Politico on Big Ed said Snowe (Maine) is working w/ Schumer - public option as a "fallback" plan!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Private insurance will be given a "chance" to provide affordable healthcare AND IF THEY DON'T then we'll have a public plan! Isn't that exciting!!

This is back to the BS "trigger" talk. They are doing EVERY SINGLE F!@KING THING THEY CAN to preserve our current worthless system and to keep the gravy train running. Tom Tancredo helpfully suggested that country is suffering from a "socialism overdose". More words of Republican wisdom, although at this point what with Feinsteins statement, you really do need a program to tell them apart.

[KoKo]

1. It's distressing...but, like we've seen in the past, they will do what they do

and our phone, Fax, e-mails...will be "considered" but not "honored." And...sadly, that's putting the best face on it.

[AndyA]

2. I love the way our Congress Critters look after the interests of private business.

They sure don't give the same consideration to their constituents when they pass abusive and unjust laws that impact the people who put them in office!

So, voters can do without insurance for a few more years, while they give the private insurance companies time to see if they can provide affordable health care.

BULLSHIT! We need new people in Congress, the current lot is worthless to everyone but their corporate masters.

[tridim]

3. That should actually be "RW outlet Politico said..." nt

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. I wanted "Politico guy" but no room. Side note: Tancredo has 70's hipster look just sans love beads.

The tee shirt under the jacket, the mustache, oh my! I'm afraid to see if his jacket sleeves are pushed up.

[Cleita]

4. Do you feel this is a circular shooting squad?

First the public option, then cooperatives, then the trigger and back to the public option and there we go again.

[high density]

6. yep

PORTLAND -- Sen. Olympia Snowe says a standby public option that would come into play if the private insurance market fails to provide affordable coverage could bridge the partisan gap that threatens to derail President Barack Obama's health care reform.

The Maine Republican, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, said today she's working with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York to include a standby option that would serve as a safety net.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/newsupdate.php?updates/snowe-touts-standby-option-for-health-care

[sarah553807]

7. this fucking pisses me off

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. Thanks for verification. Maine has lots of secret poverty- she is doing her constituents WRONG! nt

[Teaser]

24. nope

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jiA_N6M7TQBDdkSEMtkHL-wh2zvgD994K4A80


Responding to Snowe's comments, Schumer spokesman Brian Fallon said the Democrat will continue to seek a consensus with Republicans but believes there must be a public option that "is available to all Americans from the first day."

[high density]

48. I don't see how that changes what Snowe said. NM

[Hutzpa]

82. Nice,

you are prepared to believe what Snowe said but not your own party stalwart.

What a clear thinking person you are.....

[fascisthunter]

8. this country is a Fascist Dictatorship

as long as we consume their products, they control us. !984 was a great book, but reality is much more surreal.

[blm]

10. Some of us KNEW it was Schumer's staff who claimed Kerry pushed for a trigger when

all along it was Kerry in these meetings pushing for public option. Schumer wanted to see how much backlash trigger would get and he had his staff claim it was Kerry pushing for it (to a willing dupe of a blogger) while Kerry was on the senate floor debating Inhofe and Cornyn on climate change.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. I have absolutely no problem believing that.

Schumer previously flew under the radar to me,and if anything, I LIKED him, but now I think he is one the biggest, sneakiest, 2-faced, weaselers in the Senate based solely on his performance in healthcare on the Finance Committee.

[karynnj]

16. He was also one of Wall Street's biggest enablers

Here is what was a front page NYT article last December.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/business/14schumer.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Schumer%20wall%20street&st=cse

[avaistheone1]

29. Schumer is such a smart guy. Unfortunately he is more shill than smart

guy. It is terrible to see one so bright to have sold out his soul.

RIP Schumer.

[blm]

33. Once you have a grasp how these characters operate for REAL, it's easy to SEE the machinations

as they occur and not have to figure it out later when it might be too late.

If Schumer had any integrity at all I'd be willing to give him some benefit of the doubt....but....time after time he has proved.....he doesn't.

[beachmom]

14. Oh, man, that is bad. nt

[blm]

28. That article is one of the reasons I think Schumer wants to look like he's leading public option

advocacy when he's one of the biggest corposellout Dems in the Senate. He's just sorry his duplicity has been getting noticed.

[karynnj]

15. The Boston Globe in a longer article, spoke of Kerry's role as one of

" protecting the ailing Kennedy’s vision for healthcare overhaul on the Senate Finance Committee, one of the panels writing the legislation. "

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/06/29/colleagues_say_kerry_is_in_midcareer_metamorphosis/


This story is interesting because the distorted story on Kerry made it seem that there was virtually no support in the public option, even with a trigger - even one as ridiculous as 10 years. It might have simply been a trial balloon to see if there was any support. Implying Kerry proposed this - when in fact, Olympia Snowe has proposed it, on record, a long time ago - might also have been a (not successful) attempt to get public option supporters to accept it as a good plan -- or to protect Schumer when he now comes up with say a 5 year trigger, which he can then claim speaking to liberals was better than JK's 10 years - even though that was not JK's plan. You very likely were 100% right and I apologize for weighing in that we really didn't know who was involved.

[sisters6]

17. But the spokesman Reponse-speaking for Kerry was wishy washy also,

as I recall. Something along the lines of -yes, Kerry has always pushed for the public option--but...but...


The public option is the ideal but he will settle for less to pass any bill--was the message.

[karynnj]

19. Your interpretation of her strong statement was contrived to avoid admitting you were wrong

to believe an anonymously sourced article that contradicted Kerry's official position and, even as they admitted that it contradicted his position and surprised them, neglected to contact his office for a statement. (likely because a statement would make the story a non-story.) Even a high school journalism class would demand calling for confirmation in a case like this.

She made it very very clear that Kerry was strongly behind a public option without a trigger. You can't get stronger than the simple declarative sentences she used. What is vague about "Let's be clear, if Sen. Kerry had his way, there'd be no debate: we'd have universal coverage tomorrow with a strong public plan at its core. Sen. Kerry strongly supports a robust public option and has been pushing for it since day one of this debate." or "Any suggestion that he prefers proposals that would delay or trigger the implementation of a public plan is outright false, end of story." The last sentence simply said that there was a range of options was being discussed in the Finance Committee - which is true.

It should also be noted that Kerry's spokesman was very quick to get the statement out and got the Huffington post to update the story with it.

[sisters6]

21. My point was--and is--He will compromise the public option

--just to any bill passed. Many Democrats will.


I know Kerry pushed--for the public option quite early. I worked for his campaign for weeks. He is a good man.

[karynnj]

23. I agree that if the final bill comes down to one without a

public option, but which greatly increases the subsidy for people above the medicaid threshold but below the level where they could reasonably be expected to afford to buy insurance and it requires insurance companies cover people with pre-existing coverage at the same rate as those without it, I would bet that Kerry and most Democratic Senators would vote for it. It likely would be the biggest expansion of federal help for healthcare since SCHIP, or even all the way back to Medicaid.

I think it would be wrong if they voted against it because a better bill could be written. I do think that he will fight to get the best bill they can pass. Kerry's spokesman's point was that he was advocating for a public option. The fact is that the Finance committee will not include one and the HELP committee likely will. Just because he is on the Finance committee does not mean that he will not back the HELP committee bill. He will not push a bill with a trigger over one that does not have it - as Snowe does, based on her values and philosophy.

[blm]

27. BULLSHOT! Your assessment is biased and absolutely uninformed and sympathetic to SCHUMER.

If you don't KNOW Kerry's career bucking the establishment you'll never understand why they consistently work to undermine him.

YOUR reply is a piece of nonsense. You were also a key poster in pushing the IDEA of the smear against Kerry. Your sympathies apparently are in tune with Schumer. Don't see you ripping at him for his very REAL work on the 'trigger' he tried to pawn off as Kerry's.

You really stepped in it, didn't you?

[blm]

32. funny how you only pop in to go after Kerry as you did throughout that entire thread

against him, and yet have nothing to say about Schumer.

[sisters6]

37. His spokesperson never denied it. Simple as that. But hope

the final vote to does not coming to voting for trigger option.

