25 Blue Dogs Have Said They Support a Public Option

[cal04]

By: Jane Hamsher
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/28/25-blue-dogs-have-said-they-support-a-public-optoin/

The fact that a Blue Dog has supported a public option in the past does not mean that they will support one now -- their principles tend to be lobbyist-flexible. But Nate Silver's number crunching (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/09/analysis-public-option-is-likely.html) indicates that most of those who have done so in the past probably have majority support for a public option in their districts, so come 2010, they will have some explaining to do about why they flip-flopped. That's particularly true for those in California like Thompson and Schiff, who have significant Democratic majorities in their districts.

The list was primarily culled from the 20 Blue Dogs who signed on to the HCAN statement of principles, which endorses "a public insurance plan without a private insurer middleman that guarantees affordable coverage." It also advocated "using the public’s purchasing power to instill greater reliance on evidence-based protocols and lower drug and device prices" -- the very opposite of co-ops.

I also included those who signed the July 22 letter to Steny Hoyer stressing the importance of having a strong public option, one that is tied to "an established provider network, like Medicare" (PDF). I added those who voted for H.R. 3200 already as a member of one of the three committees that drafted it, and those who have made statements of support in the media for a public option.

List of Blue Dogs who have expressed support for a public option (with Nate Silver's estimate of district support/opposition in parenthesis):


More at Link

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Blue curs need to be vaccinated.

or put down.

[brooklynite]

2. I had lunch recently with one of the Blue Dogs onthe list...

He agrees with the problem; the challenge is that his constituents watch Fox News and believe in"Death Panels" and mandatory sex-change operations and everything else the teabaggers are spouting.

[mmonk]

5. Many Blue Dogs that have made that claim have recently been

shown polling data that their contituents do, by in large, support a public option.

[BlueIdaho]

6. None of those neocon nutbags

will give one red cent to have a blue dog re-elected. It may be worth reminding these idiots that their re-election bid needs our funding.

[grantcart]

3. There has been a consistent knee jerk reaction to the blue dogs and

people have not been listening to them and assuming that they were against the public option.

That is not the case.

The most important issue for House blue dogs is adding to the deficit.


Clicking through to the original HP article these are the 4 points they want addressed:


Keeping the cost under $900 billion, not moving at a faster pace than the Senate, getting a 20-year cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office and addressing regional disparities in Medicare reimbursement rates.



In fact the blue dogs were the ones that were able to get a committment to include moving away from "fee for service" in the future which would reduce costs and strengthen the system.


The fact that some of the blue dogs may oppose the public option does not mean that it was ever a major point for the group.

[USA_1]

4. time's a-wastin'

get that damn reform done NOW!!!

[Lasher]

7. With or without a trigger?

That's kinda important.

[loudsue]

8. Blue Dogs should support their own public execution,

damned infiltrators. Nice they've decided a public option is ok. Now how about getting the damned insurance companies outlawed, and PUNISHED for all the lives they've been responsible for killing in the past 20 years because they denied coverage, or denied SERVICE for people who actually HAD coverage??

[gratuitous]

9. Are they listening to their own constituents at last?

That would be a very nice thing. So, if the Democrats can get Blue Dogs on board, pass legislation favored by anywhere from 2/3 to 3/4 of the country, and put the Republicans on the wrong side of that equation, what's to stop the public option? What's to stop single payer? We can run this country if we want to. Contact your congress critters (in the House and the Senate) and politely remind them that while large corporate interests may fund their campaigns, it's still up to the little guys, us voters, to actually punch a ballot in their favor.

[Champion Jack]

10. The blue dogs need to be reminded that they CAN be neutered...

Just sayin'...

[Tippy]

11. Need some help

I just finished a rough draft of a letter e-mail I am sending out to my Rep. Bart Gordon and my Daughter's Rep. John Tanner....who do you think I should send copies to.....As I post this they are readying my daughter for trip to surgery

Oops Forgot this part....

Attention: Congressman Bart Gordon & John Tanner

To all members of Congress, both Representatives and Senators:

You know, somtimes it really isn't about YOU and YOUR POLITICAL CAREERS. There are bigger issues facing thie country than that.

In a country that prides itself on medical excelence, we have one of the most dysfunctional health care delivery systems in the world. While politicians, in Washington tiptoe around the problem, thousands of Americans live sicker and die younger because they don't have access to even basic care. I would like to introduce you to my daughter Christine. This morning she lies in an Intensive Care, hospital room in Menphis, TN. Taken there by ambulence last night, with a kidney, that may have to be removed today.

It all started out a few months ago, my daughter Christine worked as a CNA in a Nursing Home, for years. She had three children, her baby died as a result of a auto accident shortly before his second birthday, she raised her two older children, on her meager salary, by working a lot of overtime hours. They always had a roof over their heads and food to eat. The children were covered by TennCare that is the only help she recieved, neither father contributed a dime.

Christine became ill, but due to lack of insurance she treated herself with over the counter medications her ailment was never really diagnosed. Finally her pain was to great and her fever to high she gave in and went to the ER at Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin, TN. There they discovered her problem was infection in her Kidney complicated by stones. They put in a stint in and told her she would have to go to a Jackson Hospital to have the stones removed. She was not given a referal or even the name of a Urologist to see in Jackson, I think we all know why, it was because she had no insurance and no ready cash to pay the bill. Chris went home with a stint in place and a bottle of antibotics....she had to give up her job up her as she was not physicaly able to do the work required. She moved in with her daughter, she eventually she removed the stint herself. She was not in constant pain but never felt good, it took some time but the infection came back. She went back to Volunteer General they released her after giving her some antibotics telling her once again to go to Jackson

She moved in with her sister. her pain was not constant at first but it became that way she did, however get on Food Stamps while living with her daughter. The infection worstened eventually she did try to go to the hospital in Jackson but was turned away because she had no referal, they gave her a pain pill and sent her home....she went back to Volunteer the next day The ER doctor she saw this time was Dr. Ford he realized she was a very sick woman he admited her, her white cell count was 2,600 he began treating her with a different antibotic, it wasn't working I believe he tried different antibotics nothing was working. I had been calling her several times a day Thursday I noticed she was having difficulty breathing...I got off the phone with her and called the nursed station..after being on hold for 25 to 30 minutes I gave up and called my grand daughter told her to tak to the nurse when she got to the hospital...I made yet another call to Christines room was told a nurse was in the room at that time.I asked to speak to her, I asked her about Christines breathing, she replied it had been noted when her pain grew worse the breathing became more labored. I then asked her if the realized she was not eating, she replied no it had not been charted...I asked her to please get her some jello or fruit she replied she would..The following day she was placed on oxygen....

Saturday morning I was told they were moving her to ICU....Later in the day I was told Dr. Ford was trying to get her into either Vanderbilt in Nashville or the Med.in Memphis. Last night they took her by anbulence to the Med. Today we wait....

I don't know what happend to the Urologist who first saw her at Volunteer I have hunch ditched on her because of her inability to pay. Or he may hve dropped by and we were never made aware he had been in.

As it stands, the burden of health care falls on hospital emergency rooms. Although ERs used to be the option of last resort, they have become the line of first defense for the uninsured. Whether people use it as a primary care clinic or are brought via ambulance with an acute condition, many of these patients could have been seen elsewhere, at far less expense. Actually, we do have a nationalized health plan. It's called the emergency room. The ER is the only place an American has a right to medical care. People's lives are on the linewhile special interest prevail.

In this country we worry more about giving the wealthy tax cuts and not requiring the corporations to provide health care for their employees. Can we really say the United States is the best country in the world? It certainly cannot be said in regards to health care. A fight for the tax base is going on in our country ­ the rich want it to themselves. It is time for the United States to invest in universal health care coverage for both the poor and middle class.

These same politicians who are fighting Health Care today, I am speking directly to All of you Blue Dogs, should be required to attend the funerals of the uninsured and explain why loved ones of these families need die so early.

Thank God for Dr. Ford