<div dir="ltr"><h3 class="entry-title" style="margin:30px 0px 5px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:2.3em;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Palatino,"Times New Roman",serif;text-align:center">Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare-For-All “Plan” is Pretend</h3><h4 class="gmail-vcard gmail-author" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;border-top:0px rgb(0,0,0);border-right:0px rgb(0,0,0);border-bottom:none;border-left:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.2em;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(153,153,153);font-family:Constantia,Palatino,"Times New Roman",serif;font-style:italic;text-align:center">by <span class="gmail-fn" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:12px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">Benjamin Studebaker</span></h4><div class="entry-content" style="margin:24px 0px 0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:10px;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Palatino,"Times New Roman",serif"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">After a great deal of prodding from both centrist and lefty critics, Elizabeth Warren finally put out <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/11/01/775335150/read-elizabeth-warrens-plan-to-pay-for-medicare-for-all" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">her Medicare-For-All plan.</a> The problem is that the plan is both unrealistic on its own terms and openly pretend. Let me show you how.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify"><span id="gmail-more-4535" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent"></span></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify"><img class="gmail-aligncenter" src="https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/APTOPIX_Election_2020_Elizabeth_Warren_72347.jpg?w=525" width="474" height="316" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 5px auto; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; clear: both; display: block;"></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Before I dig into the actual proposal, I want to highlight this line from page 2:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">We must fix this system. And over the <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)">long-term</strong>, the best way to achieve that goal is to move from the system we have now to a system of Medicare for All.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">See that phrase “long-term”? That’s code to rich people for “this is all pretend”. Most presidential candidates will tell you that they’re going to do stuff “in the first one-hundred days” or even on their “very first day”. When wannabe presidents tell you they’re going to do something right away, it usually doesn’t happen, but at least you have some reason to think they might try. Warren put “long-term” in this plan to send an unequivocal message to the rich and the powerful that she isn’t serious about this and doesn’t care.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">She uses the phrase over and over. On the very next page, in case you missed it the first time, she repeats it:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p class="gmail-DV-textContents" style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">I’m filling in the details and releasing a plan that describes how I would implement the <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-DV-searchMatch gmail-DV-highlightedMatch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">long</span>-term</strong> policy prescriptions of the Medicare for All Act and how to pay for it.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">But wait! Maybe you missed it on page 2 <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">and </em>on page 3. In case you missed it twice, she uses the phrase again on page 4:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p class="gmail-DV-textContents" style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">Every candidate who opposes my <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-DV-searchMatch gmail-DV-highlightedMatch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">long</span>-term</strong> goal of Medicare for All should explain why the “choice” of private insurance plans is more important than being able to choose the doctor that’s best for you without worrying about whether they are in-network or not.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">And then she uses it twice more on page 5:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p class="gmail-DV-textContents" style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">And every candidate who opposes my <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-DV-searchMatch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">long</span>-term</strong> goal of Medicare for All should put forward their own plan to make sure every single person in America can get high-quality health care and won’t go broke – and fully explain how they intend to pay for it. Or, if they are unwilling to do that, concede that their half-measures will leave millions behind. And make no mistake – any candidate who opposes my <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-DV-searchMatch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">long</span>-term</strong> goal of Medicare for All and refuses to answer these questions directly should concede that they have no real strategy for helping the American people address the crushing costs of health care in this country.