It should be remembered that the concept of affordable Healthcare for everyone isn't a new concept. It's history goes back as far as 1909 as an idea hatched by Teddy Roosevelt. It was re-introduced during the FDR years, first as a possible adjunct to Social Security, but shelved temporarily, and was in the midst of being introduced again, when World War 2 broke out in December of 1941. It was again introduced by Harry Truman as a continuation of the legacy of FDR. It was bandied about during the Eisenhower years and it was again introduced in 1962 by President Kennedy.

Here is an address made by JFK at a rally in Madison Square Garden on May 20, 1960. Promoted as Medical Care for the Aged, Kennedy hoped for a plan that would insure decent medical care to those over the age of 65 and those who couldn't afford it. The bill was introduced and shelved, but was re-introduced and finally passed during the Johnson Administration in 1964 as a legacy to President Kennedy.

Here is that complete address.

Update: We're slowly chipping away at the emergency, even though we haven't gotten very past the 1/3 mark. There's still a long ways to go and not much time left. My grateful thanks to those of you who have donated over night. Your help is appreciated beyond my words to convey it. If we had a few more like you, we'd be out of the woods and we could get back to normal. Unfortunately, when you have the loss of your website facing you, the loss of the archive that this website completely relies on for its daily posts facing you, it's hard to think of anything beyond raising enough money to keep disaster at bay. So won't you please consider making a donation in order to keep Newstalgia alive? Any amount is desperately needed, no matter how paltry you may think it is - every penny and every dollar goes in to chip away at the emergency. And every penny and every dollar helps. We can make this happen, but I need your help.

This day in 1941 was staring at the 600th since that ominous overture to Poland in 1939. And in that time, Europe was engulfed in a series of invasions, surrenders and daily desperation.

From London came word that German bombing raids over Britain the previous night were mostly confined to the Southeast and Northeast of England, but casualties were reported to be small. It was also the second successive night London went without a raid alarm.

The RAF retaliated with attacks on targets throughout occupied Europe.

The Free French Island of Tahiti declared itself on the side of DeGaulle.

There were unconfirmed yet persistent reports that Athens had fallen to the Germans and that Greece was in danger of being a lost Allied cause.

From Berlin came news that the previous nights address by Charles Lindbergh of the America First Committee at Madison Square Garden in New York drew praise in the German press, fueling speculation that maybe America would not get involved in the War after all.

Hitler concluded talks with Hungarian leaders in the wake of preparing German plans for the occupied Balkan region. Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka returned to Tokyo, armed with assurances and a renewed alliance with Berlin. Rumors that Germany was planning a move to Spain and Portugal were shrugged off as British propaganda, despite credible reports that some 2,500 German operatives posing as "tourists" were roaming the streets of Madrid.

It was also learned that German brewers were considering the idea of "light beer" to go with calls from the government to curb alcohol use, even though they hadn't even entered the experimental stage yet. And shortages were turning into rationing of cigarettes and cigars, in the wake of government calls to ban tobacco, which was deemed not such a good thing from a morale point of view.

And back in the U.S. - Secretary of State Cordell Hull called for renewed support of Britain in their fight against the axis and to support Lend-Lease.

All on this day in April, 1941 as reported by NBC and it's News Of The World.

Sadly, Medicare wasn't to happen in President Kennedy's lifetime. It was a piece of legislation whose time had come and had been resisted as far back as the FDR Administration when it was initially considered as an adjunct to Social Security.

Much like the current Healthcare legislation, it had a history and a well heeled lobby working against it. Now Medicare is faced with being gutted by pretty much the same wolves in different clothing. But the same wolves.

At a Medical Care For The Aged rally at Madison Square Garden on May 20, 1962, President Kennedy spelled it out in no uncertain terms:

President Kennedy: “The point of the matter is, that the AMA is doing very well in its efforts to stop this bill. And the doctors of New Jersey and of every other state may be opposed to it, but I know that not a single doctor, if this bill is passed, is going to refuse to treat any patient. No one would become a doctor just as a business enterprise, it’s a long laborious discipline. We need more of them. We want their help, and gradually we’re getting it. The problem however is more complicated because they do not comprehend what we’re trying to do. We do not cover doctors bills here, we do not affect the freedom of choice. You can go to any doctor you want. The doctor and you work out your arrangements with him – we talk about his hospital bill. And that’s an entirely different matter. And I hope that one by one the doctors of the United States will take the extraordinary step of not merely reading the journals and publications of the AMA because I do not recognize the bill when I hear those descriptions.”

Fortunately, the responsibility of getting Medicare signed into law would fall into the lap of Lyndon Johnson. It was billed as a legacy to a fallen President.

Something to consider while slashing is taking place.