Schumer Still Unwavering, Final Bill Will have a PO.

[Clio the Leo]

For those who missed him this morning on MSNBC...

(discussion on HCR starts about 1 min in)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/33175003#33175003

I esp. loved the part where he points out that the press completely misreported what he (and Sen. Rockefeller) said before and after the PO amendments to the Finance bill were defeated.

And a few more articles on the same subject...

http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/94557/_schumer:_senate_dems_will_%22come_together_on_a_public_option%22/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/10/05/2009-10-05_public_option_alive_well_chuck_insists.html

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/61579-schumer-says-centrists-very-open-to-public-option

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/04-3

[grantcart]

1. tks

[Vinca]

2. I was only half listening to him on Morning Joe because I was

preoccupied, but do you recall him saying something about the people want Medicare for all, but that would put insurance companies out of business so we can't do it? I swore I heard him say that. It's always insurance companies first, citizens second.

[Clio the Leo]

3. Watch the video.......

.... that's not what he said. ;)

[grantcart]

4. Joe asked that question and Schumer gave a nuanced reply

Schumer gave a compelling answer that the public option is the only way to have real competition.


No one could argue with him on the facts. He was very effective.

[saracat]

5. He absolutely did say that!

[Clio the Leo]

8. He absolutely did NOT say that .....

He did not say, "the people want Medicare for all, but that would put insurance companies out of business so we can't do it." He said.....

There are some on the left who say, "medicare for all, let's just have a government program." Medicare for all - the private insurance industry would be out of business, the public would be happier, but the cost would be so huge, we'd be broke, so we cant do that.

.... his point was that (he believes) it would cost too much. His concern was not for the insurance co. He stated "the private insurance industry would be out of business" as a matter of fact, not something he was trying to prevent.

Again, video is here...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/33175003#33175003

it starts at the 5:30 mark

[rudy23]

6. A public option or THE public option?

I don't like all this weaseling with the language.

[Festivito]

7. I'm seeing the PO being dropped after we have no more to say.

As soon as WE let a bill go through without PO, or a bad PO, they'll have the bill past the Senate. Then when PO does not get in, all we have are people having said they wanted it in. Big deal.

We lose. They win.

I say we ask to have any bill without the PO, a good PO, filibustered.

[Honeycombe8]

9. I got a fundraising email from Sscumer. It's possible he's being overly optimistic

for fund raising purposes.

It's possible he's not being overly optimistic, but I've not seen any evidence that the winds have shifted dramatically to cause the blue dogs to vote for a P.O.

Rockefeller has taken a hard stance (thank God). That has helped.

The formerly unknown Grayson has called it like it is (thank God). THAT has helped a LOT!

And others are addressing some medicare funding issues that apparently are unfair to some blue dogs...which HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY THEY ARE AGAINST A PUBLIC OPTION. Fix those unfair funding issues for those rural areas of those blue dogs, and you MAY fix those votes for a public option.

Three good things. But no blue dogs have reversed and said they'd vote for a P.O., have they? Well, Conrad voted for ONE amendment that had a P.O. in it, and voted AGAINST the other. So I don't know what that means. Could mean a softening of his position. That's one blue dog.

[Clio the Leo]

10. Make sure you have also read....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8685315&mesg_id=8685315

.... if Schumer is doing this to raise money, then he and Sen. Rockefeller are in a conspiracy .... along with Sen. Harken and .... get this .... Sen. Gregg. All of whom say they expect the final bill to have a PO.

[Honeycombe8]

11. Ea. one fund raises independently. I think I got a fund raising email fr Rockefeller, too.

I am not in either's district or state.