Comments on: Keith Ellison: “I Will Not Vote For Any Healthcare That Does Not Include a Public Option”

By: MarkH

MarkH — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:50:53 +0000

On mandates:

Do we really want to bother employers with a mandate to insure all their employees?

We know some can’t handle it and others spend so much on it that it hurts their businesses (re car companies). Maybe we shouldn’t force them to provide more customers to insurers who want to be free to insure whomever they please.

Maybe the mandates aren’t a good idea.

However, enabling more people to become insured through the Exchange and a public option seems like a winner. Seems like it would be a bit simpler too.

By: MarkH

MarkH — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:44:51 +0000

Someday there will be someone who dies of cancer and becomes “the last person to die of cancer”. I hope that day is soon.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:46:08 +0000

Thanks, have bookmarked it.

By: Mauimom

Mauimom — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:03:09 +0000

Since the weasel response from members contacted via Jane’s whipping tool seems to be “I don’t know what I’ll do until I see an actual piece of legislation,” Ellison’s action provides us with a handy “suggestion” of what they could do in advance of that “piece of legislation” [that they don’t read and then vote on with lobbyists standing at their sides].

Thanks for the link. I’m glad to see these group standing up, calling a press conference, getting coverage. God knows Charlie Gibson, Diane Sawyer and all of the MSM acts as though “public option” is lying in the gutter by the side of the road, with everyone ignoring it as they whiz by.

By: reader

reader — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:28:44 +0000

I’m officially link challenged on this computer …

It’s up at RollCall …

www.rollcall.com/issues/54_152.....r_friendly

By: reader

reader — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:27:08 +0000

It seems there’s a group of them up on the hill with Jackson-Lee saying ”join the President” and ”look at the polls.”

”The intraparty groups demanded a national Medicare-like public insurance option for everyone that would compete with private insurers …”

Pretty much slapping Harry Reid around with his ”let the process work” and ”don’t back yourself into a corner” stand.

Looks like progress to me.

I’ll try a link.
Liberals Draw Hard Line on Health Reform

By: foothillsmike

foothillsmike — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:24:51 +0000

Good news:
http://www.rollcall.com/issues.....r_friendly

By: ralphbon

ralphbon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:22:52 +0000

Hugh, if you’re interested in some of the messaging nuances within and around the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where Ellison has been a point person on health reform discussions, you may want to kick back with a glass of single-malt and slog through the post I wrote two days ago addressing CPC “message discipline.” Be sure to check the comment thread, though, where I relate some feedback I received from Darcy Burner.

Also, note that the CPC is hardly monolithically “message disciplined,” as witness this great exchange the other day between Dennis the K and Jacob Hacker.

By: Beerfart Liberal

Beerfart Liberal — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:21:24 +0000

Excellent.

By: SouthernDragon

SouthernDragon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:16:55 +0000

I have no idea. I’ve not seen anything that resembles any sort of legislation. I’m also hard pressed to believe that a workable reform bill could be drafted by these bozos since it was announced. If they have legislation they’re working on it came from the insurance companies with little or no input from anybody else.