Liberal Dems alarmed by public option move

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/liberal-dems-alarmed-by-public-option-move-2009-08-17.html

Liberal Democrats are alarmed by President Barack Obama’s weakening support for a “public option” to compete with private insurance companies as part of his healthcare initiative.

“Leaving private insurance companies the job of controlling the costs of healthcare is like making a pyromaniac the fire chief,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).

Weiner, who helped negotiate a deal to get the bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, told CNBC the concession might win votes in the Senate, but could lose 100 Democratic votes in the House. If Republicans vote en masse against it, that would be enough to sink the bill.

Later on Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a statement expressing strong support for a public option. But she did not address the comments of Obama or administration officials, and did not say whether a public option would be in the House bill to be voted on in September.



Liberals Seek to Prop Up Public Insurance Option
http://www.rollcall.com/news/37799-1.html

Can healthcare reform pass without a public option?
Anthony Weiner on CNBC during an interview Monday morning
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/08/17/public_passage/

Liberal Democrats unhappy with healthcare shift
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_usa_healthcare