(Newsmax).Democrats rather than Republicans are now officially the No. 1 threat to President Obama's healthcare reform plans, as conservative blue dogs battle party progressives over the so-called "public option" that opponents see as an incremental step toward single-payer, social healthcare.
Faced with unrelenting town hall protests and polls indicating the body politic has gone into cardiac arrest on the issue, President Obama has been signaling his willingness to back off of government-subsidized healthcare.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., predicted on CNBC Monday morning that if Obama jettisons the public option, it will cost the president 100 House votes from the left-wing of his party.
Weiner objected that healthcare reform without a true public option would be pointless."If [Obama] says, 'Well, we're not going to have that,' then I'm not really quite sure what we're doing here anymore," he told CNBC.
If Weiner's threats are accurate, it puts Obama in a serious dilemma. If he drops the public option to get the bill through the Senate, it could spark a revolt from enough liberals to endanger its prospects in the House. Kowtow to House liberals, however, and Obama may not be able to squeeze a bill through the Senate.
In recent weeks, it has grown increasingly clear that Obama may probably have to drop the controversial public option proposal. He conceded at his first town hall meeting that it is is on life support.
The public option, Obama told his audience, cannot be "set up where the government is basically being subsidized by the taxpayers, so even if they're not providing a good deal, we keep on having to pony up more and more money. And I've already said that can't be the way the public option is set up. It has to be self-sustaining."
Weiner warned Monday morning that "there's about 100 members of the House" committed to the public option.He also scolded the president for doing a poor job of selling seniors on the healthcare proposals: "President Obama up to now hasn't done a great job of putting their mind at east, and that's part of the problem."
Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean also continues to champion government-subsidized healthcare.
If anyone proposes a reform bill that does not establish a public health-insurance program, Dean said, "then don't call it health reform." Without the public option, he complains, healthcare reform would amount to a windfall for private insurers.
"I don't think the president should sign a bill which puts $60 billion of taxpayer's money into the private health insurance industry," the former Vermont governor said on MSNBC. "That's what this bill would be without a public option."
Faced with unrelenting town hall protests and polls indicating the body politic has gone into cardiac arrest on the issue, President Obama has been signaling his willingness to back off of government-subsidized healthcare.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., predicted on CNBC Monday morning that if Obama jettisons the public option, it will cost the president 100 House votes from the left-wing of his party.
Weiner objected that healthcare reform without a true public option would be pointless."If [Obama] says, 'Well, we're not going to have that,' then I'm not really quite sure what we're doing here anymore," he told CNBC.
If Weiner's threats are accurate, it puts Obama in a serious dilemma. If he drops the public option to get the bill through the Senate, it could spark a revolt from enough liberals to endanger its prospects in the House. Kowtow to House liberals, however, and Obama may not be able to squeeze a bill through the Senate.
In recent weeks, it has grown increasingly clear that Obama may probably have to drop the controversial public option proposal. He conceded at his first town hall meeting that it is is on life support.
The public option, Obama told his audience, cannot be "set up where the government is basically being subsidized by the taxpayers, so even if they're not providing a good deal, we keep on having to pony up more and more money. And I've already said that can't be the way the public option is set up. It has to be self-sustaining."
Weiner warned Monday morning that "there's about 100 members of the House" committed to the public option.He also scolded the president for doing a poor job of selling seniors on the healthcare proposals: "President Obama up to now hasn't done a great job of putting their mind at east, and that's part of the problem."
Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean also continues to champion government-subsidized healthcare.
If anyone proposes a reform bill that does not establish a public health-insurance program, Dean said, "then don't call it health reform." Without the public option, he complains, healthcare reform would amount to a windfall for private insurers.
"I don't think the president should sign a bill which puts $60 billion of taxpayer's money into the private health insurance industry," the former Vermont governor said on MSNBC. "That's what this bill would be without a public option."
2 comments:
If Obama dumps the public option, he cannot get it through the House. If he keeps the public option, he will lose the Senate.
Either way, there is political carnage. And the House will likely be have to face voters in '10 having supported Cap & Tax, Stimulous, and Socialized Health Care. That's $3 TRILLION+
It's right to vote of everyone!!
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Britney
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