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Lieberman Spokesman Wrong on Public Option

by: tparty

Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 20:20:23 PM EDT

Lieberman spokesman Marshall Wittman attempts to explain his boss's untenable position on the public option to the Huffington Post, and gets it exactly wrong. At least twice:

Contrary to the suggestion that Senator Lieberman is a "health care spoiler," the opposite is true because Senator Lieberman is working hard to build a coalition to pass a health care reform bill. Although he does not support a public option that would be cost prohibitive and would make it very unlikely to pass a bill, he strongly supports health care reform that expands access, lowers costs and increases quality of care.

1) The public option in the new HELP bill lowered the CBO price tag from $1 trillion over 10 years to $600 billion over 10 years.

2) All 13 Democrats on the HELP committee have now said they will support the public option proposal under consideration there. There would likely be many more than 50 Democratic votes for a public option in the Senate. The only way a public option makes it "unlikely" that that bill will pass the Senate is if Senators like Mitch McConnell and Joe Lieberman decide to block the bill through a filibuster. You know... if they act like "spoilers".

Furthermore, with more and more progressive Representatives - now including Rep. Nadler (D-NY) - pledging to vote against any final bill that does not include a public option, Wittman and his boss are (intentionally, of course) getting the politics wrong too.

A public option will be a necessity for this bill's passage through this Congress, not a hindrance.

tparty :: Lieberman Spokesman Wrong on Public Option

Tags: Public Option, Health Care, Joe Lieberman, (All Tags)

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Lieberman Spokesman Wrong on Public Option | 3 comments

Joe Being Joe... (0.00 / 0)

The disingenuousness of Lieberman is truly staggering. Like the craven politician that he is, Lieberman tries to have it all ways; but make no mistake, Joe is working hard for his constituents...unfortunately those constituents don't include working folks and the poor, just his corporate masters.

But let justice roll down like waters...Amos 5:24a

by: Jake Blount @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 07:40:36 AM CDT

"No, I don't have health insurance. I have a 'public option' . . . " (0.00 / 0)

I'm sure it's been said before.... but perhaps not always heard.

ANY "public option" strong enough that consumers would actually WANT it as their health care coverage is (as has been made very clear, repeatedly) completely unacceptable to the insurance industry and, thus, to their representatives in Congress.

Play games with definitions and endorsements all you want. Won't change the facts. AHIP and right-winger Senators and Representatives will only accept a "Public Option" if it is (pardon my French) a piece of crap (and, hopefully for them, unaffordable to individuals and to the federal budget) that no one would wish on their worst enemy.

Then we can call that "reform" -- and move on to eviscerate the next Obama promise.....

by: iBlog @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 10:56:02 AM CDT

tparty is exactly right - Lieberman has painted himself into the Republican's corner (0.00 / 0)

Joe Lieberman continues to seek ways of puffing up his importance to offset his increasing irrelevance. So he stakes out a cozy spot among the tiny so-called "centrist" group along side Ben Nelson, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter. And, as they maneuvered during the final, watered-down version of the stimulus bill, they get their asses kissed AND reduce the effectiveness of legislation.

Now on health care they feel a bit more bold, knowing that the Max Baucus Secret Caucus known as the Senate Finance Committee - where Baucus and his "bi-partisan" opponent of a public option Chuck Grassley are unlikely to have any public plan in their health care version - Lieberman stakes out what will be the Republican position. Not smart, Joe.

As long as the public clamor continues in support of the public plan - and it will only get louder - the House will pass a bill with a strong public plan. The Senate HELP Committee will report out something similar. Baucus et al will essentially offer the insurance industry's version of "reform" - with no competition, essentially forcing more people to pay the insurers more of their declining incomes.

Let me ask Sen. Lieberman this: Do you really think the Obama White House, Congressional Democrats and the ailing lion Ted Kennedy will allow a conference committee to bring back a bill without a public option?

Think again - and then what will you do, Joe? Vote "NO" on health care reform? Nice corner you've painted yourself in there -- the Republican's corner!

"Not ideas about the thing, but the thing itself" - Wallace Stevens

by: catchlightning @ Sat Jul 04, 2009 at 15:50:44 PM CDT