[blm]

39. Spokesperson denied he PUSHED for it as article claimed. Evidently you're OK with Schumer's role

when he is a KNOWN corporate whore and deceitful manipulator.

YOUR targeting of Kerry on this when he is a KNOWN advocate for public option and fighting for a REAL public option plan in these meetings shows how LITTLE your concern is for the issue itself.

You did NOT come into this thread and rail against Schumer or decry the manner in which the issue os being treated - nope - your target is STILL Kerry and you want to hide behind some security blanket you crafted for yourself out of the acknowledgement that there is an entrenched group of senators dead set against public option no matter what and Kerry is stuck in those meetings trying to persuade them to consider it under a variety of scenarios - AS IS HIS DUTY to the issue.

[karynnj]

43. His spokeswoman did deny that he was pushing for a public option with a trigger

THe only thing close was the last sentence saying that people will be discussing various plans.

Can you see the difference here?
A. He floated a proposal (this is what the article claimed)
B. He people (which likely will include JK) will discuss various options.

Now the plan with a trigger is Olympia Snowe's. She proposed it weeks ago and she is on the Finance committee. Her plan, like other proposals will be discussed. Now, Kerry and Snowe are friends, they wrote a lot of legislation together on the Small Business Committee and from the hearings - it is clear there is substantial mutual respect. Who is Snowe saying she is working with on a plan with a trigger? Not Kerry. If he "floated it", proposed it or was for it, she would have said so. She said Schumer.

As to the final vote - I would bet even Bernie Sanders will vote yes if the bill is an improvement over the status quo.

[Better Believe It]

34. Kerry never denied raising the idea of a 10 year trigger at that meeting!

In fact, Kerry's spokeswoman in an obvious dodge, failed to even mention the meeting much less what Kerry said or didn't say at the meeting!

[blm]

36. BULL! Speaking OF it and pushing it were two entirely different scenarios.

If YOU had been in that meeting where those who were AGAINST public option had a clear majority and you wanted to judge what circumstances they would consider, you'd have been DERELICT of your duty to fight FOR public option if you didn't discuss it all at a time allotted for DISCUSSION. There was NO PROPOSAL for a trigger or a PUSH for a trigger and the spokesperson's honest assessment that the entrenched positions of anti-public option forces make it necessary for discussion of possibilities does NOT back up your screwy spin.


YOU CHOSE to spin it against Kerry completely ignorant of the FACT that he was the one fighting FOR public option in these meetings.

Bias and spin - that's ALL you have against Kerry. You don't even have the moral strength or good will to take the time to examine the ACTUAL records of DC lawmakers or the judgment to assess them fairly, and you make it painfully obvious given your absurd prejudice against the one lawmaker who has effected this nation's historic record more positively than any other lawmaker of the last FOUR DECADES.

And your targeting of Kerry for this issue, just like many other issues, is apparent, as you have no comment against Schumer on the issue in this thread, though it was about him and Snowe.

[karynnj]

44. She said he wanted the public option immediately

She also said the article was totally false. There was no ambiguity.

In addition, Snowe has proposed a trigger and I believe written the needed language. She said who she was working with on it - and it wasn't Kerry - it was Schumer, whose spokesperson denies it. Snowe has written plenty of legislation with Snowe, including a lot of stuff for Small businesses. They clearly had a good relationship on that committee, if Kerry proposed a trigger, they very likely would be working together on this.

[Better Believe It]

52. That's not true. She did not even mention the meeting in her statement!

much less deny that Senator Kerry raised the idea of a ten year trigger at the meeting.

Read what she actually said, not what others claim she said.

[blm]

53. So intent on PRETENDING that article was legit when it FALSELY stated Kerry was pushing

for trigger. Speaking of it in a discussion with those entrenched in their opposition to public option is NOT proposing or pushing. It's the smart person's way of assessing how deeply entrenched your opposition is in their commitment to their position.

YOU need to pretend otherwise because you decided your job is to attack and smear the senator whose service to the nation has effected the historic record more positively than any other lawmaker of the last FOUR DECADES.

Just like Schumer. Jealousy?

[karynnj]

54. You are playing with words

She said: Any suggestion that he prefers proposals that would delay or trigger the implementation of a public plan is outright false, end of story.

