Pelosi: Say Goodbye To The Public Option (because the Senate doesn't have the votes ) - updated

[ProSense]

Pelosi: Say Goodbye To The Public Option

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the public option dead during a press briefing moments ago.

"We're talking about something that's not going to be part of the legislation," she said.

I'm quite sad that a public option isn't in there. But it isn't a case of it's not in there because the Senate is whipping against it. It's not in there because they don't have the votes to have it in there."We had it," Pelosi said. "We wanted it. They didn't have it. It's not in the reconciliation."

So Durbin says he'll whip for it, Senators are making claims that up to 53 votes exists and now Pelosi says "we wanted it" but "they don't have the votes"?

Sounds like either a lack of coordination or a lot of excuses.

Updated to add:

Pelosi gave solace to supporters of the public option, saying that its intent will largely be fulfilled with other provisions in the bill.

"While it may not have a public option, we have a purpose of the public option served by the exchanges" and other reforms, she said.

link

[gateley]

1. How/where does Grayson's resolution fit into all this? nt

[karynnj]

6. It may well be that this is Grayson's effort and is not that of the leadership

It is highly likely that it will not be brought to the floor and that it will not have anywhere near the votes needed.

[themaguffin]

31. I expected the Medicare idea to resurface again before this week & expect

that it has a better chance of success. After all, it almost had 60 Senate votes, so it's realistic to get 50 and the House could more ahead knowing that.

I don't blame Nancy for feeling burned.

[bigdarryl]

2. Can anyone post those Senators so they can be PREMIERED

[hlthe2b]

15. Premiered?

Tah Dah!


I think you mean primaried. :)

[closeupready]

3. Anyone who didn't see this coming is an idiot.

There is going to be no public option, no medicare buy-in, and we are stuck with insurance mandates for all.

[still_one]

4. You are right on. and those in Congress who believe they are doing the prudent thing

I suspect will be in for a big surprise when they are up for election

[ProSense]

5. Actually, there are many people who want the bill passed with or without a public option

but that doesn't mean they are going to stop pushing for it, even after the bill passes.

[closeupready]

7. And they will fix NAFTA, while they are at it.

:eyes:

[ProSense]

10. Maybe. Do you know for sure that they will not?

Are you expecting Congress to disband after this vote?

[gateley]

8. Thanks - that sucks. nt

[tabatha]

9. Krugman says it is a good bill.

[Bryn]

25. I knew it was too good to be true!

Yet I hoped. :(

[denimgirly]

11. EXPECTED. Cenk was right..Smoke and Mirrors.

[HughMoran]

NEGATIVITY EXPECTED

You've quickly become a caricature for the negativity crew.

[JTFrog]

22. Easier the second or third time around. n/t

[Lost4words]

12. I'm feeling stupid just holding onto hope, if it were a phony war it would be done by now

head exploding!...

[Bryn]

13. It should be illegal for politicians to take money from corporations

I am not sure if the reason is because of money coming in from insurance companies to keep out Public Option, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

When they get paid by insurance companies, big pharma companies, etc. to vote against us they are messing up America and American people. They can't get their priorities straightened because of their greed for their own wealth. Might as well get rid of ALL POLITICIANS and let The Corporation run America!

Take a look at Blanche Lincoln. She's one of the worst democrats and the biggest corporation whore.

From a MoveOn.org fundraising email:

Blanche Lincoln is one of the worst corporate Democrats in Washington. That's why 92 percent of Arkansas MoveOn members voted to support Bill Halter over Blanche Lincoln in a primary election. Instead of fighting for the health care reform Arkansas families desperately need, she took nearly a million ($866,000) from Big Insurance and HMO interests and then played a leading role in opposing the public health insurance option. She took $1.3 million from Wall Street banks and helped kill legislation that would've allowed struggling homeowners to stay in their homes. And she sponsored a bill to roll back the Clean Air Act to protect corporate profits. With Bill Halter, our Arkansas members see a candidate who will stand up to special interests. Arkansans deserve someone who'll fight for them, not Wall Street.

