Tom Daschle’s joining forces with Bob Dole and Howard Baker to keep a public plan out of the health care reform package.
Daschle Folds on Federal Public Health Care Plan
Tom Daschle, Howard Baker, and Bob Dole, offered their solution today to the biggest obstacle to achieving health care reform -- a public option. …In a blow to President Obama and many of his Democratic allies in the health care fight, the plan recommends that there be no federal public option, but rather state or regional public-sponsored networks that would compete with private health plans, according to the summary released today by the Bipartisan Policy Center.
"If you want to stop this thing dead in its tracks, or dead on arrival, in my view you put the public plan in it," Dole said when asked whether there were any non-negotiables to deal with when drafting the bipartisan recommendations.
First, we need to get something straight here… the public option is not the biggest obstacle to achieving health care reform. Republicans are. So (apparently) are some Democrats.
Now we’ve all heard about Bill Kristol’s memo from December, 1993, advising Republicans to scuttle the reform effort so they could deny Bill Clinton a big win. Bob Dole played a huge role in making sure the status quo survived. He had plans to run for Bill’s job after all so he wasn’t about to help him on this or any other effort and to heck with the people of this country. Mid-term elections were right around the corner and the Republicans had bigger things on their agenda than saving American lives by fixing our health care system.
So now we have another Democrat in the White House trying to push reform. Tom Daschle – who was elected Democratic Senate Majority Leader in 1994 and had to deal with Dole in the last effort to get this done – is now working hand in glove with the guy who blocked efforts 15 years ago.
Dole and Daschle go on to note that for a reform proposal to be seen as “truly bi-partisan”, it must attract at least 20 Republican votes. What they don’t seem to understand is that we don’t need a bi-partisan bill here. Democrats control the House, the Senate and the White House. There’s absolutely no excuse for them to fail in getting at least a public option into a reform package. This is the kind of thing we elected them to do – health care reform. It’s what people have said they wanted in poll after poll after poll. If the Democrats in Congress fail to push for a public option and push it hard – and if the WH fails to demand it – then it’s time we started asking the obvious question…
What in the [bleep] did we elect all of those Democrats for last November?
You’d think this would be a slam dunk, right? It’s not helping that a high-profile Democrat is working with Republicans to scuttle reform.
We need leadership from our party on this – from Sen. Reid and from the White House. There’s no excuse here – it’s time for them to get this thing done and get done it right.
Comments
The corporations/lobbies have complete control over the system; the guillotine is the only way to achieve reform.
Gasp. The guillotine? Okay, I'll go for that. Let's chop those insurance millionaire and billionaire muckety-mucks.
If nobody is hearing our pleas (and my daily phone calls), and we aren't able to get even a legitimate public option, AND we are to be compelled to buy into private insurance, then I give up on this one. Let the bill fail. Then, when the system we have folds like a house of cards, maybe someone will finally listen and we'll have real reform. If we aren't able to have our own public alternative, I'm afraid that's the best we can hope for. The death of a bad bill.
Just read the new NBC/WSJ poll showing 76%
(76%!!!!!!) of Americans want a public health care option.
When was the last time 76% of this country agreed on anything?
The fact that every Democrats in DC is not out screaming for national health care at the top of their lungs is a travesty.
I think these people are stupid. Oh, and greedy...which is not mutually exclusive.
Patty: after the death of a bad bill, may I also suggest the defeat of some bad politicians?
Why is Dashle involved in this anyway. Isn't he a lobbyist? I am quite sure he is not a legislator.
Where oh where is Daschle working now? Anyone know?
What? a Democrat reversing a long-held position on an issue!!! That has to be a first.
@deb: He was going to be in BHO's cabinet and the lead for health care reform until the tax problems. I don't think he's a lobbyist because BHO said he wouldn't hire lobbyists in his administration.
dakotawarcollege.com/archives/8478
"Daschle works for Alston & Bird, a law firm that lobbies on behalf of more than a dozen health companies, including CVS Caremark, according to Senate lobbying disclosure statements.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the arrangement raises questions about what Daschle is advocating and who he represents in the closed-door meetings with members of Congress. “It’s like being a senator or being in the administration without having any of the restrictions,” she said.
Daschle, who is not a lobbyist, said he does not lobby but rather offers his thoughts to anyone who finds them helpful, be it the law firm or lawmakers."
Daschle has lost all credibility considering where he currently employed. Spread the word - crush this before it gets legs!
Bob in TX: "I don't think he's a lobbyist because BHO said he wouldn't hire lobbyists in his administration."
If you believe this, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to speak to you about.
Hi Karen,
I guess I disagree with you, here's why...I, like many independents, voted for Obama. I feel that many Democratic operatives feel that Obama is their creation. The truth is that Obama is the creation of his ability to appeal to the moderate independent voters. Karen, Barrack has your vote if he lowers taxes and cuts welfare, he has your vote if he starts drinking and beating his wife...Karen he has your vote no matter what he does....you can moan all you want about creating a gigantic new health ministry to provide you with a comfortable beauracratic cushion there in D.C. but what you seem to fail to understand Karen is that I, us, the folks like me, who swung left to vote for Obama simply because we liked him or we were against the war are not on board for nationalizing healthcare. I know it would be great for you, I know you want it real bad...but that doesn't matter to me because I think it looks like a terrible idea.
Steve
I wish people like Tom Dascle would pack up the money they made at the people's expense and go home. Of course that would totally empty the Congress of Republicans. But then at least maybe the team that was elected last November could intimidate the rest of the Democrats and govern. That is: close (finally) our illegal jail in Cuba, assure health care to Americans, and stop the environmental rape of what was once a lovely planet.
@Cathryn: "I wish people like Tom Dascle would pack up the money they made at the people's expense and go home. Of course that would totally empty the Congress of Republicans."
Don't forget that Daschle is a D -- in fact he was the Senate Majority Leader under Clinton and was Obama’s nominee for Sec. of HHS. He would have been one of the leaders of health care reform if not for his unpaid taxes.
I would argue that he is perfect example of someone selling out their "beliefs" for money. Of course, maybe he never really believed anything he professed, but took those stances for power and money. At least Dole and Baker didn't jump the fence and take a stance in complete opposition to their professed belief. Or perhaps Daschle honestly thinks Obama is going about this health care thing the wrong way.
<i>Karen, Barrack has your vote if he lowers taxes and cuts welfare, he has your vote if he starts drinking and beating his wife...Karen he has your vote no matter what he does.</i>
With all due respect Steve, you don't know the first thing about me so please don't presume I'd vote for a wife-beater. That's beyond insulting and I would hope we can respect each other enough to not go there with assumptions like that.
So Karen you pretend you're pretending that you are insulted rather than addressing my point...why that's a rhetorical maneuver isn't it? I'm getting to know you better with each passing day. At this rate maybe one day you will feel comfortable enough with our relationship to actually address my point.....which is, President Obama is the president of the nation, not the president of the beauracrats. What's good for the beauracratic fringe is not necessarily good for the nation as a whole.
My other point is that it wasn't people who "help get democrats elected" (whatever that is) that got Obama elected, it was Obama...the left had almost nothing to do with it. Obama was the seed, the independents embracing him as a candidate were the necessary moisture, the Liberals were the dirt that is below our feet on the right or left side of the spectrum.
Reagan was germinated in conservative soil with independent irrigation.
Karen you may be proud but you are the garden not the gardener
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