Ben Nelson All Alone In Quest To Block Health Care Reform

Sen. Ben Nelson announced at the beginning of this month that he opposed the creation of a public health care plan that people would have the option to buy into. He'd be gathering together a coalition of like-minded senators to oppose the plan, the conservative Democrat from Nebraska promised.

More than two weeks later, it's still a coalition of one.

Since Nelson's announcement, eight moderate Democrats and one Republican have told the Huffington Post that they are open to a public health care option. Two others, Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.), have signed on to the idea.

Last week, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) said they were open to a public plan but undecided. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) said much the same in a letter to the advocacy group Health Care for America Now,

Add more names to the list of those open to a public option: Jon Tester (Mont.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Kay Hagan (N.C.) and Maria Cantwell (Wash.).

Because Democratic leaders have said they are willing to pass health care reform with a simple majority -- rather than the 60 votes needed for most Senate business -- fewer centrist senators are needed.

Those centrists are not entirely convinced, but they're not closed off to the idea.

"The devil's in the detail on all this stuff. My key is accessibility and affordability. Those are the two things, but I think everything should be on the table," said Tester.

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"I've been on Sen. Wyden's bill because I believe in a bipartisan discussion about how we can make reforms," said Cantwell, referring to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), whose bipartisan bill does not include a public option.

Cantwell hopes for a bipartisan deal, but is open to the kind of public option compromise Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has proposed. "I don't want to sign off on his proposal, but in general I'm not opposed to the concept of having a plan like that," she said.

"It's something that I'm still looking into right now," said Hagan. "I want to be sure we have affordability and accessibility, but I also want to be sure that competition's in play and that our insurers can continue to do business... I need to go back and actually research it."

"We're looking at that option to see if it's going to be competitive and, you know, if it's going to be productive. I'm still open minded," said Lincoln.

A Nelson spokesman said that Nelson is still talking to like-minded colleagues in hopes of building a coalition opposed to the public plan.

The following 21 Democratic senators have signed onto a letter to finance committee chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and health committee chair Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). Kennedy supports a public option; Baucus is open to one.

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Ted Kaufman (D-DE)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Note to flaks: If your boss supports a public option and isn't on this list, let me know at [e-mail].

Comments

[baxtron]

Franken (D-MN) is not on the list.

[Pquilson]

And should not be. He is not yet a Senator.

[OrbitOfOurOwn]

Precisely the Rethugs ploy. If you can't beat them, cheat...

[toddag]

Unfortunately, he doesn't count yet.

[skymuffin]

Any Congressman who blocks health care reform should have his or her free Congressional health care revoked.

[Pquilson]

All Congresscritters should have his or her free Congressional health care revoked.
There, fixed that for you.

[swift goat pet for truth]

This should be step 1.

[InfinteShibumi]

Hear, hear.

[postman66]

They all no how much money Nelson gets from the health care industry.

[jeffrey678]

Eliminate his health insurance!

[Tommygun264]

The man is a witless boob. Rachel Maddow interviewed him a few weeks ago and his stupidity and tubular train of thought was astounding. It's a wonder this man can feed and clean himself, let alone legislate.

[1dogs2]

Correction: he's a CORRUPT witless boob, bought and paid for by corporations.

[Sodbuster]

As I stated earlier in a post, I'm from Nebraska. I honestly don't think that Nelson is corrupt.

A witless boob? DEFINITELY!

[NWBrunette]

So, do the Senator's have an insurance company sitting in between them and their health coverage? And I bet they get pretty decent care. That's the kind of care I want for the rest of America. If we get rid of the insurance companies we can afford that and still have money left over to pay for a big chunk of the bailout. The people opposed to single-payer just want to keep giving money to insurance companies.

[JerryTheAngel]

If Democrats manage to pass a good health care bill, the GOP knows they will be in the minority for years to come. Those Republicans who vote against a good plan that is popular with mainstream America will be voted out of office. Of Course those Republicans in the South and West will always have their jobs since their constituents are completely clueless. If it was up to most of these voters, blacks would still be separated from whites.

[mike42nola]

Way to be so inclusive with your big tent you bigoted, racist.

