The American Spectator

home
ADVERTISEMENT
Print Email
Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

The Baucus bill is bad enough.  But the so-called "public option" isn't yet dead.  Reports Politico:

The forces in favor of a public health insurance option roared back Thursday on Capitol Hill after weeks when their cause looked bleak.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) looked closer than ever to including a robust U.S. government-run insurance program in the House bill - saying recent attempts by the health insurance industry to undercut reform prove insurers can't be trusted.

And in the Senate, a weekly policy lunch turned into a heated debate when liberals went after the Senate Finance Committee bill and made clear they won't roll over for legislation that doesn't include a public option.

Reflecting deep divides within the caucus, the Senate luncheon turned tense, with voices elevated and senators venting. "In today's lunch, it even involved a little performance theater," Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) said, describing it as an "emotional catharsis."

In a week when the Senate Finance Committee passed a bill without a public option - raising questions about whether that would prove the public option's last gasp - progressives in both houses showed they won't go down without a fight.

As bad as the Baucus bill is, the end result still could be far worse.

View all comments (7) | Leave a comment

Martin j smith| 10.17.09 @ 8:44AM

The Democrats have majorities in both Houses. Let them duke it out amongst themselves. Thus, ANY
Republican that supports ANY possibility ( even the remotest ) of apublic option gives the RNC and NRCC a black eye indeed. Enough irresponsible behavior .

Oldefarte| 10.17.09 @ 11:41AM

The public option may not be in trouble, but Democrats that vote for this healthcare bill will be so [politically speaking of course] beginning with next year's elections!!!!!!!!!

Leave a Comment

N.B. We encourage readers to share and discuss their thoughtful and relevant comments about this Spectator article. Comments are routinely monitored and will be deleted if profane, bigoted, or grossly impolite. Please be respectful. (And don't feed the trolls!) Thank you.

More Blog Posts by Doug Bandow

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/10/17/the-public-option-aint-dead
ADVERTISEMENT

Clip of the Day

Most Popular Articles

Who Castrated Ann Coulter?

David Catron | 2.6.12

The Delousing of a Movement

R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. | 2.9.12

Bigoted Barack, Red in Tooth and Clause

George Neumayr | 2.10.12

Justice Ginsburg Should Resign

William Tucker | 2.8.12

Coulter Care

Peter Ferrara | 2.8.12

Unsafe at Any Smoke

Eric Peters | 2.10.12

Middle-Aged Man Takes a Holiday

Christopher Orlet | 2.9.12

ADVERTISEMENT