Senator Bernie Sanders On MSNBC’s Morning Joe

Dec. 22, 2009 edition – MSNBC Morning Joe
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) was interviewed recently on Morning Joe.  He stated, “It’s [the bill] gonna provide primary health care, low-cost prescription drugs, and dental care for 25 million people. We’re gonna go from 20 to 45 million people having access to quality primary health care.” (Note: The Senator’s comment about low cost drugs.)

Lawrence O’Donnell asked, “Did you guys always know that the public option was absolutely hopeless?”

Sanders replied, “This is not anywhere near as strong of a bill as I would like. Of course there should be a public option. In my view, there should not be, as the Senate bill does, a tax on health care benefits. There should be a reimportation prescription drug bill which lowers the outrageously high costs of prescription drugs all over this country.” (Note: The Senator admits here that the bill does not address the drug cost problem. That’s not what he said earlier.)

Mike Barnacle asked Sanders, “Can you enlighten me, or explain to me, how the insurance lobby, the insurance industry, in this country, suffer any pain at all under this bill that they hadn’t suffered before?”

Sanders answers, “Mike, no I can’t. The insurance companies are gonna make out like bandits. The drug companies are gonna make out like bandits. No question about that. I’m not gonna argue with you, the insurance companies are gonna laugh all the way to the bank.

Mika Brzezinski asked, “How are the American people supposed to understand the truth here, about this legislation?”

Sanders replied, “The truth is… Let me break the bad news to the American people. Big money interests control the United States Congress. That’s the reality.”

“But the reality is, campaign contributions… What do you think? We bailed out Wall Street. We’re giving insurance companies, drug companies breaks.”

Jean Chatzky asked, “Is it possible for the insurance companies and big pharmaceuticals to win and for the people to win on a sustainable basis?”

Sanders said, “No, it is not. That is why, in my view, in a reasonably short while, we’re gonna be back here. And I hope, I hope, with the support of the American people, Congress has the guts to take on the insurance companies and the drug companies… and tell them that we cannot continue to pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, or for health care.”

Thank you Senator for at least admitting the truth. But with all due respect sir, is this really health care reform? And honestly, shouldn’t Congress have the guts right now to stand up to the industry, for the sakes of the American people? Who are you really working for?