[Hallucinocynic]

Jerry, you should clearly define what you mean by 'west.'

[tbirdalum]

Jerry, I agree about the rethugs down south here in MS. But it seems to me that I am a majority of one when it comes to trying to vote these idiots out of office. I vote straight dem. ticket and have for years but down here I'm amazed at how the poor can think a rethug will make their life better. I guess it must be the guns and God, because it sure isn't the poor's share of the wealth. Thats for the top 5%.

[Pquilson]

Been to the South? or West? Before you paint with such a broad brush, please know what you are painting.

[mike42nola]

I don't think that Jerry has experienced the pleasure of the South.

[mcartri]

Study tje history of Truman's attempt to get universal health care after WWII. The southern politicians would not support it because "It would put those Negroes in bed next to whites". As usual, the bigots were happy to let those "Negroes clean the hospital's floors", but heaven forbid they had to be in the same room as a black patient. Any surprise the South is now the geographic base of the GOP?

[patricksmom]

Well this is now. If we support the President's efforts and contact senators and representatives on a day by day basis and work to defeat those who oppose healthcare reform, we will win this time....maybe not as quickly as we would like...but we will win.

[blairtone]

The real problem with the existing health care in the USA is the legal system. Fix costs and get on with providing affordable PRIVATE insurance

[apduncan1]

The real problem with health care in this country is that are no choices.

Private affordable insurance is a contradiction in terms. Private FOR-PROFIT insurance is part of our problem is not part of the solution.

[Loompa]

yes it is

[judyc]

But if private insurer's have to compete with a public plan for clients--will they lower their rates or simply fold?

[patricksmom]

So true duncan. It will never be affordable in the private sector and will still not cover those with pre-existing conditions.

[DocTwain]

What? You don't know what you're talking about.

For every dollar the private health insurance industry takes in premiums, it blows 15 to 25% on "administrative costs" including overhead, marketing, corporate executive remuneration, and above all, PROFIT. In contrast, Medicare's administrative costs are 3%, and the Canadian single payer's costs are 1%.

Eliminating the private health insurance industry and going with a cost-efficient single payer plan would save $350 billion a year--thats $3.5 TRILLION over ten years--more than enough to insure all 50 million uninsured and to make Medicare coverage comprehensive for our seniors as well.

This parasitic industry--the private health insurance cartel--has caused enough death and suffering. End it and give 50 million Americans health care, while saving money and helping our seniors!

[Pquilson]

Really? How do you add 47 million to the insured list and save money at the same time? Medicare/Medicaid are two of the biggest problems to the health care system. Government efficiency ... an oxymoron.

[metalpipe]

http://uhc.helpeachother.com/

To all, read it. Then pass it on. We could make these ideas catch fire.

[4KixAfter6]

It amazes me that this guy gets the best healthcare taxpayer dollars can buy and yet tells those same taxpayers they can't have good or reasonable healthcare, or any healthcare for that matter.

[apduncan1]

And there are Americans out there that vote for this SOB and put him in office.

We are a country of imbeciles.

[Dolmance]

He should have garbage thrown at him in the street.

[apduncan1]

Any Senator, Democrat or Republican, opposed to a public health care plan is in the pocket of the private, FOR-PROFIT, blood sucking (no pun intended) health care insurance industry that puts profit over care.

The private, FOR-PROFIT, blood sucking health care insurance industry is scared of competition, cannot handle competition, will be forced to improve services and cut salaries of high echelon executives (gasp).

That, my friends, is all there is about.

[pamelagoodenough]

Vote this ignoramus out of office now.

[4real]

Doesn't this dude get free public healthcare?

[Budokan]

He sure does, at our expense.

[DocTwain]

Time to end that! Force Nelson OUT in the primary!

[RoadCrossingChicken]

Kings, queens, and sheiks don't have any better health care programs. And, may I add he and his spouse will have the same health benefits for the rest of their lives.

[amaboss52]

He should have to give up the health care he has provided for him by us. PERIOD

[lwfky]

I agree! This should be our rallying cry- give us the options that our "public servants" have been given.
I, like thousands of other physicians, believe single payer is the moral way to go and offering a government backed option will get us there, eventually.