Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Judith Solomon- 'Medicaid at 50: A Critical and Evolving Pillar to U.S. Health Care'

Source:CBPP- celebrating the creation of Medicaid.

"Fifty years after its birth, Medicaid is an essential and popular part of the nation’s health care system, providing quality health care services for over 80 million low-income Americans at some point during 2014.  The program, which has bridged gaps in health care access for five decades, has assumed an even greater role under health reform." 

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 

"With Medicare and Medicaid turning 50 this year, KFF provides a brief history of both programs, including an examination of the health care, social and political landscape that gave rise to them, the significant ways each program has evolved over five decades and the important roles they play in the U.S. health care system today:KFF." 

Source:KFF- celebrating Medicaid.

From KFF

Medicaid, is a very important health insurance program for people in poverty including the working poor, but also people who are disabled and senior citizens. The fact that it is also for seniors, I believe shows a problem for Medicare. Since Medicare is supposed to be for our senior citizens. But that might be for a different topic. 

But Medicaid is critical, but as long as we have it we need for it to be financially sustainable meaning affordable and the best way to do that is to pay for it. And no longer have this system where the Federal Government tells the states that they must have this program and only gives the states less than half of what they need to actually run the program. Without a revenue source to pay for their share and leaving the states to figure out how to pay for the rest.

If you are familiar with this blog, you it is against corporate welfare. And part of that welfare is business's getting away with not paying for their employees cost of living. The fact is if you're a cashier at a fast rood restaurant, or a grocery store, you're an essential employee. Because your employer can't do business without you and your fellow cashiers. And cashiers would just be one example of that. Good luck running a nice sit down restaurant without waiters and cooks. Or stocking a grocery store without stockers. Running a pizza joint without cashiers, cooks, and drivers. And there are plenty of more examples like that.

So what I would do is what I would do with all public assistance programs and make them financially self-sufficient. Instead of having hard-working middle class taxpayers not only have to figure out how to pay for their health care and other life essentials, but have to pick up the tab for low-income workers have employers cover their employees Medicaid, public housing, food assistance, etc. 

Or give employers an option and say you don't want to pay these payroll taxes on your employees, give your employees the money to pay for these life essentials instead. And I would happy to cut taxes on business's in exchange. But the idea that big employers who make a lot of money, but don't share much of that success even the basics like cost of living and instead pass those costs onto hard-working middle class taxpayers, is insulting.

Again, I would do this with all of our public assistance programs, but since this is about Medicaid, this is how I would reform it and make it financially not just affordable, but self-sufficient. Tell employers that they need to cover their low-income workers. Either through Medicaid with a payroll tax, or provide private health insurance that is just as good as Medicaid. 

Again, instead of allowing big for-profit employers the ability to pass their employees cost of living onto hard-working middle class taxpayers. As well as give low-income workers the option of taking either Medicaid, or private health insurance that their employer would cover part of that is just as high quality.

Garmon Bozia: Video: Lyndon B. Johnson, The Accidental President

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

The Accidental President, I think I would find that insulting if I was Lyndon Johnson with all of his experience and qualifications to be President of the United States. And even though Vice President Johnson wasn’t a very active Vice President, because the Jack Kennedy White House kept him in hiding with very little if any responsibility as the 2nd Ranking Officer in the U.S. Government, he was still Vice President of the United States.

And according to the U.S. Constitution if the President can’t or doesn’t full fill their term as President and leaves office voluntarily or involuntarily, as was the case with President Kennedy, the Vice President takes over and becomes President of the United States. There was no accident to LBJ becoming President. He was Vice President at the time when President Kennedy was assassinated and JFK was assassinated as President of the United States. No accident in how LBJ became President of the United States and he was overwhelmingly elected President of the United States in 1964.

James Miller Center: President Lyndon Johnson: Remarks on Decision to Not Seek Reelection in 1968

Source:FRS FreeState 

When President Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for reelection in March of 1968, the United States was very divided, but they were united around the fact that they didn’t like Lyndon Johnson as their President. His approval rating was somewhere in the 30s and America was a very divided country. Between the establishment and I guess Culture Revolutionaries that were tired of being told how to live and be and what it was like to be an American. And wanted to live their own lives the way they wanted to. Whether the conservative establishment was happy with their choices or not.   

And of course we were divided as a country over Vietnam, the civil right movement, crime was high, riots everywhere, the Federal Government getting much bigger with the Great Society. And America was looking for a change and had President Johnson ran for reelection, he would’ve definitely had a primary challenger. Senator Gene McCarthy had already announced he was running for President. And Senator Bobby Kennedy was considering running for President. Both Democrats and LBJ might of won the Democratic Nomination. 

But there’s no guarantee of that and even if that did happen he would’ve ended up leading a divided Democratic Party, which is what Vice President Hubert Humphrey ended up doing. Going up against a united Republican Party around Richard Nixon. Starving for a big win and a path back to power after being out of the White House and being the minority in Congress for the last eight years.

With Vietnam, high crime and the riots, LBJ lost the ability to lead a country that was divided. And looking for someone else to be their President and he made the right decision both politically. But for the country as well and gave Americans an opportunity to look for someone else to be their President. And take the country in a different direction, which is exactly what they got in Dick Nixon.

