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From the Flathead Beacon

Single-Payer Advocates Ambush Baucus in Washington, D.C.

Activists fighting for single-payer health care are hitting Sen. Max Baucus with tough questions, and not getting the answers they want.

By Kellyn Brown, Flathead Beacon, 5-26-09

Sen. Max Baucus

With cameras in hand, advocates for single-payer health care ambushed U.S. Montana Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., last week. Led by Russell Mokhiber of singlepayeraction.org, activists followed Baucus down an alley near the Kaiser Family Foundation in downtown Washington, D.C., yelling questions as he was pulling into the building.

“I asked Baucus to roll down his window so I could ask him a question,” said Russell Mokhiber of Single Payer Action. “But he shook his head no.”

Single Payer Action advocates a system in which the government, the “single payer,” handles health insurance and every American is enrolled, replacing today’s system in which for-profit insurance companies provide coverage that is unaffordable for millions.

Mokhiber was among the people who were arrested and charged with “disruption of Congress” at a May 5 Senate Finance Committee hearing on health care coverage; the group was protesting because no one testifying represented the single-payer system.

They now call themselves “The Baucus 13.”

To see the video, click here.

This story originally appeared in the Flathead Beacon.

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By Kellyn Brown, Flathead Beacon, 5-26-09 | comments (5) | email story | print story

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Comments

Add your comment below

By Jay Larry Lundeen, 5-26-09

Another NW article which is unbelievably remarkably thin on facts. Why is a single-payer system beneficial? What are the repercussions of the enormously powerful insurance industry being designated to a different (and less lucrative?) role? How will contributions to Baucus, specifically, and the Dems in general influence the decision-making process in a single-payer system? What are the most cogent critics saying about this plan saying?

By Mickey Garcia, 5-26-09

Baucus deserves to be ambushed. Single payer deserves a fair hearing even though the insurance companies don't like it. Medicare is single payer and Canada uses a single payer system. But in both cases the medical care givers are independent and private. Ralph Nader was right. In many cases Democraps are just as beholden to corporate American and big business as Repulsicans sticking it to low income people because low income people don't have the bucks to donate to politicians campaigns.

By Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!, 5-26-09

Um, jay, do you REALLY think that it's the job of NW to EDUCATE someone like you? Sheesh. It's all out there, pal. All OVER the place! Just read! Is that asking too much? You're pathetic. But then, you already knew that, dinja?

By problembear, 5-26-09

amy- i hate to break it to you but this is a pretty stale story that has bounced around in the blogs for a week. is this the best you could do? ferrcrisakes baucus had his aides hold hearings today. i thought jonathon had more sense than to let stuff like this waste electrons when new stuff is happening all around us tonight.

i will help you out though. twitter notmaxbaucus and they will keep you on top of what is going on with health care issues. if you are smart you will follow them. i posted this myself last week and it is not big news anyway since max never spoke to the people in the video. just would like your readers to have more timely news on this important issue. and no- flathead beacon is definitely not the first person who posted this.

By wolfbite, 5-28-09

With one of our senators heading up this reform which may affect every man woman and child in this state in a very real way....this story should be a priority #1.....

And Larry made my other point...very nicely(jay)

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