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Public option - getting to 60 votes
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Is there really a problem getting 60 votes to pass a health care reform bill with a public option? According to Chris Bowers at Open Left, not a single Senate Democrat has come out in full opposition to the public option. Except for "Independent" Senator Joe Lieberman, all “Blue Dogs” and one Republican have said they might vote for a public option.
It appears there was never going to be a compromise in the Senate Finance Committee. Republican committee members Senators Enzi and Grassley, would not only vote no on a public option, they would vote no on any health care reform. Enzi recently said that he had no plans to compromise with Democrats and was merely trying to extract concessions. And we all know what Senator "Death Panel Grassley" said.
Appearing on ABC's "This Week”, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, “Republicans are not going to support a credible reform bill led by the president or the Democrats. We’re not going to get their support. I appreciate the work that’s been done by the president to get a bipartisan bill, but there’s not going to be a bipartisan bill.” 84 Democrats in the house, including the Speaker, 
have signed a pledge stating that they will not support a bill that does not include a public option.
have signed a pledge stating that they will not support a bill that does not include a public option.The Party of “No” has pretty much one goal; to bring about President Obama’s “Waterloo” and they will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. If it involves scaring their constituents and repeating ridiculous lies, then that is what they will do. The current crop of Republican Senators are experts at fear mongering if nothing else.
Senator Snowe, the single Republican that might be willing to compromise with Democrats, is regrettably pushing a public option “trigger”. Many progressive groups are adamantly against this “trigger” and claim that it is a trap to kill health care reform. Even if the "trigger" conditions are met years from now, big insurance companies will start the fight all over again to stop the public option from going into effect. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has pointed out that "any reasonable criteria for triggering a public plan has already been met" because insurance companies have already failed to rein in costs and expand coverage. The need for real reform was "triggered" long ago.
So how do you get to 60 votes for a public option? You need to sway twelve Blue Dogs and one Republican Senator to go from “maybe” to “yes”; it’s really that simple, or maybe it’s really that difficult. 46 Senators have said they will vote for the Public Option. Of the 13 Senators that said they might vote yes, 4 are up for re-election in 2010.
President Johnson would work deals with fellow Democrats to get what he wanted and he stood up against his Republican opposition. Remember the Civil Rights Act of 1964? 80% of Republicans voted against it.
The health care reform issue has really showcased the ignorant and selfish in our country; those that refuse to look at facts or read the health care reform bill. They get their information from Fox TV talking heads and prefer to believe in death panels and a President that will brainwash their children. Their Republican representatives count on and hope for this ignorance. Does this bitter, misguided, and angry minority win the battle, the same people that would have voted against Civil Rights, or does common sense and the good of the country prevail?
It’s long past the time for compromise on health care reform. Public option “triggers”, co-op’s and other such concessions are a waste of time, they don’t provide needed change and they won’t provide Republican support.
This President must keep his promise of meaningful health care reform. He needs to convince Senator Olympia Snowe and Blue Dog Democrats that it’s time for them to get on the right side of history!
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