Sanders drops ("postpones") push for public option

[kpete]

Source: Burlington Free Press

Sanders drops push for public option


Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will postpone a push for a public option in the health care overhaul bill, acknowledging such a fight “could undermine the entire process.”


The National Journal reported on its Web site Thursday that Sanders and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., would shelve an amendment to the bill during the reconciliation process in exchange for assurances the proposal would be resurrected later.

A statement by Will Wiquist, a Sanders spokesman, confirmed the report. “Bernie is a strong supporter of a public option and will continue to work to create a system that provides competition for private insurance companies as a way to hold down skyrocketing premiums,” Wiquist said by e-mail. “He thinks majorities in the House and Senate would support a public option.”

“Given the very delicate situation at this time and the challenge facing Speaker Pelosi as she rounds up votes, Bernie and other senators have concluded that offering a public option amendment now could undermine the entire process.”

Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100319/NEWS03/100319005/Sanders-drops-push-for-public-option

[Cleita]

1. They've all caved. Now we know who our masters really are.

:-(

[icee]

7. I can only imagine how big that check is gonna be. I hope

everyone at DU is starting to understand what's going on here. The very first clue was Obama meeting with Ins and Pharma in early 2009. Everything after that just slipped into place.

[Bette Noir]

11. If you're implying that Bernie took a bribe, I have only three words for you:

Pistols at dawn.

[icee]

14. No, not a bribe. Another couple of clinics in Vermont. Maybe

a new hospital wing. Sanders would never take a bribe. Let's say consideration.

[Mithreal]

21. Please don't rely on the information that youknowwho provided about Bernie.

For anyone else, see my post 15.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4312582&mesg_id=4312635

:hi:

[icee]

26. I wasn't. I read something that said approximately the same at about

that time. I'll look for it after my bike ride.

[Mithreal]

29. okie doke, soak up some sun

:hi:

[neverforget]

2. But it'll be fixed later....when we have more Democrats....

:banghead: If not now, when? :shrug:

[Lorien]

3. The fix is in, but some are still in denial

betrayal can do that to a person.

[No Elephants]

51. Not only betrayal, but absence of realistic alternatives.

Some of us have thought that getting enough Democrats in office would be the answer to so many things, much as it was after Hoover. We did not realize that, since then, the Democratic Party had morphed well to the right of Nixon.

So, Democrats are not the antidote to Republicans, no matter how hard we worked for Democrats. Republicans sure ain't the antidote to Republicans. Third parties do not have a realistic chance of winning, so they're not the antidote to Republicans.

You can try to elect Democrats who are more liberal than other Democrats, but, in the end, they vote with their caucus, if they vote may actually make a difference. So, Capuano and Kucinish end up voting the same way as Stupak, and Sanders and Feingold end up voting the same way as Baucus and Nelson do. Unless their vote doesn't matter anyway.

And, if they stand on principle and refuse to vote with the caucus when their vote matters, even supposedly liberal Democrats call them traitors and target them.

So, wtf CAN we do, realistically?

Denial may be more bearable than facing that question.

[subterranean]

4. Et tu, Bernie? Another corporatist sellout.

Just kidding.
Sanders has fought as hard as anybody for the public option. If only we had more Senators like him.

[dflprincess]

65. If we had more like Sanders we'd have single payer n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

5. "Assurances"...

they better be written in Pelosi's blood. :(

And, of course, the PO can be "brought up" all Bernie wants. The end result may still be the same: no PO, no Medicare for all, zip.

[patrice]

6. I trust Senator Sanders. We have made progress on the issues and those who cop out in the future bec

ause this didn't go the way it "should" have will just have to go it alone as will we without them. If that's their choice, so be it.

[troubledamerican]

48. LOL

[yurbud]

64. if they didn't do this right when they had a supermajority, when exactly will they do it right?

[SandWalker1984]

8. Bernie's price to sell out? 2 new health clinics + $600 mil for VT Medicaid

Bernie changed his no vote to yes on the Senate bill in December after he got what he wanted for the state of Vermont:

1.) 2 new health clinics in Vt (the small state already has 8 such clinics plus 40 satellite offices)

2.) $600 million over 10 years for Vermont's medicaid costs.


So there you are folks, Bernie sold the rest of us out for a couple of new clinic and medicaid reimbursement.

Both of these be publically funded and paid for by all US taxpayers. So we are good enough to pay for public options for residents of Bernie's state but not good enough to have the choice of a public option for ourselves.

Nice job, Bernie. :sarcasm:

[onpatrol98]

9. I didn't know that...

I didn't know that.
:cry:

[Mithreal]

16. Correction.

Please see my post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4312582&mesg_id=4312635

[Bette Noir]

12. You could do better?

You could single-handedly convince the Senate to work honestly on behalf of the American people? I dare you to try.

