Health care fight is main event
By Tim Damos
Wendell Potter spent nearly 20 years as a public relations honcho for two of the biggest health insurance companies in the world. He gave that up to join the push for reform after making a spur-of-the-moment visit to a health care exposition in West Virginia. "When I walked through the fairground gates I was just stunned," Potter said. "It was almost like I was hit by lightning. "There were hundreds and hundreds of people waiting in line, standing in the rain, just to get care. They were treating patients in animal stalls. Other treatment areas were in tents. You could see people being treated right out there in the open, like this was a war-torn country or refugee camp or a Third World country. And I thought: Is this my country?" Potter — who in June delivered a scathing insider account to Congress, describing how insurers dump patients with costly health problems to protect profits — will be one of the featured speakers at Saturday’s Fighting Bob Fest at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo. The eighth annual event, which organizers bill as the largest annual outdoor political festival in the country, will feature other progressive speakers such as U.S. senators Tom Harkin and Bernie Sanders, congresswomen Gwen Moore and Tammy Baldwin, and authors Jeremy Scahill, Jim Hightower and Greg Palast. As Democrats in Congress and President Barack Obama face continued skepticism about a $1 trillion 10-year plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system, organizers hope this year’s Bob Fest will bring clarity to the discussion. "The health care issue is going to be one of the major things we’re focusing on," said Laura Boyd of FightingBob.com, who is coordinating this year’s event. "I think people have questions still about what the best options are. Hearing from people on the inside who are familiar with what insurance companies are doing... hopefully will bring some facts to the debate." Boyd said the issue is also timely considering the recent death of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, a champion of the progressive movement who fought for health care reform. "People come to Fighting Bob Fest to have fun and to be part of something special," said Bob Fest founder and master of ceremonies Ed Garvey. "And they also want to leave with a better sense of what they can do to make things better. This year, they will leave knowing what they can do about health care reform." The event also will include music, food, beer, poetry, small-group workshops and exhibits.
Schedule
Here is a tentative schedule of speakers for Saturday’s Fighting Bob Fest at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo: n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n