advertising?

I keep “talking to the hand” talking about health care and the war activity. People still cutting Obama administration slack, for one thing. And the Republicans are fighting fantasy histrionic demons against their own good.

Hi, thanks for your question. This is the tragedy of this debate. If the president had put single payer on the table as HIS position, we would not be futzing around (that’s a technical term) with this game of making sure we don’t add to all-mighty deficit. Single payer PAYS FOR ITSELF AND SAVES MONEY–that is just a fact. Medicare has been one of this country’s GREATEST AND MOST EFFICIENT programs–3-4 percent admin costs versus the profit-sucking insurance industry.

What do you think of Trumka?

Just the sound of keyboards clicking :-)

This point needs more explaining maybe you can come back and write an article unless you have the time now:)

Raising funds is a challenge Jonathan, especially if you’re challenging an incumbent.

Can I get anyone to match me for a $25 donation to Jonathan?

For audio, Jonathan will be on Air America discussing the war this afternoon – at 3 pm ET if I recall rightly. Which raises the question of WAR: if, like me, you believe the war machine to which we send all of our resources, the socialistic weapons industry and death complex that we publicly fund without accountability or competition, is not a separate discrete concern from the human needs and peaceful industries to which we do not devote our resources, then a position on wars IS a position on healthcare. What say you, Senator Tasini?

I need to know your policies on sledding and snowmen snowpersons.

:)

I like the idea:)

Pretty simple: morally, not a single person should ever worry for one second about their health. Profit should never take precedence over the health of you and your family. And I would then say, I argue this also because I am PRO-BUSINESS and PRO-LABOR–the number one reason the auto industry is collapsing, for example, has nothing to do with how cars are made or god forbid, decent union wages. UAW members could work for free and we would not solve the auto industry’s woes UNLESS we have Medicare for All and relieve the industry from tens of billions of dollars in health care costs. Said another way, if we had Medicare for All 20 years ago, the auto industry–and other industries–would be health

Will you go on Fox, Jonathan?

Sorry, snowPERSONS, and snowfauna. We’re so speciescentric.

As you know Kristen Gillibrand has a poor record on health care reform and we want to do what we can to expose her – how can we work with you to bring this to the attention of the public and support your campaign.

I’ve known Rich for 20 years from the days of the strike against Pittston (I’ll have to tell you stories about that amazing sit-in that I took part in in Southwest Virginia…)…Rich has a lot of strengths–two that come to mind are that he can really ignite a crowd (which I think is an important aspect of givign energy to ideas) and he really understands the need to confront Wall Street directly.

Jonathan, which current senators and House members do you think are doing the best job on healthcare? Are any of them Republicans? Are any of them Senator Sanders, and if so how does his relationship to the Democratic Party relate to that?

Business in this country will not be able to compete internationally in 8 years if they are paying the equivalent of an extra $10,000 health care tax on each employee.

Jane mentioned this in her last post below I think its a winner as far as advertising goes short to the point and you make anyone arguing against healthcare look like they don’t know the first thing about running a business (which is a GOP strength).
I hope you use this talking point.

What is happening with S703 from Sanders? And a mentioned S703 opt in for states amendment? Will that go the way of the Weiner HR676 vote or the Kucinich amendment?

I believe that this administration is going after our hard earned programs (I won’t use the word “entitlements”) of Medicare and Social Security. I really fear that if we don’t have people like Jonathan in Congress, we will lose them. Already they made Medicare have a co-pay. But the improved Medicare for all would get rid of that, right?

Sure absolutely. Look, my opponent is awash in corporate cash and will probably raise $20-$25 million. But she has a much tougher task–she has to undo a negative image (being an ally of the NRA does not play well in New York Dem primaries). I have the task of simply being known. We are already building a network around the state and we have many layers of great activists and leaders.

But we do need basic funds. Here is an important point: if we raise a reasonable amount of money to be competitive, we will get a lot of support from institutions like unions (and I have met with those folks) because my opponent simply has not closed the deal with the voters and even with important pieces of the more traditional political structures. People know that change cannot wait.

We simply have to have enough to make that campaign take off.

Forget that have Fox People debate you but you pick the moderator and you have your people control the cameras. Just list all the most recent lies Fox has said as the reason.
There is a reason why people avoid gossips.

Jonathan, I know that you’re right that if Obama had pushed single-payer Congress would have followed and then the activist groups and labor unions would have followed and the media would have been dragged kicking and screaming. But this sounds a bit like John Conyers voting for a lousy bill and then yelling at Obama for not having forced him to make it better. At what point does the first branch of government take responsibility for the legislation it sends to the guy who’s charged with executing its will, and to what extent can Congress blame the executive for Congress’s failures? Or, let me put it this way: how much loyalty will you have to the leader of your party, how much to your branch of government?

Maybe the FDLers in NY can help out have you contacted them? Besides cash what else can they give that you need?

Let me answer this question as a way of answering another question about Kucinich. Look, my friends, I try to live in my own mind in a complicated world–meaning, this bill is bad but that the fight goes on. I believe that an important reason for me to be in the US Senate is to carry that banner again. Remember, Medicare did not pass when Harry Truman first proposed it. Re: Kucinich–a very concrete thing I believe that is worth doing is making sure that his amendment to the health care bill to make sure that individual states can pass single-payer bills is included in the final bill. Canada ended up with his federal, SP system after the provinces adopted it first. It is not me preferred way–but it allows us to keep the fight going on many fronts.

Does doing it yesterday count?

The present bills being discussed. What is your judgment? Better than or worse than nothing?

They are an insurance bail-out in terms of criminalizing those who choose not to purchase insurance so they guarantee lots of profits. They don’t control premium prices so no matter what rhetorical freedoms we get (pre-existing condition set aside, etc) they can manipulate to cut people out. Premiums may double in terms of one’s advancing age. Anti-abortion rhetoric discriminating against poorer women and the slippery slope for all women. The protections for drug companies.

And look what they have done to the public option.

Absolutely. As I said in answer to previous question. Critical to make sure that passes.

Let me make this point: I believe we need US Senators who see their job as inspiring and being part of a movement. And each Senator can do that beyond the borders of their states. I can see, in my mind, a great movement to start with some of the good Senators to get state-based single payer as we continue to work to adaopt a national Medicare For All system.

To dwell a bit more on pushing single-payer, you’ve been an activist leader in this, so you’ve seen what it looked like from the outside, as we have. It seems to me that we’ve seen some groups devoted to getting votes (doomed to fail) on national single-payer and some devoted to pushing a public option, which allowed that Kucinich amendment to fall through the cracks. Was this the error it looked like to me? Do you think a block of Reps or Senators could force that amendment back in by withholding their votes on that condition? Would that be wise?

I would say that actually Senators can block bad legislation.

To her credit, Senator Gillibrand has said on the Senate floor that the health care “crisis has reached historic proportions” (Oct 1, 2009), though she appears to be less than willing to push for more than a public option as a solution to fixing our country’s very big problem. (See Help Me Fight for a Public Option (July 23, 2009): “I believe that a robust not-for-profit public option must be a part of the health care reform package Congress passes this year.”)

