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Doing nothing is better than the Public Option

by: Scarce

Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 07:14:16 AM EST

SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN: The government going into the health insurance business, I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as- as a single Senator to stop a final vote, because-
BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): But wouldn't that mean that- that you might wind up with nothing instead of something?
SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN: Yeah, but I'd say to the people who are all of a sudden making the public option a government health insurance company, the litmus test here, they're stopping us from getting something done. There is a- this is classic-
BOB SCHIEFFER: Mm-Hm.
SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN: Washington today, Bob. There is broad bipartisan support for health care delivery reforms, for pushing the insurance companies. For instance, to- to give insurance to people who've preexisting illness, no cap on lifetime benefits. We're extending health insurance to people who don't have it. All of a sudden, if you're not for this government health insurance company, you're- you're- you're against health care reform, I'd say to them, don't stop us from getting something important and good done for the Americans.
BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): But is what you're also saying is that nothing is better than a government health insurance or a gov- health insurance reform that includes a public option. Nothing is better than that?
SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN: Well, the truth is that nothing is better than that because I- I think we ought to follow, if I may, the- the doctors' oath here. In Congress says we deal with health care reform, do no harm.

Scarce :: Doing nothing is better than the Public Option

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Doing nothing is better than the Public Option | 9 comments

Can someone get this odious little man off my tv, please? (4.00 / 2)

I'm sick and tired of posting these Lieberman clips of political porn.

by: Scarce @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 07:34:07 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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Do No Harm? (3.67 / 3)

Joe continues to earn my personal favorite label for him: LIEberfahrt. Not just a liar, he also is full of smelly hot air!

Under current conditions, doctors often don't get to decide about the treatments their patients receive; insurance companies do. I once was prescribed a pain medication for arthritis, which was refused by my insurance company. Someone who never had set eyes on me wrote: "You do not have arthritis."

A reasonably healthy woman with financial resources many people don't have, I simply let off a bit of steam and moved on. Others -- often much sicker and less well heeled -- die because of decisions made by these profit-driven bureaucrats.

And Joe has the nerve to hide behind the Hippocratic Oath. Slime has no limits.

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 07:43:11 AM CST

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"...often much sicker and less well heeled -- die..." (0.00 / 0)

Yes.

The sad fact is those "less well heeled" are often those "less well-healed".

Connecticut Bob

by: Bob Adams @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 20:51:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Post Script (4.00 / 7)

Along with Joe's belief that doing nothing is better than the public option, I would suggest that having no Junior Senator would be better for Connecticut than having the one we've got.

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 07:46:17 AM CST

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worse than Lieberman (4.00 / 3)

To be honest, I'm more worried about a public option riddled with loopholes, or watered down, than I am about Lieberman voting no.

Worse case scenario: Congress passes a health care reform bill that's set up to fail.

If the Senate used reconciliation to get a strong public option, they wouldn't need Lieberman's vote.

by: CaptCT @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 08:16:58 AM CST

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And the current public option? (4.00 / 1)

Even the best one offered in the House is dangerously close to being "set up to fail".

Lieberman is irrelevant. He can have his few minutes of face time screeching to the media but Congress can (and likely will have to) work around him.

If they go through reconciliation I hope they get stronger legislation than any single thing proposed in various committees. They might as well go overboard ensuring the public option will work as it was supposed to in the Hacker plan if they are going that route.

Drinking Liberally in New Milford
ePluribus Media

by: Connecticut Man1 @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 09:52:19 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I couldn't agree more. (0.00 / 0)

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 11:26:37 AM CST

[ Parent ]

First Do No Filabuster no more Liberbluster (4.00 / 1)

But if Joe does not vote for cloture. Then Do No Harm should start with removing him from the DEMOCRATIC Caucus.

Remove him before he switches parties himself. Once he is out he loses negotiating power with the GOP Caucus.

because Connecticut voters count: http://www.CTVotersCount.org

by: BlastFromGlast @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 11:10:38 AM CST

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The Solution is Simple. (4.00 / 1)

Make it clear that he loses his chairmanships if he follows through with this. That's the only thing he cares about anyway. Oh, and Reid would need to follow through. How likely is that?

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 11:28:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]