By Matthew Holt
I had David Gratzer on THCB a while back. He was so nice, that it was really hard for me to get mad with him—even though his book was basically a pack of lies. He seriously suggested that the UK under Blair was NHS was going to covert into an American-type system, and he couldn’t answer why he allowed his wife to come here and be uninsured! (Of course my father the gynecologist always told me that all psychiatrists are nuts anyway)
Then last week the single payer crowd finally got to appear before a Congressional committee, and for some bizarre reason Gratzer was there too (I guess he provided balance). And the very nice David Gratzer finds that Dennis Kucinich is not quite so nice. Watch this…
I side with Representative Kucinich. He has every right to be angry and to show his anger when dealing with a nonsense-peddler such as Dr. Gratzer.
In any case the Manhattan Institute is a notorious source of right-wing propaganda on social policy issues. Funding per Wikipedia:
“The Manhattan Institute received $19,470,416 in grants from 1985-2005, from foundations such as the Koch Family Foundations, the John M. Olin Foundation, Inc., the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Scaife Foundations, and the Smith Richardson Foundation. [11] The Manhattan Institute does not disclose its corporate funding, but the Capital Research Center listed its contributors as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Exxon Mobil, Chase Manhattan, Cigna, Sprint, Reliant Energy, Lincoln Financial Group Foundation, and Merill Lynch.”
Not sure whether this is tongue-in-cheek from Mr. Pugnacity himself or not.
Representative Kucinich ought use his interrogation skills to investigate the HIT vendors’ deceit of the Congress pertaining to the safety (not) and economic benefits (not) of their products. The health care reform movement is entitled to the truth.
Matt- Thanks – I watched this and I don’t really care how “nice” Dr Gratzer is on this video or was on THCB.
It was obvious that he did not have answers to Kucinich’s questions.
I agree with you as it relates to asking why Gratzer would subject himself to that public humilation.
This fight coming up is not going to be “nice”. it’s going to be real hardball.And the stakes are high.
If you want “nice” go to a concert or a picnic.
Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com
Matthew: A picture (or a video) is worth a thousand words, and I thank you for putting these snippets of the health care reform debate online for us. As Rick says above, this debate is getting nasty and will almost certainly continue to heat up. But there are very hard questions that must be answered, and with clarity. We can’t simply pretend that the problems of a health care system run amuck will go away, or pretend that Canada’s or Britain’s health system is inferior to ours in its current state. Let’s play hardball and hammer out some solutions. DCK
Yup, I’m actually a hige Kucinich fan as he’s been the only “major” politician to agree with me on the four big issues of the 90s. 1) Ending the drug war, 2) Not invading Iraq (against from the start) 3) universal health care tax funded (although we disagree on implementation) and 4) overturning the Patriot Act and returning our civil liberties. Of course that doesnt mean much in terms of power…
However, the point that has to be stressed is that the high likelihood of financial catastrophe that exists here to anyone who gets sick DUE TO THEIR MEDICAL BILLS does not exist in other countries. Everything else about international comparisons is not secondary but tertiary or less important & that’s what we need to import here.
Both congress and the administration, treat themselves to a top-notch Medical Care Plan that costs them NOTHING at the cost of the tax payers. Arguably, this is a “government health care run” system. In his campaign President Obama said we would be able to choose the same health care system that Congress gives themselves. two questions:
1) Why are Republicans objecting to a “goverment run” Health Care system that they are consuming now as members of congress? Maybe they should switch to private system like the citizens they represent? They’re not saying they don’t deserve a “gov’t run health care system” for their old boys ( yes, and girls Nancy Pelosi), it just wouldn’t be feasible for the people they represent.
2) No wonder private health care programs are screeming
holy hell if the have to compete with the same health care program that Congress gives to themselves?
3) Are we getting a health program “just like” to quote
President Obama, congress gives itself? I’m sure Congress wouldn’t stand for health care system like medicare?
Health care in the United States is compromised by the Health Insurance Industry which doesn’t see its role as triaging (rationing in the inflammatory rhetoric of America’s right wing) health services but as servicing the bottom line for its stockholders. The Health Insurance Industry isn’t about health care but about profits.
Levi- the health care plan for Congress is not free. It is the same one all Fed employees pay for,
Nice? Nice? I never knew politics was supposed to be “nice,” especially to smarmy, lying pieces of shit like Dr. Gratzer. Seriously, Judas, you took the silver, now pay the price.
I just saw this video on another web site, and I couldn’t believe it…it really upset me. This guy Gratzer is a weasel. It’s bad enough that he does not know answers to Kucinich’s questions; it’s absolutely appalling that he tries to deflect Kucinich’s questions by saying he can’t answer them if Dennis keeps cutting him off…..when, in fact, Kucinich gave him time to answer.
This is incredibly unprofessional on Gratzer’s part, and it shows what a jerk he is. I knew nothing of this guy before; I must find out more about him…..I just did see something saying that he has a history of misusing statistics.
i’d have to say that congress could use a few more “not nice” representatives in its ranks. people like dr. gratzer need to be called on their BS and it was very, very satisfying to see this d-bag owned by someone who actually has his ducks in a row.
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