Senator Max Baucus ran from questions this morning about why he refuses to hear arguments for removing the profit and greed of the health insurance industry from American health care at a media event at the Kaiser Family Foundation. He pulled up ready to park on the street and go in the front door – but turned his car down a back alley and parked in the iron-gated service entrance to avoid the protesters waiting to ask him questions out front. I’ll post a link to the video as soon as it’s up. (The scene was reminiscent of other politicians we’ve caught on the run, only this time, the media was inside waiting.) 

Russell Mokhiber, a credentialed, long-time journalist who publishes Corporate Crime Reporter, was denied access to the meeting altogether. Perhaps because Baucus had him arrested two weeks ago for speaking out during a Congressional hearing where advocates of single payer health care were denied a seat at the table. Read his account here.

Meanwhile, instead of listening to the overwhelming voice of Americans who want real health reform, Sen. Baucus is going full steam ahead with the insurance industry’s favorite idea to co-opt health care reform: a requirement that every American prove they have health coverage or pay a tax penalty or fine. Isn’t it time he explain how he plans to protect consumers from high-cost, low-benefit policies that are the inevitable result of forcing everyone to buy unaffordable private health insurance?