‘Top Line’ — Liberals Pressed on Public Option
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Even as House Democrats fan out to their districts with new talking points that take on the insurance industry, liberal activists are growing concerned that Democrats’ health care bill won’t include a “public option” that competes with private insurers.
Jane Hamsher, the founder and publisher of the liberal blog FireDogLake.com, is helping organize a lobbying campaign designed to get members of the House Progressive Caucus to commit to only supporting a bill that includes a robust public option.
“We want Democrats to commit that they will support what 76% of the country want, what 60% of Republicans want, which is a public plan in this that competes with insurance companies — that [insurance companies] don’t like,” Hamsher told us today on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line.”
“Democrats, with a majority in the Senate of 60 votes, they have the presidency and they have a majority in the House. The president campaigned on this — this was part of his health care program. If they can’t deliver this right now, we’ve got real problems,” she added.
So far, 12 House Democrats have pledged to “vote against any health care bill that doesn't have a public plan,” according to Hamsher’s Website.
Asked about President Obama’s statement that he wants a public option in the bill, Hamsher said that’s not good enough.
“I was going to say — and I, you know, support world peace,” she said.
Hamsher and her allies are seeking to organize grass-roots events in the districts of liberal House members whose votes may be critical on health care.
The efforts reflect the fact that — as much as the White House and its allies wants to make health care into a battle between Democrats and Republicans — it’s Democrats’ fights with other Democrats that have slowed the legislative pace.
Other liberal groups have begun running ads targeting moderate Democratic senators, including Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. (After Nelson’s office denounced the ads late last week, the groups announced today that they’re tripling their ad buy.)
Hamsher said she welcomes the new Democratic offensive against the insurance industry:
“I can tell you that members of the Blue Dog coalition . . . have said that if somebody had launched a campaign against the insurance industries in their districts from the start that they would not have been able to resist. But that didn’t happen,” she said. “So, you know, we created this situation where there is no villain, and the public doesn’t understand what’s going on.”
Click HERE to see the full interview with Jane Hamsher.
Also today, we spoke with Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak about the difficulties Republicans will face on health care, if they’re put in the position of defending the insurance industry.
And we got Democratic strategist Penny Lee’s thoughts on whether President Obama could be rethinking his pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class.
Watch the interview with Matt Mackowiak and Penny Lee HERE.
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Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Of course the Dem plan will include a “public” option! That’s the only reason they are after healthcare reform in the first place. They are interested in the acquisition of power not improved health care! In the end, they will write legislation that makes it impossible to compete with the federal government and the “public” option will wind up being the only option. Sort of like Henry Ford used to say, “You can have your car any color you want, as long as it’s black!” And when “public” ObamaCare becomes our only choice it will be a black day indeed!
Posted by: Don | August 4, 2009, 12:18 am 12:18 am
LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Thomas Paine)
We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 of you dies each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of healthcare means.
I know that many of you are angry and frustrated that REPUBLICANS! In congress are dragging their feet and trying to block TRUE healthcare reform. What republicans want is just a taxpayer bailout of the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry, and the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry. A trillion dollar taxpayer funded private health insurance bailout is all you really get without a robust government-run public option available on day one. Co-OP’s ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION. They are a fraud being pushed by the GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry that is KILLING YOU!
YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE A DISASTER AND UNETHICAL, CORRUPT, AND MORALLY REPUGNANT. AND PROBABLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL.
These industries have been slaughtering you and your loved ones like cattle for decades for profit. Including members of congress and their families. These REPUBLICANS are FOOLS!
Republicans and their traitorous allies have been trying to make it look like it’s President Obama’s fault for the delays, and foot dragging. But I think you all know better than that. President Obama inherited one of the worst government catastrophes in American history from these REPUBLICANS! And President Obama has done a brilliant job of turning things around, and working his heart out for all of us.
But Republicans think you are just a bunch of stupid, idiot, cash cows with short memories. Just like they did under the Bush administration when they helped Bush and Cheney rape America and the rest of the World.
But you don’t have to put up with that. And this is what you can do. The Republicans below will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010. Just a little over 13 months from now. And many of you will be able to vote early. So pick some names and tell their voters that their representatives (by name) are obstructing TRUE healthcare reform. And are sellouts to the insurance and medical lobbyist.
Ask them to contact their representatives and tell them that they are going to work to throw them out of office on November 2, 2010, if not before by impeachment, or recall elections. Doing this will give you something more to do to make things better in America. And it will make you feel better too.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you find people to call and contact. For example, many social networking sites can be searched by state, city, or University. Be inventive and creative. I can think of many ways to do this. But be nice. These are your neighbors. And most will want to help.
I know there are a few democrats that have been trying to obstruct TRUE healthcare reform too. But the main problem is the Bush Republicans. Removing them is the best thing tactically to do. On the other hand. If you can easily replace a democrat obstructionist with a supportive democrat, DO IT!
You have been AMAZING!!! my people. Don’t loose heart. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy saving the World. :-)
God Bless You
jacksmith — Working Class
I REST MY CASE
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
* Bob Bennett of Utah
Posted by: jacksmith | August 4, 2009, 3:34 am 3:34 am
Jack,
Why do spend your entire post arguing to have the federal government provide for everything we need and then end with “God Bless You.” If the government does a good enough job, what will be left for God to take care of?
BTW thanks for the list of great Americans people should plan to vote for.
Posted by: Don | August 4, 2009, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm