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Sen. Reid shows strength
Majority leader makes bold case for public option as part of health insurance reform
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.
Thanks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s backbone, a health care insurance reform bill with a public option is moving forward.
The Nevada Democrat could have played it safe Monday and announced support of watered-down legislation that would have pleased many skittish members of Congress. But that would have done little to make insurance more accessible or affordable for the tens of millions of Americans who have inadequate health coverage or none at all.
Reid correctly recognizes that a government-run public option is a sound mechanism to make insurance more accessible and affordable because it would allow participating Americans to pool their money and spread the insurance risks, forcing private insurers to compete. The result should be lower premium costs for those who use either the public option or private insurance.
Sen. John Ensign of Nevada and fellow Republicans are mistaken when they say that the public option amounts to a “government takeover.” The public health insurance option is simply a voluntary option, not a government takeover of the insurance industry.
Reid responded to naysayers by also advocating an opt-out provision that would give states the ability to reject the public option for their residents. The senator, in essence, called the bluff of Republican opponents by putting the onus squarely on governors and legislatures.
It would be intriguing to see how many state lawmakers are foolish enough to deny the public option for their residents while other states reap the benefits.
The public option, though, is not a done deal. Reid still needs to muster 60 votes in the Senate to ward off a filibuster by Republicans who prefer the dysfunctional health insurance system we have now.
Democrats who control the Senate cannot allow that to happen. They should get behind Reid and do what is right for this country by delivering what the majority of Americans crave — a public option.
Discussion: 53 comments so far…
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The LV Sun presume to speak for me "They should get behind Reid and do what is right for this country by delivering what the majority of Americans crave -- a public option"
They do not I do not want the Public Option
"Some see Reid's move as a cynical ploy to get the left off his back and shore up his base in advance of a difficult 2010 reelection bid. Even if it doesn't succeed, at least he can say he tried to pass a public option,
Reid is About politics not substance."
Nobody knows what Reid public opyion looks like , what is will do or how much it will cost; because Harry is hiding whatever he is doing
It is an ill conceived notion that the unwashed public, the un-elite, should view a congressional bill and believe we could understand it.
The fact js that the Health Insurance bill will be done in secret and the Democrats will continue to spin that the unwashed peasants have no right to view the Health Insurance bill because they are illiterates with "phony claims" and are unable to understand what is good for them.
Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are tone deaf. They do not respond to our phone calls, e-mails, townhalls, or rallies. They refuse to listen to us because we are lairs to them, but mostly because they know we do not believe them or trust them. Harry called us evilmonger and Nancy called us un-American.
Ah yes voluntary! I remember that during my government service with the army, that voluntary was described as "you, you, and you are the volunteers". I fear such government regulation of "volunteerism". We the unwashed serfs, will be but pawns to be manipulated and directed with no ability to change course or self determine. This is not what our founding fathers envisioned or what our constitution provides.
This isn't about "healthcare", this is the LVSun's continued attempt to puff up Harry Reid and his "backbone" before 2010 election time.
Harry Reid has never met a rathole that he did not want to flush taxpayers money into.
Fellow Idiots - Ensign is a liar and should not be representing anyone. Now, a public option is an absolute. Medicare proves that. It works for everyone who has it for about $100 a month out of your social sec. check. Yet, if you have to go to a hospital for an overnight your will have the standard Medicare deduction of $1068 bucks for which you must pay. Say you had an artery cleaned out and the total bill was $28,000 you have to come up with $1068. Who will pay that? Also your drug benefit is not totally covered. You may end up paying $75 or so a month for those expensive drugs. Who will pay that? The point I am making is that if a person does not have any money they cannot even pay the $75 not to mention the $1068. Now, factor in the private health care ins. companies and guess where you are? Bankruptcy - unless you have a really excellent plan. You are lucky in that case if you have the excellent coverage. Go figure it out with the facts and not all the conjecture and crap you hear about at Bill's over the crap table and in letters to the editor and on ArguementConspiracyTalkLieRadio. Thank You.
That backbone you speak of is what is going to get old Harry voted out. We have had enough of what you and Harry want.
The public option is for the losers who lack the intelligence to take care of themselves.
"Thanks" to Harry Reid??? Maybe some of us are going to "blame" Harry Reid for the lurch toward socialism that will destroy our country!
Nonsense. Harry caved to liberal special interest groups desiring a govt takeover in the hopes that they can get out the vote for him next year AND because he supports their big govt agenda. This isn't about healthcare or health insurance -- it's all about consolidating big govt's power and economic redistribution from the working class to the welfare class (and then using the welfare class vote to perpetuate their hold on power).
If they really wanted to change healthcare or how it's paid for, they could've done that in the open, with the GOP, and in less than 100 pages. It's only complicated because of all the politically driven crap they're trying to hide in it.
The public option will NOT pass -- the Blue Dogs have already bailed -- and Scary Reid will be back in Searchlight after getting voted out in 2010. Then the Sun and Lisa Mascaro will have to find a way to get along with Lowden or Tark. Won't that be hilarious to see the Sun cower!
The problems Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is having securing the 60 votes he'll need to block a filibuster of his health care reform bill raises the possibility that he'll scrap his proposal and revert to a more moderate version that can attract bipartisan support.
Reid needs neither 60 votes, nor the Blue Dogs to pass via budget reconciliation.
As usual, Reid will run parliamentary rings around the clueless Republican herd.
Even is Reid gets this piece of garbage enacted into law, it will not go into effect until 2014 and after the 2012 election. There will be plenty of time to repeal it after the Republicans gain control in that election.
edgewise... How can Reid use budget reconciliation?
Budget reconciliation is intended to allow a contentious budget bill to be considered without being subject to filibuster. Is this a budget bill?
Enlighten me as I am just a FOX News viewer with average intelligence per "cpo."
Harry got "Liebermanned".
Democratic aides says that Harry, does not have the 60 votes needed to kill a filibuster on his health care bill, could end up throwing the public option under the bus... Hooray for Harry!!!
Does Reid's plan come with the $1,000 fine for not buying health insurance? Does his plan also include the tax on health insurance policies that will hit almost 50 percent of Americans by 2019?
LarryVegas-You just don't understand politics do you? Liberals can lie, cheat, steal, committ adultry and even murderder someone (remember Teddy Kennedy), because their intentions are good. If a conservative gets a parking ticket, it is grounds for removal from office because they represent greedy immoral right wingers.
Oh, so when Democrats use budget reconciliation to push through legislation they "lie, cheat, steal, etc." but when the Republicans used it to pass the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in 2001, 2003 and 2005, it was OK? That's a whopping double standard, if you ask me.
For those who find Google difficult to navigate, (all that clicking and typing, you must be exhausted!) here's a handy link explaining how and why the Democrats can legally use budget reconciliation to pass the public option.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Democrats-May-Us...
edgewise: I think your "budget reconciliation" plan is so far out there that I have better odds at winning a lottery even if I didn't buy a lottery ticket.
You did notice didn't you that the Republicans used budget reconciliation on budget related legislation, not anything close to your "public option" legislation.
I visited your lefty biased link and didn't find a lot of information, but the following is some of the pertinent information that is stated:
"To restrict excessive use of Budget Reconciliation, rules were enacted to limit its use to matters actually directly affecting the budget."
I bet you heard that no matter how much lip stick you put on a pig, you still have a public option that won't make it out of the starting gate.
Have you or any living person seen a copy of Harry's public option? Maybe one does not exist
Harry's public option may be no more that just a scheme to placate the left until after next week's elections.
The following story is kinda like Harry's "public option" spin...
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:
On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'
So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle.
Harry Reid:
Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."
Excellent point, edgewise.
globarrvers... What point???
Someone's in denial. Lefty-biased link? Here, have two Republican-biased links.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/...
You've been dead wrong on the death of the public option before, Larry. There's no reason to think anything has changed on that front.
edgewise... First I would not call FOX News, Republican-biased. But I know you and the President thinks so...
"Many Senate Democrats, including Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., remain skeptical of using the budget reconciliation process to approve health care reform."
I still believe that the "public option" is as dead as door nail and that most Democratic Congressmen know that. But the Democratic leaders are trying to keep it alive long enough to make it through next week's election.
Also, to quote a wise man:
"Have you or any living person seen a copy of Harry's public option? Maybe one does not exist. Harry's public option may be no more that just a scheme to placate the left until after next week's elections."
This surely is Reid's Last Hurrah. By 2011, he and Pelosi will be mere footnotes to a failed presidency.
Even Fox News anchors admit they're stories are not fair and balanced, so it's foolish to believe otherwise, Larry.
It's apparent you want to stay in denial about the public option and budget reconciliation. For that, I'll grant you this:
http://blog.cleanenergy.org/files/2009/0...
Of course Fox News is republican-biased. All you have to do is read the headline.
Budget reconciliation is not the "nuclear option." The "nuclear option" happens when there's a filibuster, and a Senator makes a point of order to change the rules of cloture.
