The Beginning Of The End For The Public Option

Today, the Senate Finance Committee rebuffed two amendments to include the public option in its health care reform bill. The first amendment, offered by Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) went down 15-8. The second, put forward by Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), failed to pass by a 13-10 vote.

So, now what? Is the public option dead? Will the fight go on? Yesterday, Democratic consultant Peter Feld assayed today's committee machinations and warned: "Spoiler alert: the public option goes down in a ritual sacrifice of which this is step one." Want to bet he's wrong?

I'd advise against it, after seeing Schumer appear on Hardball this afternoon. Host Chris Matthews introduced Schumer as "a strong champion of the public option," but failed to make much note of the many buckets of water he was hauling on Senator Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) behalf.

Schumer began with the good news: sure, the public option failed in the Senate Finance Committee, but once the bill is out in the Senate, it will fare better. Why? Because, according to Schumer, the "most difficult terrain for the public option" is the finance committee because it's "more conservative than the Senate Democrats as a whole, and the Senate Democrats as a whole are more conservative than the House and the conference." "This was really good news for us!" Schumer enthused, apparently unaware that Max Baucus and Blanche Lincoln and Kent Conrad do not suddenly become entirely different people just because they've entered a different room.

But that's Schumer's outlook! Everything's going to get REALLY AWESOME now, and hopefully your concept of "really awesome" is a public option "trigger!" "There may be some adjustments and tweaks we have to make," Schumer said. HINT HINT.

Watch Sen. Schumer's appearance on Hardball:

Elsewhere, Schumer was just out there, deflecting heat from Baucus, who apparently hasn't figured out how to do that by sewing together a thick sheet of insulation out of the thousands of dollars he's earned from the health care lobby. Chris Matthews showed Schumer this ad, which savages Baucus. In it, Montana resident Bing Perrine describes the extent to which he's ended up in crippling six-figure debt from treatment of a congenital heart defect and a lack of health insurance. In the ad, Perrine makes his point very clear:

"Senator Baucus, when you take millions of dollars from health and insurance interests that oppose reform and oppose giving families like mine the choice of a public option, I have to ask: whose side are you on?"

WATCH:

This ad -- which, really, Baucus should be confronted with, on the teevee -- draws Schumer's blithest tsk-tsk: "It's hurting us. And I wish they wouldn't do it." But how does this ad hurt? The ad actually points out the precise reason the public option is foundering: a lot of well-financed special interests are purchasing legislation that eliminates it. That is why the public option is struggling to live. There is no other reason.

Story continues below

But Schumer, who has himself raised $1.65 million from the financial services sector, would rather pretend that he lives in a world where all of that money isn't having any sort of impact on lawmaking, and in which pointing that out is hurtful. What's helping? Schumer says that the polling is what matters: "A New York Times survey found 65% of the public are for [the public option]." WOO! Of course, as anyone who's followed this issue knows, the first and easiest thing that gets dismissed in the health care debate is the popularity of the public option. I'm not sure why these poll numbers matter now, except as a means of getting Schumer out of this conversation.

And really, Baucus couldn't ask for a better Gunga Dun than a man who'll say this on his behalf:

SCHUMER: What we have to do is show Max Baucus that we have the votes. Today he said he likes the public option. If he thought there were 60 votes on the floor of the Senate he'd be for it.

This is a mind-blowing example of anti-logic. Surely Chuck Schumer knows that Baucus would be one of those 60 votes. Surely he understands that Kent Conrad and Blanche Lincoln, who also voted against the public option -- voted against his amendment! -- are also two of those 60 votes. I really don't think Schumer should be allowed to come on teevee and not make sense to the extent he's not making sense. By his thinking, Max Baucus "likes the public option," but Max Baucus is playing a wait-and-see game to see if it will gain the support of Max Baucus. If Max Baucus ends up supporting the public option, then Max Baucus can add his support.

Schumer, by the way, didn't even attempt to explain why Tom Carper wouldn't vote for the Rockefeller amendment. At least Max Baucus and Kent Conrad can claim to be from competitive districts. As the Washington Independent's Dave Weigel points out today, Carper won his seat by over 40 points.

But that's how the public option is going to die. A bunch of Democrats will vote it down because their seats are too vulnerable. Then, a bunch of Democrats will vote it down because their seats are too safe. The health care industry will have spent its money wisely, and Bing Perrine will hopefully have enough bake sales to pay to fix his heart, so he doesn't die. Circle of life!

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Comments

[jwredd]

wdw505- ".i will not pay your way through life nor pay your insurance"

Guess what? Right now you pay an extra $1100 a year in premiums to cover the uninsured.
You would rather pay MORE to feel like you are NOT paying for anyone, than actually pay less and have someone other than you benefit from it. Not only does your position lack compassion, it lacks intelligence and fiscal sense.

[Write4U]

Guess what? Right now we are paying an extra $1100.00 a year to fill the pockets of Insurance CEOs (miilions in bonuses), without receiving any value at all.
The greatest cost waste in the current system are the Insurance companies, where the unrestricted profit incentive enable insurance companies to make profits by tens of millions of dollars, without contributing anything and sometimes even actively obstructing needed care of the patient. What health care benefits does a person receive from lining the pockets of CEOs?
Profit and Health Care are mutually exclusive.
The basic starting point must be a Non-profit structure. I am not necessarily advocating a government run program, although the government has a pretty good track record in Medicare. Another, private or cooperative organizational model may be possible, but it cannot be For-profit. Even the insurance companies could create a Non-profit division.
The savings in that area alone would save the lives of many who have been denied or cannot afford the current premiums.

[DrInsula]

Interesting question: if the END result that the President signs (and the more I see, the more I am thinking he plans to sign ANYTHING that is put in front of him, which has me disillusioned) forces a mandate in which you can be charged up to 12% of YOUR ANNUAL INCOME FOR PREMIUMS, it seems to me that the ins cos will offer alot of high-deductible, bare-arse plans so that people will buy those, not being able to afford 12% of income! BUT: what if you are the young guy from Montana in the ad? What if you are a 2-time cancer survivor? People with conditions will, by default, have to pay 12% of income on deductibles alone. I DO NOT SEE how this will be in keeping with "equal protection," under the Constitution, OR NOT VIOLATE the Americans with Disabilities Act. I see endless lawsuits stemming from this, if there is no public option. Trial lawyers: START WORKING ON THIS.

[wdw505]

the only way any bill of value will pass is if they do line item by line item on the things most can agree on.

address the following one by one

Insurance companies may not use preexisting conditions when pricing

Insurance companies may not drop you if you get sick as long as the premium is paid

No insurance caps

pricing should be done by group but not age or race

[canarypapers]

How foolish to think that Congress can legislate ethics or morality. The insurance industry is a clever beast. Legislate all you want. Water finds its own; there's more than one way to skin a cat; the means to obscene profits can always be found by unscrupulous men.

[SonofLiberty1]

And we are more than tired of Conservatives always being right and never wrong...

AND NEVER EVER ....EVER

APOLOGIZING!

[wdw505]

profit is not a dirty word

[drbillybob]

Which "groups" if not age?

You suggest that a 77 year old should pay the same rates as a 27 year old?

[Write4U]

Pricing should be done according to ability to pay. The problem lies not in who can pay what, it lies in how much an Insurance CEO receives in bonuses for a non productive administrative service.
The greatest cost waste in the current system are the Insurance companies, where the unrestricted profit incentive enable insurance companies to pocket millions of dollars, without contributing anything and sometimes even actively obstructing needed care of the patient. What health care benefits does a person receive from lining the pockets of CEOs?
Profit and Health Care are mutually exclusive.
The basic starting point must be a Non-profit structure. I am not necessarily advocating a government run program, although the government has a pretty good track record in Medicare. Another, private or cooperative organizational model may be possible, but it cannot be For-profit. Even the insurance companies could create a Non-profit division.
The savings in that area alone would save the lives of many who have been denied or cannot afford the current premiums

[canarypapers]

The public option was never a bona fide plan. It was never more than stalling tactic. This is why the entire summer passed without one single "pro-public option" Democrat on Capitol Hill daring to define the terms of a so-called "public option."

They were simply holding out for the highest bidders. Once the insurance/pharma/oil industries placed their bids, filling the campaign coffers, these Democratics began to express certain doubts about whether America is even ready for a public option. Nowadays, it's "Gee whiz, folks. Looks like this public-option-thingie won't pass, after all. "

The only politicians on Capitol Hill engaged in a genuine effort toward health care reform are those in favor of the SINGLE-PAYER PLAN. Everyone else is just paying lip service to placate the folk who voted them into office -- the majority of whom favor a public option, with a majority of these favoring a single-payer plan.

The outcome has long-been decided. What do you think the Democrats were doing during all those tea parties? They were filling their coffers and cutting backroom deals. All that's left now is the political theater -- the "valiant" efforts, the crocodile tears, staged to convince the hapless American public that, golly gee, ... If not for that darned GOP....

The Democrats would like us to believe it's been the GOP raining on our parade, when really it's been the mercenaries from our own party, p*ssing straight-faced down our backs all along.

[wdw505]

good........i hope it does not pass

[tompoe]

You watched the ad, and that's your position on the public option issue? A true American, if ever there was one. Hold your head high, so the world can know who you really are.

[DrInsula]

May you live a very long life, but not in good health.

[DCBarrister]

All the public option fiasco managed to do is expose Barack Obama as a lying politician who will say anything to get votes.

* Obama played the race card in the primaries and lied about President and Hillary Clinton.
* Obama promised to deliver healthcare for 47 million Americans who don't have any.
* Obama promised to close GITMO when he took office.
* Obama promised to scrap the USA Patriot Act.
* Obama promised to end FISA wiretapping of US citizens and the scam with telecoms and our phone records.

All lies.

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[jwredd]

Hillary graciously conceded a long time ago. You are a severely twisted individual who does harm to the democratic party.

[fourthright]

The public option WILL die if media says it will.

[DCBarrister]

Failing to get the public option means President Obama LIED to the American people and will not be delivering on his promise.

It's just that simple.

Schumer and the rest of the inept Dems can put the lipstick back in their purses.

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[wdw505]

laughing

[cmmt08]

Pleeeeese! We know which party you really support...you don't care about Hillary.

[DCBarrister]

You are an Obama supporter.
Knowledge isn't a strong suit.

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[landr]

D.C. , you speak the truth.. President Obama is a great campaigner, I am not sure he outright lied, or misjudged the atmosphere in Washington. Unfortunately, his career in the Senate was too short for him to have any real clout, or know which closets hold skeletons..If he would just accept the fact that he won, stop campaigning and start leading, HCR would have a better chance at becoming meainingful legislation. At this point, the half loaf is better than none theory seems to reflect his current thinking.
What HCR really needs is an LBJ, unfortunately, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

[DCBarrister]

Thank you!

[anetgroup]

Actually, DC speaks the partial truth.
Aided by the powers of inductive reasoning, DC would rather have the last administration than the present administration that hasn't been able to enact the ambitious promises of the campaign.
Hillary, if you really are a supporter, would have walked into the same buzzsay (intentional) and been lucky to have equivalent progress.
I was a Hillary supporter, and am an Obama supporter...and still patient.
Pick a side DC. If that's the right, admit it...and if it's the Dems, cowboy/girl up.

[sherbug]

Stop listening to the hype. They are just trying to sell newspapers. The Dems can go this with 51 votes. The Public Option only failed in 1 committee and passed in the other 4.

The public option will be in the House Bill. Continue to call the White House. Don't email, call the White House and leave a message that Obama must insist on the public option if he wants to keep his base intact.

[DCBarrister]

I never listened to the hype, that's why I didn't vote for Obama or the other Republican (McCain).

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[jwredd]

Didn't vote=dvmb@ss

[OldBro70]

Are you gloating or complaining? You are pathetic or a braggart.

[CJShocker]

People! Rasmussen reports just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

[onegandolf1]

Rasmussen is an arm of the republican party. I wouldn't get too excited about their pols

[wdw505]

good glad to hear that

[Rodger leMonde]

Polls are entirely dependent on the wording. Yes words are tricky and treacherous when wielded by a pollster with an axe to grind.
Even careful pollsters can distort the outcome without meaning to.

[SonofLiberty1]

Down through the years I've been active in Democratic Party Politics working on all kinds of campagins from draft movements to presidential elections and even serving as an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984.

After watching the Republicans and Democrats rushing to see which one can shoot themselves in the foot, I've come to a conclusion...

That perhaps, if enough of us tell the Democrats they better start producing results, thier party members will...

STAY HOME.

That's exactly what I said....

If there is NO PUBLIC OPTION I just will refuse to vote period.

I figure if we can get enough democratic voters to explain this to their party elite and elected democratic officials that maybe they will ge so darn excited that an enormous pressure will be put on those idiots who don't want a public option.

[DrInsula]

Well, that WOULD work, if we could say with any certainty that are votes ARE EVEN COUNTED, let alone that they make a difference. With many voting on black-box, proprietary "voting machines," this is not at all obvious! In fact, the term "voting machines," is probably literally true; it is the machines that really ARE "voting," according to whatever the programmer tells them to do....

[JWheels]

Deafeatist pessimism would definitely not help the cause.

[LucieLee]

The public option is not dead!!! Remember this is just one committee out of five who didn't include the public option.....this doesn't make Max Baucus a king, it doesn't make him the master-builder even...it makes him out of touch with his constituents and out of touch with reality.

[jwredd]

Please ignore anything I say as huffingtonpost keeps posting my responses as initial comments so they are completely out of context.

[gumbo1049]

Congress of the United Corporations of America
True American Prostitution.

[ThosC747]

So now I will be forced to buy insurance I can't afford? Or pay a huge fine on my taxes? This is like being forced to go gamble in a casino, since the business model is relatively the same.

[GrantedBKNY]

The fine would be cheaper for me. I could save money and not increase shareholder value at the same time.

[MsLiz]

Are you willing to forgo medical treatment should you require it?

[Prudens]

You could also spend a year in jail if you dont buy it as well.

[Rodger leMonde]

Invest all you can in insurance companies. It's the only way you can win with them.

[Write4U]

The insurance business is a gamble. The trick is to keep the cost of the gamble down and the only way to do this is to take out the profit incentive.
Profit and Health Care are mutually exclusive.
Create a NON PROFIT structure, be it government or private. Only then will we achieve maximum value (actual health care) for every dollar invested.

[jwredd]

Reagan is long gone.

[MsLiz]

But his memory lingers on . . . .

[DCBarrister]

You do know President Obama lists Ronald Reagan as his role model, "right"?

Keep the change.

Hillary 2012

[OldBro70]

Prove you source.