In Private Meeting, Pelosi Floats Watered-Down Public Option, Frustrating Liberals

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/in-private-meeting-pelosi-floats-watered-down-public-option-frustrating-liberals/

In Private Meeting, Pelosi Floats Watered-Down Public Option, Frustrating Liberals


Just when things were looking good for the public option…

In a meeting today between House leaders and rank and file Dems in the capital, Nancy Pelosi frustrated many liberals by suggesting that they consider a watered-down public option as a way of getting health care through the House, a top House liberal says.

Pelosi’s suggestion prompted some aggressive pushback from some liberals, who demanded to know why the House leadership wasn’t throwing its weight behind the most robust form of the public option — one that reimburses providers at Medicare rates plus five percent — when a large majority of House Dems backs it.

In an interview with me, Dem Rep. Raul Grijalva described the scene in frustrated tones. He said House leaders acknowledged the popularity within the Dem caucus of the robust public option, but asked them to consider a public option where reimbursment rates are negotiated individually with providers. That’s a solution Blue Dogs favor but liberals reject.

“Unfortunately, the discussion was about negotiated rates,” Grijalva told me. “We continue to be very much opposed to that.”

Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer left the meeting, Grijalva said, but “frustrated” House liberals gave an earful to remaining Dem leaders, such as Jim Cyburn, Charlie Rangel and Henry Waxman.

“Why are we still in this discussion about negotiated rates? We went out and counted heads, and the vast majority supports Medicare plus five,” House liberals said to leadership, according to Grijalva. That’s a reference to the whip count by House progressives finding that 180 House Dems support of a robust public option.

When I pointed out to Grijalva that the robust public option doesn’t quite have the votes to pass a public option, he rejoined: “Neither do negotiated rates…This puts progressives in an untenable position.” Another meeting is set for tomorrow. Stay tuned…

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Wow, she's never let us down before!

[roguevalley]

8. she is complete scum

[rudy23]

2. They're going to set up Progressives as the obstructionists. Get ready.

Have your counterarguments and links ready to go.

[babylonsister]

4. The progressives won't stand for that. I'm

pissed that Pelosi is proposing this to appease the damned blue dogs. :grr:

[kenfrequed]

11. Yeah

That does seem to be the spin that they will offer. It is a stupid tactic for the conservadems but one that is not unexpected and it is a tactic that gives them the illusion of relevance in some fashion.


Basically they bitch and moan and complain and trade everything off tot he repukes claiming they are striving for bi-partisanship. A number of insurance company friendly repukes play at opposition and make a lot of noise and then at the last minute a small block of them will move and claim to be compromising.

Of course the republicans that do may have to suffer for their switchinesss but they are desperately trying to do victory laps about the olympics, or trumpeting the greatness of the contras, or anything else they can possibly make noise about.

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R

[Junkdrawer]

5. Quelle Surprise

Knock me over with a feather.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. ok

:spank:

The closest to a feather in the smiley list

:thumbsup:

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well they do that and some of us will NOT be voting for the

two sides of the same coin...

There are days I wonder if they get it? People elected them to do a job, which of course they are unwilling to do.

I am more convinced than ever that the only way to change this dynamic is actual action beyond just threats.

We NEED TO ACTUALLY take our fate in our hands and do what we need to do... like Labor did in the past. And yes, that will lead to some skulls bashed even some deaths... alas that is what it takes. Either that or roll over and play dead... which seems to be the preferred choice.

Sooner or later we will get to a point when people will not take it anymore. I wonder when that will occur, but it will.

[Joe Fields]

9. what they simply fail to understand is that they cannot get elected without us.

They may be able to pull in corporate contributions, but NO democratic candidate can win without the troops on the ground, pounding the pavement. The progressives are the only troops on the ground.

[inna]

10. what I'd like to know is why President *Obama* is not throwing his full weight

behind robust public option.