Jack & Jill Politics

Olympia Snowe does NOT equal bi-partisanship.

And, what they had to give up to get that weasel’s vote isn’t worth it.

What does SNOWE support?

Snowe has long been opposed to some of the most important elements of reform. I’m not just referring to her opposition to a real public option and her support for a worthless trigger proposal.

Snowe opposes a real employer mandate, and instead favors a disastrously stupid “free rider” provision. It could have serious consequences for low-income workers.

She is against giving the exchanges the power to negotiate with private insurance companies. This is a provision that should help keep down the cost of health care. It would save individuals money and the government money. Snowe fears it is too much government involvement. John Kingsdale, who runs Massachusetts’s exchange, called Snowe’s insistence that the exchanges not have the power to negotiate price with insurance companies a recipe for disaster.

Just today, during the committee hearing, she reaffirmed her support for “national plans.” This would allow health insurance companies to sell national plans in any states. Individuals state would lose the power to regulate these insurance plans sold in their states. The national plans would be exempt from all minimum benefit requirements mandated by the state legislature. This has been for a long time one of the top goals of the for-profit health insurance industry.

These are only the few changes that I know Snowe requested. Other good ideas, like a minimum medical loss ratio for insurance sold on the exchange, a stronger regulator, and a better defined minimum benefits package, could also have been excluded at the request of Snowe. For Example, Cantwell’s “basic health plan” amendment did not get Snowe’s vote in committee. It may be left out of the merged bill because Snowe opposes it.

I’ll keep on asking this…

there were FIVE BILLS DEALING WITH HEALTHCARE REFORM.

FOUR OF THEM HAVE A SERIOUS PUBLIC OPTION.

So, why CLING to the BAUCUS SHAM AND SELLOUT SCAM BILL.

The goal of healthcare reform isn’t bi-partisanship….it’s ACTUAL REFORM.

And Harry Reid…better MAN THE FUCK UP.

THE THOUGHT….

THE THOUGHT….

that he’s going to let the TRAITOROUS DEMS just weasel and silently FILIBUSTER healthcare reform along with the GOP…

oh HELL NO.

IFFF they are that big and bad, then their traitorous asses can stand on the floor of the United States Senate and TELL IT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

but, be able to hide out under a punk ass move by Harry Reid to let them hide in the shadows..

don’t.think.so.

And you can tell Harry Reid just that.

Here is the State of the Public Option:

Due to your whip count efforts, here is what we know about the state of the public option in health care reform moving forward:

1. There are at least 51 Senators who would vote for Senator Schumer’s “level playing field” public option in an up-or-down vote.

2. There are enough Senators in favor of health care reform with a public option for it to pass through the Senate reconciliation process:

3. There are now 60 active, voting members of the Democratic Senate caucus, which means no Republicans are required for cloture motions to pass.

4. The House of Representatives is not debating whether or not to pass a public option, but whether to pass one tied to Medicare rates plus 5% or one with negotiated rates. As such, there will be a public option that reaches conference committee.

5. It will be more difficult to include a public option in health care reform if one is not in the merged of Senate Finance and Senate HELP committee bill that is sent to the floor of the Senate. If a public option is in the bill sent to the floor, it will require 60 votes only for the entire bill to pass cloture. However, if a public option is not in the bill, the public option itself needs 60 votes.

6. It actually only requires 51 votes to break a filibuster, since we all remember the “nuclear option” fight that took place four years ago.

The only two ways that a public option is not included in a public option is if either the Democratic leadership does not fight for it, or if they cannot keep a few Senate Democratic Senators (Bayh, Landrieu, Lincoln and Ben Nelson) from joining with a Republican filibuster.