Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: ‘It’s a just and noble cause to make health care available to everyone.’
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: ‘It’s a just and noble cause to make health care available to everyone.’
Hall of Famer and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed this morning that he has been battling leukemia, a form of cancer that develops in blood tissue. Abdul-Jabbar appeared on CNN’s American Morning and fielded questions about his battle with the disease. During the conversation, CNN co-host Kiran Chetry asked Abdul-Jabbar if he was following the health care debate, prompting the basketball star to offer his endorsement for reform. He explained that he believes that it is a “just and noble cause” to guarantee access to health care to Americans:
CHETRY: I’m sure you’ve been paying attention to the ongoing debate about health care. Have you taken a stand on that? Do you have an opinion on what we need to do as a nation to ensure more people can have access to health care?
ABDUL-JABBAR: I’m all for that. We have the best technology in the world. We’re supposed to be the ‘can-do’ nation. And our health care system really fails so many people. Especially poor people, people who don’t have the means to go to private doctors. I think we should change that. I think it’s absolutely crucial. Certainly it’s a just and noble cause to make health care available to everyone.
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Excellent, now if we can get some more celebs to stand up and say we need the public option where everyone can hear them.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:42 pmWell said Kareem, very well said.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:44 pmjust and noble cause?!?!
November 10th, 2009 at 2:45 pmwell, that explains why the repiggies are against it!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
Sliming by lobbyists, using vague muslim references will begin in three… two…
November 10th, 2009 at 2:46 pm“We’re supposed to be the ‘can do’ nation.
Until the repiggies who believe otherwise are voted out of office we won’t be.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:47 pmBarfly, somehow I get the funny feeling that our resident trolls leave this thread alone. I could be wrong though.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:50 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
No. The trolls don’t care about what is good for the people. To them, people are disposible. One actually said my 22 year old daughter was a drain on society. So for them, anything goes.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:53 pmI guess we spoke to soon.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:54 pmD’oh! My fault in thinking the trolls would have a little decency. HF, don’t you have a cliff you could throw yourself off? We could all use the break from the bile you love to spew.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:56 pmP.D. @9, Is it even worth responding to (or even acknowledging) someone who is obviously so attention-starved?
November 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm@8 Why would your daughter be a drain?
November 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pmBut you don’t know that. You come to quick conclusions because he disagrees with you.
You cause many deaths with your lack of intelligence.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:58 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
@12, Because like many young people, she works full time but her company doesn’t offer benefits. Many young people don’t have the security that MY parents had. It’s tragic, really.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pmI’m thinking that this HF is only a parody troll. That spelling is way too accurate to be the ‘real’ HF.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pm.
SINGLE PAYER COVERS ALL FOR LESS!
.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pmCertainly it’s a just and noble cause
Well that certainly isn’t what Republicans stand for.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:05 pmWe’ve spent over $1 TRILLION in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001…That would have been much better spent on universal health care here in the USA…
We can’t have that though, Cheney and his cabal wouldn’t be getting rich if that were to be the case.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:06 pmSorry this is off-topic, but I just had to share the news:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/966677.html
“Blake Hall, a leading figure in Idaho and national politics for 25 years, was fired Monday as a deputy prosecuting attorney in eastern Idaho and has resigned from the Republican National Committee.
Hall, a former member of the state Board of Education, pleaded guilty Friday to stalking a former girlfriend and is serving a 15-day jail sentence. He also was sentenced to a year of supervised probation. A six-month jail sentence was suspended.
Idaho Falls police reported that witnesses said Hall disposed of used condoms on the lawn of the woman’s house. Nineteen condoms were turned over to police, collected on 10 different dates, according to a police report. Both Hall and his lawyer acknowledged the condoms belonged to him, according to a police report.”
November 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pmMary, except he spelled Byrd wrong.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pm…should have added: “/snark” after that last sentence…
November 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pmIt looks like Kareem stopped short of saying that the government should provide this healthcare (according to the quotes here anyway). He did specifically referene the poor, but didn’t seem to elaborate on how we get care for them. I wonder if he has an opinion there, or just generally feels that change needs to happen.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:08 pmBut but but…he’s a Muslim.
/snark
November 10th, 2009 at 3:11 pmMr. Jabbar, I wish you good health. Continue to speak up for those who do not have affordable health care. We need your voice.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:12 pmKareem Abdul-Jabbar: ‘It’s a just and noble cause to make health care available to everyone.’
– - Yeah, cuz YOU try draggin’ Walton up and down the court for 48 minutes!
