Michael Lighty, Policy Director for National Nurses United, makes the case for Medicare For All and points out the gap between the Democratic “base” and its “donors.” Plus Ralph tells us about his new book, “To The Ramparts: How Bush and Obama Paved the Way For the Trump Presidency and How It’s Not Too Late to Change Course.” Plus, listener questions!
Michael Lighty is currently on sabbatical from National Nurses United (NNU), where he was most recently the NNU Director of Public Policy. He is stumping around the country for Medicare For All. For over 25 years, Mr. Lighty has organized, written and spoken for improved Medicare for All. He is currently the lead policy analyst for a single-payer bill, SB 562, the Healthy California Act. At the California Nurses Association since 1994, he has coordinated campaigns for an HMO patients’ bill of rights, clean money elections, and nationally for a Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street.
“Imagine a political party anywhere else in the world that doesn’t pursue a program that 85% of its supporters want. It’s inconceivable. So here you see the gap between the base and the donors. Because the donor class of the Democrats are the ones who are invested in Wall Street, who would be affected by the speculation tax that could fund human need programs, that would be affected by the roll back of insurance company profits. And it’s that class that we’re up against, represented by the Democratic leadership.”
Michael Lighty, Medicare For All advocate
Will Democrats Fight for Medicare For All?