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">And in case you forget, it’s there again one more time on page 19:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p class="gmail-DV-textContents" style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">And the American people know that in the <strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="gmail-DV-searchMatch gmail-DV-highlightedMatch" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">long</span>-term</strong>, a simple system that covers everybody, provides the care they need when they need it, puts $11 trillion back in their pockets and uses all of the public’s leverage to keep costs as low as possible is the best option for their family budgets and for the health of their loved ones.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Harry Reid, who encouraged Warren to run for senate and helped jump start her career, is on the record doubting her commitment to the proposal:</p><div class="embed-twitter" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent"><span class="gmail-twitter-tweet gmail-twitter-tweet-rendered" id="gmail-twitter-widget-1" style="display:block;max-width:100%;width:500px;min-width:220px;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><div class="gmail-SandboxRoot env-bp-350" style="max-height:10000px;direction:ltr;background:0px 0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:16px;line-height:1.4;font-family:Helvetica,Roboto,"Segoe UI",Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(28,32,34);white-space:initial"><div class="gmail-EmbeddedTweet gmail-EmbeddedTweet--cta gmail-js-clickToOpenTarget" id="gmail-twitter-widget-1" lang="en" style="overflow:hidden;border:1px solid rgb(225,232,237);border-radius:5px;max-width:520px"><div class="gmail-EmbeddedTweet-tweetContainer"><div class="gmail-EmbeddedTweet-tweet" style="padding:20px 20px 10px"><blockquote class="gmail-Tweet gmail-h-entry gmail-js-tweetIdInfo gmail-subject expanded" cite="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1183168042920005632" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;border:none"><div class="gmail-Tweet-header" style="display:flex"><a class="gmail-TweetAuthor-avatar gmail-Identity-avatar gmail-u-linkBlend" href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost" style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;height:36px;margin-right:9px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit"><img class="gmail-Avatar" alt="" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1127808526938771456/nozIa5SW_bigger.jpg" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; border-radius: 50%;"></a><div class="gmail-TweetAuthor gmail-js-inViewportScribingTarget" style="display:flex;overflow:hidden"><a class="gmail-TweetAuthor-link gmail-Identity gmail-u-linkBlend" href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost" style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;display:flex;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit"><div class="gmail-TweetAuthor-nameScreenNameContainer" style="display:flex;line-height:1.2;min-width:0px"><span class="gmail-TweetAuthor-decoratedName" style="display:flex;min-width:0px"><span class="gmail-TweetAuthor-name gmail-Identity-name gmail-customisable-highlight" title="wideofthepost" style="font-weight:700;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:4px">wideofthepost</span></span><span class="gmail-TweetAuthor-screenName gmail-Identity-screenName" title="@wideofthepost" dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(105,120,130);font-size:14px;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap">@wideofthepost</span></div></a></div><div class="gmail-Tweet-brand" style="margin-left:auto"><a href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1183168042920005632" style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(43,123,185);text-decoration-line:none;outline:0px"><span class="gmail-FollowButton-bird"><div class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--twitter" title="View on Twitter" style="display:inline-block;height:1.25em;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:1.25em"></div></span></a></div></div><div class="gmail-Tweet-body gmail-e-entry-content" style="margin-top:13px"><div class="gmail-Tweet-target gmail-js-inViewportScribingTarget" style="height:1px;width:1px"></div><p class="gmail-Tweet-text gmail-e-entry-title" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;border:none;white-space:pre-wrap;direction:ltr">Harry Reid tells David Axelrod that he doesn’t think Elizabeth Warren will follow through on ‘Medicare for All.’<br><br>“Give her some time, I think that she’s not in love with that, I think that she, you’ll wait and see how that all turns out... oh I know she’s pragmatic, just wait”</p><div class="gmail-Tweet-card" style="margin-top:10.4px;font-size:14px"><div class="gmail-MediaCard-media" style="width:458px;overflow:hidden"><div class="gmail-MediaCard-widthConstraint gmail-js-cspForcedStyle" style="max-width:2000px"><div class="gmail-MediaCard-mediaContainer gmail-MediaCard--roundedTop gmail-MediaCard--roundedBottom gmail-js-cspForcedStyle" style="padding-bottom:257.625px;background-color:rgb(245,248,250);overflow:hidden;border-radius:4px"><a href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1183168042920005632" class="gmail-MediaCard-mediaAsset gmail-MediaCard-mediaPlaceholder gmail-NaturalImage gmail-NaturalImage--fill