First, how would you convince New Yorkers that a public option is not enough while she’s insisting that it is?

Second, how would you convince enough members of the United States Senate to support single-payer Medicare for All so that single-payer health care does become a reality?

Those of us who understand Jane Hamsher’s position these past few months understand why she chose to advocate for a public option at this time.

So what can be done within the United States Senate to change the dynamic (other than you getting elected, of course!)

We want to elect more people to the House and Senate who will push hard for single-payer Medicare for All, but you refer to this as “the very first piece of legislation that I will fight for.”

What can be done in the short term?

Yes absolutely. The Air America show is at about 3:30 Eastern –when I come on.

Let me simply repeat from our website at http://www.jonathantasini.com (and that also gives my little fingers a rest…):

The majority in Congress in the past two elections has been elected to end wars. If you elect me I will put your money where my mouth is. I will vote against funding to support the continuation of foreign occupations. I will oppose any new wars of aggression.

I will vote No on every procedural vote to advance unnecessary wars and occupations. I will work toward the closure of US military bases around the world that are hurting our relations with other nations at great financial expense and undermining our national security—which, in my view, is enhanced not by wars of aggression but through diplomatic dialogue and economic engagement based on fair, not exploitative trade. I will speak out on these issues and lobby my colleagues to vote as I do.

And I will not accept a dime from weapons makers or other military contractors.

and on Afghanistan:

Jonathan believes that the American military intervention in Afghanistan is a repeat of the calamity that we witnessed in Iraq—complete with all the death, destruction and astounding waste of resources better spent on human needs.

Jonathan is concerned that our party, and a president who he supports, will become the prosecutors of an escalation in troops in a country run by warlords, drug lords and leaders who maintain power through illegitimate election.

Like our military involvement in Iraq and Pakistan, the reliance on military power in Afghanistan is a mistake. We cannot stand silent, nor be accomplices, while another human and diplomatic tragedy unfolds.

Therefore, if elected to office, Jonathan commits, without equivocation to:

* Vote against any appropriations for Afghanistan other than funds allocated for the rapid, safe withdrawal of our military forces and aid that replaces military might with social wisdom, and spends money on human needs like food, medicine, and the building of infrastructure that responds to the crying needs of the Afghan people.
* support an exit strategy from Afghanistan based on talks that include all parties, diplomacy, unconditional humanitarian aid, and the end of military offensive operations by U.S. troops.
* demand an immediate cessation of the aerial bombardments of Afghan towns and villages.

Jonathan believes that the occupation of Afghanistan jeopardizes President Obama’s ability to resolve conflicts around the globe, and undermines his efforts to tackle the economic crisis at home. Jonathan will be a strong advocate for smart diplomacy, rather than counter-productive military ventures that cost us lives and legitimacy, both at home and abroad.

I like the comedy potential of tarring Kirsten Gillibrand with defending Kim Jong’s right to buy Viagra cheaper than Americans can which is what defending American drug companies right to charge us more for drugs than they charge the rest of the world is. Although maybe that crazy guy in Iran might be a better target.
Or should that idea be saved for the General Election.

What say you to the Rolls Royce government-subsidized (taxpayer-subsidized) health care plan of the Congress? Lifetime coverage on America’s dimes as they nickel and dime America over health insurance, and then give blank checks to military and to banksters.

I think Congress should be required to embrace whatever the public plan is, that will be their plan, too. (I know, and pigs fly)

Well, yes, Senators can block bad legislation if you have 51 senators, or these days 41. But either of those is ususally harder to get than 218 House members, isn’t it? And is getting 41 senators to rule as a minority a good thing or not? I mean that as a serious question, not rhetorical. The filibuster rule allows senators representing, in the worst case, 11 percent of Americans to block all legislation. Nothing could be more anti-democratic. But most Senators are, by and large, so corrupted by money and media and party control that one can be tempted to urge exceptional senators to make use of anti-democratic tools. The peace movement asked Senator Feingold, in vain, for years to filibuster war funding. Would you filibuster war funding? Where do you rank the need for democracy within the senate on your scale of values? Do you support eliminating the filibuster rule? And what do you make of the proposal made by many authors, including myself, to eventually eliminate the Senate and proceed with a single, expanded, population-based legislative chamber?

Because I still would like to get something out of the current round of healthcare reform, I am seriously focussed on what we can do now. I think one of our problems so far has been that there is a big division between public option and single payer people. Given the current composition of Congress (heavily populated with troglodytes, liars & bought and paid-for industry spokespeople) I can’t see Medicare-for-All as something they’re going to enact in this round – not that I’m giving up on it for the long term – but how can we possibly get together to get the point across that the people actually want meaningful reform? So far I’ve seen single-payer actions that don’t get promoted by public-option people (along with Organizing For America actions that won’t take feedback except in terms of “the President’s Health Care Plan”, whatever that is). And I’ve also seen public-option actions that single-payer people won’t support because they are insufficiently strong. The insurance industry is decimating us. Why can’t we take a page from the teabaggers – whose initial action (April 15th rallies) seemed to be designed to gather everybody who didn’t like the President (or didn’t like paying taxes) into one group? If you do it that way, you look like a gigantic crowd and you have more political leverage.

OK GIVE MONEY NOW!!!!

WE NEED JONATHAN IN OFFICE!

* Vote against any appropriations for Afghanistan other than funds allocated for the rapid, safe withdrawal of our military forces and aid that replaces military might with social wisdom, and spends money on human needs like food, medicine, and the building of infrastructure that responds to the crying needs of the Afghan people.

Perfect maybe all our candidates should take the pledge to get our support?

If not cash, checks? Credit cards? :):):)

Look, I am a movement person–we want the energy of every person to help build a sustained movement that continues to change our dysfunctional political system in NY and around the country.

But, the truth is that raising money is important. If everyone for example committed to contribute every month what they could on a recurring basis, we would have the resources to win.

This race is winnable.

This raises also the diplomatic question of whether we should mock foreign leaders as crazy guys, particularly given some of the crazy guys we’ve elected. Jonathan? Should we talk with enemies, sanction them, bomb them, or … ?

Under your idea of single-payer, will Illegal Aliens and their Anchor Babies be covered?

I will do what I can re the money contribution. But I and so many activists I know are hanging from an economic thread these days. I know small donations add up, but just sayin’ ….

I think a far more productive route is to stop arguing about “single payer vs. the public option” and do what David says — GIVE MONEY TO JONATHAN NOW.

My offer is still good — anyone want to match a $25 donation to Jonathan?

http://www.actblue.com/page/fdlblueamerica

I have loyalty to my principles first and to the people. That is really what I believe–that is the work I have done my entire adult life. I am proud to be a Democrat–when the party stands for what it should stand for: the defender of the common person (meaning, the regular person), for womens’ rights (my god, I am amazed that I even have to write that but Stupak…). I will support the president when he is right and I will push as hard as humanely possible, with the movement, to move him and others in the direction we need to go.

We are not having a serious debate in this country. Example: we just passed a $650 BILLION defense budget without a serious debate and yet people are running around screaming that there is no money left to create more jobs (I was for a much bigger stimulus, fyi) and that we have to cut Medicare and we need a deficit-reduction commission.

