In which: "Government sets and enforces rules on insurance company practices and charges, requiring them to put our health care before their profits." And this, which is almost verbatim from Obama's plan: "Everyone gets a choice of health insurance plans, including the right to keep your current insurance, choose another private plan or to join a public health insurance plan."
Oh, and supported by SEIU.
Jenny Brown
*** July 3, 2008
New Health Reform Group to Spend $40 Million By Julie Bosman <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/author/jbosman/> http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/author/jbosman/
It could be a version of the "Harry and Louise" television commercial that helped kill Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan in 1994, only this time, it will be in favor of reform.
A national advertisement by the newly formed group Health Care for America Now, to be released on Tuesday, will take on insurance companies and argue for comprehensive, affordable health care in the United States, a spokeswoman for the group said Wednesday.
Its theme? "You can't trust the insurance industry to fix the health care mess," said the spokeswoman, Jacki Schechner. "We're educating the public about our principles and what we'd like to see from the president and the new Congress."
Health Care for America Now, an umbrella group of labor unions, health care organizations and liberal activists, said Wednesday that it would spend $40 million to promote affordable health care.
And it has chosen Elizabeth Edwards as its most visible public face. Mrs. Edwards, the wife of former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, will speak at the group's inaugural event at the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday.
After making an initial buy of $1.5 million for national television, print and online advertisements, the coalition said it would pour $25 million into additional advertising. The first commercial will run in national newspapers, on CNN and MSNBC and online.
The presence of Mrs. Edwards, an outspoken liberal activist and health care advocate, could give fund-raising efforts a boost. Mrs. Edwards, who has incurable cancer, has made health care her signature issue since Mr. Edwards dropped out of the Democratic presidential race in January.
On its Web site, http://cancampaign.org <http://cancampaign.org/>/, the group is described as a "grass-roots movement" for affordable health care. It includes MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, the Campaign for America's Future and the Service Employees International Union.