gmail-js-playableMediaInterstitial" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;color:rgb(43,123,185);text-decoration-line:none;display:block;width:458px;height:257.625px;line-height:0;outline:0px"><div class="gmail-NaturalImage-ctaOverlay gmail-PlayButton gmail-PlayButton--centered" style="font-size:43px;background-color:transparent"><div class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--playCircle" title="Play Media" style="display:inline-block;height:1.25em;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:1.04167em"></div></div><img class="gmail-NaturalImage-image" alt="Embedded video" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1183167718616424449/pu/img/_EOHuXr8IuLJLObD?format=jpg&name=900x900" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; line-height: 0; height: auto; width: 458px;"></a></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-TweetInfo" style="display:flex;margin-top:10.4px;font-size:14px"><div class="gmail-TweetInfo-like"><a class="gmail-TweetInfo-heart" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1183168042920005632" style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(43,123,185);text-decoration-line:none;display:flex;outline:0px"><div><div class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--heart" title="Like" style="display:inline-block;height:1.25em;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:1.25em"></div></div><span class="gmail-TweetInfo-heartStat" style="margin-left:3px">3,781</span></a></div><div class="gmail-TweetInfo-timeGeo" style="margin-left:12px;color:rgb(105,120,130)"><a class="gmail-u-linkBlend gmail-u-url gmail-customisable-highlight gmail-long-permalink" href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1183168042920005632" style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit">5:50 PM - Oct 12, 2019</a></div><div class="gmail-tweet-InformationCircle"><a href="https://support.twitter.com/articles/20175256" class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--informationCircleWhite gmail-js-inViewportScribingTarget" title="Twitter Ads info and privacy" style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(43,123,185);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;height:18px;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:18px;outline:0px"><span class="gmail-u-hiddenVisually" style="overflow:hidden;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0px;border:0px">Twitter Ads info and privacy</span></a></div></div></div></blockquote></div><a class="gmail-CallToAction" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1183168042920005632" style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(43,123,185);text-decoration-line:none;display:flex;border-color:rgb(225,232,237);border-style:solid;border-radius:0px 0px 4px 4px;border-width:1px 0px 0px;padding:9px 20px;font-size:14px;outline:0px"><div class="gmail-CallToAction-icon" style="display:inline"><div class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--replyCTA" title="View conversation on Twitter" style="height:1.25em;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:1.25em"></div></div><div class="gmail-CallToAction-text" style="margin-left:4px">1,604 people are talking about this</div><div class="gmail-CallToAction-chevron" style="margin-left:auto;display:inline"><div class="gmail-Icon gmail-Icon--chevronRightCTA" title="View on Twitter" style="height:1.25em;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:contain;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:1.25em"><span style="background-color:transparent;text-align:justify;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Palatino,"Times New Roman",serif">If Elizabeth Warren really wanted people to believe she was committed to Medicare-For-All, she’d at least do us the courtesy of pretending she’d try to do it right away. “Long-term” shows she’s not even serious enough to lie properly.</span><br></div></div></a></div></div></div></span></div><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">This isn’t the first time Warren has used code words to conceal her intentions. Back in March, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/elizabeth-warren-town-hall-mississippi/h_b172fb6504a7e76a8a725b1d20b6ec36" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">Warren said</a>:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">When we talk about Medicare for All, there are a lot of different pathways…Some folks are talking about “Let’s start lowering the age. Maybe bring it down to 60, 55, 50″…Some people say “Do it the other way. Let’s bring it up, from, uh, everybody under 30 gets covered by Medicare.” Others say “Let employers be able to buy into the Medicare plans.” Others say “Let’s let employees buy into the Medicare plans.” For me, what’s key is we get everybody at the table on this…I’ve also co-sponsored other bills including expanding Medicaid as another approach that we use.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">This “pathways” or “many paths” language was a way of appearing to support Medicare-For-All without committing to the actual proposal put forward by Bernie Sanders. As Warren goes onto illustrate, “many paths” meant everything from “buying into” Medicare, which is Pete Buttigieg’s public option, to gradually lowering the Medicare eligibility age. But you know the one thing she didn’t list? Bernie’s bill.