Budget reconciliation is completely different and completely avoids the filibuster in the first place.
Too bad the RNC talking point machine Fox News is too stupid to tell the difference.
Good picture there edgewise... Reminds me of President Obama looking for an Afghanistan decision...
But, please tell which FOX News anchors admit they are not fair and balanced??? Inquiring minds need to know...
Did you get this information about FOX News from the White House???
And along comes ksand99 with the White House talking points about FOX News...
All I have to do is read the headline. What headline???
Even Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., remain skeptical of using the budget reconciliation process to approve health care reform."
For someone who watches Fox News so much, you're painfully uninformed, Larry.
"I didn't know that was about to happen," Smith then said. "My apologies for the lack of balance there. If I had control, it wouldn't have happened."
Even poor Shep Smith can recognize when Fox is playing rah-rah for the Republican party. Why can't you?
"All I have to do is read the headline. What headline???"
Wow, how clueless! The headline from the article you're quoting, Larry, misidentifies budget reconciliation as the nuclear option.
They are two very different things.
If you had read the article, you might know that.
Geez, LarryVegas. Really? What headline?
Reading is fun-damental.
Don't sweat the small stuff guys... It was edgewise's link not mine and who cares about the headline?
edgewise... What or who was Shep Smith talking about? How about a link on this one? Your other ones were worthless...
Reid is about to be out done by Polosi... Or did Harry have a public option or just more smoke and mirrors.
LarryVegas, welcome to 2009:
http://www.google.com
You're welcome.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin...
Thanks... What do you call that thing?
Hey Kevin... That googer thing worked. Look what I found:
NEW YORK -- Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith apologized for a "lack of balance" following a political report where the Republican candidate for New Jersey governor was interviewed and the Democratic incumbent wasn't.
Fox correspondent Shannon Bream had wrapped up a live interview with GOP candidate Chris Christie on Smith's afternoon news show Tuesday when the anchor asked, "When will you be interviewing Jon Corzine?"
Bream replied that despite "multiple requests," Corzine hadn't made himself available for an interview.
"I didn't know that was about to happen," Smith then said. "My apologies for the lack of balance there. If I had control, it wouldn't have happened."
edgewise... Putting an article in context sure changes things don't it???
Polosi's health reform bill would extend health coverage to around 95 percent of Americans.
Whoa... That leaves approximately 15 million Americans without health coverage. That is about one half of Americans without health coverage now.
I thought the idea of Health care reform was to extend health coverage to ALL Americans...
Paid for by the "Re-elect Harry Reid committee, Harry Reid approves of this message".
LarryVegas, where is your health care plan that will cover all Americans, since you are so critical...
What happened to all the naysayers who pointed out that illegal immigrants were counted in the "uninsured" category?
They're curiously silent.
And LarryVegas, I'm glad you admit that even Shep Smith knows Fox News isn't fair and balanced.
If you think Fox News is biased you should watch MSNBC. Keith Olberman is a flaming liberal and he is in the tank for Obama along with Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews. Those 3 are shameless in their support of Obama. When Bush was in they excoriated him daily, Like I said before, I think Obama has some good qualities, but not enough. I also thought Bush had too many bad qualities to make up for his good ones. The real problem in this country is not the elected officials but the appointed officials. they are the ones that are eating your lunch.
MSNBC has biased commentators, just like Fox.
UNLIKE Fox, MSNBC has several hours of programming a day hosted by a former republican congressman.
Fox doesn't have a single show hosted by someone with a different viewpoint.
One of their featured contributors is Karl Rove. Nope, no spin there!
Instead, they have three of the biggest right-wing thugs. Glenn Beck spreads lies about Obama's appointees while crying. O'Reily sends thugs to stalk women (when he isn't propositioning them with falafels and loofahs) and Hannity's a sham.
Fair and balanced? Where's the show hosted by someone who disagrees with Beck/Hannity/O'Reily?
FOX News just drives these guys on the extreme left completely nuts. They just can't contain themselves, they are so ate up with hate for any one who has a different political view then their own. They turn to name calling and spinning their leftest agenda. Spin Baby Spin...
FOX News produces news programs for most of the day. The do have several opinion shows later in the day that lean to the Right. If you don't want to watch the opinion shows, don't. If you don't want to watch FOX News at all, don't.
A national survey shows that 46% of those who watch FOX News "just about every day" are Democrats or Independents as are 50% of those who watch it "several times each week" or more.
