Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: Senators Lied About Supporting Public Option

[Joanne98]

By: Jane Hamsher Saturday January 30, 2010 9:55 am


Cenk Uygur had Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on the Young Turks yesterday. Now that only 50 votes are needed to pass a public option in the Senate, guess what? They magically disappear:

She was also pessimistic about the idea of including the public option in the new proposed reconciliation bill in the Senate:

“We don’t have the votes for the public option in the Senate.”

Now, remember we were told earlier that the Senate easily had 51 votes for the public option but that we needed 60 votes in the Senate because of the big, bad Republicans. Now, all of a sudden we don’t have 50 votes. If it only needed 40 votes, or 30 or 20, we still wouldn’t have it. Why? Because the corporations run the place. The rest is all smoke and mirrors.

Remember too that these “fiscal conservatives” are supposedly worried about the cost of the bill, but they would rather pass the wildly unpopular excise tax than vote for a public option which actually saves money (even Schumer’s weak “level playing field” saves $25 billion). And now that we’re all worried about losing seats in swing districts? Well, a bill with a public option in it is more popular than the Senate bill without one — even among Republicans.

So, the Senate wants what the lobbyists tell them to want, and all the rest is kabuki. One more time, here is the list of 51 Senators who say they want a public option. Biden would make 52. What’s stopping them now?

Here is a list of the 51 Democrats who said they support a public option:

# Senator State Comment
1 Akaka HI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
2 Baucus MT Said reason for voting against on Senate Finance was the need for 60 votes
3 Bennet CO Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option

Continued>>>
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/30/debbie-wasserman-schultz-senators-lied-about-supporting-public-option/

[jonathon]

1. K&R - Not suprising but important to understand where we stand

[SlingBlade]

2. Tell 'em Debbie ... Another RARE Truth Teller in

Washington, DC.
And I'm proud to call her one of ours :)



And OFF ya Go :) K & R

[DrDan]

3. I agree - proud of her . . . but she sure did take a lot of heat around here

during the presidential campaign . . . a lot, if not all of it unwarranted.

[tridim]

4. Kick for Wasserman-Schultz, but I can't recommend due to the source.

[druidity33]

5. huh, what?

can't recommend because it's coming from FDL?

That's kinda stupid if true...

:shrug:

[patrice]

6. They are going to pay for this. I just talked to a small business Republican who said

The insurance deal on the table is unacceptable because there is no competition and that competition should come from government run insurance, though, of course, he had to add that he is worried about letting government be responsible for everyone's health care.

This is a guy who like the concept of corporations having all of the rights of individuals.

[SlingBlade]

7. They are going to pay for this. YEP

As I noted in another thread from her interview with Cenk.

Quisling compromises and deceitful promises to informed educated Progressive and Liberal
voters will NEVER prove a success. When 'O When will they learn ?

We Do Not Buy into Mindless Partisan Politics
We Are NOT mindless Freep-Tards !

[patrice]

8. I really do talk to everyone I get a chance to. I still run across a few frightened

and ignorant individuals and those who have been bought off by the status quo, but I'm pretty sure the tide is turning, even amongst those who don't know that much about stuff and definitely amongst those who do know stuff.

[SlingBlade]

9. "The tide is turning...." . Yes, That is what we're afraid of

or at least cognitive of.

[truedelphi]

10. Thanks Sling Blade.

Of course some people on this board are rather mindless.

jes read a post that said that O' would never remove both of a person's kidneys while smiling.

Why should he - he has Geithner and Bernanke to do that for us.

[KoKo]

11. The HCR was just "Smoke & Mirrors" to boost Insurance Industry...Next up is SS which

they will go after when they gut Medicare. Obama's speech to the Repugs laid it all out. "I am not an idealogue.." Obama stated. He then went on to speak about how he was a centrist and that voices on both the Left and the Right are extreme.

He is dismantling it all. He is an "Independent" and not a Democrat. We elected an Independent.

[burning rain]

12. k & r

.

[Vidar]

13. K&R.