We have plenty of money in this country. It’s our priorities that are screwed up.

I understand. Five people could also donate $5 each to Jonathan for the $25 match:

http://www.actblue.com/page/fdlblueamerica

Anybody in for a great single payer candidate?

Jonathan and Marcy Winograd and Regina Thomas have taken a Jobs Not Wars pledge that other candidates should take: http://democrats.com/jobs-not-wars-blog Jonathan, will you be taking part in any other efforts like this one? How will you get other candidates to join forces? What advantages are there, if any, in doing that? What did you think of the “Reasonable Plan” platform effort in the last election cycle? (I thought it was an unreasonably bad plan, but I mean the technique of joining together on a platform.)

Jane, I will send a check to FDL ActBlue for Jonathan for $50 … but I don’t donate online. My choice. Is that okay for matching?

I will send FDL/Jonathan info to my email network, too.

Hey, Jonathan. My friend Patty just e-mailed that she just made a contribution and thanked me for reminding her. So remind your friends people.

All questions are good questions, but may I encourage you not to refer to people as illegal aliens or to otherwise describe people in terms that tend to demonize them rather than the situations they struggle through for which our government is significantly responsible.

Jonathan, have we contributed in any way to the inability of Mexicans to make a living in Mexico? What would you do differently?

I believe if we are a compassionate country, no one–NO ONE–should be denied health care coverage. Period. No one. We are not lacking in money–we are lacking a serious debate about priorities.

I’ll put in another $25 to thank libbyliberal for all the work in advocating for single-payer.

I don’t have libby’s e-mail to have the confirmation sent to though.

How about creating a NEW union?

A union consisting of everyday citizen members who want single payer?

ANYONE could join by paying some $$ dues.

Now THAT’S a union MANY people would join.

A Citizens’ Single payer “union”.

I guarantee that Capitol Hill would sit up and notice.

And Mr. Tasisni could be the head of it!

Kucinich stands out because he votes with his party merely 90% of the time (including all the piddly trivial votes). What percentage would you expect you might hit?

Bravo, Jonathan.

Thanks, Nathan. libbyliberal has done a lot of volunteer work to put this effort together and definitely deserves appreciation.

Don’t you think the drumbeat should be UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE rather than single payer or public option. I think the public has a learned helplessness and doesn’t see it as a human and civil right, universal health care. And the fact that every other industrial nation has universal health care doesn’t outrage any Americans. That was brought home so well in SICKO.

Talk doesn’t kill people.

But seriously, while I do not support the president’s Afghanistan policy and do not think enough has been done in other matters, it is nice to have a president, unlike the previous Administration, that believes in dialogue.

Nathan! thank you!!!

Can I get anyone to match me for a $25 donation to Jonathan?

done!

(and not the donation that nathan made so kindly for me last night).

I’d like to point out that my first question @ 55 does not argue about the merits of “single payer vs. the public option,” but is damn good question about how to win against someone who’s saying that she supports a robust public option and that such a public option is sufficient to solve our problems.

Jonathan, please do think about it, even if you don’t answer the question now.

The second question maybe can be answered now:

What can be done within the United States Senate to change the dynamic (other than you getting elected, of course!)

We want to elect more people to the House and Senate who will push hard for single-payer Medicare for All, but you refer to this as “the very first piece of legislation that I will fight for.”

What can be done in the short term?

Hurray! And instead of giving someone a christmas card that says you bought a family a goat, or in addition, consider making your loved one a card that says you contributed to an honest candidate who could remake the US Senate. (Unless your loved ones like the Senate the way it is, of course.)

Obviously, Bernie Sanders. Many members of the House Progressive Caucus.

Hello Jonathan.

A bit off topic but seeing as there are seemingly an endless amount of maneuvering in the Senate to avoid passing legislation, will you work equally as hard to implement the abandonment of the filibuster rule?

I realize that this is not the first priority but recent history shows us that this is a real impediment to passing meaningful health care reform.

But if I want to fund enormous CEO salaries and advertising and wasteful corporate bureacracies and monopolies that eat up 10 times what Medicare does, that’s my sacred individual right. For YOU to FORCE me to pay less money into a more efficient system that allows some poor lazy schmuck without light enough skin to make it in this world to have healthcare at MY expense, that’s unconstitutional, isn’t it? Are you a Socialist?

I like it.

A union consisting of everyday citizen members who want single payer?

But Joe Bageant in “Deer Hunting with Jesus” says that people balk at the word “union” which is stupid but true. He called his group a “Tenants Board” not a Tenants Union. How about a Single Payer Cooperative? Or The Chamber of Single Payers” or the United Single Payer Advocates for Freedom? Or the National Rifle and Single Payer Association?

There’s already a union like that. Industrial Workers of the World.

Bravissimo!

Yes. Here is my view–and this is in the realm of not having a serious debate in this country.

If you want to address the immigration problem in our country, the first thing to do is shred every so-called “free trade” agreement that we have passed. It was NAFTa that impoverished millions of Mexicans, driving them from their land and from their homes.

We cannot have a serious debate about immigration, or other issues, unless we are willing to take a hard look at the rules of the economy that we have played a leading role in establishing around the world.

Done. I put this one directly into Jonathan’s fund through ActBlue, as that was as best I could divine your intent when you mentioned your check.

Thanks, Jane. Appreciate. I am so excited about the uniting of public option and single payer strategists rallying on the same page instead of on parallel tracks since we all want the same ultimate goal and the cause is so profound. And we need to celebrate and acknowledge the profound efforts of those in both camps.

The civil disobedience taking place by single payer folks right now, under-reported, puts my efforts to shame. But that inspiration is not lost. It needs a louder hearing, though.

And feeling the power to actually make our representatives heed us or be economically and politically punished is VERY VERY exciting, as Jane and FDL do SO INCREDIBLY WELL.

But hasn’t Universal Healthcare been given a bad name as an empty phrase thrown around by people like Barack Obama? How about Medicare for All? Single-Payer Healthcare for All? Or will the right phrase really make a difference without media reform?

Jonathan, would you work to reform our communications system? Argentina just busted media monopolies. Would you?

Yes indeed.

I think the point is a good one–but I would simply say to people: based on track records, who do you trust to take on the insurance industry, Wall Street and the other corporate special interests?

What can be done now is make sure the Kucinich amendment is in the final bill AND fight for Sanders’ single payer amendment–even if the Sanders amendment does not pass, it is a stone in building the path to winning eventually.

Yep, me too. You & I are the only contributors today.

Well, its a DAMN good way to reverse the propoganda that the anti-union corporatists have brainwashed this country with -for the last thirty years- that unionization is evil.

Unions NEED a BIG win-on this crucial issue-to neutralize the media mantra against solidarity.

When individuals lives are made better by unionization-the importance of having strength in numbers will finally sink in to the American psyche.

And THAT scares the hell out of those who want to do a job ON us ,instead of a job FOR us!

Thanks, Nathan. That means a lot! And I will ripple that generosity from you outward! Person to person momentum!

What about a union of Single-Payer Supporters for Tasini?

Dues: $5 into campaign.

I’m paying my dues now.