Overall, the survey showed that 21% of all American voters watched FOX News every day and 18% watched it several times each week. So, combined, 39% watched the station several times each week or more.
Among Democrats, 17% watched it several times each week or more
Among Independents, 46% the station several times each week or more
And among Republicans, 55% tuned in several times each week or more
The survey indicated that 11% of all American voters watched CNN "just about every day" and 20% watched several times each week or more.
Combined, 31% watched CNN several times each week or more.
For MSNBC, the totals were 10% watched just about every day and 8% watched several times each week. Combined, 18% watched MSNBC several times each week or more.
The main thing that upsets the left so much about FOX News is that approximately 50% of those who watch FOX News are Democrats or Independents.
The left does not mind Republicans and those on the Right watching FOX News, but they just can't accept so many Democrats and Independents being regular FOX News viewers.
Having approximately 20% of all voters watching FOX News regularly is something that the Left can not fathom.
Of course, the regular FOX News viewers know that informed voters are going to vote their conscious, not the way some talk show host tells them.
The Left can not control how people think and this is what makes the Left so mean spirited that they revert to name calling and labeling.
The Sun, bless its Democratic soul, has to cheer and blow bugles over everything Harry just happens to do, whether it makes sense or not.
THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT HE FELL ON HIS FACE! O'Reilly said it simply, "He got cut off at the knees." That is, Sen. Liberman immediately said he would not support it, and might ever filibuster. Snow, also joined in.
The point remains it takes 60 to get the motion moving just as it takes 60 to get it passed. Thus Reid has restricted the choice of the Blue Dogs who might not want the public option in, but would vote to get the motion moving. Now, if they vote to get things moving and they don't want the option, they would have to find 60 votes to get it out!
Yahoo! puts it this way: "Reid's Push for Public Option Creates New Barriers for Bill- WSJ
The push by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a public health-insurance option is creating fresh obstacles for health-care legislation in the Senate, despite new poll data suggesting a plurality of Americans support the idea."
Thus the simple fact is like O'Reilly saw it, "He got cut off at the knees!" But, of course, to the Sun Reid is always a great hero--despite his upopularity here in Nevada.
.
Thank you Harry Reid. You have shown the courage to stand up for what is best for the citizens of Nevada and the United States. The public option is the only way there will be real competition with the insurance companies, and the only real way to finally start to control medical costs.
It saddens me to hear the opinion of some members of our community who enjoy a public option, such as Medicare. They want to deny affordable coverage to younger working Americans who are in reality paying the cost of their retirement and health insurance.
Does anyone really think a "trust fund" which is IOUs the government wrote to itself really exists? All retirement benefits are paid out of current government revenue, base in large part on taxes paid by Americans still in the workforce. Let's keep these workers healthy and productive.
"FOX News just drives these guys on the extreme left completely nuts. They just can't contain themselves, they are so ate up with hate for any one who has a different political view then their own. They turn to name calling and spinning their leftest agenda. Spin Baby Spin..."
I posted from a site that has no affiliation with any political leanings, and you accused it of being "left-leaning." You can't seem to hold yourself to the same standard to which you hold others.
This is yet another example of Republican hypocrisy.
There is absolutely NO difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. We need to do away with the two party system, electoral college and have popular voting for the most popular candidate!
Larry, you are such a SHILL for FOX it's unbelievable! Do you own stock?
Thanks Harry, we want the PUBLIC OPTION!
Fox news & Rush Limbaugh, "opium for the masses."
Larry only listens to Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity.
It's obvious by his ignorance.
I stress this a lot.
If people don't know the basic fundamentals of POLITICS, especially political philosophy and ideologies, get the hell out. You have no right to talk and no idea what you're talking about, and then you encounter these people that know what it is and call them "elitist".
Elitist simply means you know what the hell you're talking about and you're simply better.
FOX News just drives these three guys on the extreme left completely nuts. They just can't contain themselves, they are so ate up with hate for any one who has a different political view then their own. They turn to name calling and spinning their leftest agenda.
Mr meow must not believe in the Constitution and free speech. And I don't think he reads too well or he would know who I listen to and who I don't.
gmag... Yes, I am mighty proud of viewing FOX News.
edgewise spins so much, he has a hard time avoiding falling down on his left side.
Fox News rocks! and I mean ROCKS! they have hot chicks with rock'nroll bodies, great music over, and they move the news in an MTV pace. Who doesn't love to get their news in such an entertaining way! Forget about politics, we are smart enough to know when the BS is rollin, so sit back and enjoy the babes in those short skirts, and get your news and blues!