Earlier today Joe over at AmericaBlog reported that Schumer practically guaranteed a public option as a part of health care reform during his appearance on Face the Nation this morning:
The healthcare reform bill that emerges from Congress this year will include a government-run public health insurance option, regardless of the bipartisan negotiations seeking a compromise in the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday.
"Make no mistake about it, the president is for this strongly. There will be a public option in the final bill," Schumer said on CBS News’s "Face the Nation."
Strong language eh? Well, that was this morning, apparently by this afternoon Senator Schumer was walking back from his own words. From the AP:
Schumer said that while he supports a public option he also is open to discussing the use of nonprofit insurance cooperatives as competitors to established insurance companies.
"I am not saying that the public option should be the only option. There are some who do say that, particularly in my party.
So, Which Senator Schumer should we believe?
Time to send a message to Schumer and the other fence-sitters. No public option? No deal.
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Schumer has a real chance here to become a first line leader in the Senate as opposed to a second-tier publicity seeking corporate shill. I would hope he sees the pages of history being written and adds his name to those pages by leading a large portion of the Democrats in the Senate to ‘Yays’ for a Robust Open Access Public Option. If he does this I would hope that we could get behind him as the new Majority Leader.
He has many chips to cash in because of his leadership while leading the DSCC and creating the pathway for 15 more seats.
Time will tell but he needs to come down on the side of the Public Option and not waffle.
How about adding the Senate to the whip tool?
He needs to hear from us — he won’t commit unless we make him:
Phone: 202-224-6542. Fax: 202-228-3027. TDD: 202-224-0420.
That’s an idea!
Until then, whip him here:
Phone: 202-224-6542. Fax: 202-228-3027. TDD: 202-224-0420.
although I’m sure there will be a concerted effort to whip the Senate – it’s best to think of the current Whip Action as tactical – Jane, et al have done the math, and 40 No votes will stop any kind of Ins Bailout/Compromise from passing in the House
as Jane has pointed out ad nauseum, any one of these critters can claim to be for Public Option or even Single Payer – but can turn right around and vote for some craptastic Bill or Conference Report just because someone put a PO/SP label on it – we are asking them where they draw the line and getting them on the record
Schumer is the face you see in wikipedia when you google talking out your ass and talking out of both sides of your mouth. No public Option I saw we Primary him!
Isn’t that what Blue Cross/Blue Shield is supposed to be in a lot of states? And I’m pretty sure there are others out there besides BC/BS that are “nonprofit insurance cooperatives.”
Yeah, that’ll fix the problem all right…
Schumer has always been about the shekels and ordinary people don’t have enough of them to interest him.
some firedog did a much better job than I in pointing out Co-Ops would eventually be used as an example of P.O. not working. they are being discussed as regional entities with no national purchasing power and on top of it, I think they’ve thrown “triggers” in to that mix. And they appear to be binkies to the likes of Hagan, Conrad et al – and if Blanche Lincoln is suddenly for them we’ll know for sure what they are up to
don’t buy the hype :D
“nonprofit insurance cooperatives”, isn’t that code for the same old wolf in a sheep’s clothing. I can assure you that the insurance lobbyists, Pharma & Hospital folks will throw lot’s of money at Schumer and anyone else that buys this crap’ These Senators don’t seem to understand English. PUBLIC and OPTION. Look it up in your dictionary. What a waste.
Schumer’s fictitional American family, the Bailey’s would opt for a public option as they would be approaching bankruptcy by now. Republican and DINO policies have:
The silver lining is that there are some good deals on rental housing and they might now qualify for food stamps and section 8.
In 1961…I was in nursing school. Remember an elderly cancer patient on IVs and drains going into glass jugs….being sent home. I was told his insurance had run out. Blue Cross and Blue Shield.In NC.
I called Schumer’s office and spoke with an aide. He seemed to think Schumer was pro public option as per the CBS interview but he could not affirm that the Senator would take our pledge. I gave him my email and asked if his legislative aide could get back to me with a yea or a nay.
I think he will and I believe the bills will have a public option and some combination of them will become law.
I suspect Schumer is just trying to stay flexible in discussions with his fellow Senators. But, in reality, I don’t see that going very far. The bills are pretty well defined now and Blue Dogs are just gonna have to bite the bullet and stand with the President.
I do see, however, that the legislation should offer something in the public option plans for those who don’t want abortion covered. As long as it’s entirely optional it will help the Blue Dogs to vote for it.
That’s what I like about the Dems. You really know where they stand.
“The bills are pretty well defined now.” Good to know.
So “standing with the President” means ghetto-izing the public option with a means test that could stick you with your employer’s plan even if you want to leave it, and creates a pool that’s too small to keep the insurance companies honest? (As if that were even possible). That’s good to know too.