Blue Dogs to kill public option

[DrToast]

In Washington, senior House Democrats, including the majority leader, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, have said the House bill will include some type of public plan option.

Senate Democrats are by no means unified on that idea, and a group of fiscally conservative House Democrats expressed concern on Wednesday about some proposals for a public plan.

The group, the 51-member Blue Dog Coalition, said the public plan should be available only as a backup, if private insurers did not rein in costs and offer affordable coverage to everyone.

Even then, the Blue Dogs said, the public insurance plan must not be a replica of Medicare, the government-run health program for older Americans; must not use Medicare rates to pay doctors and hospitals; and “must adhere to the same rules and regulations” as private insurers.

“No one knows what the public option will or will not be able to achieve,” said Representative Mike Ross of Arkansas, a Blue Dog leader. “Frankly, it’s an experiment. We cannot create a public option that stacks the deck against a system that currently provides coverage to more than 160 million Americans.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/health/policy/04health.html?hp

Great. Unless this article is overstating the rift, the public option is dead.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Just another Legislative waltz within our corporate duopoly. NT

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I officially hate modern day congress. Nothing but a money machine looking always at next election

never at public interest.

[DJ13]

3. I would rather have no plan than one that is welfare for the insurance co.'s

Try again in two years (after midterms) when the health care crisis is even worse, when the outcry for a real solution cant be ignored by shoving dollar bills from the insurance lobby in their ears.

[trthnd4jstc]

12. I Agree. nt

[kenny blankenship]

4. This party is just about over

[PretzelWarrior]

8. my friends, it's just getting warmed up.

[Triana]

5. And they are exactly WRONG. The public plan should be PRIMARY, not backup and...

..it SHOULD stack the deck against the for-profit pirate system that does NOT provide health care, and it SHOULD BE MEDICARE.

Period.

In other words, these a$$holes have it exactly BASSACKWARDS.

As per usual.

[tnlefty]

6. Spay and neuter. It's the responsible thing to do.

I'm one of the 160 million Americans who 'has health insurance' and wants a public plan. I'm sick and tired of paying insurance premiums for the privilege to be screwed over by for profit health insurance.

They know that there are many Americans like me who would gladly pay into a public health system as opposed to the greedy, bloodsuckers at the top of health insurance companies, and that is why they refuse to mandate that option. :mad:

[babylonsister]

7. Baloney! This is a fight, and it's not over.

Ye of little faith, fight for what you want instead of insinuating what 'might' happen. Jeeze.

[NYC_SKP]

9. I'm not concerned with them...

I'm sure our president is as aware of their resistance and has taken into consideration.

No worries.

[w4rma]

10. Here we go. Now we get to see who the targets in upcoming primaries should be. (nt)

[depakid]

11. "and a group of

a group of fiscally conservative House Democrats corrupt Republican enablers expressed concern....

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. With Democrats like that, who needs Republicans?

:grr:

[Thrill]

14. Once again Democrats are more of a problem for Obama than Republicans

Unreal. This is why Clinton had to work so much in the middle.

Hopefully they use reconciliation.

[DrToast]

15. Reconciliation won't help

51 Blue Dogs.
178 Republicans.

205 Non-Blue Dog Dems.

This is assuming they actually stick with this nonsense.

[DeltaLitProf]

16. IF?

"The group, the 51-member Blue Dog Coalition, said the public plan should be available only as a backup, if private insurers did not rein in costs and offer affordable coverage to everyone."

There is no conceivable way the private insurers will do either of these things. So I will be very interested to see whether this group of 51 really votes for this backup plan or whether their statement is horseshit and they'll just do what their insurance company donors want them to.

[DeltaLitProf]

17. Mike Ross-(DINO) of Arkansas--paid shill

Here are his campaign donors by industry in 2008:
individs PACs Total
Health Professionals $197,225 $19,775 $177,450
Lawyers/Law Firms $80,850 $45,850 $35,000
Retail Sales $65,800 $36,300 $29,500
Oil & Gas $59,800 $10,300 $49,500
Electric Utilities $55,943 $750 $55,193
Insurance $54,750 $4,250 $50,500
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $51,100 $9,750 $41,350

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=2008&type=C&cid=N00009571&newMem=N&recs=20

[pnwmom]

18. self-delete

[andym]

21. A switch of 51 votes creates a 102 vote swing. 102 is greater than 79 vote Dem advantage

If the blue dogs follow through +51
If the Republicans vote as a bloc +178
Total 229 against public option

Democratic votes +256
Subtract Blue dogs - 51
Total 205 for public option

Now we know why the President is asking us to build political momentum for his plan.
We all need to organize and then lobby our congressional representatives.

[pnwmom]

23. yeah, I already figured that out, which is why I deleted. Thanks anyway.

[comtec]

19. I have bad news, but our president seems to be a blue-dog

He has been against single-payer since the beginning.
Before you start flaming, i VOTED FOR Obama, proudly!
but I voted Kuscinich first.

I am ever increasingly becoming disillusioned by our president, a very depressing process.
yes he's better than *, but a dead horse would have been better than *, the bar was set kind of low.

it feels like everything he's done so far has been to please the conservatives... FUCK THE CONSERVATIVES... WE WON MR. PRESIDENT, WE!!!!!! WON!!!!! THE LIBERALS!!!!!!

LISTEN TO THE FUCKING AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh well, only time will tell.

Until then spam these assholes with what Americans WANT AND NEED!

I know, he listens to the people, but I think he's getting a lot of freeper bullshit, and thinks Americans can't handle single payer.

we need to be the anti-freeps, we need to mobilize 100x MORE than during the 2-year long presidential season!

The real work begins now... real democracy requires constant vigilance!

[PretzelWarrior]

20. blah blah blah

you lost me at "I voted for Kucinich first". Well, you didn't lose me....but it colored my view of everything else you said.

Stop F'ing around with what you think you know about the president. We need meaningful healthcare overhaul that gets some fiscal relief to our large entitlement programs.

Unless he does that, he will lose the election in 2012 due to deficits that are continuous and growing.

[comtec]

24. Yes we Do need MEANINGFUL health care

and what is meaningful about what he's doing?
How will this help the dozens of millions of uninsured?

[andym]

22. If you think the public option is a good idea, as the President apparently does, then work

If you think the public option is a good idea, as the President apparently does, then work to lobby congress.
The blue dogs may not vote as a block, especially if they get a lot of feedback that people in their districts really want the public option.