November 10th, 2009 at 3:12 pmAah, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. An awesome player. It’s sad to heat he’s battling cancer, and I wish him a speedy recovery, but, let’s also remember, he’s definitely lucky that he’s wealthy enough to afford the treatment. At least he, unlike the Rebpulicans who are supposed to be serving us, is showing some compassion towards this issue.
Hopefully other celebrities will do so (Jon Voight not being one of them) as well; people tend to respond more to popular culture than to politics. Unfortunate, but it may be the best way to reach out on the issue.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:14 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
I heard this on Raw Story. Wow, what a shocker. But,
November 10th, 2009 at 3:20 pmI am glad that he is speaking out in favor of healthcare reform as everyday people are denied healthcare coverage on a preexisting condition such as cancer.
Joey: Wait a minute. I know you. You’re Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You play basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:20 pmRoger Murdock: I’m sorry son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I’m the co-pilot.
Joey: You are Kareem. I’ve seen you play. My dad’s got season tickets.
Roger Murdock: I think you should go back to your seat now Joey. Right Clarence?
Captain Oveur: Nahhhhhh, he’s not bothering anyone, let him stay here.
Roger Murdock: But just remember, my name is
[showing his nametag]
Roger Murdock: ROGER MURDOCK. I’m an airline pilot.
Joey: I think you’re the greatest, but my dad says you don’t work hard enough on defense.
[Kareem's getting mad]
Joey: And he says that lots of times, you don’t even run down court. And that you don’t really try… except during the playoffs.
Roger Murdock: The hell I don’t. LISTEN KID. I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I’m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes
Badmoonman says,
November 10th, 2009 at 3:21 pmYeah, Kareem and James Worthy both! LOL. I almost spilled my soda when I saw that post.
“– – Yeah, cuz YOU try draggin’ Walton up and down the court for 48 minutes!”
Walton and Lenier(sp>?)!
Badmoodman, I knew someone had to come out with an Airplane reference! :D
November 10th, 2009 at 3:22 pmWhat kind of a name is
Humpty Flackheister?
Harald Ferknest?
Hercule Fleibyneight?
November 10th, 2009 at 3:23 pmDNFP, thanks for the whole dialogue – I loved the look on the kid’s face when ‘Murdock’ grabbed him by the shirt and told him off! :D
November 10th, 2009 at 3:24 pmFolks, if we’re going to acknowledge the trolls, let’s at least try to distinguish between the real troll and the name-jacker who seeks to subject the troll to even more ridicule than its genuine posts warrant.
Talk about trying to make water wet…
November 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pmSpin Dreck: Jamal has a deeply seated hatred for cancer patients and wants the government death panel to kill them Grayson style: quickly.
/snark
November 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pmI would tend to disagree with this statement. While it might be convenient currently because most celebs tend to lean left, this can also backfire at any given time because most celebs are by no means experts on the issues that they champion so reverently. It’s more about being en vogue than being knowledgeable in my opinion.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:34 pmOh, and Kareem was not only a great player, he has also proven to be a genuine American hero off the court, too: accomplished author, historian, humanitarian.
In other words, a perfect target for wingnuts and trolls.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:35 pmthe repukelicans will be branding him as a “undercover al qaeda muslim terrorist” on pox news tonight.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:38 pmthe fact that he has yet to be offered a head coaching job is a shame in my opinion. This illness might prevent that from ever happening, but I have heard from several former players that he would be a GREAT coach.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:39 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
audit the fed,
November 10th, 2009 at 3:42 pmwake up assclown,
your healthcare is already “being rationed” by all of those fine physicians working at aetna.
Truly not used to showing emotion for others to see but kinda crying right now to know that Kareem has leukemia. He is such a great athletic hero..God bless him and heal him.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:42 pmI would tend to disagree with this statement. While it might be convenient currently because most celebs tend to lean left, this can also backfire at any given time because most celebs are by no means experts on the issues that they champion so reverently. It’s more about being en vogue than being knowledgeable in my opinion.
Well, I would tend to disa…gree…
*suddenly remembers about Jenny McCarthy and how she claims Jim Carrey cured her son’s autism*
…
Never mind. You do have a very, very good point, most celebrities tend to be downright insane on the issues and those are the ones that get more coverage. And the ones known to be sane and intelligent on political issues (i.e. Rose MacGowan was someone I didn’t expect to be one of those people, but I saw her speaking about Arnie’s policies and she’s actually pretty damn smart!) won’t usually say something or it doesn’t get covered much.
