Blue Dog Effort Threatens Dem Unity On Public Option

The key conservative House Democrat who backed a public health care option last week appeared to be backing off that pledge Thursday afternoon when he joined conservatives calling for compromise rather than specific health goals.

"We're really not here today to discuss a particular bill or even provisions. We're here to discuss the target we should be aiming at, which is bipartisanship," said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), the vice chairman of the Blue Dog Health Care Task Force, who proved instrumental in dooming Clinton-era health reform.

[UPDATE: A Cooper spokesman said in an e-mail, "Jim still personally favors a public plan. He just thinks health care reform will die if it's not bipartisan ... Jim is trying to sound the alarm that while reconciliation only requires 51 votes, the rule prohibits many of the changes required for health care reform. So, we shouldn't do bipartisanship just because it feels nice to work together; we should do it because that's the only way the Senate can pass a bill that actually reforms the health care system. "]

As an example of bipartisan compromise, Cooper cited the health care plan outlined Wednesday by former Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and Howard Baker -- a plan that does not include a federal public option. He joined Mike Castle (R-Del.), Parker Griffith (D-Ala.) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) to demand a final bill promoted by both sides of the aisle. The other three members of Congress also prioritized cost containment but declined to detail their goals for access or quality of care.

This wouldn't be the first time Cooper has torpedoed health care reform by stripping away the support of Blue Dogs and the business community. In June 1993, Cooper met with Hillary Clinton to argue for reform that looked like his 1992 managed-competition bill rather than Clinton's employer mandates and universal coverage.

That fall, two weeks after the Clinton health care bill went public with mandates and universality intact, Cooper publicly decried the plan and re-released his own bill. The Clinton reforms went down in flames the following year, after Republicans united against it and Cooper's bill split Democrats.

When Cooper began appearing as an Obama surrogate on health care last year, Mike Lux, who worked on the Clinton health care package in the White House, said "no Democrat did more to destroy our chances in that fight than Jim Cooper."

"He quickly became the leading spokesman on the Democratic side for the insurance industry position, and undercut us at every possible opportunity, basically ending any hopes we had for a unified Democratic Party position. I was never so delighted to see a Democrat lose as when he went down in the 1994 GOP tide," Lux wrote. "Unfortunately, he came back, like a bad penny."

Last week, Cooper told the Huffington Post, "I'm for a public option. I like Chuck Schumer's approach. It does not have a trigger in it ... Some people are more comfortable with health reform as an issue than others. I've been doing it for a long time, so I've been more accustomed to it."

This was shortly after he told constituents at a town hall much the same thing. WATCH:

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Comments

[LeftLeaner]

04:59 PM on 06/19/2009

Then, they MUST give up their public health care plan.

All legislators who vote against the public option, must also in turn give up theirs.

Period!

[jadeba]

12:24 PM on 06/21/2009

Agree completely. I just sent this page to a Tennessee friend. Reps only take emails from their constituents - if you know anyone in the state, send it to them so they can turn the heat on this guy.

[jadeba]

12:25 PM on 06/21/2009

Make that reps only take emails from their constituents, unlike the senators I've written to.

[BethS]

03:28 PM on 06/19/2009

We do need massive public rallies in every major city and smaller towns. We need to defeat the insurance and pharmaceutical lobby and let our "elected" but "paid for" representatives know we have had enough! I think July 4th would be perfect-we could "swallow" the teabaggers!

[emlr]

03:09 PM on 06/19/2009

Any rallies planned in the Houston area? I sure would attend one even in this 100 degree heat.

[frappe]

02:46 PM on 06/19/2009

"F" bipartisanship. That's a bogus excuse and you know it.

[frappe]

02:45 PM on 06/19/2009

He's a "sell out". He has no soul. What on earth is this guy doing in the Democratic party? He sounds more like a Republican -- you know, the permanent minority.

[Kiki1kat]

02:44 PM on 06/19/2009

I'm not good at it, but someone, somewhere needs to start a massive petition to be sent to Congress and the Senate informing them that WE WILL NOT STAND BY and let you screw us. We will fight you tooth and nail. And then we need to inform the lobbyist for the health care industry that "your time has come to an end when it comes to getting rich off of our backs."

But again - who will do it? I'm willing to help someone in Northern California if they are willing to step out.

[pragmaticdallasite]

03:37 PM on 06/19/2009

http://healthcareforamericanow.org/

[emlr]

04:13 PM on 06/19/2009

Try this petition from Bernie Sanders:
http://sanders.senate.gov/petitions/index.cfm?uid=7fd59f2e-88e1-477a-8eaf-762a5b050809

But keep calling and emailing senators and congressmen, the White House and Secretary Sebelius until they finally hear the American people. I do it on a daily basis. Just got off the phone to the WH.

[Jezreel]

06:17 PM on 06/21/2009

I completely agree with Rep. Sanders. However, I just don't believe we can get single payer, universal health care passed at this time.

Nevertheless, I crossed my fingers and signed the petition anyway.

[TJCole]

01:58 PM on 06/19/2009

The people never had a chance...!

[rinpochet]

01:21 PM on 06/19/2009

What is needed is massive public rallies to remind these toadies that they are public servants and are put there to do the will of the people, not the will of corporate America.

[Kiki1kat]

02:37 PM on 06/19/2009

You are absolutely correct. But who will stand up? We need everyone, all over the country, to stand up and fight. We need to bombard our Senators and Congressmen and tell them that YOU WORK FOR ME REMEMBER? I PAY YOUR SALARY. And tell them that WE want public health care options. But because people are scared to rally together and no news network is encouraging this, then what do we do. When the Rethugs did the tea party, Fox was behind them. Who will be behind us? Certainly not Fox.
We deserve the same insurance that those on the Hill receive. It costs around $6,000 to $7,000 per person in the country for health care. The Rethugs bill would only give us $2,500 per person. That would not pay a thing. I truly believe all of the NO sayers are being paid by the medical and drug companies to stop this public health care option.

[GrainOSand]

02:47 PM on 06/19/2009

...and until such sustained outrage occurs -- status quo! The problem -- fear, who wants to go out on the limb of dissent alone, with bills to pay, with lifestyle to maintain? So we settle into the comfortable chair provided us and we defend our right to be there. Though that spring is painful, we sit there and take it due to fear of having no seat at all. Or maybe it is not painful at all -- life is good, and therefore one concludes -- it must be good for all. It is a process of settling for less based on lowered expectations or ignoring wrong based on self-righteousness.. We cannot have universal healthcare because someone in an ivory tower said so...against the will of the people who foot the bill -- really?. A small minority of moneyed and powerful interest can hijack the American system of democracy at will -- Yes they can. They can because as I said, who wants to go out on that limb when it is so comfortable in the chair of denial, delusion, distraction, fear, and ignorance. Can we get five million people to shutdown Washington until the people’s will is manifest? Are we willing to stop traffic, lay down in front of airplanes, chain ourselves together to encircle the enemy and force change? Hell no. Are we willing to put our very lives at risk for change? You know the answer.

[rinpochet]

01:19 PM on 06/19/2009

So when is Jim Cooper giving up his "public option" health care paid for by the taxpayers?

If the Democrats don't lead on this when about three quarters of the people want a public option, they can start dusting off those resumes.

Every other industrialized country has singer payer but we can't? What is wrong with this country?

Publicly financed elections is the only answer.

[Pilate]

01:16 PM on 06/19/2009

Bipartisanship my ass. This eventual bill must have a public option, without "triggers" or other such nonsense, preferably single payor. Shut up and vote with your party on this, Jimbo. This is what we all voted for on November 4. And tell all your Democrat buddies to grow a pair and fight for the things we put you in office to do.

[olmossy]

12:47 PM on 06/19/2009

To the Democrat Congress and Senators that Really know that a Single Payer is what the American People want, but know it's hopeless , SO they go along with the crowd.

Stand by the American People. Do what YOU know is RIGHT! If it Fails Then the American People will know who to blame.

There is NO ' Kinda like ' Single Payer or Public Option. You are either for the American People or you are for the Insurance Companys.

We don't want a bipartisan bill that makes the Insuarance Companys stronger and us Weaker.

Time To Choose Sides.

[DannyDanson]

02:29 PM on 06/19/2009

The GOP, healthcare industry and Health Insurance lobby have stepped their public misinformation campaign, and fear-mongering strategy while we on the left have been arguing amongst ourselves about Gitmo, the DoMA, Don't Ask don't tell, as if we expect every progressive agenda item passes within Obama's 1st year in office, we are responsible for the pressure that Blue Dogs Dems are feeling from their constiuencies, and the tail wind pushing the GOP rhetoric. We took our eyes off the ball, and let the oppositional forces pushing against meaningful healthcare reform dictate the conversation once again as if we havn't learned anything over the last 20 years, this is why progressive policies initiatives have such a short shelf life, no cohesion, and this my issue first mentality, if 3/4's of the country supports single payer, then that has to be screamed from the rooftops, we should be organizing rallies, marching on state and federal properties, because evidently it doesn't mean as much to us as the tea-parties meant to conservatives, or fair elections meant to Iranians.

[DannyDanson]

02:30 PM on 06/19/2009

If we can't make that support for a single payer systemknown then what good is it, if the only place we can find out about the truth is when preaching to the choir on progressive sites, we need to get organized and MAKE the congress reject our will publicly, that's how we won the election and that's how we will win healthcare for all, If we create the political will, congress will do their job, they will not and we should not expect them to walk out on a limb they can't even see. The GOP is hoping we sit back and wait for the President's popularity to fall while fighting amongst ourselves, so where are we marching to, DC, or Red states, or both?

[Kiki1kat]

02:40 PM on 06/19/2009

EXACTLY. But again how, and who will start the movement?

[jcorrington]

12:43 PM on 06/19/2009

We absolutely must do something about congress homesteading and mandate term limits. I think this would minimize alot of this baloney.

[DannyDanson]

02:38 PM on 06/19/2009

Misdirection, if single payer has the support of 3/4s of the country, like I've heard on this site, we need to rally publically in support for in is every state in the Union on the same day!

Term limit or not, decisions will be determined by the perception of public will, if the majority wants a single payer system but voices of the opposition are louder than ours, then in congress's mind, pushing such a policy through will be viewed as an irrational, and inconsequential risk to take, how much does this mean to us?

No one know. All they are hearing are the oppositional voices from talk-radio and and hand-full of loud mouth Repugs scared to death that we might just wake up a make a show of strength before they find a way yo kill this ASAP

[Dante in Madison]

12:35 PM on 06/19/2009

Does anybody here know of a list of Dems and Republicans who get money from lobbyists or health care industry people?

Can we get some links or make that public in large way? Tweet it out? Facebook it?

Which of our elected officials is in the pockets of the health care industry and are openly fighting a public option or single payer plan?

[olmossy]

12:54 PM on 06/19/2009

To my mind They are ALL involved . Wheather or not They personaly take money from Lobbyist.
Like Blue Wall of silence in Police Depts. Congress and Senators have a GREEN Wall of silence.

They all take the MONEY or they keep quiet about those who do.

[DannyDanson]

02:40 PM on 06/19/2009

We have capital too, but we only spend it on progressive blog sites, I have never heard a single suggestion that we make as much noise as those wretched tea-baggers did in a unified demonstration in support of single payer or the public option.

[Oldchef]

12:33 PM on 06/19/2009

These blue dog swine have been rooting too long in the health insurance trough. If insurance companies saved the money they spend on lobbying and put it towards patient care, we'd be better served. Here in Delaware, we're being screwed by our Congressman, Mike Castle, bought and paid for by the insurance companies and the bankers, and shamefully by Senator Carper, whom I admired as Governor, but who seems lately to also have been bought and paid for. Thank goodness for Senator Kaufman, Joe Biden's replacement, who seems to actually be standing up for voters, even though he was appointed to the position. You go Ted!

[DannyDanson]

02:56 PM on 06/19/2009

They save enough money already utilizing "comparative effectiveness research data" and "electronic medical records inhouse" you know all those things that the GOP and fear-mongers from the industry are claiming will take choice away from patients, and Oh don't expect to see thoe cost savings in premium reductions, I think that call those savings a increased "profit margin" or something like that.

Example I worked 5 years with a major health insurance company before I started hating myself for gaming customers, and while I was there I saw on employee personally caost the company 2 million in fines for not destroying private healthcare information files used in managing member account, the 5 million was brushed off as a simple oversight, no firing no punishment just a group email requesting prudence, any company that can disregard a 5 million dollar lost so nonchalantly can stand to cut cost.

[Eric8]

12:30 PM on 06/19/2009

Here again, we have a politician who has been collecting government welfare for decades now,

government health insurance, and government travel expenses. Apparently, the government for the rich

by the rich and of the rich doesn't want to share with the non-rich. Socialism is great in America for the

rich, they get bank bailouts, hug tax breaks, tax havens, lucrative government contracts, free health

care, free jets and cars, wow THE STORY OF THE PYRAMIDS IS TRUE, those at the top are truly the

best and why would they want to share. Why doesn't this joke of a man go get a real job in the real

world and stop collecting welfare checks from the government, simply pathetic.

Blue Dog= DINO (democrat in name only)

[jayhkatz]

12:33 PM on 06/21/2009

We need to tell our congressman and senators, that if they don't speak out for a change in health care to a one payer system or it's likes, that they can look for votes in the next election to someone else and that's for both Democrats and Republican alike. It's time for change.