Why, Senator Wyden, why are you ruining everything? Why are you raining on our placebo parade?

[lwcon]

Why is Senator Wyden (D-OR) telling the truth about "public option"? How can we rally around that fake goal, if we admit that it's designed not to seriously compete with Big Insurance?

As Glenn Greenwald observed, it was designed to "placate" progressives. And it's been going so well until Wyden ruined everything by speaking the truth.

Protecting Big Health Industry Players has always been the goal. That's why us "progressives" dutifully bit our tongues when Obama, Daschle, Baucus and company lied in our faces about having an "open and transparent process" that "considered all options" and promptly took single-payer off the table.

The goal of feeding new customers to the Big Insurance machine is so close at hand. Why ruin everything by admitting that "public option" is a http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2009/07/20/bait-and-switch-how-the-“public-option”-was-sold">bait-and-switch sham?

[polichick]

1. But I don't think that progressives are willing to be "dutiful" this time. nt

[flpoljunkie]

2. We heard President Obama say a public option is needed to 'keep insurance companies honest.'

Yes, we did.

Either a real public option or heavily regulated, non-profit insurance companies--and that ain't gonna happen.

[polichick]

15. If true reform goes down in flames, progressives will work to elect truly progressive Dems. nt

[lwcon]

3. They've been awfully dutiful so far

And the un-recs have been out in force.

[polichick]

14. I don't think so - moveon.org ran their ads against blue dogs in spite of WH pressure not to...

And Dr. Dean has been all over the place speaking the truth.

Dean was the founder of the grassroots network that got Obama elected ~ it would be wise for the WH not to forget that.

[lwcon]

24. Alas, that's precisely the problem

MoveOn and Dean have been pushing the "public option" thin-gruel, sucking up energy away from activism for real reform.

Shaming the Blue Dogs into voting for a crappy plan isn't really such an inspring move, IMHO.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. What they are calling a public option is neither

The word option has an actual meaning in the English language, and the element of the Insurance Sales Plan that they call 'public option' does not meet that definition. In short, they are simply lying when they use the word option to describe a last resort choice that is not freely selectable. One can call a pig a puppy, but it will still snort and wallow. It remains a pig.
The administration and the Congress are becoming very unpopular around here due to their playing word games and pretending that definitions are improvised. That is a dishonesty of Bushian levels, of Orwellian tactics. It is an intentional deception of the people, by the very officials we just elected to serve us, not steal from us.
I sure do not expect Obama to be drawing thousands in Oregon next round.

[lwcon]

5. Mostly

"Progressives" have placed personality and tribal pride over policy, and I see little reason for that to change. The main thing the Dems can do to hurt their cause (such as it is) is weakening the enthusiasm of the committed liberals they despise anyway. So far, they've felt that wasn't too costly, and since 2006, they've been right.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. The people you call progressives

I call Party hard liners. The actual progressives in Oregon flooded Wyden with calls saying basically what I just posted. That is the local attitude. That is what it is.
I understand the complacent attitude you speak of, and that the Beltway counts on, but in my view, this health care 'reform' is not an area where they can get by with as much deception as they think they can. This one involves money, our own money, in large amounts. And health, not just our own, but that of our loved ones. It is not so easy to play fast and loose with my actual wallet without me taking note. Same is true of everyone. This 'reform' requires large checks from each household, it is like a new tax. People notice new bills to pay.

[lwcon]

7. Those Party Hearty folks abound

Can you find one leading blogger who's busted to story open on "public
option" and kept it open?

Fat lot of help the MoveOns are providing for real reform, either.

[bvar22]

9. And THAT is exactly WHY implementation....

...has been delayed until AFTER the 2012 elections.
Does anyone really believe that it will take 4 years to get "The Exchange" up and running?

The "Centrist" Democrats may be corrupt, but they aren't stupid.
They KNOW America is going to be pissed when they open their NEW Health Care Reform package and find a BIG bill from the For Profit Health Insurance Industry, but it will be too late to do anything until 2016.

REAL Health Care Reform will be postponed for another generation.

[lwcon]

13. One would almost get the impression

You thought the health and economic wellbeing of America was more important that the popularity of the Democratic leadership.

Is that even allowed?

[MarjorieG]

8. just wish Greenwald, followers, et al, stopped assigning worst motives to Obama and some who want

reform and can't do most of it without some sort of partnership to wind down worst of insurance practices, for their own preservation, and same with financial regulation reform. Sorry, but single payer is too radical to push through. I don't fear government control as much as I fear private corporate greed, but not all are like me.

We have ideologues and lobbyists, plus regional interests in what is a health crisis. We can't say to 1/6 of our GDP to sit down, shut up and take it, realistically.

Is Wyden pushing the open to all of his co-ops, or now whatever we end up as basis for public option.

[bvar22]

10. That doesn't make sense.

If The Democrats are willing to take the political heat for pushing a "Public Option", then why not give us a REAL Public Option? :shrug:

It would cost them nothing extra in political capital.

[lwcon]

12. Why is it too radical?

Every other modern country has "radically" reformed its health-care system. What's so incompetent and backwards about America?

The problem IS the motives of the Obamas and Reids. Obama has the mandate, the charisma, and the country ready for real change. Instead, we get secret deals with Big Pharma and bald-faced lies about transparency.

We can blindly love our party or improve our country with our eyes open. Most everyone had adopted the former.

[dolphindance]

11. Welcome to my permanent ignore list. (eom)

[polichick]

16. Put me there too - I'd consider it a badge of honor. nt

[lwcon]

23. 'Tis an honor indeed

To be shunned by those who will
not listen is more than fine by me.

[joeycola]

17. thanks for the post.

[slipslidingaway]

18. knr #12 n/t

[ProSense]

19. Spinning Wyden.

He is a strong supporter of a public option:

John Kerry (D-MA)
Paul Kirk (D-MA)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)
Russell D. Feingold (D-WI)
Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT)
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Kristen E. Gillibrand (D-NY)
Roland W. Burris (D-IL)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Michael F. Bennet (D-CO)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
Edward E. Kaufman (D-DE)
Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)

Just because he said the public doesn't understand its availability, which is debatable, doesn't mean he thinks it's fake.

[lwcon]

20. Hey, if weak gruel is the only thing on the menu

I'd want the waiter to be willing to serve it, but that doesn't make it not weak gruel.

[ProSense]

21. Yeah, that's what Wyden meant when he signed the letter.

FAIL

[SpartanDem]

22. Unions are are fault too

Unions opposed Wyden free choice amendment because they feel that would weaken their collative bargaining power on health benefits

Labor groups didn't like it because they lose control over their members' health benefits. That's not an entirely selfish concern: It is easier to bargain on behalf of your workers or members if they have no other options, and thus are guaranteed customers for the insurer

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/10/the_status_quo_wins_in_health-.html?hpid=topnews