Blanche Lincoln, D-Senator of Arkansas. She ignores people that need health care to pocket $866,000. Took $1.3 million from Wall Street banks not to fight to keep homeowers stay in their homes. She weakens the Clear Air Act for Arkansas. She took $162,202 from utilities since 2005 (according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.)

Can anyone see the root of a real problem in the Whitehouse? It's the politicians taking money from corporations to protect The Corporation interest and for themselves to enjoy the wealth. It's like stealing from Us The People. It's crime, but it's LEGAL. We the People should fight to make it illegal. It's unethical and so morally wrong.

[closeupready]

16. What I don't get, how are we supposed to fight for reform - by contacting Blanche Lincoln?

Or fill in the blank with your own elected official? What I mean is, they are ALL on the take. Don't look to current elected officials to reform the same broken system that enriches them personally.

[Bryn]

19. I mentioned Blanche Lincoln as an example ...

There are many in the Whitehouse just like her .... taking money from the corporations to vote to protect corporations' interests. Much like mobster system. "Pay me and I will protect you."

[closeupready]

21. No disagreement from me on any of your points.

Frankly, I think this is all very obvious. But maybe I think that simply because I'm more attuned to these types of current affairs?

[flpoljunkie]

14. Pelsoi also noted the HHS Sec power to regulate rates and behaving so they can be on the exchanges.

These measures will save costs--altho perhaps not as much as a strong public option-which we never had in the House, in any case.

Bernie Sanders is answering questions on Thom Hartmann's radio show LIVE at this moment.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/listenlive.php

[Vinnie From Indy]

17. You can almost hear the champagne corks flying in the executive offices of Wellpoint et al

It has been quite an awesome thing to behold the transformation of the US Congress into nothing but a group streetwalkers working for their big pimp daddy the health insurance industry/Big Pharma.

This bill is everything the health insurers ever dreamed of having but were too afraid to ask. Under the guise of "reform" they have scored a victory that will ring through the ages. I will not be surprised at all if they also get the last remaining items on their wish list including draconian tort reform/caps/limits and the ability to sell across state lines.

[ProSense]

18. Yeah, as they spend millions more to try to kill it and are gearing

up to work with the GOP on their bogus attempt to repeal it.

[Jersey Devil]

20. Of course - it would be ridiculous for the House to include it in the reconciliation bill

If they did include it, passed it and there weren't enough votes for it in the Senate then we'd be back to square one again - no bill of any kind. Pelosi isn't saying "goodbye" to the PO because the Senate never said "hello" to it.

If there was ever any chance of a PO being added back in it has to originate in the Senate. Then it could be sent back to the House and quickly approved. The House adding into a recon bill would be courting disaster.

[Jennicut]

23. Thank you. The Senate does not have 50 votes or more. No way, no how.

Anyone want to take a guess at the ones who are a no go besides the obvious conservadems? Webb and Warner? Carper?

[ProSense]

24. True, but then that makes Durbin's statement ridiculous. n/t

[Jersey Devil]

26. Yeah, Durban will "whip it"

Whip it good!

[Imajika]

27. The Public Option has been dead for months...

...that so many people deluded themselves into believing there was a serious push on for it is sad.

So much naivete. It's politics people. Many of those Senators "signing on" to the PO were just doing so because they knew it was already dead. They were just appeasing the base. That is just how things are done. The real decisions had already been made.

[harun]

28. It is obvious now why Obama never demanded it, he knew it

would never be in there.

[IndianaGreen]

30. Obama never wanted the Public Option

That is the unspoken truth, and the great unmentionable in DU. The Baucus bill is the bill that Obama wanted!

[hulka38]

32. It may be dangerous to try to wake people like that.

[closeupready]

29. Sort of like those who waited for Gore's Shermanesque statement.

n/t