Graham Open To Dem's Health Care Compromise, But Not Public Plan (VIDEO)

Senator Lindsey Graham became the latest Republican and most conservative Senator yet to express a willingness to consider a compromise approach to health care reform based around co-ops providing insurance coverage.

The South Carolina Republican, appearing on ABC's "This Week," set a firm line in the sand when discussing the creation of a public option for insurance, insisting that such a proposal would not pass the United States Senate.

"The reason you are not going to have a government-run health care pass the Senate is because it will be devastating for this country," he said. "The last thing in the world I think that Democrats and Republicans will do at the end of the day is create a government-run health care system."

Later in the program, however, Graham offered what his co-panelist Sen. Chris Dodd and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich (who appeared later in the show) both viewed as openness to compromise. A system of state-based co-ops -- which would be run as non-profit entities, subject to private insurance rules, and operating out of the premiums paid by its members -- could be an adequate substitute for a public plan, he said.

"I think this idea needs to go away," Graham said of a public plan, "and replace it with something maybe like [Senator] Kent Conrad's proposal."

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Comments

[JANPACOPETE]

I want the same socialist government-run health care option afforded to (and paid by the tax payers) that the dear senator receives -- nothing more.

[spandautoseattle]

Throwing a glove into the faces of 50 million uninsured and their families? Not too smart. Won't also help the former GOP in their chaotic attempts to regain any credibility.

[grata2ude]

Someone tell this guy he'll go away long before the public health care. And so will the whole republican party

[ignorantwillyharper]

Why is it, when I see Graham I see a wimp. He was and is nothing, but a bed pan Carrier for people of McCain's character...pitiful.

[jjgg5]

The standard for publicly elected officials in South Carolina must be quite low.

[Whitley2009]

Graham's voting constituents have double digit I.Q.s, they rarely read anything about politics, and when they watch TV it is on a NASCAR channel or the Grand Old Opera.

[Barbara Ann 1]

Graham also needs to go away.

[Revee]

I would trust all these congressmen if they gave up their "public option" healthcare and chose private plans like the rest of us. They claim that the private insurance is the "best in the world"; so why are they clinging to their public option plans?

[Witchitalineman]

I've got a better idea: Graham needs to go away!

[sheilaofmiami]

You said it before I could. Go away Graham!!! Just go away, to a country were there is no healthcare, wait that is here, what to do what to do,

Have healthcare??????

[garymc8]

graham and ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS will vote in single payer when we revoke their health and pension benefits. Any one fighting public health is being BRIBED. INVESTIGATE Graham AND ALL THE PHONIES.

[ignorantwillyharper]

Problem: as long as their in office, they make the laws and their not about to vote to do away with their health plan. Problem: when we vote in the other guy out, The other guy/gal votes for the same health plan for him/herself. Catch 22!

[WeMustSpeakOut]

No Senator. YOU need to go away - you and all of your obstructionist corporatist wh@ring cohorts!

Maybe some day our government will do it's effing job and provide for the general welfare instead of themselves and their cronies!

Yeah, and maybe some day pigs will fly.

[razingfools]

The idea of state based co-ops scares the heck out of me. If any of you ever notice that many cities in the State of Texas have very low unemployment rates. This is very simple to understand; Texas has one of the worst records of giving out unemployment benefits to its citizens. The actual number of unemployed is never given. Companies love this, because their cost for unemployment insurance always stays low. I can only imagine how conservative they would be with health care. I live and suffer in Texas, so I know.

[Shammie2000]

46 million (gov't count) uninsured, billions of your tax dollars to bailout billionaires and this bonehead
thinks the public shouldn't have healthcare, people of south carolina where are you.

[Phil Waste]

I am so tired of being shafted by Congress while they take care of their big donors from the medical industry. The job they did on us seniors with the mish-mash drug prescription bill they passed for Medicare is reprehensible.

Medicare itself is a fine program and is real efficient at cutting medical cost and in place now!

Medicare is your new health care plan for everyone! If Medicare is good enough for seniors it is good enough for the Nation’s people.

Simply change the entry age requirement for Medicare to include everyone in the nation.

Job done and Congress doesn’t get to look out for their friends the ‘Lobbyist’ paid for by the ‘Medical Profession’.

[macrumpton]

We already have a well established government run healthcare system.
It is called Medicare and it has higher satisfaction and is more cost effective than privately managed healthcare in spite of having older (and therefore sicker) members. The question is are we going to give the public the same good service we give veterans, the elderly and members of congress? And if not why?

[WeMustSpeakOut]

This is the reality, period. Te illogical, irrational, inaccurate, fear-mongering talking points from the right, the dinos and other corporate wh@res needs to stop.

[BalancedEgg]

The 3 headed monster...Insurance companies. HMOs for profit and Big Pharma. They control congress and nothing will change until campaign funding changes. I, for one, would rather have quality health care than be saturated with corporate funded negative TV ads every 2 years.