If you put a union card on your website I’ll print it and put it in my wallet.

I’d really like to have a very thorough discussion about the filibuster rule. I think it’s undemocratic to say you need 60 votes to pass a bill–

What a great idea!

And when you pay your $5 dues, click that little PER MONTH box.

Immigrants already work in this country if we don’t treat and monitor immigrants remember Swine Flu started in Mexico a country where many immigrants come from whats to stop an illegal with no paid sick days or access to healthcare except from the emergency room from coughing in a crowded McDonalds and infecting potentially hundreds.
The whole point of healthcare find sick people and treat them before disease spreads. This way you cut costs even more.

But hasn’t Universal Healthcare been given a bad name as an empty phrase thrown around by people like Barack Obama?

Ouch. Barack Obama does deserve to be called a thrower around of empty phrases on health care, doesn’t he?

How about Medicare for All? Single-Payer Healthcare for All?

Medicare for All is the best I’ve heard. Short. Simple. Hard to attack.

Gee, hasn’t CA had just great results from a similar arrangement? /s

BTW, if I missed someone’s question or did not answer it somewhere else, please ask again–

Single Payer Medicare for All is so lengthy … but Single Payer was confusing.

I see your point re “Universal Health Care”. But I was talking more CONTEXT of what universal health care is… a human and civil right. That wasn’t embraced by the citizenry at all.

I love the slogan “EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT!” but look at the anti-empathy climate and socialism McCarthyism right now … tea bag tempestuousness … if YOU get something that must mean I lose — instead of an incoming tide raises all boats or whatever that expression is!

I am for ending NAFTA though.

My offer is still good — anyone want to match a $25 donation to Jonathan?

How long will your offer last? Till the end of the day?

That’s really interesting actually, and I agree. The major problem with “free trade” is that it has always meant freeing capital movement; while maintaining labor immobility. Every single multilateral trade agreement should include immigration reciprocity along side the capital flow reciprocity; it’s just sound economics.

That’s a tough sell though, because it’s a kind of de facto dissolution of the nation-state as an organizational structure. However, it’s hard not to imagine the kind of welfare competition that could ensue; where people can choose their locale not only based on the available work, but based on the available social services as well.

The present bills being discussed. What is your judgment? Better than or worse than nothing?

Okay, I gave. Now how else do we unite?

That’s a great idea.

How do we tell insurance and drug companies the free ride fleecing us is over. Sure the money saved on healthcare will boost our economy but yes they will be victims. Unloveable deserving of everything they get victims but victims with lobbyists.
Can we give them an out somehow?

And after you pay your dues, use the box that lets you Email your friends encoruaging them to do the same.

Jonathan, what is your relationship to the Working Families Party in NY?

You can volunteer here. We’re going to be working with Jonathan to organize people in support of his campaign, and those of other single payer candidates:

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/SPVolunteer

Perhaps host a search committee for a single payer candidate to run in your home district?

lib, I’m so proud of you…..and you KNOW why!

“An unhealthy nation produces a “sick” society.”

If our OWN leaders do not respect it’s OWN citizens,WHY should we expect the rest of the world to respect us?

OK, ban criticism of Obama if you choose, but I’m not picking on him. EVERY single Democratic candidate for president and almost all of them for the House or Senate for several election cycles now has favored “Universal Health Care” and in most cases where they had specific plans (including Obama’s) they were plans that left out thousands of people. Is that universal? Is 2-5% of us public? Shouldn’t we use language well? Jonathan?

That’s a good question. I think that’s a hard call. Morally, I’d rather see a bad bill go down–and economically a bad bill doesn’t get us out of the mess we are in and ends up being a windfall for the insurance industry (it boggles the rationale mind that people use the word “reform” for a bill that would ENHANCE and strengthen the profit margins of the very industry that caused the crisis). But, if we end up with the ability to pass “Everyone In, Nobody Out” bills at the state level, it might be worth swallowing a bad bill. To be honest, I’m torn.

LibbyLiberal I thnk you’re diagnosing a larger problem and the solution is to fix it :-)

Not sure if there was a misunderstanding. I was totally agreeing with you!

just signed up to volunteer for Jonathan. thanks, jane!

Dear Jonathan,

Any one Senate could force the institution to eliminate the filibuster by just sitting on the floor all day and objecting to every single unanimous consent request. It would bring the Senate to a stop and force them to deal with their completely broken rules.

How much hardball would you be willing to play to get progressive legislation passed?

It’s complicated. Very good on a personal level with most of the activists and local chapter leaders and statewide leaders. But, the WFP is very transactional in its vision–rather than see moment to be transformative, the WFP will often endorse candidates who frankly are just reinforcing the status quo.

feeling is so mutual, Gitch! thanks!

Yeah! Thanks libbyliberal.

Jonathan, if a bad bill (like the current House one, let’s say) passes, is there any chance of it preventing the system from getting dramatically worse in the next several years (higher prices, less coverage)? Any chance? And if not, then what is the trade off between proclaiming an immediate “success” (a la “Guantanamo Is Closing”) and being saddled with an eventual failure (Guantanamo open, Bargram open, etc). If down the road the diagnosis of an even worse crisis by the corporate media is that healthcare “reform” is to blame, might that not put us in an even worse jam?

the WFP will often endorse candidates who frankly are just reinforcing the status quo.

… willing to settle for the lesser of two evils to stay part of the insider game?

Jon: I want to be a tough, unyielding voice for the people. Really. That is what I have done all my life. And what I do in the Senate should also be a product of input and dialogue with leaders that represent real people, not Wall Street, the tobacco companies, defense industries (see my opponent’s supporters).

I am willing to bring the Senate to a halt. But here is the practical question. Is the first thing you do that on the filibuster rules OR is it to stop a single additional dime from going to escalation in Afghanistan, which could save a lot of lives?

Jane, I just donated $25 to Jonathan. Matched? =D

Also, there will be a link to the FDL/Blue America contribution page at Circleparkforum in the side column by the end of the day. Thank you!

You were? Sorry. I guess I like disagreement better. Can’t you disagree with me on something? :-)

That’s alright. I imagine there’s a lot of skepticism surrounding this issue from all sides. PO supporters who have already given so much, and may have some confusion about this initiative. SP supporters who feel out in the wilderness over the PO issue, and may be a little gun-shy about viewing FDL as a place for advocacy.

I’m hoping that by showing support that we can get the ball rolling to give legitimacy to subverting the trepidations of both groups.

We’ll make much better collaborators than combatants.

Everyone In, No One Out.
Period.
End of Story.
How can this not be more clear morally and economically?

Or the proposal to get several Dem Senators to commit to banning the filibuster once the Repubs are in majority, thereby convincing the Dem “leadership” to ban it now? This would take guts, on top of a decision to oppose minority rule.

I’ve already helped run a candidate against Rep. Jerry Nadler over impeachment – I’ll have to think about stepping into that again. And electing a new Congress is terrifically important. I was talking about the short term, though – healthcare reform now in Congress. I think bringing visibility to the single-payer activists who have been getting arrested is absolutely fabulous. But what else – more phone calls? I don’t think we’re swaying them.

