Robust Public Option Lacks Votes To Pass The House: The Plum Line

The Plum Line:

The House Dem leadership has conducted its preliminary whip count and has tallied up less than 200 likely Yes votes in support of a health care reform bill with a robust public option, well short of the 218 needed for passage, according to an internal whip count document I've obtained.

Read the whole story: The Plum Line

Comments

[marijam]

The do-nothing Democrats are going to be voted out of office next election cycle. Way too cozy with the bankers and nothing on health care reform except, yet another, industry give-away to, yet another, undeserving, unethical, immoral business sector. America, where did you go?

[djcrsn]

since the people opposing the public option are the ones who are listening to their constituents, why would they be voted out of office?

[Chili4me]

While soome sort of reform is needed, it is a relief to see this going down in flames.
Our government simply doesn't have the ability to provide healthcare to everyone much less make it cheaper. Compound that with the fact that corrupt idiots are writing the legislation. there was no way it was going to work.

Thank gawd Obama and Congress are failing!!

[marijam]

Oh, really? Seems like we had more than enough money for two stupid wars. Next time a dumb Republican president gets us into a war, it should be paid for by an increase in taxes, period.

[lightningbolt]

Until we make bribery illegal, there will be no change and reform. Until we make bribery illegal, there will be no democracy. We need to stop doing everything and concentrate on making bribery illegal. Otherwise, we are screwed.

[mountainweb]

We can hope that the entire bill fails, maybe that way they will go back and address the core issues of the cost of health care FIRST instead of getting so caught up in PASSING "any" bill that we have a bill the COSTS us money instead of SAVING money.

[Okieborn]

Not to worry !!
When I began to see our President backing off of the public option, then I knew it was over and once again we got a raw deal as usual !!
NO HOPE NO CHANGE UNDER THIS PRESIDENT !!
Elizabeth Warren for President in 2012 !!

[JinChicago]

call joe LIEberman and tell him he must publically state support for cloture or we will go against him in EITHER democratic OR republican races next election!

Washington, DC Office

706 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
[phone] Voice
[phone] Fax

Connecticut Office

One Constitution Plaza
7th Floor
Hartford, CT 06103
[phone] Voice
[phone] In CT
[phone] Fax

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/reid-durbin-open-to-major_n_336626.html

[bajed]

He is an independent. How is that going to work? I think he expects to have an opponent and I think he revels in being the power broker moderate.

[HRP]

If a robust public option doesn't have the votes to pass then the powers that be better get them. This is what the majority of Americans want and the more they dick around with this the more PO'd the people are getting.

[Peter007]

The Democrats should have addressed the issue of out of control health care costs rather than trying to score a political win. As it stands now, the democrats are willing to sign any bill that has the words " health Care Reform" on it. Democrats mistakingly equate government control with the words, "solving a problem."
The current bills circulating would charge Taxpayers large increases in fees for the next few years, but fail to provide any changes in benefits until 2013. Insurance premiums will rise dramatically in the next 3 years without any benefits. Universal coverage now means 20 million uninsured rather than 30 million. After reform, Insurance companies will be MORE embedded into the system than they were before. This is like hitting a hornets nest with a baseball bat because you don't like the hornets.

[vippy]

If no robust public option then I am all for it to kill this proposal! Why are the US People worth less than the rest of the world, with our income, our benefits, our quality of living, our healthcare, our education? Why did Obama say immediately NO to single payer? He promised we get the same healthcare as congress has! Another lie.

[lifeagain]

If you have less than 200 votes. Then a robust public option is De@d. Your chances of getting it are virtually nil

[escribacat]

Wonder why Howard Dean's site says they've got the votes.

http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=&party=&state=&hc_status=&commit=Filter

[jennylynn]

Interesting. I just viewed the Howard Dean Scream .....Fanta­stic if you need a laugh.

[swift goat pet for truth]

I am sorry Obama has not chosen to use Bill Clinton on this issue.

This whole situation is MADE for a Bill Clinton campaign.

[goodog]

Adolf.H told that the Public Option survives!

http://www.isle-of-avalon.net/DerInsuranceUntergang.html

[FHTB]

We keep hearing this s--t over and over...eno­ugh speculatio­n...

BUT

There will be h-ll to pay for ANY Congressperson who votes against public option...

We outnumber the tea baggers and we WILL vote in 2010.

[zezel]

I think it's the other way around, the "teabaggers" outnumber the left wingers, sorry for the cold hard reality check.

[jennylynn]

How true.

[lifeagain]

No you don't. Conservatives have double the numbers of liberals.

[highflag]

I don't know who most of these Democrats are, that oppose the strong public option, and I should. They should be paraded before the public every day. Their pictures should be plastered across HuffPo, and every liberal.pr­ogressive blog and web site. They should be named by Olbermann and Maddow nightly.

If they insist on placing the interests of the lobbyists who fill their coffers come campaign time, over the will of the people that elect them, then they need to be exposed. Perhaps they will have a slightly different perspective if they are made to understand that refusing to support this particular effort may prove to be political suicide...