These are some of the more recent polls specifically on support for the public option, and bear in mind that one of the lower results, Rasmussen, worded the public option to sound like single payer rather than merely an option.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Caucus “isn’t bluffing.”
“We have never had the Progressive Caucus organized the way it is right now,” Burner said during a Friday roundtable with Roll Call. “This is not the normal scenario. And Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] knows it.”
….
As an unusually contentious public debate over the reform drive has put Democrats on the defensive over the August recess, liberal leaders have been upping the ante on the public plan to beat back a building perception it would end up getting scrapped in conference negotiations.
Burner said liberals have new organizational muscle to back up their threat. As evidence, she pointed to a fundraising effort coordinated by MoveOn.org and left-wing bloggers that netted about $400,000 in small-dollar donations in just a few days for 60 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Those lawmakers signed an Aug. 17 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius pledging to vote against a bill that doesn’t include a robust public plan.
As I’ve said, I would just as soon have everything in the bill scrapped but the public option. Don’t put any additional requirements on the for-profit folks. Just give us a competative public option and let the market do its thing. Have you ever seen conservatives so terrified of the free market?
And here’s a nice andecdote: “How I survived the Swedish Death Panel.”
Addendum: Add Mark Warner to the list of Senators willing to vote for the public option. I think that brings us to 48, two votes away if the Democrats have the guts to invoke reconciliation.
Second addendum: “Republicans for the Public Option” – aimed at Grassely.
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August 31, 2009 at 5:47 pm
jacksmith
NO CO-OP’S! A Little History Lesson
Young People. America needs your help.
More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% of republicans). Basically everyone.
According to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. And 79% of seniors support creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!! Senator Max Baucus, You better come out of committee with a strong government-run public option available on day one.
The History:
Our last great economic catastrophe was called the Great Depression. Then as now it was caused by a reckless, and corrupt Republican administration and republican congress. FDR a Democrat, was then elected to save the nation and the American people from the unbridled GREED and profiteering, of the unregulated predatory self-interest of the banking industry and Wallstreet. Just like now.
FDR proposed a Government-run health insurance plan to go with Social Security. To assure all Americans high quality, easily accessible, affordable, National Healthcare security. Regardless of where you lived, worked, or your ability to pay. But the AMA riled against it. Using all manor of scare tactics, like Calling it SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! :-0
So FDR established thousands of co-op’s around the country in rural America. And all of them failed. The biggest of these co-op organizations would become the grandfather of the predatory monster that all of you know today as the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry. And the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry.
This former co-op would grow so powerful that it would corrupt every aspect of healthcare delivery in America. Even corrupting the Government of the United States.
This former co-op’s name is BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD.
Do you see now why even the suggestion of co-op’s is ridiculous. It makes me so ANGRY! Co-op’s are not a substitute for a government-run public option.
They are trying to pull the wool over our eye’s again. Senators, if you don’t have the votes now, GET THEM! Or turn them over to us. WE WILL! DEAL WITH THEM. Why do you think we gave your party Control of the House, Control of the Senate, Control of the Whitehouse. The only option on the table that has any chance of fixing our healthcare crisis is a STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION.
An insurance mandate and subsidies without a strong government-run public option choice available on day one, would be worse than the healthcare catastrophe we have now. The insurance, and healthcare industry have been very successful at exploiting the good hearts of the American people. But Congress and the president must not let that happen this time. House Progressives and members of the Tri-caucus must continue to hold firm on their demand for a strong Government-run public option.
A healthcare reform bill with mandates and subsidies but without a STRONG government-run public option choice on day one, would be much worse than NO healthcare reform at all. So you must be strong and KILL IT! if you have too. And let the chips fall where they may. You can do insurance reform without mandates, subsidies, or taxpayer expense.
Actually, no tax payer funds should be use to subsidize any private for profit insurance plans. So, NO TAX PAYER SUBSIDIES TO PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PLANS. Tax payer funds should only be used to subsidize the public plans. Healthcare reform should be 100% for the American people. Not another taxpayer bailout of the private for profit insurance industry, disguised as healthcare reform for the people.
God Bless You
Jacksmith — Working Class
Twitter search #welovetheNHS #NHS Check it out
(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)
American HEROES!! :-) Click replay to play http://bit.ly/j31oU
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o) CYBER WARRIORS!! – TAKE THIS VIRAL
August 31, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Sonia Baur, MD
So, I am hoping for a single payer (Medicare for all) and I am reading the information from my organization “Physicians for a National Health Program, which says that Pelosi made a commitment to Rep. Weiner to put his single payer ammendment to H.R. 3200, the health-care reform bill up for debate on the house floor. Don’t give up the fight. Don’t beg. Demand!
August 31, 2009 at 6:04 pm
humboldturtle
Happily, I have no Wellpoint stock. I have no stock, actually. Shouldn’t we add a minimum level of care, some sort of board determining what gets paid and what doesn’t?
August 31, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Sonia Baur, MD
My oraganization, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) reports to me that Nancy Pelosi has pledged to hold a floor debate on single payer health reform; specifically Weiner’s ammendment to HR 3200 which would delete most of the language of that bill and instead subsitute language from Conyers and Kucinich’s HR 676, the single payer bill. Support single payer! Don’t give up!
August 31, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Tom Sebourn
Yeah, what jacksmith said!
September 3, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Anonymous
And you accuse others of “having an agenda”. Really Eric.
September 3, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Eric Kirk
Oh, make no mistake. I have a definite agenda when it comes to universal health care. In case there’s someone who hasn’t noticed.