Three Cheers for those senators who signed the Public Option letter

[Armstead]

Regardless of what happens, at least we are seeing which Democrats are sympathetic to the concept of REAL reform.

It's a shame that this will probably be a futile and symbolic gesture.

It should be a no-brainer that any Democratic proposal would support the concept of public coverage as an alternative or replacement for the criminal system of private insurance that has screwed us all over for too long....And the active support of Obama and the WH should also have been assumed.

Nevertheless, the Senators who are coming out now in favor of this deserve kudos for at lesast trying to salvage the concept.

So far, Sens. Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI, Michael Bennet (CO), Sherrod Brown (OH), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Jeff Merkley (OR) Robert Menendez (NJ), Arlen Specter (PA), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Chuck Schumer (NY), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Al Franken (MN), Patrick Leahy (VT), John Kerry (MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Dianne Feinstein (CA) Roland Burris (IL), Barbara Boxer (CA), Jack Reed (RI), Tom Udall (NM) and independent Bernie Sanders (VT).....Hopefully the list will expand.

(Rockefeller's response baffles and disappoints me. But he has been a champion of public health coverage, so I'm going at least give him the benefit of the doubt on his reasons.)

[Saturday]

1. I've seen Durbin both on the list and not on the list.

Any idea which he is? I'm thinking he is for the public option but being 2nd in command doesn't want to sign?

[Armstead]

2. I haven't heard -- But I suspect he is torn

Based on his record as a decent liberal, I think if he were a free agent, he'd have signed on early and enthusiastically.

But as you noted, he is in a tight spot because of his position in the leadership. Also, he is very close to Obama for obvious reasons, and I suspect that makes it difficult for him to take a contrary position too.

[GinaMaria]

4. and that tight spot might cost him

I've been a big Durbin fan until recently.

[vaberella]

3. I'm not giving Rockefeller the benefit of the doubt.

If I'm not mistaken he supported the PO through reconciliation before. Further more he's pulling the bipartisan stunt, I thought you would be against that considering Obama always does it. My point of contention was one minute he was willing and now he's not. It doesn't make sense. That's a hypocritical move like Menendez on drug reimportation. Ditto with Feinstein's reasons.

[Bitwit1234]

5. Those of you from Minnesota send Klobachur

a "Shame on You" corporate shill. I did already. But she will probably ignore it while she rakes in money and steps on the people who elected her.

[Clio the Leo]

6. Here's another take on Rocky...

... I'm not sure I buy it, so I'm not making an OP out of it. But it's another point to consider...

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/rockefeller-backs-away-from-public-option--is-he-bluffing.php?ref=fpb

[Armstead]

10. Kind of lame reasoning if true

I wish the Democrats would just say to the GOP en masse "Look, this is what is important to us and we're not going to budge on that. We're willing to talk about adding some of your ideas, like tort reform, but we're not giving up the basics."

[Clio the Leo]

7. Bernie says, "We will fight to put it in...."

http://twitter.com/wonkroom/status/9525360070

[Armstead]

9. That's mah man!

If there were more Bernies and Bernadettes in the Senate, we'd have had a good HCR plan already in place by now.

[Clio the Leo]

8. Inouye signs on....

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/climate-change/the-morning-plum-75/

... and that makes 23.

[pleah]

11. I have been seeing this twitter all afternoon:

dailykos

Gibbs: Public Option Via Reconciliation Can't Pass http://bit.ly/d5HDB8 14 minutes ago via twitterfeed

[Clio the Leo]

12. Misquotes what he said...

"isn’t enough political support," (present tense) not the same as "can't pass."

[Clio the Leo]

13. "Carper: 'I Expect I Will' Sign Public Option Letter; "

"That's a bit of a departure from his position just yesterday. Asked by TPMDC if he thought passing a public option via reconciliation was appropriate or desirable, Carper said he thought it wouldn't fly procedurally.

"I don't know that that's going to be part of a reconciliation bill," Carper said. "In fact, I don't know that you can actually do public option in the context of a very narrow reconciliation--I just don't know if that's possible."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/carper-i-expect-i-will-sign-public-option-letter-levin-wants-to-check-wording-first.php

[Froward69]

14. What the letter reveals to us is

those that signed it should be held in high regard.

While those that did not sign it should be tossed out of office. or at the very least hold em up to a primary.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Is there a Due Date like today?

Cause I would think we would prefer a slow drip.....
just so that every day it can be said..."here's another Senator or two for it"....
slow, deliberate, and solid....
better that than to get a letter all signed up and then nothing after that.

[bvar22]

16. I will give them 3 cheers for at least the formality of signing this letter,

...though I KNOW in my heart that most of them are only doing it for political cover with the firm foreknowledge that this is just another useless letter to appease the base while fully participating in the plan to open the treasury to the Health Insurance Corporations (The Senate Plan repackaged with an "Obama" label).

Most of them Got the Message from the Massachusetts election and are frantically scrambling to cover their asses by pretending that they care.
It won't do any good unless they actually produce a viable, successful Public Option that is available to The Public.

The voters are much too disgusted to buy a whining.."But...but...but I signed The Letter" when it comes time to vote.
Bernie Sanders is the ONLY Senator who has actually fought for REAL Health Care Reform, and has the track record to prove it. Today's "Jailhouse Converts" joining The Cause AFTER the battle has been lost don't earn much sympathy from me.
Where were they when we needed them?

"When given the choice between a Republican, and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, the voters will choose the Republican every time." ---Harry Truman

QED Massachusetts