You are quoting an anonymous source, likely with an adgenda. The fact is that Kerry is the strongest voice on that committee pulling for a public option. The fact is a call for a ten year trigger - by anyone - would be most likely to be sarcasm, not a serious proposal.

What I don't get is why you CLEARLY want to believe this story - and then demonstrate your outrage. There are 23 members of that committee - Only 7 have said they support a public option - and two of them Schumer and Snowe are shakier - and have been for weeks. That means there are a minimum of 18 people on that committee who you should be more concerned about.

Yet you go from thread to thread attacking him - even though that statement was completely clear about Kerry's position.

[Better Believe It]

58. Why did Kerry and his spokeswoman fail to respond to the claim?

The claim that Kerry suggested a 10 year trigger at the meeting has never been disputed by Senator Kerry or any of his representatives.

Period.

If you can find any statement by either Senator Kerry or a Kerry representative challenging that specific claim please post it.

Any response that fails to do that is simply an evasion and yet another weak attempt to dodge the question.

That's the bottom line.

If you can't find such a statement refuting that claim why even bother responding?

I'm listening!

[blm]

59. YOU say he suggested it - a trigger was DISCUSSED but you conflate discussing with suggesting and

prefer to hold Kerry accountable for Ryan Grim and Schumer's staff shills deceptive claim.

YOU, Grim and Schumer's shills prove that Kerry pushed for trigger.

Go on record claiming Ryan Grim's article AS FED TO HIM BY SCHUMER'S aides was true.

[Better Believe It]

61. Once again, Senator Kerry did not deny that he suggested a 10 year trigger.

If you can find any statement by Kerry or his representatives denying that he did offer that suggestion please post it.

I'm listening!

[blm]

63. Kerry's office DENIED the ARTICLE'S CLAIM. Now YOU focking PROVE Grim's claim was true.

Schumer's shills REALLY can find gullible dupes to further their agenda.

You don't care one whit about healthcare and public option - you're only interested in pushing planted lies that have been CATEGORICALLY REFUTED for anyone with a fair attitude.

You don't attack Schumer for the claims made DIRECTLY by Olympia Snowe and not 'Dem aides' who won't allow their names (Schumer's shills).

THAT proves your intentions on this issue are NOT pure.

[blm]

60. PROVE the Dem 'aides' (Schumer's shills) were telling the truth. PROVE IT!

Prove it.

Here's the REAL BOTTOM LINE.....You want to go on record claiming Schumer's shills - the same ones who planted stories against Kerry's filibuster of Alito - are telling the truth to Ryan Grim, go ahead.

[Better Believe It]

62. Can't find any denials by Kerry or his representatives?

If you could, I'm sure you would post them.

Isn't that right?

Well, until you or someone else can find any denials by Kerry or his representatives this matter is closed.

There is nothing more really left to discuss.

CASE CLOSED

[blm]

64. Posted MANY TIMES already - now YOU post your proof Grim's article was honest and while

you're at it, why don't you post how angry you are that Schumer is the one using trigger to lean on, as per direct quote from Olympia Snowe HERSELF.

Prove it, B.

[Better Believe It]

65. Still can't find anything? Just as I thought. CASE CLOSED

[blm]

66. BULL! Your work to divert attention from Schumer's machinations is OBVIOUS. Case closed yesterday!

If you were sincere at all in your nitpicking of Kerry's spokesperson, then you'd have been HOWLING like crazy on this thread about Snowe fingering Schumer for the trigger.

But - we are not fooled. Scumer's deceits gain no ground here.

[Better Believe It]

70. Just as I thought, Senator Kerry suggested a 10 year trigger at the meeting

And you can't find anything whatsoever that disputes or challenges that claim.

So why are you still posting in this string if you can't refute that claim?

CASE CLOSED.

[blm]

74. Snowe quoted directly that she is working WITH SCHUMER on trigger. Why didn't SHE say Kerry

was suggesting it? Why did SHE say it's Schumer dealing trigger?

Why do YOU believe anonymous sources instead of Snowe's EXACT QUOTE pointing to Schumer?

Why are you needing to protect Schumer's role?

