I wonder if Fetterman has an emotional affinity for RFK Jr.'s style. They both have suffered major personal medical events (Fetterman--stroke; RFK Jr.--heroin addiction) They both are charismatic, and hyper-masculine (in different ways), and both have hot, younger wives. Lol.
Good, objective assessment of the current state. I believe RFK will need a couple of additional democrats to break ranks. I hope there will be some with the integrity it will require to do so.
Many voted for Trump specifically because of RFK’s endorsement. It would be unfortunate if the senate silenced those voters.
The HighWire did a great analysis of Dr. Cassidy’s reasons for questioning RFK, Jr. yesterday. I suggest you watch it. The show was excellent!
I’m not holding my breath! The way they conducted themselves during the hearings suggests that both sides are bought and not likely to cooperate with major change. The questioning was rude and unprofessional and not designed to get any viable answers or solutions. They were gotchas! Many preconceived opinions and not likely motivated to change. Many conflicts of interests. It was a clown show! Mr. Kennedy did great!
While I support the MAHA movement, RFK has surrounded himself with a team that has failed his nomination hearings. His lack of knowledge on CMS, in particular the 3 parts to Medicare and how Medicaid operates are damning. The director of HHS should know about this. Who prepped him? A bunch of crunchy moms? A dude who does policy work with a singular focus on chronic diseases but is myopic to how the current government system works? If MAHA wants to make health changes they need to know the terrain they will be working on and how they plan to deal with it. Just simply saying we need to fix it is not enough. Bobby knows physicians who will work with him and if by some miracle he is confirmed it’s important he bring them in. Otherwise he will look like a fool.
I bet they have no clue about the 3 parts of Medicare but there are 4 parts. Don’t forget Medicare Part D. The one pertaining to drugs. The thing they were fussing about!
My bet is that he will get confirmed, although I don't think he should.
I just listened again to his opening statements, hoping that I'd hear a plan, or his focus areas, or some ideas or theories but there was nothing. He also flubbed a question from R Senator Cassidy on the topics of Medicare and Medicaid - he offered NOTHING - except to say that 'he had Medicare Advantage, which he loved, but that it was expensive and some people maybe can't afford it'. As an aside, he is dead wrong about MA plans vs traditional Medicare + supplement (the latter being more expensive).
Over and over I hear the MAHA influencers talk about how bad things are, and I don't disagree at all, but I just want to hear how they plan to attack this VERY large problem.
He isn’t perfect across the board, but does he have to be? Who would do a better job of bringing integrity, accountability, and scientific vigor to HHS?
Marty Makary, already tagged for FDA chief....he'd be way better. If RFK hadn't bowed out and joined Trump's team, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been sitting in that hearing this week.
I agree. A compromise could be Makary as secretary of HHS with RFK as the deputy secretary focused on MAHA. Put Vinay Prasad in charge of FDA. I would bet this type of compromise would get more support.
You said something in your podcast that I think is spot on. While I am certainly not in agreement with everything Kennedy advocates, your point was that he will shake up the status quo big time and is the one person likely to make serious changes in a mediocre Pharma manipulated bureaucracy that could help increase the health of Americans.
After having spent much of his lifetime railing against vaccines, it might come as a surprise that RFK Jr would suddenly tell a bunch of US Senators that he really isn’t anti-vaccine. You see, the problem is that sometimes people lie, and in Trumpworld, they seem to do that quite a bit more than sometimes. In any case, from what I’ve read, there doesn’t seem to be much agreement that the old fashioned childhood vaccines are in need of more study, and until more doctors and scientists are clamoring for more study, it probably won’t happen. I don’t think Bobby has managed to come across as trustworthy somehow, and Republican Senators who don’t have an election coming up soon may not feel pressured to vote for him, no matter how the current administration may threaten them. But, we’ll see.
Big Pharma will call the shots--no sane pol will walk away from that kind of money. The industry has enough clout to gin up primary challenges for even long-serving members, requiring not only losing the contributions but having to spend bucks to fend off the challenger.
I want change, I want disruption in a corrupt system, yet I’m not swayed that it needs to be someone with so much baggage. A lot of crazy stuff is literal stuff he said, not attributions. I think he’s a whack job.
I don’t think Trump would be in office w/o RFK.
Posts on X dated 1/1/25 shows video of Senator Fetterman saying he is looking forward to working with Kennedy.
I hope it happens.
I wonder if Fetterman has an emotional affinity for RFK Jr.'s style. They both have suffered major personal medical events (Fetterman--stroke; RFK Jr.--heroin addiction) They both are charismatic, and hyper-masculine (in different ways), and both have hot, younger wives. Lol.
