"Another Blow To Public Option: Durbin Open To Dropping It"

[Me.]

Another Blow To Public Option: Durbin Open To Dropping It

“One of Barack Obama's chief allies in the United States Senate hinted on Sunday that a public insurance option could go by the wayside as Congress hammers out its health care legislation.

Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), one of the chamber's foremost progressives, said that while he supported a government-run option for insurance, he was "open" to alternatives.

"Just understand that, after we pass this bill -- and I hope we do -- in the Senate, it will go to conference committee," said Durbin. "We'll have a chance to work out all of our differences."

"So we'll see how this ends, but I don't want the process to be filibustered to failure, which unfortunately, many senators are trying to do," Durbin added. "I want to make sure that we do something positive for the American people."

The comments are similar to the line coming from the White House in recent days, with officials indicating that they would be open to a co-op based insurance model, provided that it had enough leverage to lower costs for consumers. (In this plan, non-profit cooperatives would get a charter from the government to take premiums from members and cover claims, expanding the risk pool for individuals buying insurance). Indeed, for Durbin to make the remarks he did on CNN is a strong indication that the party -- from Obama on down -- sees the public option as a likely victim in an effort to get 60 votes for health care's passage in the Senate.” Cont…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/09/another-blow-to-public-op_n_254961.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. Damn Senate.

[dkf]

2. The public option is the only reason I can half heartedly semi-support Obama's

health care plan.

Otherwise, making health insurance mandatory is simply helping to perpetuate the waste of money that these organizations represent.

After hearing all the horror stories, I really don't expect my medical to come through. I hope it will, but I wouldn't be shocked if they pulled in some crappy excuse to not grant me benefits.

My Dad hasn't had problems with his insurance through some pretty harrowing health situations, but I'm of the opinion that its because medicare covered the bulk of it. If insurance cos. didn't think Medicare would pay, I wonder if they'd ok all this stuff.

Yep I have lost any trust in these jokers.

[roamer65]

3. If the bill does not have a public option, then I am against it.

I am dead-set against making people criminals because they can't afford health insurance.

NO ROMNEYCARE!!!

[Marr]

4. I agree with the Republicans on one point. If the Dems fail to pass *real*

health reform, they're going to be gutted next time around. Not because they'll be "perceived as failures", however-- but because their supporters will recognize it when they've been sold out. Democratic politicians better realize that their base is not just a mirror version of the Republicans' slobbering pack of morons.

[asdjrocky]

5. And I will help to gut them.

Strong public option or no bill.

[abumbyanyothername]

9. +1 nt.

[billyoc]

6. Well, he did say Congress was bought and paid for, so nobody should be too shocked.

[eleny]

7. I sent this to my friend in Chicago and she called the local talk show on WCPT

Those guys with the show are now on a tear and organized a call-in to Durbin's office tomorrow. http://www.chicagoprogressivetalk.com/

Thanks for posting!

[Me.]

11. Props

:thumbsup:

[alarimer]

8. Fucking spineless weasels.

I hate Democrats almost as much as I hate Republicans.

They will give away the store to those fucking Blue Dog DINOS

[Kingofalldems]

10. Fake Democrats will now throw up another roadblock

The goal being to stop any and all reform.

[Horse with no Name]

12. I'm open to dropping support for Durbin

Just saying...once you become an ineffective Congressman, you are nothing but a useless corporatist tool.
You might want to rethink your position Durbin.

[Zen Democrat]

13. I think Durbin was continuing the push for a public option.

If the bill out of Senate Finance doesn't have a public option, he said that such a thing can be corrected in the consolidated Senate bill, or in Reconciliation Committee with the House. He stated strongly that we'll have healthcare reform, even if the Dems have to do it with 51 votes -- that it won't be stopped. I don't have a problem with what he said. The more the Blue Dogs see that the public and their fellow Democratic senators aren't giving up the public option, the tougher it is for them to continue opposing it. Especially since there are no cost controls without the public option.

[Kingofalldems]

14. Kick this one

[Faryn Balyncd]

15. K&R - Any plan that either drops the public option or weakens it MUST BE DEFEATED!!!

Any plan that does not allow ALL Americans to choose a public option whose underlying prices are based on Medicare rates is a victory for special interests and MUST BE DEFEATED.

Howard Dean defined "reform". Anything else is corporate welfare dressed up in the false rhetoric of "reform".

"If Barack Obama’s bill gets changed to exclude the public entities, it is not health insurance reform…it rises and falls on whether the public is allowed to choose Medicare if they’re under 65 or not. If they are allowed to choose Medicare as an option, this bill will be real health care reform. If they’re not, we will be back fighting about it for another 20 years before somebody tries again."

- Howard Dean

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/24/dean-public-option/

We have been told that when HR 3200 was weakened so as to not use Medicare rates for services that since the Secretary of HHS had the right to negotiate rates, he could still achieve rates similar to Medicare, and make the premiums for the public option reasonable.

We simply cannot weaken the public option further.

Durbin needs to know that if he is willing to consider a bill without a public option, or weakens it, it will not be reform, will not be "success", we will not support such a bill, and it must nmot and will not pass.