Who is most responsible for no Public Option in Bill?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Poll question: Who is most responsible for no Public Option in Bill?

In the current competitive ass-covering by Pelosi and the Senate I tend to Nancy's side. I think it is easy to say you support the PO when you know it won't be in the bill but that Nancy has it on good authority (Reid) that the PO would fail in the Senate, or at least risk failing enough to make it too dangerous to include. In other words, there are 50 votes for the PO in the senate when there's no risk of an actual PO vote, but not 50 real votes.

But I can see the other side's points also. (That there is no reason to defer to the realities of a bill that got 60 votes in a process where 60 are not required)

Who is most responsible for the fact that there will not be a PO in the bill?

[Swamp Rat]

1. The Democratic Party

[Cleita]

2. You need another choice.

Zeke Emmanuel, Rahm's doctor brother and Obama's health care advisor. This is exactly the plan Zeke has proposed even before Obama was elected and he wants no publicly funded medical care whatsoever other than subsidies for the poor. He wants to end Medicare too.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. That would probably go under "and/or WH"

[quinnox]

3. Its Obama

No more excuses folks. If he had led the charge from day one for public option it would be in there. But he was silent or gave mixed signals all the time so no public option.

[bigwillq]

7. Not sure if the votes would've been there

but it would've been nice to see Obama and his team fight for the PO more aggressively. I think this fight begins and ends with Obama with help from Congress. I don't think neither branch fought hard enough for the PO, despite maybe not having the votes.

[quinnox]

9. yep

Obama should have led the charge instead of a hands off policy, it would have been a much better shot in any case for public option win or lose.

[sandnsea]

13. We had bills with a public option

They were ripped apart before they had the slightest chance of moving forward. Congratalations.

[bigwillq]

14. Thanks!

Because we all know that I am a member of Congress and a part of the White House staff! :)

[sandnsea]

16. Hey. The left didn't want any last year's bills

and guess what, we aren't getting them.

[bigwillq]

18. And this is my fault, how?

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

19. You got what you wanted

What's the problem?

[bigwillq]

20. I want a health care reform bill

So, no, I haven't gotten it yet.

[sandnsea]

21. Not even Kennedy's bill was good enough

Not even when a good public option was added to it. The carping continued until we're stuck with leftovers. That's what happens.

[bigwillq]

22. Good enough for whom?

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

23. Playing dumb now. cya n/t

[bigwillq]

24. Naw, but your generalization

and your judgments aren't much better than the "D" word you just used.

[t0dd]

5. Obama

Please refer here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7906790

[KeepItReal]

6. Per the New York Times, it came from the top in '09

"Hospital industry lobbyists, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of alienating the White House, say they negotiated their $155 billion in concessions with Mr. Baucus and the administration in tandem. House staff members were present, including for at least one White House meeting, but their role was peripheral, the lobbyists said.

Several hospital lobbyists involved in the White House deals said it was understood as a condition of their support that the final legislation would not include a government-run health plan paying Medicare rates — generally 80 percent of private sector rates — or controlled by the secretary of health and human services.

“We have an agreement with the White House that I’m very confident will be seen all the way through conference,” one of the industry lobbyists, Chip Kahn, director of the Federation of American Hospitals, told a Capitol Hill newsletter. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/health/policy/13health.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

[Kalun D]

10. In Other Words

The Obama white house sold the working people down the river when it comes to meaningful health care reform.

Sold us out to the fat cat crooked corporations.

they are offering us health care "reform"

[napi21]

8. lve it's the chicken shits in the Senate. I don't blame Pelosi

for not trusting them to vote for a bill if the House puts a PO in it. Far too many Senators have said things in the past & ended up changing their minds. I heard the guy on Ed's show yesterday naming the Sens he spoke to that vowed they would vote yea, but I don't trust them either. If they really have the votes in the Senate for a PO, let THEM put it in the reconciliation bill & let the House revote on it.

[cali]

11. I would have to go with Obama.

[sandnsea]

12. The Senate, mostly. But also the left

Because you just couldn't be satisfied with the bill we had last summer.

[Cetacea]

15. Suddenly, last summer.

The White House was conspicuously quiet during the august swift-boating of HCR, and HCR sank in the polls after that.

[rcrush]

17. Obama because we already knew Congress didn't give a shit about us

Its really disappointing to find out that Obama doesn't want to fight either. But he was a Senator so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[MiniMe]

25. Max Baucus

however you spell his name.