[Mithreal]

17. Could do better at telling the truth at least.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4312582&mesg_id=4312635

[icee]

18. Never, never, never, give up....Winston Churchill.....

Maybe another time on the Public Option...Bernie Sanders.

res judicata

[icee]

13. I hope he and Dennis Kucinich will lighten up on what strong

reliable liberals they are. I'll tell Sanders that to his face when he and Thom Hartmann get together next week.

[Mithreal]

19. Some DU'ers are dishonest, even if unintentionally.

Please see my post 15.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4312582&mesg_id=4312635

[Doremus]

35. I wish you would post it here.

Those of us in a hurry would appreciate it.

[Mithreal]

37. I did, just down the page.

I used a link just because I find it a lil tricky sometimes to find a numbered post and I didn't want to spam the same response over and again.

[DFLforever]

28. A lot of Duers are much more liberal than DK or Sanders

and much more progresive then Pres Obama

and way further to the left than Lenin

in their tiny little minds.

[icee]

30. Copy that--

[No Elephants]

52. Where does an ideology like liberalism exist, if not the mind? And please see Reply 31.

[Mithreal]

15. Dishonest. DECEMBER 19 - $10 Billion More for Community Health Centers will Revolutionize Care.

WASHINGTON, December 19 – A $10 billion investment in community health centers, expected to go to $14 billion when Congress completes work on health care reform legislation, was included in a final series of changes to the Senate bill unveiled today.

The provision, which would provide primary care for 25 million more Americans, was requested by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

He said the additional resources will help bring about a revolution in primary health care in America and create new or expanded health centers in an additional 10,000 communities. The provision would also provide loan repayments and scholarships through the National Health Service Corps to create an additional 20,000 primary care doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and mental health professionals.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/bernie-sanders-explains-why-hes-going-vote

link contains a crooks&liars video, I saw this story elsewhere previously but just brought up a quick link.

That said, I do not know to what extent Bernie will get what he wanted in a final bill.

[icee]

20. I have learned more here in the last two weeks than I did in the

five years I was coming here, most of it not posting. It's almost like you found out your wife was hooking.

[Mithreal]

22. Indeed. Much is becoming clearer about DU, our Party, and how deep the hole we dug ourself.

[icee]

25. Yeah, but, generally speaking I wouldn't want to change the

way people think here. Most are kind and considerate; they have every right to formulate heroes based on observations. If these trusting folk disappear from the brotherhood, what's left? I don't want everyone to be a hard-azz like me. "Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should..."

[Mithreal]

27. True enough. If those folks have open minds then I am ok with them.

A few seem to be here only to disrupt and obfuscate though and push some of the good Progressives to their breaking points. Haven't seen many of the "supporters at all costs" crowd TS'd. I have seen plenty of people whose voices I miss TS'd. I agree with your sentiments though.

:dilemma:

[No Elephants]

53. Nah, If your wife hooks, she brings the money to the home--unless your marriage is in trouble!

:rofl:

Voters don't the get the benefit of the money that floats around D.C. To the contrary, we pay for it via corrupt legislation.

[Cleita]

33. Have you ever been to a CHC?

Yes, they are better than nothing, but we could do so much better for everyone, if we just eliminated private insurance and extended an improved Medicare to everyone so they could go to the doctor of their choice, not the one that will see them that day in the CHC. That's after they have waited for hours to be seen.

[Mithreal]

36. Preaching to the choir, but keep doing it. It needs to be said and often.

And yes, I have used the local CHC when I didn't have insurance. I was pleased with the service, had a very low cost too.

That said, when I was a teacher in North Carolina, many of my students used the CHC and to wait half a day in the office was the usual.

One of my students was always dead tired. He would even fall asleep in class. You probably would think I must be a bad teacher, that's alright. He could draw beautifully and was always cheerful. I had a lot of students who I really liked but never did very well. Anyway, one day I saw his hands. They were shredded from picking tobacco and when I talked with him privately he told me he worked with his family in the fields, practically every day and was exhausted. I saw where these folks lived. They lived in buses without wheels and curtains over the windows setup very close together in trailer park fashion.

I have some idea what our country has done to the least of these and I am ANGRY. As long as I live I plan to fight back.

[Rapier09]

10. The end of Central Government

Always knew that day would come within my lifetime but not when.

