Pelosi: Health bill must have public option to pass House

[sabra]

Source: CNN

(CNN) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a clear message Thursday to congressional negotiators on the health-care bill — dropping the public option would destroy any chance for comprehensive reform.

“There is no way I can pass a bill in the House of Representatives without a public option,” she told an audience at her home district in San Francisco, California.

The speaker said she agreed with President Barack Obama that a public option is “the best way to keep the insurance companies honest (and) that it would be the best way to increase competition so that we can lower cost, improve quality of care, retain choice, and expand coverage.”

“If somebody can come up with a better idea, let them put it on the table,” she said. “We haven’t heard that yet. So we’re fighting very hard for the public option.”

Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/20/pelosi-health-bill-must-have-public-option-to-pass-house/

[Captain Hilts]

1. Push 'em back, push 'em back, waaaaaaay back! nt

[The Magistrate]

2. Unlike Reid, Captain, Speaker Pelosi's Markers Trade At Par....

This is excellent news.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Indeed it is. I'll never forgive Reid for his "I don't work for him" quotation theday after

the inauguration.

[The Magistrate]

8. That was Inexcuseable, Captain. That Was the Attitude That Wrought The Defeat Of '94

The Democrats and leadership in Congress damned well do work for a Democratic President in the White House....

[Captain Hilts]

18. You got that damned straight. nt

[sew crates]

24. Ummmm. No they don't [necessarily].

They work for the people. Remember the whole checks and balances thing? They are in different branches.

[The Magistrate]

32. So Does The President, Sir: What Is Your Point?

The 'checks and balances' concept relates to institutional authority, and the Congress has lost that fight decisively over the last three-quarters of a century....

[No Elephants]

50. All 3 branches work for the people. No branch works for the other branch.

So, nothing is wrongwith Reid's saying he does not work for Obama.

[The Magistrate]

52. As The Man Said, Sir: 'Can't Nobody Here Play This Game?'

Which blow is more effective: one struck with fingers spread, or one struck with fingers closed to a fist?

Success comes from acting as a bloc, defeat comes from acting without unison.

The President is elected nationally, by all the people. No other figure in the government is, no other member of the Party is. The President is the leader of the Party. Any senator of the Party is a functionary, even one with the title Majority Leader. It is Reid's job to get President Obama's proposals through the Senate, and if he will not or cannot do it, he is a thief of the air he breathes and the food he eats.

[No Elephants]

53. Um, none of that alters the fact that Reid does not work for Obama.

And a Senator is not a functionary. A Senator is a representative of the people of his or state, first, then the nation, not a reprsentative or employee of the President. Unless you want to say that all elected officiala are functionaries. And a Senator has to vote his conscience. So, thank God, does a Representative. Hence the Progressive Caucus is resccuing us from the Republicans.

On edit. On second thought, I am not sure that a Senator's first duty is to the people of his state. However, since that is not relevant to this sub thread, I'm not going to ponder or decide tonight.

[The Magistrate]

63. Do Not Regurgitate Civics Textbooks At Me, Sir: It is Neither Interesting Nor Seemly

The fairy-tale vision has little relevance to the actual qualities of successful action in politics and governance. By all means, continue to argue for the propositions and attitudes that leave the Democratic Party so weak with incoherence that even a three-fifths majority in the Senate cannot be relied on to pass legislation the voting rank and file of the Party, and the President, desire be passed.

[sew crates]

67. No wonder you're called the magistrate.

Did these rules apply when everyone wanted a war?

[No Elephants]

74. He's called the Magistrate only because he called himself that.

[Hekate]

94. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of Congress?... The Magistrate knows...

:rofl:

Seriously, very seriously, the reason the Democratic Party can't get shit done in Congress is that every-man-for-himself attitude that we are so infamous for. It's no longer funny. It's time to get serious and show some unity or once again The People will be betrayed.

Hekate

[The Magistrate]

97. Thank You, Ma'am

And to show my appreciation, a musical interlude.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9DluI703Fk

[ProudDad]

102. Very Cool!

I used to play a couple of Link Wray tunes in my band in 1961...

Blast from the past...

Now I play mostly blues and folk...

[The Magistrate]

103. Glad You Enjoyed It, Sir!

The man was the original Master....

[ProudDad]

107. Indeed, indeed

However, my first guitar hero was Les Paul...

I'm very happy he had such a long run...


But my first playing was Arthur Godfrey style Ukelele starting in 1953...

I was young enough not to know how hard it was supposed to be to play chordal melodies on the ukelele...

Lucky me...

[No Elephants]

68. No. This is about whether there is anything wrong with Reid saying he

does not work for Obama. There isn't. That does not mean he cannot work WIT?H Obama toward a common objective. You seem to think the two are mutually exclusive they aren't.

FYI. I've never clapped eyes on a civics textbook in my life. Too basic. Read the Constitution a lot. Read a lot of Constitutional law cases and a fair amount of law books.

[The Magistrate]

71. So Long As Reid Conceives Of Himself As An Independent National Power, Sir

He screws up the works. It really is that simple. His job is to get the legislation desired by the President and the people who elected him through his chamber of the national legislature. He does a piss-poor job of it.

[No Elephants]

78. Conceiving himself as an independent national power is a different proposition from

merely saying he does not work for Obama. The former is wrong; the latter isn't. You've moved the goal post. And saying he does not work for Obama has nothing to do with whether he is piss poor or not. He can make a correct statement about his Constitutional role AND be effective. He just isn't.

Forgive me, but, whether we came to agreement or not, I think we've prety much exhausted the original subject, namely, whether there was anything wrong with his saying he worked for Obama. So, I am going o move on to reading the rest of the thread.

[sew crates]

65. It is relevant.

And a senator's first duty is to represent his or her state's stake in the union.

But none of them do anymore. They just accept checks from banks, airlines, gun clubs, pharmaceutical companies, defense contractors, unions, other countries, etc. They don't give a crap what any of us think.

[The Magistrate]

69. So Really, Sir, You Agree With Me On This Matter As A Question Of Fact

You simply do not want them voting with what the people elected the President to do, now that the President is Mr. Obama....

[sew crates]

72. Uhhhh, no.

What I'm saying is: because President Obama wants something, it doesn't make it unanimous.

If that were the case, then the conversation would already be about single payer.

[The Magistrate]

75. It Should, Sir: That It Does Not Is A Problem, Which Ought To Be Fixed....

[No Elephants]

81. Not sure what you mean. Obama opposes single payer. Always has. He once supported

public option. Only God knows his position on that now. We've heard all different things from him and Gibbs and Sebelius all week.

[No Elephants]

80. I posted that whether a Senator's first duty is to the people of his state

(as opposed to the nation as a whole) is not relevant to a sub-thread about whether Harry Reid has a right to say he does not work for Obama. It really isn't relevant to that.

I never said it wasn't relevant to any other subject.

[sew crates]

58. The point is Obama is not King

and no matter how bad congress has screwed it up over the last three-quarters of a century there's still a constitution, and it's not designed to protect the president. It's designed to protect us. The less powerful the federal government is the better off we are.

[The Magistrate]

66. Save Us From The Big Bad Federal Government, Sir? That Is Your Line?

It seems oddly familiar....

[sew crates]

70. It's the same federal government that

bails out wall street and all the big companies whose "shares" they sell, and still occupies Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'm glad it sounds familiar.

[The Magistrate]

73. You Really Are Not Very Good At This, Are You, Sir?

[sew crates]

76. Good at what?

Did I say something incorrect?

[The Magistrate]

77. You Are Just Too Cute To Squash, Sir....

Forgive my finding other amusements elsewhere.

[sew crates]

79. Ok, I'm sorry if I'm not very good at this.

Let me try again (and shame on me for allowing you to put words into my mouth).

Tell me how health care became so expensive.

[No Elephants]

89. You're fine.

[TBF]

85. The less powerful the federal government is the better off we are.

Wow, sure has gotten conservative here lately...

[sew crates]

87. Small government is a liberal concept

Big governments bail out huge companies, fight stupid wars, and shake hands with people that ship good jobs overseas.

Small governments can actually try to promote the general welfare.

[TBF]

88. Closed borders for bananas, open borders for people.

Don't look to me for support on "liberal" concepts - I'm a leftist.

[No Elephants]

93. I don't think the issue is big or small, but of different priorities and

different political philosophies.

