Home
Refresh   Tag(s): ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Add to My Group
April 30, 2009 at 13:01:53

View Ratings | Rate It

Promoted to Headline (H3) on 4/30/09:

Obama is Cutting Sen. Specter Too Much Slack

submit to twitter
submit to reddit
submit to digg

Tell A Friend

By Dave Lindorff (about the author)     Page 2 of 2 page(s)

opednews.com     Permalink

The same should be said for health reform. It’s not clear at this point whether Specter even backs Obama’s health reform plan. In truth though, particularly given the number of uninsured people living in Pennsylvania, Specter should be pressed to back the single-payer bill being put forward in the Senate by his colleague Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Specter, after all, just went through a tough battle with cancer, which he seems to have beaten thanks to his extraordinarily generous Congressionally offered and taxpayer funded health insurance plan, and his access to the finest doctors and hospitals the country has to offer. He is not in any position, ethically, at this point to oppose making healthcare available to and affordable for every resident of his state.

Right now, Specter is at his most vulnerable. Many of his long-time Republican and independent backers are angry at him for quitting the party, and at the same time, many Democrats, who have voted against him for years as a Republican, are skeptical about his sudden change of party registration.

Now is the time that President Obama should be demanding that Specter back the key elements of his program. Now is also the time that progressives and labor activists in Pennsylvania should be letting Sen. Specter know that if he wants their support in 2010, he will have to support our issues. That means full-throated backing for EFCA, and for a single-payer health plan for America.

If Specter weasels on these key issues, progressives and labor should withhold their backing and throw themselves behind a more progressive candidate, should one choose to run against him for the Democratic nomination next spring.
____________________

DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist. His latest book is “The Case for Impeachment” (St. Martin’s Press, 2006). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net

Next Page  1  |  2

 

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net

Dave Lindorff's writing is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net. He is a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of (more...)
 

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Author Contact Editor View Authors' Articles

 

Book Recommendations for "Employee Free Choice Act"
The Case Against the Employee Free Choice Act
by Richard A. Epstein

$25.00
Lowest New Price $16.85

Number of pages: 198
Publisher: Hoover Inst Pr

View All Book Recommendations

Share this page: (what's this?)                   Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

FACEBOOK      DIGG THIS      Add This Page to Mr Wong!           NEWSVINE      DEl.ICIO.US      Looksmart Furl      NETSCAPE      My Web      Tag!RawSugar      Blink List     (More...)

Comments: Expand   Shrink   Hide  
1 comments
To view all comments:
Expand Comments
 

Specter, Specter, Specter by Trailing Begonia on Friday, May 1, 2009 at 12:56:33 PM

 
Want to post your own comment on this Article? Post Comment


 

 

 

Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

Copyright © 2002-2009, OpEdNews

Powered by Populum