I suppose I should just cross my fingers and hope to high hell that someone like that doesn’t pick up on this issue. Especially not Jenny McCarthy. :/
November 10th, 2009 at 3:55 pmHe’ll stop our freedom from happening
November 10th, 2009 at 4:03 pm—-
What in the heck does this mean?
Papirini says:
*suddenly remembers about Jenny McCarthy and how she claims Jim Carrey cured her son’s autism*
WHAT!?
You’ve got to be shitting me.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:04 pmMax Anax junius -1 says:
.
SINGLE PAYER COVERS ALL FOR LESS!
Yep, rationing will be in vogue.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:06 pmmr. puke,
November 10th, 2009 at 4:09 pmyou’re 100% correct. look how closely rationed health care is for the meemaws and peepaws on maedicare. you should join your local RNC and force them to run on the “get rid of medicare” platform
Bozo The Neoclown says:
mr. puke,
you’re 100% correct. look how closely rationed health care is for the meemaws and peepaws on maedicare. you should join your local RNC and force them to run on the “get rid of medicare” platform
How do we pay for it? Can the Fed buy another printing press on credit? More paper U.S. dollars needed. Yeah, brother, can ya spare a tree. We need more paper money.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:12 pmMr.Duke says:
Yep, rationing will be in vogue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like with seniors and their medicare?
November 10th, 2009 at 4:12 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Zooey says:
Papirini says:
*suddenly remembers about Jenny McCarthy and how she claims Jim Carrey cured her son’s autism*
WHAT!?
You’ve got to be shitting me.
I know she’s the queen of “vaccines gave my kid autism”, and apparently a number of her fans go for some pretty exotic “cures.”
November 10th, 2009 at 4:17 pmmr puke,
perhaps we can adopted 43’s economic policy. you know, hold two wars off the books for eight years and sell our children’s future to the communist chinese?
as least with universal heatlhcare i’ll get something for my tax money other than the destruction of an unarmed nation.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pmI think the stupid trolls are just pissed because they think people with funny names should be denied any medical care whatsoever.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm“Not that anyone gives a rip. Entitlements are in vogue. Give me more.”
mr. puke, are you talking about the wall street robber barons? or perhaps kbr, halliburton and blackwater with their no bid cost plus contracts?
i agree, time to end corporate welfare.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:20 pmgummitch says:
I know she’s the queen of “vaccines gave my kid autism”, and apparently a number of her fans go for some pretty exotic “cures.”
November 10th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
After Wakefield’s study went down in flames, she had to find the “Carrey Cure?”
That woman is nuts.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:23 pmMr.Duke says:
November 10th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
It’s good to know that if you are fired, you will not accept unemployment; if you are disabled, you will not accept disability payments or file a lawsuit; if you are hurt on the job, you will not accept Worker’s Comp; and if you manage to live to age 65, you will accept neither Social Security or Medicare.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pmIt’s a “just and noble” cause. OK, now we know why conservatives and libertarians are against it.
Mr. Duke: “How do we pay for it?”
Yes, Mr. Duke. How will we possibly pay for a health care system when it’s less expensive than the one we pay for today?
You know, if I had heard word one from weasily Repubs and Libertarians while we were burning $13 billion a month on a war of choice, you might have some credibility, Duke, but I didn’t so you don’t.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:28 pmMr: Duke says:
When other people get money from the government, it is an entitlement. When I get money from the government, they owe it to me. I have no problem with corporate welfare because it is good business.
Did I miss anything?
November 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pmZooey, if that were true, Dukey here wouldn’t be a hypocrite. But, there is no way this phony is going to turn any of that down.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pmBozo The Neoclown says:
“Not that anyone gives a rip. Entitlements are in vogue. Give me more.”
mr. puke, are you talking about the wall street robber barons? or perhaps kbr, halliburton and blackwater with their no bid cost plus contracts?
i agree, time to end corporate welfare.
Man, you have no idea what is coming. We going to witness the death of the dollar in our generation. The truth is that any major currency not backed by gold in the history of the world has eventually failed, and the actions currently being taken by the U.S government and the Federal Reserve are speeding up the day when the dollar will collapse as well. The U.S. government and the Fed decided to spend their way out of the current economic crisis by cranking up the debt spiral one more time and by devaluing the dollar…. so enjoy your entitlements now. Pretty soon, the phony game will end.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pmcan ya spare a tree. We need more paper money.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:32 pm—
Hello. That money is cotton and linen isn’t it? Well whatever if you wanna yammer on so be it…
Mr. Duke: “Pretty soon, the phony game will end.”
That’s right! Quick, Duke, get in your hole.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:32 pmPretty soon, the phony game will end.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:33 pm—
And a long overdue paradigm shift will follow?
