Rep. Anthony Weiner thinks House has 218 votes for Pelosi's robust Public Option

[flpoljunkie]

He's on Hardball right now. Encouraging folks to go to http://www.countdowntohealthcare.com to show your support for a strong public option. He has over 50,000 signatures.

[polichick]

1. Thanks - done. k&r

[flpoljunkie]

3. He reiterated Dems must not just pass healthcare reform, but get it right.

[sandnsea]

2. He was just awesome

I think he needs to encourage the people to put our thumb on the scale though, and by doing a whole lot more than just signing up at his web site.

I'm also not sure selling the public option as Medicare for all is the best strategy, but he sure makes a great case for the public option.

[flpoljunkie]

5. Agree on both your points.

Nancy Pelosi's 'robust public option' would be Medicare plus 5%. People want a public option. No need and could be harmful to try to sell it as Medicare Part E at this late date.

Also, I am happy to be on Weiner's email list. We need more Weiners!

[Jackpine Radical]

8. I've been cogitating about that "Medicare Part E" business

and have come to think that maybe it's not such a bad idea to call it that.

Here's the way my thinking goes: First, the problem with "Public Option" is the same as with "S-CHIP" and every other goddamned thing named by the Democrats in recent years. Nobody quite knows what it means, and it has all the catchiness and appeal of a dead lamprey. On the other hand, everyone has some idea of what Medicare is, and it's very popular, so it has some moxie going for it right there. But more, it holds up a model of what we want the whole system to be, namely, a single-payer system. The way to get there is to get "Medicare Part E" in the door and then for people still stuck on the private plans to start clamoring for it.

[Bozita]

4. Done

[drm604]

6. Done!

:kick:

[skipos]

7. when will they vote? nt

[flpoljunkie]

13. Speaker Pelosi said perhaps the first week of November.

[POAS]

9. Done plus a K&R !!!!

[Clio the Leo]

10. And he also said.....

..... that while he prefered Single Payer ... in order to get a bill passed in the Senate, he wouldn't mind a a plan that would allow states to opt-out "down the road" after the sytem had been up and running for a while. "Because they won't do it" he said.

Works for me.

[supernova]

11. Done

[LatteLibertine]

12. Thanks for linking that

I had intended to get over there and sounds off. Done deal now. I've already contacted both my senators and my representative.

[vaberella]

14. Nancy said the same thing. Signed link and sending it to my family and friends. n/t

[andym]

15. If they can do a robust public option for under 90 billion/year--

that's amazing to me given that 90 billion is only 3% of the total amount of money spent on health care in the USA per year (2.5 trillion).
(of course not everyone is expected to be enrolled in the govt option)

I think getting this program running will truly show the efficiency of a government-run program.