[No Elephants]

54. I must have missed the memo. AFAIK, central government is alive and taking us for a ride.

[florida08]

23. so much for real reform

[Mithreal]

24. On this go-round. It was up to you and me anyway.

Who whipped the 51 Senate votes? We did. Who told Reid to cave to Lieberman when we had 59 votes for medicare buy-in? Obama. Who does my Senate leadership Senator's CoS blame for the HCR mess? Obama.

www.whipcongress.com

Bernie Sanders Contradicts Obama, Says Senate Does Have 50 Votes for Public Option

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is saying that the Senate has a majority for a public option–in direct contradiction to claims by President Obama. From TPM:

Sanders said he thinks Democrats have 50 votes in the Senate to pass a bill “certainly to include a public option.” It was a bit of good news for progressives, who have turned their attention to using reconciliation in the Senate to bolster a reform bill with the addition of a public option.

Last week, Obama met with House progressives, and blamed demise of the public option on the lack of votes in the Senate. Of course, I don’t know how Obama came to the conclusion the public option could not get fifty votes in the Senate through reconciliation, since every indication is that he never once whipped for it, or even politely asked a single senator to please support the idea. If the public option lacks 50 votes in the Senate, it probably does in no small part to the Obama administration’s constant signals that he did not really care about it and was more than prepared to give it up for fig leaves like triggers and co-ops.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/10/bernie-sanders-contradicts-obama-says-senate-does-have-50-votes-for-public-option/

[florida08]

32. you're right

now's not the time to give up..just whack me when I do that. I know as far as I can tell support for the P.O went up in the last few weeks except with Obama.

[Mithreal]

34. That goes for me too, We're In This Together

:hi:

[florida08]

40. yes we are

hold on..lol

[No Elephants]

55. I disagree. Alll my communications to the WH, Kennedy, Kerry and Capuano

were very specific: Single payer or, at the very least, a strong, meaningful public option. And, after Kennedy passed, I wrote the same thing to his successors, including the Brown turd.

Yes, I voted for, and donated to, Obama. However, he ran on a strong public coption and no mandates. I had no way of knowing he'd kick off so-called health care reform by meeting with health insurers, PHRMA and Big Health, then refusing to produce White House visitor logs when the ACLU filed an FOIA request.

And, hello, my other choice was a guy whose peeps, when asked about health care reform, pointed to the fact that Emergency Rooms treat everyone, even if they have no insurance.

If I vote for Obama again, whatever he does after that will be my fault, because we all know what Dummya was trying to say when he said "Fool me once....." However, I won't take the rap for the crap in the so called health care reform bill.

(Country songwriters- I will license that sentence to you very reasonably.)

[Oregone]

31. Seems like these figures exist to coral and pacify the left more than anything these days

"Dont vote green! We have a socialist. I promise we do. We really do care"

Im not suggesting *they* have an alterior motive. Just the people stringin em along like tools

[Mithreal]

38. Sanders is loved by both Republicans, Independents and Democrats

because he tells it like it is and average people understand he speaks for them.

I think I get what you are saying though, but maybe it is misdirected. Rather a number of batshit crazy Republicans keep their seats because they are good for Democratic Party fundraising. There have been plenty of stories posted on DU that back up this assertion. If you want I will do some digging, but maybe you already know.

[Oregone]

43. The Democrats would be as well served with someone toeing the party line

Debate was not welcomed in this reform. The left was not invited. It was not the aim of this reform to include them or value their advocacy. So why keep people like this around, when the party could as easily make sure a centrist is there who will always do what they are told? And yes, the party has a say, due to fundraising, endorsements, media messages, etc.

But these figures do serve a purpose, though not exactly legislatively. They give people hope. They make people feel represented. And even when everyone is getting the shaft, these people can reassure them its not all that bad. Their presence definitely keeps people pacified, intentional or not. If the Democratic party consisted entirely of centrists/corporatists that are reflected by their policy, people would abandon the party quickly and seek out a new home.

And I bet there is definitely someone up there who realizes this.

[Mithreal]

44. You can always run a "centrist" who can fire up the masses with rhetoric.

I would wager only people like us really know why PO and SP were off the table. The rest is spin and media's job.

If I understand what you wrote, I think that is leading down a dark path. If you were to tell me that is the Obama story, I wouldn't disagree. The powers behind the curtain knew he was one of them, a free market type.

Don't discount, sometimes a voice for the people is true. There is no need to get rid of them when they can be pressured, coerced, bought to fall in line. Everyone knows you need a lot of money to win and the people at the top of the Dem Party control the cash. Obama has zero reason to change campaign finance and make it publicly funded. We know who he is now, it's been obvious for some a lot longer than others. There are a lot of good Dems still that are stuck in a corrupt system. It's more about the system than whether the person in place is a corporatist or not. At the top though, those folks have no excuse for their behavior, and at the top, I mean Obama.

Hit me back with what you think though.

[Romulox]

39. Integrity? For losers. nt

[Ed76638]

41. Democrats keep coming with this weaksauce.....

:banghead:

[Mithreal]

42. Sanders is not a Democrat, but does caucus with our party.

Obama controls the Dem Party. All he offers is weaksauce. You knew it during the campaign, nothing about him has changed.

