Sixty House Liberals To White House: No Public Option, No Health Care Reform

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/sixty-house-liberals-to-white-house-no-public-option-no-health-care-reform/

Sixty House Liberals To White House: No Public Option, No Health Care Reform

One interesting side plot in the health care wars: The debate over the public option has suddenly reminded us that there are in fact two houses of Congress, something that’s been easy to forget amid the media obsession with the “bipartisan” negotiations in the Senate.

Case in point: This very tough letter sent last night by House progressive leaders to Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, stating unequivocally that 60 House Dems will not support a health care plan without a public option:




The letter, via Jane Hamsher, is signed by House proressive leaders Raul Grijalva, Lynn Woolsey, and Barbara Lee.

The letter’s unequivocal: Five dozen House Dems say, No public option, no support. Yet House leaders, according to The Hill, are still “betting that liberals will relent, unwilling to be responsible for defeating Obama’s top priority in his first year in office.”

If that’s true, the question is, What can Nancy Pelosi throw at House liberals to get them to climb down, if the public option is unacceptably watered down or removed? The liberals say they’re all in on the public option, and they appear to be serious.

So whither from here? Looks like the House matters again.

I am sick and tired of the same old bullshit ~~ the Republicans won't like it. Fuck them and their corporate immoral masters.

:applause:

We're being subjected to kabuki politics. This is all part of the game.

I have no doubt and never did that the final bill will have a public option.

I've also felt that a final bill will have a public option, but I see it being dressed up a different way now...as "co-op" or a combination of expanding medicare and a "co-op"...in essence a back door public option.

President Obama's tried to let this game play out in the legislative and that's pissed people off. It pisses them on the left cause they want him to be as rigid and for Democrats to act as lock-step as the GOOP did during the booosh years (the antithesis for what many of us voted for). He also has the right energized as the millions pumped into astroturfing lies and outrage to health care reform has the corporate cables all but calling Obama whipped. They, too, haven't taken their boooosh beer goggles off yet and never will.

The other night, Dr. Dean said he expected a bill with public option to come forward and be signed in December...and I hope I can believe him. The real wheeling and dealing is yet to come as a House & Senate bill come forward...bets are the House will pass a public option...so it will be at the table for the final round. Then it'll be up to President Obama to push for the final Senate votes. But it won't be easy.

This is politics. We're very sensitive to each tiny nuance in everything everyone says, but the bottom line is, the battle is only now really being engaged. That's what we're seeing. Every bill except Baucus's has a public option. When the bill comes out of conference, there will be a public option. No Dem would DARE join the Repubs to fillibuster. It will get an up or down vote and it will pass OR it will be reconciled. There will be a public option. I can almost guarantee it.

We want the names of these courageous progressives.

Good for them -- they decided to do their jobs. Perhaps they can convince the rest of Congress to grow a spine.

...a blown engine.
Giving the piece-of-shit a new paint job will not fix the problem.

progressive@mail.house.gov

Wonder where we can find out who they are?

Here: http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/

:dem:

-Laelth

:dem:

-Laelth

to stall the bill. democrats have a Seventy seat Majority and we know every single Republican is going to vote against the Bill. Sixty Democratic nays won't stop the Bill. I would hope for at least one hundred Democrats that are principled and will stand their ground. If Democrats don't Demand Public Option at the very least then I would venture it is almost guaranteed they will lose the House..Many True Liberals just won't bother to either support Democrats nor vote for them. They just won't vote except on local issues. Republicans will feel they have won, and in fact they will have and that will attract even more voters for them. This is pretty much a "do or die" situation for Democrats and they best not take it lightly.