Fair enough. At least you’re honest about it. Much appreciated…

Filibuster definitely. As long as it’s there, the 60th vote has all the power, and that means we’re governed by Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson and Susan Collins.

It affects every single piece of legislation that passes. You can’t un-fuck Afghanistan or anything else as long as it’s there.

Thank you Knox!

Jonathan, David, Jane …. how do you keep on going … like that Energizer bunny … and not let the “turkeys” get you down? I know this fight is so vital and profound, we don’t have time for wallowing in frustration. But sometimes it really whammies … that frustration! Trying to stay in solution and not problem. Pete Seeger’s “think globally, act locally?”

What is your secret formula to keeping up the sustained fight?

As senator, would you be willing to cut off ALL funding for organizations like ACORN and the NRA?

Well said.

David, you raise important points. I suppose my thinking is that we need to think now down the road about taking what the reality is and building the movement from this day on–which is why Jane’s initiative here to begin building that movement is so crucial. There is no doubt, in my mind, that the things will get worse on cost and coverage. But, if we are not ready to hold people accountable and at the same time be the voice that people can hear, then, we won’t have the leverage down the road when I, Bernie Sanders and others push for “Everyone In, No One Out” the day after I am sworn in.

Until we start organizing on a local basis — id’ing voters, being able to fundraise and GOTV for candidates — nobody is going to listen. I admire the people who are getting arrested but it won’t substitute for the grunt work that needs to be done at the local organizing level.

morally

Yes, this should be framed in terms of morality. “Morality” has been hijacked by the faux-moralists. Just as “patriotism” has been hijacked by the tea bagging faux-patriots.

I’ll be curious whether Jonathan agrees, but I’ve always thought a dozen people sitting in a district office and refusing to leave, and coughing a lot, and a dozen more the next day, sneezing a lot, would do it.

Why are people getting arrested at insurance companies when they could do this?

With Medicare For All, the obscene spending on marketing of prescription drugs should be halted.

Just think! Freedom from penis commercials!!!!!

Sorry. I’ll even agree to disagree ;)

Yes I certainly will.

We would be little more than idle carping sloths were we not willing to support and place someone in Congress that will act on behalf of our interests.

We would then give up any right to carp and complain about our disastrous current atate of affairs.

I actually get a lot more depressed if I sit around and complain. It’s much more enjoyable to engage in the struggle with you wonderful people. And whether we win this week or several generations hence has nothing to do with the enjoyment of it or the moral responsibility to do it.

Aren’t penis commercials the post-senate career of choice for Republican hacks anyway?

Why are people getting arrested at insurance companies when they could do this?

Please don’t discount those willing to go the distance with civil disobedience. That example is profound. We have an illegal and immoral war going on. Our Congress is making immoral/amoral choices.

People willing to make that kind of commitment, like those soldiers going to jail to stop participating in an illegal war deserve our gratitude and admiration.

I do believe we all have to do what we are capable of doing. To push it to the edge of our comfort zones. And there is a momentum, a positive slippery slope of activism.

When is the last time you even HEARD the term “common good”or “common wealth”?

It’s ALL about the Private good and the private wealth,since Free Market?(Even Greenspan FINALLY admitted the fallacy of that !)

Free for who?

Without a sense of the greater good for the greater number-we become third world banana republics.

Oops, we already have.

Libby. This is an important point that I hope people think about. Look, I have been doing this my whole adult life. We are human being so it is natural to sometimes feel frustrated and angry and disillusioned. What I think is the key is to have a side of us that just keep remembering why we are doing it–and to understand the enormous powers that we face.

But, I say this and I really believe this: I believe we can change the country because the people are furious. The crisis is so acute–and yet peoples’ ears are open in a way that I have not seen. The PEOPLE are definitely ready for a serious debate. We should be harnessing the anger about the banks, Wall Street and the corruption of the financial system—not Ron Paul. We should understand the anger that drives people to embrace the Lou Dobbs and the so-called “tea-baggers”.

We can talk to people we never could before. Think of all the people who believed that their IRAs would be their pensions and then overnight, poof, it was all gone. Those are our future allies.

Jonathan’s campaign doesn’t have anything to do with FDL’s activism. People who have been agitating in the comments for more single payer activism got their wish, and now is their chance to support a single payer candidate by giving donations directly to him.

If people aren’t willing to donate to a candidate who will carry the message, they can’t expect Congress to change. If they can’t donate, they can volunteer.

Think I gave $50 normally I hate giving online but I felt I had to can someone check to see it went through?

Hey, I’m a union member and big time solidarity socialist workers party person. I have been proudly talking union for five years on my weekly radio show. I am now reading Bageant’s book and understand the terrible perception of unions in those “right to work states”. I worked for John Edwards on two campaigns because of his strong union stand. He was able to make the argument of putting “work before wealth” because of his textile mill background. I would love to see a union leader run for President. I was just pointing out the uphill battle because of years of union demonization. I seem to have better luck with the word cooperative here in rural Montana.

Yes, it is a marathon, not a series of sprints, but a profound, rigorous marathon … will be for more and more of us as we wake up and come out of the fog of denial as citizens. (to throw in a few metaphors)

Thank you!

I agree wholeheartedly. You lose the right to complain if you won’t take action to make change. I’d rather make change.

thanks you!

Whatever happened to taking the cap off FICA?

Yeah, “free market” certainly got propagandized successfully and benignly by the corporatist stranglers.

thanks so much!!!

Bob Dole watching Britney Spears was a Viagra commercial can we put Kim Jong next to him and the words guess who can else pays less for Viagra than Americans?

Jonathan,
It has always seemed odd to me that we’ve conducted this whole pseudo healthcare debate exclusively among 5% of humanity as if the other 95% justy couldn’t possibly have anything to add. Someone asked early on way up above about other countries you’d point to as having lessons to teach. You may have answered that above, but could you expand at all? And how do you see the relationship of the US to the world? And what do you think of international treaties and possible US Constitutional amendments establishing positive rights like the right to healthcare, the right to unionize, the right to education, the right to a basic income … ?

Jonathan,

When you couldn’t top Hillary Clinton in the primary the last time, some people were let down that you weren’t running as a candidate in the general election as a third party candidate. Would you consider doing that this time?

Explain more please?

I agree. ID’ing voters is one of the easier tasks, at least here in FL. A CD list of registered voters is available from every elections supervisor. Organizing is the hard part.

You should have gotten a confirmation email from ActBlue if it did.

The key words were “at insurance companies” — as opposed to in Congressional district offices.

I spend most of my life trying to get more people to do more nonviolent resistance.

Completely true, in both respects. However, as masaccio pointed out to me, “logic isn’t the language of Congress.” I suspect it isn’t necessarily the language of activists either, so while I disagree that people should let that divide give pause, I can understand why they might.

Anyway, I digress. This thread is about Mr. Tasini, and giving the lot of us a chance to engage, and him a chance to find his supports.

Chuck: I would rather take the energy we would expend in a third-party effort–which would not be successful because it is just too hard to mount a statewide campaign like that without serious money (and here we are debating the challenge to raise the money just for a Democratic primary)–and put that towards building the movement to win “Everyone In, Nobody Out”.