[karynnj]

67. The entire response was to state what his policy WAS, not what it wasn't

It also spoke of the fact that people were discussing many things. There is a HUGE difference between taking part in discussions and making a proposal or stating that he had changed his position. As to why she did not deny he mentioned anything - he was on the floor of the Senate that afternoon - fighting Inhofe on climate change and Cornyn on the Koh nomination, whose confirmation Kerry as the chair of SFRC was shepherding through. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8498168) Doing his job - and I cell phones aren't allowed on the Senate floor. His aides, who had attended the Finance committee meeting could confirm that his position were unchanged, but likely would not be allowed to speak of what happened in a closed door meeting - at least not without the Senator's permission.

That is certainly good enough as a response to a completely not sourced article and emphatically states his position. The fact is that Kerry's office did deny it to people who called the office per the DKOS post. The fact is that Kerry has not put out a proposal for a plan with a 10 year trigger. It doesn't exist. Not to mention, he is not working with Snowe on hers. The Boston Globe, which is a better source, referred to Kerry as being the person on the Finance Committee fighting for Kennedy's vision - which includes a public option. Unlike Grim, they actually spoke to Kerry and other Senators.

the 65-year-old Kerry has embraced his role as the Senate’s leading foreign policy voice, while protecting the ailing Kennedy’s vision for healthcare overhaul on the Senate Finance Committee, one of the panels writing the legislation.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/06/29/colleagues_say_kerry_is_in_midcareer_metamorphosis/

The weight of the evidence is obvious. The thing you should think about is who are these aides, would they speak about what happens in a closed door meeting without their boss (es)' permission, and who do they likely work for.

On the first, we have no idea who they are, thus no one other than the author could ask the obvious questions. The first question is for more details and context. You are implying that Kerry came in with a proposal and out of the blue took a position that he never took before - but didn't bother to join forces with Olympia Snowe, who he has often written legislation with and who he gets along with very well. That is NOT even what the article said - it was less specific. That is why details and context are needed. Here is another scenario that the vague description could be referring to. The committee could have been discussing Snowe's idea and a significant number of the 16 people who are not for a public option could have been rejecting Snowe's concept or saying her suggested number was too soon - she could have proposed a higher number and been met with continued rejection. What if Kerry at that point, asked as prosecutor Kerry has on other things a rhetorical question - is a 10 year trigger acceptable to you? The purpose there is obvious - to draw out that no trigger is acceptable to them. It clearly would not mean that he was proposing a 10year trigger or saying he would agree to it.

As to whether an aide would disclose what happened in a closed door meeting without his/her boss' s permission - the answer is why do you think it was a CLOSED DOOR meeting? It is absolutely inappropriate to do so - and would be grounds for dismissal - unless the boss wanted it out. Now, BLM makes a pretty good case - Schumer's office has done things like this before and he is close to the author of the piece.

Consider what an aide attending the meeting knows:

- Kerry has been the leading advocate on that committee for a public option

- There are only 5 others publicly in favor of a public option - plus Snowe, who is in favor of it with a trigger. There are 23 members of the committee.

- Kerry is the person on that committee closest to Kennedy - both in terms of his position and in terms of friendship. Kennedy has been very close to Kerry since 2004 and Kerry's respect for, allegiance to Kennedy, and agreement on this issue has been extremely public - as has Kennedy's respect and affection for Kerry.

- Kerry did not back Snowe's trigger - or Snowe would have said so in the article where she mentioned Schumer. Kerry's support would be a big deal. Nor did Kerry put anything like this out as a proposal on his website, which he has done with other proposals he has submitted to committees in the past. (Like this one - http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=314521 )

- The committee's draft DOES NOT have a public option, with or without a trigger.

- From the aides leak, there was little discussion, much less acceptance, of a trigger of any length resulting from Kerry's words. Given that Kerry is a respected, senior Senator and he is very much a link to the HELP committee, a serious proposal would have at least merited a discussion as it would be seen as a way to bridge the committees. Clearly, his peers did not consider it a proposal.

Knowing all this, what story did they really have?