The LBJ Library: President Lyndon Johnson & Governor Nelson Rockefeller (1/07/1966)

Source:LBJ Library- President Lyndon B Johnson (Democrat, Texas) talking to Governor Nelson Rockefeller (Republican, New York) in 1966.

"Telephone Conversation between President Johnson and Nelson Rockefeller. 

Citation No.: 9458

January 7, 1966

Time: 1:01 PM

Speakers: President Johnson and Nelson Rockefeller

General Topic: Business; Congressional Relations; Disasters; Federal Budget; Housing; Labor; Legislation; National Politics; Press Relations; Public Relations; Transportation; Urban Affairs; Veterans; Welfare

Topics: Rockefeller Asks LBJ To Declare NYC Disaster Area, Requests Small Business Loans, Veterans Loan Guarantees, OEO Help For Those Affected By Transit Strike; LBJ Suggests Other Methods Be Studied Before Issuing Disaster Declaration; Strike Negotiations; RFK" 

Source:The LBJ Library

Governor Nelson Rockefeller (Republican, New York) trying to get President Lyndon Johnson (Democrat, Texas) to give him some public assistance from the Federal level, to deal with some small business issues and problems that were going on in New York City. Perhaps having to deal with riots or other social unrest the city was going through in the mid and late 1960s. Which was a rough time for New York during this period with high crime and high poverty and other issues dealing with social unrest in a city of roughly eight-million people that was crucial to the whole State of New York.

You can also see this post at The Daily Times, on Blogger.

The LBJ Library: President Lyndon Johnson's Meeting With Governor George C. Wallace, 3/18/65

President Lyndon Johnson talking about the need for Alabama Governor George C. Wallace's need to enforce the law in Alabama. And in this case the law was a Federal court order that said civil rights marchers in Alabama had a right to march and that Alabama was responsible for keeping the peace and keep order in Alabama. What Governor Wallace I believe was trying to tell the President was that keeping order during this march would be difficult. And what President Johnson was saying was that he would help him do that in anyway he can.

The LBJ Library: President Lyndon Johnson- Meeting with Governor George C. Wallace (3/13/1965)

Source:The LBJ Library- President Lyndon B. Johnson (Democrat, Texas) talking about his meeting with Governor George C. Wallace (Democrat, Alabama) in 1965.

"President Johnson's Meeting with Alabama Governor George C. Wallace, March 13, 1965. Index terms: Civil Rights; Speeches; Press Conferences; George C. Wallace; Selma, AL; Voting Rights LBJ Library video MP 538 donated by CBS. No usage fees. Footage shown here was a gift from CBS for the LBJ Library. They are pool coverage of live presidential addresses and are not copyrighted.  The Library has made them available (excluding any network commentary) for decades without incident." 

From The LBJ Library

Lyndon Johnson vs. George C. Wallace was a mismatch at least when it came to persuasion. Because Governor Wallace was a master at propaganda and touting his own, well excuse my French, but bullshit. Even though I doubt he believed his own bullshit, but instead use it to hold power. 

But LBJ wasn't someone you bullshitted without any response and LBJ would cut people off if they knew they were simply wrong. And tell them: "Don't shit me! We both know better." And tell them what is actually going on and ask them: "What you intend to do about it?"

What I believe happened here during this conversation between President Johnson and Governor Wallace at least according to the LBJ tapes, was the Governor trying to convince the President that he was limited in what he can do to see that everyone in Alabama can vote. Because he governed his own administration, but not all of the local governments in Alabama. 

And what the President said was: "Don't shit me, George! We both know who has the power in Alabama and that person is you. Now are you going to enforce the civil rights laws down there or, am I going to do that for you?" This according to President Johnson's speechwriter Richard Goodwin. 

James Miller Center: President Lyndon Johnson Signs 1964 Civil Rights Act

President Lyndon Johnson signing of the 1964 Civil Rights is one of the most important moments in American history. Because he signed a law that granted access to millions of Americans who were simply denied that access simply because of their race and for no other reason than that. And what it meant was that not only do all Americans have the same constitutional rights under law. But that they have to be enforced equally for all Americans. And if the states aren't willing to do that and leave Americans in the dark because of their race, than the Federal Government will step in and enforce those laws and rights for them.

LBJ Library: Video: President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Speech at the University of Michigan, 5/22/1964

Whatever you think of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society speech whether you love it or hate it, or like it, or dislike it, this is one of the best and most important speeches in American history. Because it laid out a vision of what a Great Society would look like with everyone living in freedom and living out of poverty with access to a good education and being able to make a good life for themselves. That was the vision of this speech and what LBJ wanted to create for America.

The problem I have with this speech and perhaps the only problem I have with this speech is how much faith he put into government to create this society. Especially the Federal Government almost as if it not completely that the Federal Government would build this speech by itself for us. What came after this speech was the Great Society Federal social insurance system all really from the Federal Government. Instead of laying out an agenda of how can the country including government, but the people themselves and even the Federal Government together can create this society for America.