[No Elephants]

57. He campaigined on something very different.

[Mithreal]

62. Absolutely, but you must admit, even on the campaign he was pretty weak on HCR.

[mvd]

45. My whole family got increases from Aetna today

My mom and dad switched it was so bad. Mine is still affordable, but the increases are adding up. Agree with Sanders that something needs to be done - but can we pass the PO through reconciliation after the President signs the bill into law, or would it need 60 votes?

[No Elephants]

56. If anyone wanted it to pass through reconcicliation, it would have been in the "fixes" Obama gave

house, or in the house reconciliation bill that the house will soon deem passed.

[SandWalker1984]

46. NEWSFLASH: Dems to use Deem & Pass on Sunday, don't have the Senate votes for Reconcillation

I just saw Rep Chris Van Hollen, Dem from Maryland, on CNN in an interview.

Van Hollen admitted to 2 things that are VERY IMPORTANT to know:

1) The House plans to use "deem and pass" on Sunday instead of an up or down vote in passing the Senate HCR bill. They don't have the guts to vote for this garbage bill in the sunshine.

2) Van Hollen admitted to Blitzer that they do not have a guaranteed 51 votes in the Senate to pass a reconcillation bill.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE VOTES OR A GUARANTEE THAT A RECONCILLATION BILL WILL BE PASSED if they "deem and pass" the Senate bill.

If the House passes this without a Senate guarantee of votes, then WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SENATE BILL IS WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH.


The Senate bill already has had stripped out of it all of the important reasons for health care reform in the 1st place:

1) They gave up single-payer before the debate even started, then even a weak public option.

2) They gave up anti-trust legislation.

3) They gave up regulation of the premiums thru a Rate Authority or Review Board.

4) Pre-existing coverage, admitted by Gibbs, won't kick in for 4 to 6 years and insurance companies can charge whatever they want for premiums.

5) They gave up drug price negotiations and re-importation of affordable drugs from Canada and Europe.

6) The insurance exchanges will be state exchanges, not national, so negotiating power with the insurance corporations will be limited.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what was left out, negotiated away or sold to the highest bidder (lobbyists).


How anyone can celebrate THIS as a health care reform victory, is beyond me.

[Mithreal]

47. Is that the guy who replaced Rahm Emanuel on the DCCC?

The same Congressman that PDA and DFA wouldn't support?

Just curious about this Congressman. Please share your insight.

[No Elephants]

61. Yep. DCCC, but, per his wiki, he seems to have done some good things.

"In 2006, Van Hollen opted out of the race to succeed the retiring Senator Paul Sarbanes, saying he would rather spend time with his family and help elect more Democrats to Congress.<13> In keeping with that, Van Hollen was appointed the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Van_Hollen



Not only that, but he seems like an old line New England Republican: Nixon appointed his Pappy and his Ma was CIA (another prospect for a country song line).



"The oldest of three children, Van Hollen was born in Karachi, Pakistan, to Christopher and Eliza Van Hollen. His father was a Foreign Service officer who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (1969-72) and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka (1972-76); and his mother worked in the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department, where she served as chief of the intelligence bureau for South Asia.<1> <2> He also lived in Turkey, India, and Sri Lanka.<1> He returned to the United States for his junior year of high school, and attended the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, where his grandfather once taught.<1>"


His wiki goes on:

"In 1982, Van Hollen graduated from Swarthmore College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy.<3> He continued his studies at Harvard University, where he earned a Master of Public Policy degree, concentrating in ]national security studies, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1985.<3> He then worked as a legislative assistant for defense and foreign policy to U.S. Senator Charles Mathias, a Republican from Maryland, from 1985 to 1987."

His district is basically well to do, with a large number of government employees.

[No Elephants]

59. My prediction: The reconciliation bill, or something very much like it, will pass.

This is kabuki.

[merkins]

49. Never would of thought Sanders would cave

thanks for the theater, its been swell.

[No Elephants]

60. The theater hasn't ended yet. And, as to this particular bill, it probably never will.

Democrats will be explaining for years why it was not possible to do better, even though 80% of voters favored a strong public option, even after President Obama's "sliver" remarks.

[DerekG]

50. Folks, you've been had

Leave these charlatans behind, and show them what an honest-to-God progressive movement looks like. It ain't too late.

[No Elephants]

58. No more slogans. Please be more specific. Please see Reply # 31.

[yurbud]

63. who is Pelosi having difficulty corraling?

[JerseygirlCT]

66. Postpone it until just after HCR is signed into law.

Then get to work fixing this thing.

Universal, single-payer - medicare for all.