John Kerry vs. Single-Payer

May 19, 2009 — KZeese



By John Walsh | Counterpunch.org

Inspired by the civil disobedience of the Baucus 13, members of SinglePayerAction.org and its allies, including several doctors in Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) took our call for single-payer to Senator John Kerry’s Boston Office last Friday afternoon. To our surprise three police cars and at least five armed, uniformed cops quickly appeared along with a few “undercover” agents to greet us. It is standard for John Kerry to call the cops whenever a protest materializes at his office – but usually it is some very unenthusiastic Boston cops. This time, however, it was the feds, armed, uniformed cops with cars and badges marked “Homeland Security: Executive Protective Service.” They demanded to read our fliers- no problem- and maintained their presence long after we left.

At the Senate hearings on Obama’s Health Care “reform,” Senator Baucus, Obama’s point man in the Senate made fun of the 13 single-payer protesters who were carried off by the cops when they dared to call for single-payer. Baucus ridiculed the demonstrators, in which he was joined by the despicable, narcissist, John Kerry. Baucus famously declared that what was needed was not egalitarian, comprehensive health care for all - but “more cops.” And it looks like Obama’s Homeland Security is doing just that.

...Kevin Zeese, one of the Baucus 13, cautioned that his arrest, and that of the other 12 in the U.S. Senate, would mean nothing unless demonstrations of the same sort sprung up elsewhere and turned into non-violent civil disobedience like that of the Baucus 13 when necessary. We in Boston are committed to follow the Baucus 13, and we look for others to join us. For more information, see SinglePayerAction.org.

John V. Walsh can be reached at John.Endwar@gmail.com . The flier passed out at the rally along with some pictures can be found at http://rule19.org/pgallery/09-may15-sng-pa...

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