Government has to be pretty big to do single payer and school lunch programs, control securities markets, test drugs and food. It also has to be big to fight wars, to keep sex and curse words off TV and to control things like Terry Schiavo's death wishes and women's reproductive systems. Truth is, neither party really wants small government.

[sew crates]

105. Agreed

Neither party wants small government. But only one party is capable of making it happen, and it ain't the republicans.

[Hekate]

92. Scanning through your contributions here...Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay!

:hi:

Hekate

[mvd]

106. Hi, Magistrate!

Good points here. While we don't have to be all together on every little thing (like the Repukes are,) we definitely should be united on major policy issues like health care. It's in our hands; we can't be stopped unless we stop ourselves again. :hi:

[lsewpershad]

118. "bout time.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. I Was Beginning To Think I'd *Never* See A Democratic Leader That Leads

Thank God. This is great news, good on Speaker Pelosi.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Yes! Time to play rock 'em, sock 'em! nt

[harun]

11. Thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus. They took a stand

in the House and told Pelosi it was a strong public option or the highway. Committed to voting DOWN any Health Care reform bill without a strong public option.

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/

Blue Dogs were more than willing to jump ship if they could get away with it.

[Hotler]

36. YES! The Congressional Progressive Caucus forced this not Nancy.

She doesn't deserve the credit. She took impeachment off the fucking dining room table. Why does that woman still hold the gavel?

[pocoloco]

47. Maybe she thinks this will help clean the blood from her hands?

She needs all her dry powder stuffed up her ass!

[MannyGoldstein]

37. Give her some credit

Our president is still trying to flee from a reasonable plan. At least Pelosi not bad-mouthing Progressives and trying to thwart them.

[Hotler]

39. NO! eom.

[No Elephants]

82. OK, good point. Taken.

[harun]

101. I agree.

[No Elephants]

56. Yep.

[Demeter]

20. Well, Her Back Was Up Against the Wall

Is that leadership, or extortion? I don't really care, as long as it works.

[No Elephants]

55. Please see Reply 51.

[TheCoxwain]

6. Breaking News: Pelosi has grown a spine !!!!

[No Elephants]

51. Why? Because she said she doesn't have the votes when she doesn't

have the votes? She's reporting a reality crated by the Progressive Caucus, that'a all.

The members of the Progressive Caucus are the only heroes in this so far, not Nancy, not Harry, not the Senate, not the Republicans and not the slivery White House.

The members of the Caucus took a stand. That requires courage. She counted heads and came up short. That requires, what, second grade math?

[Walk away]

7. Thanks Nancy and thank you to all the Progressives in Congress..

who are taking a stand for the American people.

[and-justice-for-all]

9. Public Option Public Option Public Option Public Option!!!

[ShamelessHussy]

10. Big Salute to the Speaker - Now We Just Need the Senate Leadership to Step Up

We don't need the reTHUGs to pass this CRITICAL bill, and the dems will go down in history as passing another important piece of legislation for the people despite unanimous opposition by the reTHUGs. (par for the course)

[No Elephants]

62. Big salute to the members of the Progressive Caucus. They took a stand. Nancy took a head count.

One takes courage; the other takes math skills.

Also, big salute to the grass roots for hammering everyone.

[POAS]

12. I think it is simply that she did a head count

and realized she couldn't get the votes to pass a bill without a public option because the progressives will stick together and vote no without a public option.

[sew crates]

25. Exactly!

This is why any politician does anything.

[WheelWalker]

13. An outbreak of Acute Involuntary Reality Syndrome (AIRS) n/t

[Demeter]

21. Love It! Gonna Be Putting on AIRS Myself!

[No Elephants]

57. LOL

As long as you don't go putting on Ayers and let Palin hear about it.

[bonnieS]

14. Better idea

The better idea is single payer.

[No Elephants]

59. Yep, but somebody took that off the table before they even got started. Congress has the cleanest

tables on the planet, when it comes to what the Democratic grass roots want.

Maybe we should start our own tea bagging.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Thanks to the Progressive Caucus!

They have been the forgotten force in this whole discussion. Well, forgotten by some more than others.

[mulhollanddriven]

19. Ditto

Thank you!

