The health insurance industry shouldn’t exist at all.Rep. Anthony Weiner
(D) New York

This is from the September 11, 2009 episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, unavailable online thanks to your friends at Time Warner, parent company of HBO.

Weiner goes on to make the most eloquent, and brief, argument for single-payer (Medicare for all) health insurance that exists: private insurance doesn’t do anything; there is no value-added. The industry only exists to siphon-off profit from our collective health needs. That seems like an unnecessary appendage in my health care system and a perfect place for a non-profit, government-run solution to step in and save us billions.

[Ed. 10/2/09] Finally found a clip of the interview, though it is on Weiner’s Facebook page. Sorry if you aren’t a member. You don’t need to be his friend to view it.