Dean: Public option a must for health care reform

Source: Associated Press


Dean: Public option a must for health care reform
AP

Mon Aug 17, 7:19 am ET

WASHINGTON – Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is arguing that there can be no meaningful overhaul of the health care system without a public option for coverage.

A leading player in the party's liberal wing, Dean said in a nationally broadcast interview Monday he thinks providing a government role in insurance coverage is fair. He likened it to Medicare and the Veterans Administration, which he called "two very good programs."

Dean discussed the situation on NBC's "Today" show amid indications the Obama administration is backing away from its insistence on a public option in the face of vocal opposition. Referring to the public health option, the former Vermont governor said, "You can't really do health care reform without it."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_go_ot/us_health_care_overhaul_dean

No strong, viable public option and Dems can kiss the votes of many goodbye. This is the line in the sand for many. Litmus test time is here.

Apparently, everyone except Obama knows that republicans will never vote for whatever bill gets clobbered together, even if it is completely neutered with these "compromises." In other words, even if Obama were to give republicans everything they ask for, they would still vote against it.

I heard an interview with Howard Dean the other day that reiterated this fact. The GOP's sole purpose is to embarrass and/or scuttle Obama's presidency. Their plan here is to water the bill down and then vote against it anyway simply to stick it to Obama.

Dean thought that it was remotely possible that, if Obama begins to act the part of a president instead of someone running for Mr. GOP Popularity, he might realize that if he wants to get a bill, he'll never do it with republican votes. There will never be any GOP votes no matter what the bill's content is. And these cave-ins only insure that the liberal caucus will never vote for the bill too. So if he insists on "getting a bill this year," his only hope is to swing in the other direction to pick up the liberal caucus and abandon the republicans and their "compromises."

Do I think he'll do that? Of course not. Does Howard Dean think he'll do that. No, he doesn't either.

What the heck good is the Dem victory back in November if they're just going to form the usual circular firing squad? As stated, the GOP doesn't care about anything except making the Obama administration fail, but the dems aren't helping!

I thought they would have learned their lesson by now, but if they keep this up, they'll be on the outside looking in again, and this time it will be even harder for them to get back in.

will be voted out of office. Good riddance to them.

Screw the right. Let's plow right over em. No concessions. And let's punish the blue dogs who get in the way of health care reform.

Let's turn this around.

n/t