[Kingofalldems]

16. Republicans posing as blue dog Democrats are not amused

[David Zephyr]

17. Nancy has had my support from the day she took office and still does today.

I am just sick of the shit she takes here.

[Demeter]

22. I'm Sure Many Are Sick of the Shit Nancy Dishes Out, Too

Still waiting on that table, Nancy.

[Politicub]

30. She has always had my support, too. I've always respected Pelosi

Even when I disagree with her. But on balance, she's one of the best speakers of the house.

[creeksneakers2]

35. Me too

She's doing a great job.

[David Zephyr]

84. Yep.

Here's a big issue, a huge issue where she delivers. That's what matters. I'm with you.

[D-Lee]

110. Ditto! Don't let the relentless Repug attacks against Pelosi work ...

Do you think it is any surprise that they incessantly attack a woman legislative leader?

Just don't fall for it!

[fascisthunter]

23. thank you! (nt)

[Zorra]

26. Yowsah. Now that's what real Democrats do. n/t

[kestrel91316]

27. Talk is cheap. I'm not holding my breath. Nancy loves to keep her powder dry.

[Javaman]

113. I see you are also a member of...

"I don't forget the past statements by our leader of the house" squad.

I'm right there with you. She will support it until she changes her mind. At which point she will give some sort of round about way of explaining away her reasons for wimping out.

the power has turned to dust and has blown away.

Yes, I am a cynic and proud of it. :)

[adamuu]

28. She must have read my letter ;) n/t

[spartan61]

29. Good for you Ms. Pelosi!!

This makes me almost forgive you for not putting impeachment on the table. I said almost, not I do forgive you. You still have many more points to earn before I ever forgive you for this. This is a start.

[LaPera]

31. Cheers to Speaker Pelosi!

[DU GrovelBot]

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[man4allcats]

34. There have been many occasions when I have wished we could be done with Pelosi.

Since it would seem we are stuck with her, I am in any event glad there are apparently some instances at least when her notorious obstinance may in fact work for our benefit.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. She must have been reading the readers' comments on the NY Times website

They are OVERWHELMINGLY in favor of single-payer and willing to accept a public option as a compromise. They were ANGRY at the idea that a public option might be eliminated.

[No Elephants]

64. I hope she's been reading the emails from her constitutents directly to her and

peeking at the ones all of us have been sending our reps. I've been emailing my rep, Senators and Obama weekly for a couple of months. I would never rely on my rep or Senators or Obama reading the comments at the NYT, ffs.

[on point]

40. A better idea?? Hmmmm. TRY SINGLE PAYER !!

[AllyCat]

44. Hear hear On point! I said the same thing below. Sorry I missed your post

[dflprincess]

41. "a public option is the best way to keep the insurance companies honest"

They admit that we're being robbed blind by these corporate crooks - Pelosi has even called them immoral, yet they are determined to protect them and they're going to require that most of us continue to hand money over to the thieves.

This is just bogus.

[whoneedstickets]

100. Read a bit between the lines....

They say this stuff because they CAN'T OPENLY say: "The public option is the nail in the coffin for private insurers since low cost government led insurance will drive them out of the market and eventually lead to single payer" Geez, how can so many people on this board be so tone deaf and strategy blind. The public option is going to kill these guys but you don't want to make a big deal about it up front, you want to pretend that they'll still be around to cleave off a few votes.

[dflprincess]

114. Read the details of the "public option" in HR3200

and check out the CBO estimates about it. Large out of pockets allowed (depending on income), nobody on it before 2013 and only 10 million covered by it by 2019.

Most of us will be "mandated" into paying into the private companies' profits for years. We will continue to pay for health insurance with no guarantee of having access to health care.

It's becoming clear that the main point of "reform" is to protect the crooks who broke the system in the first place.

[MasonJar]

42. Thank you, Speaker Pelosi. Where is Reid with leadership like yours,

where is Obama with leadership like yours? Nowhere for either. However, unfortunately last night on Keith, O'Donnell said that in conference the Senate bill will win out over the House version so if the Senate does not have public option in its version, the public option will probably not be in the final bill and Obama will sign it. He has not stood up for public option. O'Donnell said that is what happened with the Clinton bill. The House would not pass a bill until the Senate gave them one that was a strong bill for that reason. Thus they never passed one and killed the Clinton effort. Unlike Obama Bill and Hillary Clinton worked very hard personally to bring about reform.