Yes, I agree, Jonathan. Though some people due to horrifying crises, with foreclosure, health care horrors, etc. do reach that tipping point into despair. Your comment gives me hope.

I just feel I am not getting through to the non-choir in my own life, even. Am “eccentric” for being so obsessed. And this is with people who are angry and frustrated but not focused. I guess I have to lighten up in my style of sharing but still keep on speaking out. Also, people still very loyal to Obama and that triggers defensiveness.

Must spread the word as best I can, even though the messenger is not always thanked. And me as messenger is not always smart about it. :)

Looked at the Blue America page:

Seems like we got ourselves a bunch of yapping, 102nd ‘fighting’ keyboard commandos here.

Don’t thank me.

Thank you, Jane!

Thank you Jonathan!

Jonathan Tasini for the U.S. Senate 2010!

TOTALLY understand how words matter. Frank Luntz has made a career of word play.

Well, I don’t think union is a bad word-and it needs to get its respect back.

So do.es the word liberal…and the much maligned “conspiracy”.

They have ALL been hijacked by the right-time to rescue these verbal hostages

Yep, we can supply the lists if people are willing to call and do the data input. It’s a remarkably effective task that reaps big rewards for the amount of effort put in.

If anyone can find 10 people in their district to form a phone banking group for single payer, we will help them.

No reason why we can’t do all of those things simultaneously. Plus simple things like hand delivering a letter advocating [insert cause here] to one’s congresscritter’s local office on a different day each week.

Cool Thanks check went through:)

What is your analysis of the brief job Hillary Clinton did as senator and how it related to her campaign promises and your own? And were the people of New York glad they’d elected her?

Watching our Democratic candidates during the 2008 debates all but ONE (Hillary) was for removing the cap, which is now at $106,800!
Since ALL of us earning less than $106,800 pay 6.2 cents on every earned dollar,,,,,,,,doesn’t it make sense that EVERYONE should pay the same…………esp. since ALL the excess monies go into the general fund?

I think “health care” and “economics” are two areas where the citizenry has the manipulation game of “mystification” played on it. This is just too complicated for your little brain. Trust it to the “geniuses” (a/k/a pirates a/k/a grifters). And advertising also seduces.

And back when there was accountability … institutions were more trustworthy.

That’s a very sweeping question.:):)
Let’s stick with Medicare for All. I think Canada, France and Japan all have aspects of systems that we could use. Again, I don’t think the system is hard to construct once you get into the mindset that everyone gets coverage, no one is left out and that it is a public right.
I’m for amendment to the Constitution that you suggest–I think the movement needs to think about whether that’s an effective use of time. I am very much in favor of ending “corporate personhood” to take away rights corporations have assumed that have ravaged our country.

Jonathan,
If the Supreme Court next Tuesday or someday soon removes all limits on corporate contributions to election campaigns on the argument that corporations are people and bribery is speech and people have freedom of speech, what will you do differently in your campaign? And what will you propose we do about the ruling? And how will it effect the campaign for healthcare reform?
Will you support:
-free air time for camapigns
-public financing
-amendment to constitution to deny corporations free speech rights
-amendment to constitution to deny corporations all personal constitutional rights
-nonviolent resistance to finally shut down washington until this is undone
-impeachment of 5 justices
-all of the above
-none of the above

Brilliant! Jon will you support this? Also maybe a tax for healthcare on financial transactions could also help pay for healthcare and discourage speculating which is why the banks needed a bailout in the first place would be good.
Who cares if the speculators leave gamboling is no way to build an economy making stuff is.

I can certainly help with data input.

The taxation system is a deep morass. Yes, we should absolutely not let people making above the limit get away with this and the cap should be removed.

Seconded!

My brother and sister-in-law in Nevada have incorporated dropping by at Harry Reid’s office as a part of their monthly to do agenda. I am trying to make phone calls to Congressional voice mails at the end of the day.

There is maybe a payoff with my voicemails for them, maybe not. Maybe with just one? BUT There is definitely a payoff for me to feel proactive.

But I do want to work smarter AND harder in terms of the issues and candidates I care about.

Jane,

Sorry for the off-topic, but is there any chance you’d be willing to match the donation I’m about to make to One Voice for Choice?

http://onevoiceforchoice.com/donate.html

How about $25?

Will you support:
-free air time for camapigns YES
-public financing YES (A BIG YES)
-amendment to constitution to deny corporations free speech rights YES YES YES
-amendment to constitution to deny corporations all personal constitutional rights YES YES YES
-nonviolent resistance to finally shut down washington until this is undone WE HAVE A GREAT TRADITION OF NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE IN THE COUNTRY…CAN YOU IMAGINE IF MLK WAS ALIVE TODAY HOW HE WOULD LEAD SUCH EFFORTS?
-impeachment of 5 justices NOT FOLLOWING THAT POINT…
-all of the above
-none of the above

jonathan,
If you were able to draft and propose to introduce on your first day in office a particular type of bill, I think it would work wonders. Tell me what you think. We always talk about Healthcare Not Warfare or Jobs Not War, but I’ve never seen them both in one bill. If you had a bill to end wars, defund military waste, close foreign bases, eliminate pointless weapons, AND put the money into jobs or healthcare or green energy or all of the above, you’d have a golden opportunity, I think. You could and should do polling of New Yorkers on it. But how can such a bill be crafted?

Jonathan, can I mention a big elephant in the New York room, the Israel Lobby? What kind of opposition will they give?

Also, what will your campaign look like between now and the election in terms of your volunteers activities. What do you want to cover to make it happen?

Please acquaint yourself with this WONDERFUL organization.

taxjustice networkThe Tax Justice Network promotes transparency in international finance and opposes secrecy. We support a level playing field on tax and we oppose loopholes …
http://www.taxjustice.net/
About TJN
Corruption and Offshore
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Netzwerk Steuergerechtigkeit
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NOTE: This is a veritable treasure trove of info on corporations who are using tax loopholes to undermine economies all over the world,including,and most especially, U.S.firms.

THANKS for all the YESes, more than I’ve seen 100 senators give me in 10 years.

Re impeaching 5 justices, I meant that any 5 Supreme Court justices who give corporations unlimited bribery power as a human right have committed a high crime and misdemeanor.

Again something we should get ALL Blue America candidates to sign off on.

Can you speak to your experience living and studying in Israel and your view of a two-state solution? (As an angle on reforming healthcare of course!)

I think that’s something to do via the individual appropriations bills as a whole but there would probably be a value in drafting a “sense of the Senate” bill that then provides the moral framework for appropriations.

I use their stuff all the time. Great organization.

Israel has healthcare for everyone but we pay them how much cash? Funny how the Israel lobby votes to indirectly pay for healthcare for Israel but not us.
I think you found another talking point.

I think calling, writing or emailing are all effective. Some comments get noticed, some don’t, but the numbers pro and con on whatever issue are counted.

Working on a campaign can be grueling. It can also be a thankless task but I think it’s fun and I’m actually doing something to effect change. If we lose, ok, let’s start over.

hmmm…while I understand the moral outrage, I don’t see the practicality of that…and, look, if we are trying to build a broad-based movement, which I think we all want, I don’t think that connects with people.