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Elizabeth Warren likes to pretend Bernie’s bill doesn’t exist. In September, she used another code word, calling Medicare-For-All a <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/463577-elizabeth-warrens-vagueness-on-medicare-for-all-isnt-fooling-anyone" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">“framework”:</a></p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">Right now, what we’ve got in Medicare for All is a framework. It doesn’t have the details and you’re right to be asking. But the most important part of your asking is to raise awareness so we get this right as we go through it.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">By calling Medicare-For-All a “framework”, Warren insinuates that it has no specific content and could mean whatever you want it to mean.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">At the time Warren was acting as if Medicare-For-All were a mere slogan, Bernie Sanders quite literally had a website up which enables you to calculate your savings under his bill. This website has been up since 2016. It’s still up. You can still go there. Please do:</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify"><a href="https://valadian.github.io/SandersHealthcareCalculator/" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">https://valadian.github.io/SandersHealthcareCalculator/</a></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">At every stage, Warren has been careful to signal that for her, Medicare-For-All means whatever you want it to mean. Now, by telling us it’s a “long-term” goal, she’s signalling it means nothing at all. And because she’s doing it right in front of our faces in a <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">policy</em> plan, most people can’t see it.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">The thing to realise about Warren is that the policy plans are not real plans—they’re campaign devices. A Warren “plan” is no different from an issues section of a candidate’s website. Candidates use issues sections to play games all the time. Andrew Yang loves to use his issues section to feign support for Medicare-For-All. Initially, in April, Yang’s <a href="https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2019/08/14/andrew-yang-is-playing-hide-and-seek-with-the-left-press/" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">website said:</a></p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">Either through expanding Medicare to all, or through creating a new healthcare system, we must move in the direction of a public option.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">In suggesting that Medicare-For-All was merely a move “in the direction” of nothing more than a public option, Yang said loudly what most of the Democratic candidates have been saying quietly. It was too obvious. By August, he swapped it out for a framework-version of Medicare-For-All, <a href="https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2019/08/14/andrew-yang-is-playing-hide-and-seek-with-the-left-press/" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;color:rgb(122,108,81)">with no details</a>:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px 20px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 10px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 3px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;border-left-style:solid;border-color:rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(0,0,0) rgb(204,204,204);outline:0px;font-size:1.4em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;font-style:italic;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(125,125,125)"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:1.1em;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.3em;text-align:justify">Through a Medicare for All system, we can ensure that all Americans receive the healthcare they deserve. Not only will this raise the quality of life for all Americans, but, by increasing access to preventive care, it will also bring overall healthcare costs down.</p></blockquote><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Before too long, I’m sure Yang will be telling us his “long-term strategy” for Medicare-For-All, and I’m sure his supporters will be expecting us to take it very, <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">very</em> seriously.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">There are stages here:</p><ol style="margin:0px 0px 20px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;list-style:none"><li style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em 17px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;list-style:disc;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Say you support Medicare-For-All, but suggest it could mean anything, including a public option. There are “many paths” and we need to go “in the direction”.</li><li style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em 17px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;list-style:disc;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Say you support Medicare-For-All, but suggest that it is a “framework” or a slogan that needs to be defined.</li><li style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em 17px;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;list-style:disc;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Issue a plan for Medicare-For-All, but insinuate repeatedly that the plan is “long-term” and not a priority.</li></ol><p style="margin:0px 0px 1.7em;padding:0px;border:0px rgb(0,0,0);outline:0px;font-size:14px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;line-height:1.5em;text-align:justify">Andrew Yang does it on his issues page. Elizabeth Warren does it behind the thin veneer of a policy “plan”. It’s pretend.</p></div></div>