If all this is true, the real story they have is that the committee not only does not have a public option in their draft, they showed no interest in having a public option even with a trigger as long as 10 years. That is the important piece of news. That is a position WORSE than wanting - which no one is on record wanting - a public option with a 10 year trigger.

Now think, why leak it in a way that distorts Kerry's position and buries the real lead. Which Senator would have anything to gain. I agree with BLM on Schumer - and I suspect it was a way to get some feedback on a trigger for a public option without tying his own name to it. If it weren't highly negative, he could propose it with a trigger less than 10 - and use Kerry to protect himself. (as in "Well, Kerry wanted a 10 year trigger (which he never did, but if repeated enough ...). I pushed and got a 5 year one.") Remember, he is up for re-election.

[Better Believe It]

71. You're right. It was not a response to the claim that Senator Kerry suggested a 10 year trigger

[karynnj]

72. It was a reponse to say this was not his position - period

Which goes further than saying he did not suggest it.

Your reading comprehension is clouded by your extreme bias. Search is a wonderful tool on DU - and now I see where you are coming from. You have at some point attacked nearly every Democrat - and have praise mainly for Nader. In doing so, you have routinely said bizarre things - as in this post - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8331387&mesg_id=8331508 The fact is Lieberman was not JK's VP nor did he waste money attacking Nader. In fact, Nader actually was impressed by him and did not repeat the ridiculous line of there being no difference between Gore and Bush with regards to Kerry.

Here is an article of a meeting JK had with Nader - where he came out saying JK was Presidential and that he thought he helped JK by staying in - an extremely illogical conclusion.

[brentspeak]

77. He "didn't deny it"???

You conclude things based on what a person didn't not say?

[Thrill]

11. Weakass Democrats. We need Campaign Finance Reform NOW. Before Healthcare

Until the Lobbyist are out of the fucking Senate nothing will change

[Teaser]

25. story is not true

see below.

[blm]

31. Snowe isn't the type to lie about this - Schumer is. He and his staff ALWAYS lie and smear

any Dem they see in their or HRC's way. Usually Kerry.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

13. Morning kick! Remember, bi-partisanship is more important than the end result! nt

[northernlights]

18. "could bridge the partisan gap "

Fuck bi-partisanship.

The congress-critter bastards refuse to be honest brokers? Pushback with demand for single payer. Maybe we'll "consider" a public option, without conditions. :grr:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

20. "Socialism overdose"?

:rofl:

Re Tancredo: Yeah, I bet people all over the country are "overdosed" on having a "socialized" fire department, a "socialized" police department, a "socialized" library, etc!
:sarcasm:

This whole talk of "fallback" *public option* plan is a joke. We are AT the "fallback" stage now! We didn't get to reform health care when we had the chance back in 1993-1994 and here we are 15-16 years later and things have only gotten worse. How much more time are we going to give the private insurance companies and how many more people need to die due to PREVENTABLE and TREATABLE disease and how many people have to be priced out of basic health care coverage (not the "gold plated" coverage that Repukes are so dismissive of) before government HAS to step in and take care of us- its citizens????!!! Five more years?!!! Ten more years?!!! Fifteen more years?!!! Twenty more years?!!!!
:wtf:

[Teaser]

22. not according to Schumer

Responding to Snowe's comments, Schumer spokesman Brian Fallon said the Democrat will continue to seek a consensus with Republicans but believes there must be a public option that "is available to all Americans from the first day."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jiA_N6M7TQBDdkSEMtkHL-wh2zvgD994K4A80

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

26. Olympia!!! WTF??!!!

From the link above - Senator from Maine Olympia Snowe is quoted -

"If you establish a public option at the forefront that goes head-to-head and competes with the private health insurance market ... the public option will have significant price advantages," she said.

Well, we wouldn't want THAT, would we Senator Snowe?

*********************************************************************************************************************

on edit - Schumer is really throwing Olympia under the bus by denying he's working on "standby" system with her. He is all but calling her out as a "misspeaker". I wonder if she'll have a further response, since he is questioning her credibilty.