LBJ Library: President Johnson's 1964 State of the Union address, 1/8/64

Source: LBJ Library-

Source:LBJ Library

This is the speech where President Lyndon Johnson calls to continue President John Kennedy’s agenda. Putting his tax cut plan through Congress that President Kennedy badly wanted. As well as calling for the Civil Rights Act it be passed that was finally passed in the summer of 1964. As well as calling for medical insurance for the elderly and poor which became Medicare and Medicaid. As well as all sorts of new programs to help low-income Americans that became part of the so-called War on Poverty. Late 1963 and 1964 was about finishing President Kennedy’s agenda in that Congress. Because again remember Lyndon became President, because President Jack Kennedy was assassinated and LBJ was Vice President at the time. So LBJ didn’t become President under his own mandate. If he had a mandate in 63-64, it was full fill President Kennedy’s agenda.

NBC News: Lyndon Johnson's Last Day as President in 1969

Source:The Daily Journal

I'm guessing Lyndon Johnson was ready to leave the presidency and had enough. 1966, was  a really rough year for President Johnson and the Johnson Presidency. House Democrats, lose over forty seats in the House and three in the Senate. Because of the Vietnam War and how unpopular it was. Plus with the Republican Party and House Republicans, finally figuring out how to campaign and win in the South. Richard Nixon of course was a huge help there and he campaigned for a lot of House Republicans and House Republican candidates and did that in the South. Which helped him with his 1968 presidential campaign with all of these new Freshman Republican Representatives, who now owed him favors.

1967, the war gets even worst for the Johnson Administration in Vietnam. And now he's having a lot of problems with his own party in Congress. Starting with Senate Democrats holding Vietnam War hearings that started in 1965, but continued through the next Congress in 1967. Several Senate Democrats are now weighing presidential bids against their party leader in President Johnson. Like Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern. The anti-war movement and the New-Left emerges in the late 1960s. And they're against President Johnson and calling him a war criminal, and war monger and a few things that you can't say on network TV, even today.

1968, was the topper with LBJ now being the most unpopular elected politician in America. And now there's talk if he can even win the Democratic nomination for president, let alone with the presidency against Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, or George Romney, in the Republican Party. By March 1968, President Johnson decides that he's had enough and doesn't want to run for reelection and announces that to the country. But 1968 is just getting started with two great political leaders, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin King, both being assassinated. There racial riots in Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Democratic Party, is now divided between their mainstream Progressives, which LBJ represents and their Far-Left. LBJ, was really smart not to run for reelection in 1968.

James Miller Center: The Legacy of President Lyndon B. Johnson

Source:Free State MD

Lyndon Johnson's Presidency is remembered for the Vietnam War and the miss-handling of it but that's only part of the story of a five year Presidency. When I think of Lyndon Johnson, I think of not only the best Senate Majority Leader America has ever seen for passing legislation but, also, someone who brought those skills to the White House and became the greatest legislative President America has ever seen. Whether you agree with all of the legislation that President Johnson got passed or none of it or are somewhere in between, you have to give him credit and acknowledge his ability to get legislation passed through Congress.

I also think about what would not have happened had Lyndon Johnson not become President. How long would African-Americans have had to wait for the full citizenship that the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act gave them?  Without LBJ, who secured crucial help from then Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen and some progressive Republican Senators, those bills could not have passed. 

How did LBJ get the Civil and Voting Rights Acts through Congress?  He did it by scaring the hell out of Representatives and Senators, especially Southern Democrats, by telling them that if they didn't allow votes on the bills he wouldn't support their pork projects in the appropriations bills. If you really want to scare a member of Congress, find a way to prevent their delivering pork to their district or state.  Pork to members is like cocaine to drug addicts.  They don't think they can survive without it. 

In evaluating the presidency of LBJ. a very important consideration is how long would America have to wait for the Civil and Voting Rights Acts to be passed.  I think that President Nixon would have signed those bills into law but he would not of put much effort into getting them through Congress.  The same with President Ford.  I think that President Carter would have of tried to get them through Congress but he didn't have the respect from Congress that President Johnson did. I think that President Reagan might have been able to get them passed but he and the Republican Senate from 1981-87 would have wanted stripped down and compromised versions of the Acts.

We probably would have waited until President George H.W. Bush or President Clinton, a generation after LBJ, before those bills become Law. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton didn't have the respect from Congress that LBJ  had because they had not served in Congress.  Both Congressional parties knew very well that LBJ would do whatever it would take to pass legislation that he thought was in the best interest of the country.  Carter and Clinton had more of a "Get what you can now" approach to negotiating with Congress. 

When I think of  a Progressive in political (not pop culture) terms, I think of someone who wants the country as a whole to advance in a positive way.  I think of Lyndon Johnson.  He was a Progressive.  He never saw a problem that he thought could not be solved, whether it was poverty, health care civil rights or whatever.  A lot of times, as in civil rights and Medicare, it worked and sometimes it didn't, as in Vietnam, but he was always working to bring positive change to America. 

So when you look at Lyndon Johnson's Presidency, there is the stain of the Vietnam War but  remember to look at the whole story.