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Kay Hagan Signals Willingness to Support Public Option Alternative
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As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) voted in favor of a health care reform bill with a public option. But she's also interested in a compromise that would scrap the public option in favor of system of private, state-based, non-profit health-care cooperatives. "Having been a state senator for 10 years," she said, "I think states can do a good job at that."
Kay Hagan's vote for the public option wasn't easily won, so it's little surprise that she's open to alternatives. But has her level of support dropped? I've placed a call to her office to check, but just last month, she defended her vote for the public option, describing it as "a back-stop option for those without access," that "competes with the private insurance companies."
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DonDavis
August 28, 2009 8:58 AM
Unfortunately, in marked contrast, Joe Lieberman Claims 'Public Option' Would Force Grandma to Get Circumcised
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=8529
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
August 28, 2009 9:46 AM in reply to DonDavis
There's really no amount of pleading or even abuse from people here that will make you stop spamming the comments, is there?
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GTFOOH
August 28, 2009 3:30 PM in reply to DonDavis
Yeah, but have you seen Lieberman's Grandma?
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
August 28, 2009 9:49 AM
So basically she'll vote for the public option if it makes it to the floor but she won't vote against a bill that doesn't have it. That's actually not too bad considering what a stranglehold BCBSNC has on this state.
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Steve LaBonne
August 28, 2009 2:52 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
It's worth noting that none of these people, not even the likes of Conrad and Baucus, has has the guts to come out and say they would actually vote AGAINST a bill containing a public option- they just keep saying vaguely that "the votes aren't there". There's a lot of squid ink being squirted here by Senators who are afraid to openly accept responsibility for killing it. Which suggests that if there's some way to force it to the floor, people might be pleasantly surprised by the results. Conversely pre-emptive surrender of the public option would be extremely ill-advised.
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EOC
August 28, 2009 12:54 PM
Hagan has always supported the public option. The rumors going around that she was on the fence a couple months ago were pure fiction, and the episode was almost a case study in how misinformation gets spread. It's amazing that this is now Conventional Wisdom. But for political journalists, who have a questionable relationship with reality anyway, I suppose it's probably par for the course. Sigh.
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Yoda Urbinato
August 28, 2009 4:12 PM
Hagan will probably support whatever emerges as the vehichle on the floor. No firm commitment to the public option:
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/hagan_on_health_care_reform
When Hagan was a state senator she was one of the most pro-industry on many issues.
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