Signed Letter From Landrieu Shows She Supported Public Option Before She Opposed It

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) pledged her support for a public health care option less than six months before she announced opposition to such a plan, according to a signed letter she sent to a major reform coalition dated November 4th.

Read the letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, here.

"I'm not open to it. I'm not open to a public option," Landrieu told the Huffington Post early Tuesday afternoon. "However, I will remain open to a compromise, a full compromise. Public option is not something that I support. I don't think it's the right way to go."

It only took a few hours for her rejection of the public plan to become ammunition for the GOP. After lunch with his colleagues on Tuesday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell used Landrieu's rejection of a public health care option to make the case that the nation doesn't want such a "government plan."

McConnell, after citing a Washington Post editorial opposed to the public option, turned his attention to Landrieu.

"Apparently Sen. Landrieu just made an announcement a while ago that a government plan is a bad idea, and so I would strongly recommend to the administration, and to the majority in Congress, that if we're serious about getting a bipartisan health reform bill...the best way to go forward on a bipartisan basis would be to take out the government plan," a pleased McConnell told reporters.

Landrieu had told the coalition Health Care for America Now (HCAN) in April that she supported a public option, which would compete against private plans. She signed a pledge that she supported a "choice of a private insurance plan, including keeping the insurance you have if you like it, or a public insurance plan without a private insurer middleman that guarantees affordable coverage."

Landrieu went even further and drafted a letter to HCAN specifically spelling out her support for a public option.

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"HCAN principles embody an approach that actually delivers a solution of guaranteed quality, affordable health care for all in America. Under this approach, everyone gets a choice of health insurance plans, including the right to keep your current insurance, choose another private plan or to join a public health insurance plan," she wrote in April.

"Again," she concluded, "I support the HCAN Statement of Common Purpose, and I oppose the 'on your own' approaches to health care reform that go against these principles. And, I salute the efforts of the broad grassroots coalition represented by Health Care for America Now to advance this most critical of issues."

The efforts of the coalition that she saluted will now be directed at her.

Throughout her congressional career, Landrieu has raised $1,668,693 from health insurance and health care interests -- broken down by "health professionals" ($607,616), "Insurance" $401,731, "Hospitals/Nursing Homes" $269,645, "Pharmaceuticals/Health Products" $224,696 and "Health Services/HMOs" ($165,005). HuffPost blogger Sahil Kapur helped gather the campaign figures from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Landrieu's office has been getting deluged by calls from reporters since the news of her public plan rejection broke and her spokesman Aaron Saunders responded to a request for a comment with a statement:

"Senator Landrieu is committed to reforming the health care system and ensuring that all Americans are covered. She is reviewing all of the reform proposals. Senator Landrieu does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. However, she is open to compromise in a comprehensive legislative package, and is focused on appropriate consumer protection and patient-centered care."

Landrieu Letter -

Comments

[thaneb]

Rick Scott's minions got to her.

[MacGregor57]

Blue Swine Democrat. My Congressman, Mike Thompson, is another blue unit that is in the health care colostomy bag. Who needs republicans when we already have these blue devils?

[lmvd3]

Can not STAND Landrieu after seeing her shameful response during Hurricane Katrina. She is little more than corrupt and self-serving.

[CabaretArtist]

Get rid of this broad.

[jimfl]

I'm sad to say she is nothing but a crook dump her she is not good for the country.

[aramos]

Just another a flip flopper!

[OkayLady]

Madame.... My LIFE is NOT a business transaction.

These people are running a white collar protection racket that would make any mobster jealous. If you don't pay you or a loved one dies or is financial ruin... if you do pay and they don't pay on services as promised there isn't a thing you can do about it. Basic health care should be nonprofit. Period.

Single Payer ..... Now

[jazzman]

Did you send that to Landrieu and the other Blue Dogs yet? If not, go do so. Copy and paste it to all the Senators on the Blue Dog list.

[AZterritory]

Louisiana, WHY do you elect these people? (I know, same reason we wind up with losers in Arizona--outside $$ and interests). Seriously, all states have got to look at dumping these useless people who look out for no one but themselves and their corporate puppeteers.

[GStark]

Southern Pols selling out their constituen­ts...

Poor poor (currency disadvantaged) folks.

If the world had justice, the pols would have the health care options of the poorest.

[SMAckley]

Another politician bought and paid for!

[jonbw]

Thats good. She is not just against providing affordable health insurance for millions of Americans. She is a flip flopper and a liar.

At least when the FEC discloser comes out we can find out how much a senator's vote is selling for these days.

[jazzman]

Stop posting on this blog and go to her site and let her know how you feel. I just did.

http://landrieu.senate.gov/services/offices.cfm

[Mekarri]

Done.

[TParrish]

Long letter there calling her integrity and courage into question. I may have been a bit too forthright.

[jazzman]

You can't be too forthright. There's a lot at stake in this fight.

[chlllfactor]

Same here but I am so sick of "represntatives" like her who worship the campaign dollar and screw the people who voted tthem in. I was not only forthright, I was da*n angry!

[lmvd3]

She doesn't care how anyone feels!

[chlllfactor]

Done!

[jazzman]

"Throughout her congressional career, Landrieu has raised $1,668,693 from health insurance and health care interests"

Oh that's the free speech the Supreme Court was talking about. The kind of speech that shouts so loud (ching ching) that a politician can no longer hear the desperate cries of millions of people stuck in a hell hole of a health care system.

[ThePeoplesKey]

vgirl1:
Thanks for your comments. However, I think it's high time The People of the US stop thinking in terms of "constituents," states, regions, congressional districts, etc. We really need to unify as like minded citizens form all around the country. Especially for issues as important as the future of our health care delivery system. A list of politicians (regardless of party) composed of those who have proven by their deeds (votes) that they don't represent the people who elected them to office needs to be published now. We then need to recruit a peaceful army of citizens from anywhere in the country with the means or where-with-all to be able uproot from their daily lives for a time, or long enough to travel to the locations where elections for politicians on the list will take place (Before and when they are taking place) to ensure that they aren't reelected to any political office of any kind. Funds need to be collected to support the "Troops" volunteering for the Peoples Army so that no one has to sacrifice too much of there lives in order to complete the objective. This can be done. No political parties involved. We outnumber them by the millions. Of course, we also have to ensure long before any election that we have an alternative candidate in place to support. We if we just unite on the major issues that we ALL agree on and leave the lesser issues for another time and place.

[disintaGreatNation]

These conservatives who are against "the public option" and a "government plan" are not calling for the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop providing health care. But, to be consistent, they should be, right?