Was it Baucus who said...

[phantom power]

(paraphrase) "we can't allow single payer, because the private insurance companies couldn't compete"

Or was it another congresscritter? I can no longer find the link.


Aha! it was Ben Nelson.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/02/ben-nelson-opposes-obama/

[Vinca]

1. I'm pretty sure that was said by Grassley.

So much for the "free" market.

[depakid]

2. That was our good buddy Ben Nelson

http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2009/05/01/ben-nelson-bows-to-the-insurance-industry/

[phantom power]

4. Yes! Nelson it is:

Nelson’s problem, he told CQ, is that the public plan would be too attractive and would hurt the private insurance plans. “At the end of the day, the public plan wins the game,” Nelson said. Including a public option in a health plan, he said, was a “deal breaker.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/02/ben-nelson-opposes-obama/

[guitar man]

3. ummm, isn't that the idea?

get rid of the damned health insurance companies, they are parasites thta serve no useful purpose and it's time for them to go. :grr:

[phantom power]

5. Get rid of them, or at bare minimum give them some meaningful competition.

But our wise, wise leaders consider that to be unfair to the private insurance industry. See above.