Senator Max Baucus speaks:

[SHRED]

Although the Democrats who run Congress might be able to pass health care legislation with little or no Republican backing, Baucus and others say a single-party measure would enjoy less public support and would be less sustainable over time.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/10/us-health-overhaul-061009/?politics&zIndex=113948


---

My question would be; who are these "others" the article refers to?


----

[kenny blankenship]

1. Just vote for Republicans, folks.

You can't pass Democratic legislation anyway on account of all the "Democrats".

[bkkyosemite]

2. He's full of it....the Republicans did not vote Obama in and let's see there were a lot of votes

like much more than the Republicans had....duh! Less public support..how many is it now 60% 70% or 80% who want single payer...what a lie.

[Cleita]

3. His own constituents are going to throw him over the bridge.

They are that angry. Some of them even post on DU in favor of single payer.

[slipslidingaway]

4. Not sure who the others are, but a new idea from Conrad emerges...

"WASHINGTON — A potential compromise emerged Wednesday on one of the most vexing issues of the health care overhaul debate – whether to create a new government-sponsored health plan to compete with private insurers. The compromise offered by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., would create health care cooperatives owned by groups of residents and small businesses, similar to how electric or other cooperatives operate.

They'd be nonprofit, and without the government involvement that troubles Republicans and business groups about the public plan options.

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, said Wednesday the idea could be key to a bipartisan health bill. Baucus raised it in a meeting with President Barack Obama, saying later that Obama showed interest. Baucus' Republican counterpart, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, also said the concept had potential...

...Conrad's plan attempts to satisfy both sides. Profit-making insurance companies wouldn't run the show, but there also wouldn't be the federal government backing that Republicans fear would eliminate fair competition with private companies. The co-ops could get federal seed money, Conrad said, but that would be the end of federal involvement. The co-ops would negotiate directly with medical providers...


:(

[SHRED]

5. it is a shitty idea

[slipslidingaway]

7. I agree, it is a fragmented system that will have to compete with the

big profit making centers AKA insurance companies, we need to simply the system...period.

Everybody in, nobody out.

[Triana]

6. WHO the hell cares what Baucus says or thinks. He's OWNED and a useless tool of insurance pirates.

[create.peace]

8. from a missoula news source

http://www.newwest.net/city/article/baucus_and_grassleys_health_care_reform_dance/C8/L8/

Baucus and Grassley’s Health Care Reform Dance
Why does Republican Charles Grassley loom so large in Max Baucus's health care reform effort, when he's opposed to almost everything Baucus wants to accomplish?

By Joan McCarter, 6-08-09
Sen. Max Baucus. File photo courtesy of Baucus' office, Carolyn Bunce.

Sen. Max Baucus. File photo courtesy of Baucus' office, Carolyn Bunce.

You don’t need Grassley’s tweets to understand that he isn’t approaching health care reform in good faith or what his vision on bipartisanship is when it comes to health care reform. Bipartisanship in his mind means what it usually means to Republicans--Dems capitulating on a public option. He makes it absolutely clear in a letter he sent to President Obama, along with a handful of his Republican colleagues.

[JDPriestly]

9. The idea of cooperatives is just the worst yet.

It's a way to have something "like" (but really not at all like) a public option. But this public option would be doomed from the start. Talk about having to start something from scratch. No. This is an absolutely terrible idea.