[AllyCat]

43. I have a better plan Ms Pelosi. It's called single payer.

As a distant second choice, I will accept a robust public option. That means no pre-existing conditions. No denial of care. ANYONE may buy in. I pay $350/mo in premiums and "uncovered" stuff my "cadillac" plan doesn't cover. I would welcome a $350/mo tax on me since I'd no longer be paying it to these sharks and everyone would be covered.

[sew crates]

60. It will come, Public Option will turn into single payer.

This is the whole point of making sure it stays in there. It will push the insurance company racket out of the market because everyone with a job will be paying into the public option, even if they don't use it.

[AllyCat]

96. I had someone who was opposed to the public option argue that

"this will take my employer coverage away from me!" to which I replied, "you have made my case".

[defendandprotect]

98. People make that argument, but if you talk with them, their benefits are shrinking . . .

their co-pays are rising all the time --

AND, they rarely consider how employment insurance keeps them tied to that job -
and the fear of losing it.

:)

[AllyCat]

115. She believes she will work there forever. It's a bank.

[unkachuck]

45. thank you Madam Speaker....

....but I want to see it in the final reconciled bill....the bill the Senate will put on the table will certainly make it difficult for the Public Option to servive....

....I would love to hear Madam Speaker say, "No strong Public Option, no Healthcare Reform, period!"

...."...we’re fighting very hard for the public option."....and I hope you will accept nothing less, because anything less is unacceptable....

[No Elephants]

86. Members of the Progressive Caucus and others have taken tthat pledge.

If they stick to it, she will never have the votes for health care reform unless it has a public option.

I've taken a pledge, too, and informed everyone in sight of it.

No "robust" public option, no support, donation OR re-election vote from me.

[sew crates]

104. You cannot take a pledge

The Magistrate will not allow it. What are you -- your own sovereign state?

You will obey.

Or you will be fixed.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TBF]

90. "Single Payer" is not the same as "Public Option" -

Single Payer does not require any fines. Here is a good website for you to read about single payer if you're really interested - http://www.healthcare-now.org/

Hint: Obama wants "Public Option" (or at least he did, Pelosi still wants it). Many progressives/leftists would rather see "Single Payer".

[HughMoran]

48. Go Nancy! Go Nancy!

Go Nancy, Go! Go!

Woohoo!

[valerief]

49. Thank you, Nancy!

:applause:

[mvd]

54. Great! If she is a driving force behind getting a string public option through..

I can even forgive her for taking impeachment off the table.

[defendandprotect]

61. Good . . . now, if she could utter . . MEDICARE FOR ALL -- everyone in/no one out --

[TBF]

91. That would be music to my ears. n/t

[Ken Burch]

83. Thanks, Speaker Pelosi.

Unlike Harry Reid, you are willing to fight.

[NYC_SKP]

95. K, R, and LOL @ Reply #77

"Too Cute to Squash"

I love the Magistrate. :P

:patriot:

[whoneedstickets]

99. What! NO Single Payer! Nancy you betray us..

...sorry, had to get that in after my much maligned OP about single payer vs public option. I'm actually very happy about this tactic.

[sew crates]

108. Yes

Don't mention single payer.

The King does not support it.

[DesertDiamond]

109. WOW! Pelosi's getting tough! It feels like a new day is dawning!

[lefthandedlefty]

111. Another way to lower costs

Make Doctors and Hospitals bid for contracts in each city or state award business to the lowest and best bidder.

[yodermon]

112. So Why Does Obama Keep Soft-Pedaling the Public Option seeing as

it will *have* to be in the final bill??

He says he *wants* the public option. So he (via Rahm) can't turn around and pressure the Progressive Caucus to abandon it (despite Rahm's "left of the left" comments)

So i think he's soft-pedaling it just to get it out of the Senate (w/ no public option maybe) and into reconciliation so it can pass w/ 51 votes.

[Umbral]

116. Did she bother to tell that to Steny Hoyer?

What is the problem with Democratic message control, do they even know what the concept is?

[Odin2005]

117. GO NANCY!!! KICK ASS!

:yourock: