Public Option

Blue Dog Democrats Dominate House Health Care Debate

The New York Review Of Books | Michael Tomasky | Posted 11.12.2009 | Politics


So what did the House Blue Dogs do on the health care vote last Saturday? They were more supportive than one might think: Of the fifty-two-member coal...

The Simplest Justification for a Public Option

Andy Ostroy | Posted 11.12.2009 | Politics


Andy Ostroy

Americans expect and receive government provided free food stamps/welfare: Democracy. If average Americans were to receive government-provided health care: Socialism!!??

The Big Fights and the Big Benefits in the Bill

Mike Lux | Posted 11.12.2009 | Politics


Mike Lux

The good news is that under all the hullabaloo of the public option fight and the horrendous Stupak amendment, there is actually a lot of good things that are pretty well-settled assuming a bill gets passed.

Why Roland Burris Matters to Barack Obama, Right Now

Rebecca Sive | Posted 11.11.2009 | Chicago


Rebecca Sive

Roland could write an epitaph on that vaunted tombstone of his that actually matters. And, Roland, take note: By doing this, you will have saved the lives of millions of American women.

Pearlstein: Restore Majority Rule To The Senate

The Washington Post | Steven Pearlstein | Posted 11.11.2009 | Politics


By now most people have heard the story of the frog that's put in a pot of cold water on a hot stove and doesn't notice as it is gradually boiled to d...

Tort Reform Does Not Reduce Health Care Costs--Never Has, Never Will

Miles J. Zaremski | Posted 11.13.2009 | Politics


Miles J. Zaremski

Anyone opposed to robust health care reform because it fails to include tort reform needs to examine their premise. We should be more concerned with patient safety.

Protecting a Woman's Right to Choose

Rep. Diana DeGette | Posted 11.10.2009 | Denver


Rep. Diana DeGette

Our message is clear: we will not support any final bill that restricts women's access to reproductive health services beyond current law.

Jason Linkins

Brit Hume Corrects O'Reilly On Public Option: "It Is Kind Of Popular"

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 11.10.2009 | Media


The Public Option! Like the sliced bread and soft ice cream of yore, it's something that's been crazy popular with the public. But for months and mo...

No Men: The Most Ornery, Obstructionist Senators

The Daily Beast | Benjamin Sarlin | Posted 11.10.2009 | Politics


When Sen. Joe Lieberman issued fresh threats to filibuster any health-care reform proposal including a public option, he did more than just blunt the ...

Catholic Church Shows Its Influence In Health Care Fight

Wall Street Journal | Peter Wallsten | Posted 11.10.2009 | Politics


Injecting itself aggressively into the health-care debate, the Roman Catholic Church in America has emerged as a major political force with the potent...

Medical Industry Grumbles Over Bill, But It Stands To Gain

The New York Times | Duff Wilson and Reed Abelson | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


For any industry, there has to be at least some good news any time Congress votes to expand the market by tens of millions of customers. But the busi...

Democratic Party Out of Bounds

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


Richard (RJ) Eskow

To the House Dems who reportedly chanted "Fired up! Ready to go!": This isn't a pep rally. This situation calls for a little less partying and a little more party leadership, a few less amendments and a lot more amends.

Rep. Kosmas's Health Care Position Draws Unions' Ire

Jerry Waxman | Posted 11.11.2009 | Politics


Jerry Waxman

All of the union leaders declared that their members felt betrayed by Kosmas and that she had sold out to her big insurance and real estate friends.

Howard Dean Stresses Importance of Grassroots Pressure on Public Option

Ellen Gill | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


Ellen Gill

Dean said that he thinks the public option should be Medicare, administered by the same agencies and under the same rules as Medicare.

GOP Governor Candidates Rip 'Socialized Medicine' While Dems Back Public Option

AP | DEANNA BELLANDI and CHRISTOPHER WILLS | Posted 11.07.2009 | Chicago


CHICAGO — Candidates for Illinois governor are split over a national health care plan with all but one Republican saying the state should opt ou...

NARAL and Planned Parenthood: Ineffectiveness Anti-Choice Democrats Can Rely On

Jane Hamsher | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


Jane Hamsher

Democrats in Congress have just proudly signed a deal that allows a bunch of old men who have spent the better part of the last century avoiding their own sexual issues to dictate access to abortion services.

The Ellsworth Amendment: Dems Set to Compromise on Abortion Care in Health Reform, Again

Jodi Jacobson | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


Jodi Jacobson

A vote originally set for tomorrow on the House health care bill (HR 3200) may be delayed until next week, even after months of drama to arrive at th...

Health Care Reform: Trying to Please Everyone and No One

Philip Lee Miller | Posted 11.07.2009 | Politics


Philip Lee Miller

You deserve a more articulate answer to the question: just what is the problem?

Speaker Pelosi: Please Stop Bullsh*ting Us on Dropping State Single Payer Amendment

Miles Mogulescu | Posted 11.06.2009 | Politics


Miles Mogulescu

Progressive leaders are calling the neutered public option in the House bill a "once in a lifetime reform," despite the fact that it has eliminated the very provision they promised was essential.

Sam Stein

Obama States Strong Support For House Health Care Reform, Public Plan

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 11.06.2009 | Politics


With the House of Representatives set to vote on health care reform during a session on Saturday, the White House announced its support for the legisl...

Let's Make a Deal!

D. Brad Wright | Posted 11.06.2009 | Politics


D. Brad Wright

The public option -- done right -- would be available to everyone and would basically mean that everyone always had something to fall back on.

Memo to Congress: On Health Care Vote You Must Choose Between Insurance Companies and Average Americans

Robert Creamer | Posted 11.06.2009 | Politics


Robert Creamer

This is one of the most historic votes you will ever take. Would you have wanted to tell your grandchildren that you were one of the few Democrats that voted against Social Security or Medicare?

The Next Phase of Health Care Apartheid

Norman Solomon | Posted 11.05.2009 | Politics


Norman Solomon

When it comes to guaranteeing quality health care for all, the gist of the policy is: "Let's not, and say we did." In Washington, "health care reform" has degenerated into a sick joke.

Countdown to Health Care: Crossing the Finish Line on the Public Option

Rep. Anthony Weiner | Posted 11.05.2009 | Politics


Rep. Anthony Weiner

We're on the cusp of health reform that includes a public option. This is further than the skeptics ever thought we would be, but there is still work to be done to prevent Congress from returning to old habits.

Jason Linkins

Chris Matthews Thinks Health Care Reform Is Being "Hung Up By The Left"

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 11.04.2009 | Media


On this evening's edition of Hardball, Chris Matthews hosted Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, and the two men proceeded to have the...