The Third Way on health care is, of course, the wrong way

[Joanne98]

by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 6/08/2009 05:39:00 PM
Today, Mcjoan at DailyKos got a look at Third Way's plan for health care reform. "Third Way" is one of those groups that has no real constituency, grassroots or membership, but is beloved, for some reason, by the traditional media and people on Capitol Hill. Mcjoan reports that Third Way is clearly trying to kill the public option -- something that undermines the true progressive approach to health care reform, while only benefiting the insurance industry. Without a public option, the insurance industry will never be reined in. Ever. McJoan dissects the Third Way proposal -- and blasts it:
This leaked draft of their upcoming policy paper shows that they're not even going for a hyper-incrementalist watering down of the public option--they're trying to kill it. Here's their premise:
Whether health care reform should include a "public plan" is an issue that now threatens to fracture the emerging consensus on health reform. If left unresolved, the debate over a public plan could derail the broader reform agenda while other pressing issues central to reform are put on hold.

The proponents of a public plan seek the right goals—to broaden access and lower costs. But there is a very real danger that an overly intrusive public plan can ultimately undermine these very goals and destabilize the private-sector coverage that middle-class Americans—i.e., Harry and Louise—depend on and are largely satisfied with.
They actually invoke Harry and Louise again, which is fitting, since Harry and Louise were a creation of the insurance industry, much like this plan seems to be. In the event that Third Way forgot, "proponents" of the public option include President Obama, one of the key Senate leaders on the issue, and the largest voting bloc in the House of Representatives. It's not a fringe group of DFHers who want a solid public option. It's the consensus of the majority of Democrats. And the President.

Nonetheless, Third Way seems committed to doing the dirty work of the insurance lobby from the "left."
Note to all: Third Way is not a progressive group.

We've know that there are Democrats on Capitol Hill who are almost programmed to screw up health care reform. They're aided and abetted by groups like Third Way. The group's Honorary Senate chairs are Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Tom Carper (D-DE), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Not exactly cutting edge leaders on progressive issues.

We've said repeatedly that we will call out those who are trying to undermine real health care reform. Put Third Way on that list. I have a feeling the progressive bloggers will be writing a lot more about this group over the next few days. Adam Green already weighed in.

The battle for real health care reform is just starting. And, any Democrat or Democratic allied group that does the insurance industry's dirty work will be exposed.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/third-way-on-health-care-is-of-course.html

[DJ13]

1. This illustrates how the insurance industry has already won

They've framed the debate to be between a "potentially disastrous" "socialistic" public plan, and the "safe" "what the middle class depends on" existing insurance that has in reality created the looming disaster that is responsible for the crisis in the first place............instead of starting out by demanding the single payer program most are in favor of.

The Democrats in office went into this "reform" debate with the mindset that "we can only get so much, so lets not try very hard".

They dont know how to negotiate, they only know how to compromise, and it has so weakened the chance for real reform we would be better off shelving any reform now so that we dont end up with the kind of industry welfare the Social Security prescription drug plan ended up being.

[Mythsaje]

2. Absolutely

Instant Compromise isn't negotiation...it's capitulation.