[sisters6]

38. In fact--in May, Schumer was opposed to the Trigger--see this....

He argues a trigger is already in place for the public option.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/02/obama-senate-dems-conside_n_210390.html


Obama, Senate Dems Consider Public Health Care Option With A Trigger
digg Share this on Facebook Huffpost - Obama, Senate Dems Consider Public Health Care Option With A Trigger stumble reddit del.ico.us ShareThis RSS


First Posted: 06- 2-09 01:50 PM | Updated: 06- 2-09 02:41 PM




.........The proposal for a public plan with triggers has been welcomed among some moderate Democrats who want to forge a compromise on what is shaping up as the major fault line on health care reform. Sen. Max Baucus, one of the major players in the debate, has offered his support for this approach. As have Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.).

That said, opposition to the proposal is fierce.

"I would have very strong reservations about , but I think we have to keep talking," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), a powerful subcommittee chairwoman on the health committee.

Senator Chuck Schumer has insisted that, if anything, "reasonable criteria for triggering a public plan has already been met."

"Premiums are high," the New York Democrat said, "and either one or two insurers dominate the market. As we've seen with Medicare part D, a trigger option has so far meant no public option at all."

Indeed, as Schumer notes, there is a trigger in the Medicare part D program and, to this date, the conditions have never been met for a public option for prescription drug coverage. The standards were set by private market, all but ensuring that they would remain unreachable. Progressive officials working on health care reform worry that should the same system be put in place for insurance coverage, the same result will occur and public health care will never come to pass.

With additional reporting by Ryan Grim.

[blm]

41. Well, well...Schumerites absolving Schumer while blaming Kerry RELENTLESSLY in that other thread -

just as some of us KNEW - that GAME of blame Kerry was ORCHESTRATED by Schumer staff. Just like we've seen from Schumer thugs for years now. THEY...Did it on Alito to undermine Alito filibuster....Did it with the heyjohn website lieathon.....Did it to undermine Iraq Withdrawal plan to protect the prowar Dems like Lieberman before 2006 election.

Schumer's minions should just STOP this shit. Schumer's manipulations are obvious to many of us here by now.

[sisters6]

42. I bow to your wisdom.

[karynnj]

46. Interesting that this was also by Ryan Grim

Schumer's comment in fact not anti-trigger. It is easier to parse this comment as not saying he for or against having one than it is Kerry's spokeswoman's comment. Assume that he is correct that the conditions to be put into the bill to trigger a public option are in fact met now - and the bill is set with a "n" year trigger. That would mean that after "n" years have passed, IF those conditions are still not met, a public option comes in to play.

The entire point of the trigger is to create the same leverage the public option has in driving down costs etc. If there is a trigger, I would hope that the trigger conditions are such that we are now far out of compliance. Think of the conditions as the minimum acceptable in "n" years - if private companies are at least that good, their reward is no public option. If they don't, plan B is that a public option is created to help achieve the same thing.

I could see Olympia Snowe saying the exact words that Schumer said - in favor of a trigger. It argues that with no improvement, the trigger will be activated. Not to mention - this was Schumer in May, maybe he changed his mind.

Now explain why you defend Schumer, who Snowe says is working with her, but still hold Kerry, who Snowe did not mention, to something NO ONE here - unless there are Finance committee members or staffers here - heard and which Ryan Grim didn't have the jouranlistic integrity or competence to check with Kerry's office

[blm]

47. As I've said before, Ryan Grim is close to Schumer office. He's a willing tool whenever Schumer

and his staff need to mislead Dem blogosphere, usually with progressives and especially John Kerry, as the target.

[karynnj]

49. True - You were 100% on target here

Either the goal was as you stated or a more complicated trial balloon to see the amount of flack on the left if someone like Kerry did endorse this idea - which he would then do (as he likely was already working on it) and the amount of support in the middle.

[blm]

57. That would be IF Schumer cared about the issue, but, he has pulled disgusting moves before

where the ONLY intention was to smear and undermine Kerry - as he did during the Alito filibuster where senate aides 'questioned Kerry's motives' for filibuster. And, of course, the heyjohn website which attacked Kerry while praising Hillary. Typical move from Schumer's scum thugs....disgusting.

[karynnj]

50. The DAY AFTER you attacked Kerry

You posted:

" Schumer supports a TRIGGER that kicks in several years down the

line if the market can not control costs. That is his 'public option".