Good, objective assessment of the current state. I believe RFK will need a couple of additional democrats to break ranks. I hope there will be some with the integrity it will require to do so.
Many voted for Trump specifically because of RFK’s endorsement. It would be unfortunate if the senate silenced those voters.
The HighWire did a great analysis of Dr. Cassidy’s reasons for questioning RFK, Jr. yesterday. I suggest you watch it. The show was excellent!
I’m not holding my breath! The way they conducted themselves during the hearings suggests that both sides are bought and not likely to cooperate with major change. The questioning was rude and unprofessional and not designed to get any viable answers or solutions. They were gotchas! Many preconceived opinions and not likely motivated to change. Many conflicts of interests. It was a clown show! Mr. Kennedy did great!
While I support the MAHA movement, RFK has surrounded himself with a team that has failed his nomination hearings. His lack of knowledge on CMS, in particular the 3 parts to Medicare and how Medicaid operates are damning. The director of HHS should know about this. Who prepped him? A bunch of crunchy moms? A dude who does policy work with a singular focus on chronic diseases but is myopic to how the current government system works? If MAHA wants to make health changes they need to know the terrain they will be working on and how they plan to deal with it. Just simply saying we need to fix it is not enough. Bobby knows physicians who will work with him and if by some miracle he is confirmed it’s important he bring them in. Otherwise he will look like a fool.
I bet they have no clue about the 3 parts of Medicare but there are 4 parts. Don’t forget Medicare Part D. The one pertaining to drugs. The thing they were fussing about!
Good point, forgot about the donut hole
I saw on X that Collins is now favorable.
I expect he will lose McConnell who is going to vote against all nominees not regime-approved...
Murkowski likely a no as well. Lindsey Graham? TBD, but I think he will vote yes finally.
You are a despicable.
Any doctor who would accept RFKJ should lose their license and be put in a blender and fed to hawks
You are comical.
Howard, You are an idiot. Go join Kamala's 2028 campaign.
There is no need to be insulting here. Make your reasons for opposing RFK known with resorting to vitriol.
My bet is that he will get confirmed, although I don't think he should.
I just listened again to his opening statements, hoping that I'd hear a plan, or his focus areas, or some ideas or theories but there was nothing. He also flubbed a question from R Senator Cassidy on the topics of Medicare and Medicaid - he offered NOTHING - except to say that 'he had Medicare Advantage, which he loved, but that it was expensive and some people maybe can't afford it'. As an aside, he is dead wrong about MA plans vs traditional Medicare + supplement (the latter being more expensive).
Over and over I hear the MAHA influencers talk about how bad things are, and I don't disagree at all, but I just want to hear how they plan to attack this VERY large problem.
He isn’t perfect across the board, but does he have to be? Who would do a better job of bringing integrity, accountability, and scientific vigor to HHS?
Marty Makary, already tagged for FDA chief....he'd be way better. If RFK hadn't bowed out and joined Trump's team, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been sitting in that hearing this week.
I agree. A compromise could be Makary as secretary of HHS with RFK as the deputy secretary focused on MAHA. Put Vinay Prasad in charge of FDA. I would bet this type of compromise would get more support.
Brilliant idea
You said something in your podcast that I think is spot on. While I am certainly not in agreement with everything Kennedy advocates, your point was that he will shake up the status quo big time and is the one person likely to make serious changes in a mediocre Pharma manipulated bureaucracy that could help increase the health of Americans.
After having spent much of his lifetime railing against vaccines, it might come as a surprise that RFK Jr would suddenly tell a bunch of US Senators that he really isn’t anti-vaccine. You see, the problem is that sometimes people lie, and in Trumpworld, they seem to do that quite a bit more than sometimes. In any case, from what I’ve read, there doesn’t seem to be much agreement that the old fashioned childhood vaccines are in need of more study, and until more doctors and scientists are clamoring for more study, it probably won’t happen. I don’t think Bobby has managed to come across as trustworthy somehow, and Republican Senators who don’t have an election coming up soon may not feel pressured to vote for him, no matter how the current administration may threaten them. But, we’ll see.
Zero chance pharma allows him to be The Guy. Our government is “follow the money” and Pharma IS the money.
Big Pharma will call the shots--no sane pol will walk away from that kind of money. The industry has enough clout to gin up primary challenges for even long-serving members, requiring not only losing the contributions but having to spend bucks to fend off the challenger.
Reality bites.
I want change, I want disruption in a corrupt system, yet I’m not swayed that it needs to be someone with so much baggage. A lot of crazy stuff is literal stuff he said, not attributions. I think he’s a whack job.
Take the pharmaceutical industry to task?
believe it when I see it, they have teams of lawyers making sure every action is defensible.