I am pro healthcare for Israel provided I get some too.

lib, this was touched on before,elsewhere, but if Farrakan could put a one million man march together, WHY NOT a million member march of single payer advocates?

So you’re for a Voter I.D. type of checklist? How about using E-Verify for registering voters? Not a bad idea….

sounds like a great plan.

Dec. 10th is Human Rights day! Coming up fast, too.

I recently took part actively in the first conference that J-Street held–it’s the new PAC that is taking on AIPAC. I will do what I have always done–speak the truth and advocate a moral position on Israel-Palestine. Again, to save my fingers, from my website:
Jonathan’s broad philosophy is embodied in three principles:

1. Everyone must be at the table

2. Everybody has to agree to a ceasefire but you can’t ask anyone to give up weapons until they are ready to

3. You can’t ask people to give up their dreams

At the heart of the conflict in the Middle East is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike virtually all American politicians running for public office who express their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, Jonathan’s views on the issue come from a deep, personal connection and experience.

Jonathan’s father was born in Palestine and fought in the Israeli underground. Jonathan lived in Israel for seven years, during which he was involved, as a teen-ager and young man, in the fledgling peace movement. He went through the 1973 Yom Kippur war, and one of his cousin’s was killed in the war and that cousin’s brother was wounded. Half of Jonathan’s family lives in Israel, some within a few miles of the West Bank border.

So, it is absolutely clear to Jonathan that only a two-state solution will end the violence that has taken so many Palestinian and Israeli lives–and bring stability and peace to the Middle East.

Jonathan unequivocally supports the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip, consequently ending Israeli occupation of these areas because such a solution is the only way to ensure Israeli security. The current situation in Gaza is intolerable and unconscionable.

The final peace settlement has to accommodate Israel’s security requirements but it also has to ensure a viable, thriving, independent Palestinian State which has territorial contiguity and is not broken into cantons.

Jonathan also lived in Jerusalem and still remembers what a beautiful city it is. Its special nature, though, is the role it plays in the spiritual lives of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. A negotiated settlement must include a plan that allows Israelis and Palestinians to share the city because Palestinians make up one-third of the city’s residents and have historic and long-standing political, economic, and religious ties to the city. A Palestinian capital in Arab areas of Jerusalem will not threaten the city’s role as the capital of Israel.

Violence is not the answer for either side. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be resolved via negotiated, non-violent means. Both peoples have suffered from the bloodshed. Yet, clear majorities of both peoples say they want a peaceful settlement of the conflict. A credible negotiating track, linked with a bi-lateral effort to ensure security and stop the violence, is the only path to a long-lasting settlement. “Credible” means that everyone must have a seat at the table.

In 2000 not one senator would challenge a stolen election. In 2004 only Senator Boxer. When the going gets tough, the senators go scurrying off. If you are in the Senate and there is a question of war, of social justice, or of the integrity of our government, will you be the first senator we turn to for a show of spine and an example to the other 99?

@205

Health care in Israel – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Health care in Israel is both universal and compulsory, and is administered by a small number of organizations with funding from the government. …

The Health Care System in Israel- An Historical PeSince the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the issue of health care has never left the public agenda. The public debate on reform of the health …
http://www.mfa.gov.il/…/Israel%20at%2050/The%20Health%20Care%20System%20in%20Israel-... – Cached – Similar

NO, I am not for Voter ID. I was referring to a list maintained by every elections supervisor of all registered voters in their county.

I won’t be responding to any further reich wing nonsense from you.

Ray McGovern has a joke about why Israel refused to become America’s 51st state. If it did, it would only have TWO senators!

YEY!!

When the teabagging-type lunatics went after ACORN, wasn’t something similar attempted by pointing out all the nonsense of military contractors who are getting millions and millions and millions of our tax dollars?

Classic! :)

98

I believe Jonathan and Bernie will do a nice tango.

No, I will be like all the rest and scurry off to hide…Is that a softball? :)

Give me the chance to prove that I will be exactly the person I am today and exactly the person I’ve been for my whole adult life. Ask the NYTimes if I’m willing to go to the mat :) LOL

This is good to hear. Although Babs Boxer is not one of our favorite reps. here in California. And her opponent, Carly Fiorina is not on the top of the list either….

The current situation in Gaza is intolerable and unconscionable.

How did you react to the House’s overwhelming majority bill stating that the Goldstone report is biased? I was stunned!

I recommend to you Rep McCollum’s ACORN Act, Against Corporations Organizing to Rip Off the Nation and wonder if Tasini would introduce a bill in the Senate like it to defund major govt contractors guilty of serious felonies. This would not pick up ACORN, but would get many weapons and sickness industry contractors already convicted of major crimes including treason.

A New Yorker quoting the Godfather?

How will you work with Schumer? Have you had any interactions with him?

Very sad. But, look, I was criticized for stating an obvious truth in the summer of 2006–when Israel dropped cluster bombs in Lebanon on civilian areas, that was a violation of international law. This is just a fact. Does it make me sad? Of course.

Jonathan, THANK YOU for your time. What a pleasure it would be to have a senator who’s smart, informed, dedicated, honest, uncorrupted, AND willing to talk to us.

Where do we send our money, again?

let’s “take it to the mattresses”, then.

Kucinich has a piece of one in his office

Oh don’t get me started…actually, it’s time to go the mattresses and, David, if you ever go against the family in public, you will sleep with the fishes.

Thank you, Jane, for hosting these chats and for all your work!

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

the Family means something else in DC — ask Hillary

“With Everyone In,Everyone Wins!”

He’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse? =)

Sono io italo-americano e newyorkese.

Il Padrino rocks!

thank you too David. i am very happy to have a candidate like Jonathan to support.

Given his positions on the issues he can’t…which is a good thing we already have to many go along to get along Senators. Funny Dems always go along the GOP never goes along.
We need tough Dems willing to say No! and Filibuster!

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

yes a huge tks to Jane!!!!

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

In bocca al lupo, Gianni!

Thanks my friends–all of you. And all of your energy.
And an electronic round of applause for David for moderating>

http://blueamerica.firedoglake.com/

Thank you, Jonathan! I will encourage my family in New York, as you say, to give you the chance to prove that you’ll be exactly the person you are today and exactly the person you’ve been for your whole adult life.

Grazie, ragazzi!

Forza Tasini!

Thanks Jonathan, David, Jane, et al.!!!!!

Feel like I have been taken and am taking myself to the “next level” in terms of effective activism!

Looking forward to volunteering for you Jonathan.

Sending my check to ActBlue c/o FDL for you today, Jonathan.

Thanks again NATHAN for your donation on my behalf! Means a lot!!! :)

Forza Tasini!

Forza la squadra di Blue America!

In bocca al lupo, Gianni!

Crepi il lupo!

Thank you so much for being here Jonathan, and thanks so much to David for hosting. What a great chat.

Grazie e Arrivederla… [Say, when did we become an Italian blog?]

Congratulations on your race and keep us posted!

Scusa. Colpa mia @ 233. Now back to English.

You’re quite welcome. The hours you guys put into advocating on my behalf, by proxy of the issues, left me time to bill the work I had to perform to cover the donation.