In other words, its not a worry for Specter."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8497377&mesg_id=8497812

[debbierlus]

30. Go to this post to call Snow & read her DISGUSTING quote - CALL HER TODAY

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8503146

[Jennicut]

75. Snowe is a Repub....shouldn't we be more angry with Dems against the public option?

[blm]

76. Yes - but, we aren't getting the true picture from Dems in CHARGE of this committee

Especially on the public option debate.

[Jennicut]

78. True. But I could care less what any Repub thinks about health care, screw them.

[blm]

79. The problem is that Snowe is working with Schumer - he's double-dealing to compromise

public option to death. His 'level-playing field' for insurance companies comment should have clued more Dems that he has no honest intent on this issue.

[Ganja Ninja]

35. Oh! Sort of like the way I'm giving the Democrats a chance to come

through right now. If they don't then fuck them next time around.

[quidam56]

40. Health care in America is a disgrace

clearly profit care is more important than patient care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 How many more will be diseased or die for the status quo ?

[Uncle Joe]

45. What a disgrace they are to enable corporations having nothing to do with health care to profit

from the American Peoples' illness and injury!:puke:

That system is immoral, dysfunctional, inefficient and serves no purpose other than selling the American People down the river, 18,000 Americans dying every year, so their corporate masters can line their pockets with gold.

Disgrace is too mild of a word!:mad:

[LittleBlue]

51. I don't mind Snowe much. If every Republican were like her, we'd not have to

fear Republican takeovers like we do currently. I mean, it would still be important to get Democrats elected, but not with the constant fear of war if we don't.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

56. "...not have to fear Republican takeovers..."!? Get a clue, Blue!

The two faces of Olympia Snowe
...>
Or take Barbara Raths, the 24-year-old executive director of Maine's Democratic Party, who was just three years old when Snowe was first elected to Congress. "Both Senator Snowe and Senator Collins will say that they're moderate, but if you look at their voting records you'll see that they're entrenched deeply in Republican partisan politics," Raths says. "Collins and Snowe have demonstrated time and time again that they're no friends of the working people in Maine."
<>
(...Snowe's husband, former Maine governor John "Jock" McKernan, was named New England chairman of the Bush campaign.)
<...
http://home.comcast.net/~dkennedy56/phoenix_990917maine.html
------------------------
McKernan was twice elected to the United States House of Representatives, in 1982 and 1984.

While he served in the House, he had the unusual distinction of dating the other member of Maine's congressional delegation - Olympia Snowe. The two had met while they had earlier served in the Maine House of Representatives, and began dating in 1978. During their time together in Congress, McKernan and Snowe had nearly identical voting records.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McKernan

[JI7]

55. Schumer is a whore, always spreading shit to the media about Kerry

to save his own ass.

[endarkenment]

68. fuck them all every last bluedogging dino

If Reid had balls, which he doesn't he would at least force the DINOs to support a filibuster on the record, put them in the books as against affordable health care for everyone. Instead he will coddle and cajole them until the peasants are as screwed as ever and never make them actually put anything on the record.

[blm]

80. Schumer's the one leading the negotiations on healthcare and he's doubletalking the left to death

as he pretends he's leading the fight for public option. Snowe is a Repub, but, she's not known for lying. Schumer has sold out fellow Dems too many times to be trusted.

Remember how he led fight AGAINST the Alito filibuster all the while he claimed to be against Alito?

[Orsino]

69. They might be willing to do the right thing...

...once they exhaust all other options.

[blm]

73. Schumer's shills in blogosphere still trying to blame Kerry for Schumer's trigger deals.

.

[Hutzpa]

81. I don't believe this story

I think it's a BS story.

First she said John Kerry now she is saying Schumer, me
thinks Snowe is playing games.

[blm]

84. She NEVER said she's working with Kerry on trigger. FOX blogger switched Schumer's name with Kerry's

.

[Mass]

83. Apparently, she cant decide whom she is working with.

Is it Schumer, Kerry, or nobody?

[Doctor_J]

85. No public option => Dems crushed in 2010 and 2012

there will be nothing for them to run on if Big Insurance still rations health care to only the richest Americans.