Zooey,
I don’t think that meth dealers pay taxes so it is indeed possible that the stupid troll is so far off the radar that he won’t get squat if he manages to be alive and not incarcerated when he turns 65.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:33 pmNinerFan says:
Mr. Duke: “Pretty soon, the phony game will end.”
That’s right! Quick, Duke, get in your hole.
You won’t be joking soon. … enjoy the handouts while you can. Your paper money will be worthless. … think and grow rich… good night.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pmIt continues to be annoying to hear vainglorious asses like Duke talk about redistribution of wealth. Duke, like most of his cohorts is simply the modern version of a “royal,” still stuck in the age of monarchy. People like him continue to ignore the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of civilization simply because the transfer went TO the rich as opposed to FROM the rich.
In 1983, we DOUBLED the Social Security Tax to pay for the baby boomers’ retirement. One trillion dollars of that money, working class money, went to the top 2% wealthy in our country with Bush’s tax cuts, the largest single class transfer of wealth in the history of civilization.
But people like Duke couldn’t care less about that one because it doesn’t fit with his dogma.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:39 pmGold is nothing more than a commodity. It has no magical power. The fact is that all world currencies are based on commodities, mostly oil, and are subject to fluctuations.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:39 pmYou won’t be joking soon. … enjoy the handouts while you can. Your paper money will be worthless. … think and grow rich… good night.
Sure thing, Hagbard. That prediction’s only thirty years off.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:39 pmpete @55, maybe if he changed his name back to Lew Alcindor they’d listen to him? Hell, they’d probably think that’s a funny-sounding name, too.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmIt isn’t paper dumbass…
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmIt isn’t paper dumbass…
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmAnd if anyone’s curious, I’m referencing a certain captain of a solid-gold submarine…
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmIt isn’t paper dumbass…
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmMr. Duke bolds and italicizes his words to make sure we know that he’s very, very serious.
Mr. Duke, people thought and grew rich in the 50’s (91% top marginal tax rates)
People thought and grew rich in the 60’s (75% top marginal tax rates)
Why don’t you think people can think and grow rich with a 39% top marginal rate? Why?
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmmr puke,
November 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pmwhere did you get your degree in economics, boo-hoo becky U?
if you were even remotely intellectually curious you’d know that the gold standard which you so proudly tout is prone to recessions and depressions.
Hye you missed one…
November 10th, 2009 at 4:54 pmZooey, I’m not kidding. She’s repeatedly called Jim Carrey a “miracle worker”.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:56 pmGood ‘ol Kareem. A great social activist for deacdes.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:08 pmHey, dbadass, I hear it’s not paper! ;)
Looks like you had a posting problem about the same time I did.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:12 pmSkyhook over the Republicans against Universal Health Care. Nothing but Net.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:12 pmPapirini says:
Zooey, I’m not kidding. She’s repeatedly called Jim Carrey a “miracle worker”.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Is she sleeping Carrey? I don’t think multiple orgasms are the same thing as a cure for autism.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:14 pm*with* Carrey
Yeesh…
November 10th, 2009 at 5:15 pm“I don’t think multiple orgasms are the same thing as a cure for autism”
Well, they can’t hurt, right, Z?
November 10th, 2009 at 5:18 pmIs she sleeping (with) Carrey?
Probably. You know what they say about ’sexual healing’, after all. -_-
November 10th, 2009 at 5:31 pmI find that if you count every noise she makes as an orgasm, it really helps make you feel like an incredible lover.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pmIn a letter dated November 5, the Joint Committee on Taxation informed Congressman Camp that there is a broad range of civil and criminal penalties applicable to any American who fails to purchase a health insurance policy that passes legislative muster, or as euphemistically styled in the bill itself: “acceptable health insurance coverage.” As reported by the Congressional Budget Office, the lowest annual cost of an approved family non-group policy would be approximately $15,000. That is to say, as currently written in the bill under consideration, if a family’s health insurance plan doesn’t cost at least $15,000 a year, then you are breaking the law and will be held accountable.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:51 pmHR 676
November 10th, 2009 at 7:19 pmWho cares what Jabbar has to say.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:16 pmHi conservative guy
November 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pmA class act and he has always been one!
November 10th, 2009 at 9:26 pm#90. Back at ya!
November 10th, 2009 at 9:27 pmGod Bless you Kareem. One of the best players to ever wear a uniform. Sky Hook baby !!!
November 11th, 2009 at 8:40 amMr Duke
You are a liar and a brainwashed moron. Just STFU until you grow a brain
November 12th, 2009 at 7:57 am