It all fits together. :-)

Excellent idea, just the very thing that is needed. It is a good menas to accumulate funds and spread pertinent information on issues of public interest.

Unions can exert a collective power and influence just when this sort of counterweight to corporate pillaging of the public is needed.

This sort of public engagement in determining and achieving their own needs is just the thing.

What you seem to be suggesting is itself a form of filibuster and not an especially effective way to make the point that stalling is an acceptable way to proceed in legislating.

A better way is to force a vote by a simple majority in the Senate to see if that rule should be eliminated. A simple majority is after all what we are advocating for in legislating.

I have to disagree with you on advocating for anything in termes of morality, because that term is not clear to everyone, it wants defining. It can become a needless tangent.

Better to stick with more uniformly acknowledged grounds such as practicality, affordability and better health outcomes. Tangible things which in essence is what we are really after. These grounds suffice in making an argument.

Morality in a way doesn’t even enter the picture, because there is no choosing between a better versus a worse outcome. Moral considerations only apply when you have to choose among two options that are of value to you.

I think you would be surprised at the outrage most people feel at the criminal support the US provides the Israelis. It is a flagrant disregard for the misery and disenfrachisement of a whole people that have had their land usurped and mistreated like animals at every inch along the way.

I think you should feel confident that you speak for the vast majority of the people who do not believe the Iraelis are chosen to live in what was other peoples’ rightful land.

A two stae solution with the 1967 borders that is mandated by every country excepth the US and Israel is where the boundaries ought to be.

thanks for responding, but I do think this — the issue of morality — is important. And maybe it is much more important for a section of the citizenry with more of a feeling/intuiter temperament.

we need passion in our fighting this horrifying, mind-numbing, amoral status quo. and believing (having that gut feeling) that health care is a human right, a civil right, is about morality and a sense of what is just and right. that sense of entitlement is missing from the learned helplessness of the najority of the bottom 90% or more of us in this oppressed and struggling often authoritarian-following society.

intellectually analyzing the predicaments the citizenry is in is important. Accuracy is important. But repressing a sense of outrage … that is not healthy and is also not waking up a public that needs inspiration and a sense of community. 45,000 gratuitous deaths a year from adequate health care. Is that statistic seriously embraced??? Grayson embraced it. Kucinich. It needs to have a stronger drumbeat.

laugh all you want at Palin. Her emotionality (which i think is manipulative or at best times misguided) is so contagious and compelling it inspires people. Sadly she is the messenger of toxic untruths.

But that freefloating anger and frustration in this country needs to find a proactive or sadly faux-proactive outlet.

To be acknowledged and channeled for justice, ideally. Otherwise, more surreal perversions of democracy and law will keep on occurring.

my take. :)

Or the proposal to get several Dem Senators to commit to banning the filibuster once the Repubs are in majority, thereby convincing the Dem “leadership” to ban it now? This would take guts, on top of [being] a decision to oppose minority rule.

Not to mention being a decision to oppose minority rights, the safeguarding of which is a primary reason this nation wasn’t designed as a pure democracy in the first place.

I agree with almost everything you’ve said in this thread, David – you indeed helped make this an informative discussion and asked Jonathan excellent questions [I particularly appreciated your question @ 47: "Or, let me put it this way: how much loyalty will you have to the leader of your party, how much to your branch of government?"] – but I differ with you (and Jane, insofar as she advocates ‘eliminating’ the filibuster) when it comes to your idea of abolishing the Senate and/or its provisions for unlimited debate (aka the “filibuster”).

Such a position, at least pre-campaign finance reform, defaults us to endorsing the current, extremely-undemocratic House floor status quo – in which the Parties have stifled democratic debate and amendment almost to the point of extinction, via the majority Party stranglehold on the House Rules Committee. [Stifled to the extent that, as just the latest example, the Speaker and her Party provided for a grand total of just two amendments that were proposed by the body-at-large on the House health care bill to reach the House floor for debate and a vote - the two being Stupak/Pitts, and the traditional doomed-to-fail motion-to-recommit sop to the minority Republicans - during a grand total of one day of floor "debate" on the bill, participated in by a fraction of the 435 "Representatives" in the "People's" House.]

I went into some detail to highlight what seem to be misconceptions about the power and procedural source of the (actual) filibuster here – to which I welcome counter-arguments – which illustrates, I think, why expecting even a simple majority of current, sitting Senators to support an end to the Senate’s unlimited-debate format, and thus every Senator’s ability to block Unanimous Consent attempts to overcome that format by objecting, is unrealistic.

Absent coordination among members, the Senate record for a one-man (actual) filibuster is 24 hours. I doubt the Senate will be very bothered by a one-day shutdown of its activities, even if it happened, say, once a month for a while. Which is why the Sanders/DeMint/Bunning holds/objections to proceeding to, and possible future filibuster of, a Bernanke floor renomination – lauded by many, including me, and even those who think they want the filibuster to disappear – is facing an uphill battle, even if all three take turns ‘shutting down the Senate’ via actual filibuster in an effort to stop it. [And it seems to me that the ability to object to all UC Requests, including the constant and convenient fake quorum calls, in an effort to bring the Senate to a standstill and inconvenience members, can actually be an effective tool to force Senators privately obstructing off the floor to fish or cut bait: to either actually publicly filibuster, or to negotiate, or else to look like the bad-faith obstructionists they are. Which, of course, is why no Democrat ever even considers deploying such a tactic to call a Republican (or Lieberman) filibuster bluff...]

gamd521 @ 250 says something that ought to register with those claiming the Senate is unnecessarily or excessively slanted toward the minority, because, perhaps unknowingly, it describes what’s missing from the ongoing floor amendment process on the health care bill in the Senate, where every Democrat, and every Republican, and every Independent has privately agreed that only amendments receiving 60 floor votes may be adopted. Not receiving 60 floor votes to overcome a filibuster, so as, via passage of a cloture motion, to ‘move the question’ to a final simple-majority vote for passage, but instead receiving 60 floor votes simply as a new, obviously minority-favoring, voting threshold for adoption of Senate amendments:

A simple majority is after all what we are advocating for in legislating.

I wonder, then (though obviously the Party-serving secrecy of the process is one huge reason), why no one is making a peep about the unanimously-adopted special requirement that all amendments – good, bad or indifferent – on the Senate health care bill receive a super-majority of 60, not to end debate and move to a vote, but simply to pass?

Under that obvious precedent, apparently instituted – though some clued-in reporter really needs to ask Harry Reid this on the record – at the behest of politically-fearful and/or campaign contributor-serving Democrats, why should the final vote on the as-amended bill, and conference report, be any different, even if, as here, no filibuster, and thus no cloture motion, on the final bill or conference report ever actually materializes?

Minority rule is not majority rule with protection of the rights of minorities.

It’s minority rule.

It’s not defensible.

the right to be heard.

the filibuster has been abused by the democrats as an excuse to permit minority rule. a filibuster that requires a pause for debate is not minority rule. fix the filibuster to make it harder for the dems to abuse.

(and since i expect the filibuster rule to be broken by dems in order to pass “entitlement reform” and also expect to depend on SS, i take the whole issue pretty personally)