RNC: Think The GOP Will Support Co-ops? Think Again!
The very basic logic of the public option is this: Most Democrats support a strong public option, most Republicans oppose Democratic health care reform period, so perhaps Democrats can win over a few Republicans if they keep government out of the insurance industry and create a system of privately-held health-care co-operatives instead. Simple right?
Not if the RNC has anything to say about it.
They're out today with a new release, attacking the co-op idea and charging that the the "reports of the public option's demise" are "greatly exaggerated."
So if at the very least you thought that the Democrats could escape the "government run health care" canard by, say, dropping their plans to create a government run health insurance system, you were mistaken. As the RNC makes clear, in their eyes, "Public option by any other name is still government-run health care."
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Were coops ever about getting Republicans on board? I thought the drivers behind the coop idea were moderate dems.
August 17, 2009 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
It started with moderate Democrats as a way of bringing Republicans on board. I'm guessing that some Democrats actually believe in them; however, most seem to prefer them as a path toward "compromise."
But, Republicans will not support healthcare reform, regardless of what the bill actually says. Democrats will actually make some progress when they read the numerous and overwhelming signals from their opponents. Republicans are opposed to reform. Period.
August 17, 2009 9:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Per Google's GOP to English translator:
"government run health care" =
"any new competition of any kind with existing insurance monopolies."
Assuming the degenerate Village MSM is capable of reading and understanding all the big words and doesn't filter them through their "right wing extremists don't really mean it" filter, this is incredibly helpful to our side, actually. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
August 17, 2009 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The RNC is right. We need corporation-run healthcare! While we're at it, let's let corporations run our roads, our legal system and our national defense! Why not? To do any less would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCIALISM!!!
I am so filled with contempt for these people. This is how history gets written: by corrupt, powerful people who manipulate the ignorant masses for their own benefit. It just sucks to see it from the ground like this.
August 17, 2009 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do believe we already have corporate run national defense. I think Eisenhower mentioned this a few (?) years ago. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
August 17, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. Sez here that the health-care shortfall is about $30bn/yr. Sheesh. That's less than 10% of the $500bn+ defense budget.
August 17, 2009 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-ops are untested at a national level and there are very few examples of ones that work well. This is a BAD idea, especially if it won't garner any votes.
August 17, 2009 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any talk of the GOP supporting Co-ops is just gamesmanship on their part. What they're doing is changing the line in the sand. As long as they do that, and string out the game, we lose. The longer it's talked about, the more it suffers from 1000 cuts. I say get what we want, pass it with 51 votes and the hell with them and any pretense of bipartisanship.
August 17, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
nail, meet jello.
rethugs will continue to hint at cooperation and then move the target. There can be no bi-partisan bill with these cheats.
August 17, 2009 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hilariou. Of course we are caving to these asshats who will still not vote for the bill. Don't you know that's the definition of bipartisan?
August 17, 2009 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dems are getting hosed!! The GOP should be given a time out for playing poorly with others.
August 17, 2009 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Boy, that was quick. Do you think maybe this talk of backing off public option for a co-op system was a bit of a trap for the GOP? To prove to the public that the GOP doesn't want reform of any kind? Now Rahmbo has cover: Harry, you're not going to get a bi-partisan bill anyway. Now do it.
August 17, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not Harry. Baucus is the DemoTurd.
August 17, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that Baucus is largely to blame, but Harry is the darned majority leader. He's got to crack the whip. Let Baucus get his lame bill out of committee. Then it is up to Harry to put something together that will pass muster. I have a feeling that if it came down to it, Baucus would vote for cloture. Conrad is the one to worry about, but I think even he will fold if it comes down to it. Exploit these guys' lack of spine.
August 17, 2009 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't imagine that the Republicans aren't willing to cooperate in good faith on a bipartisan bill. I mean, they only accuse all Democrats of wanting to destroy their own country on EVERY SINGLE ISSUE.
Maybe the Dems in Congress have been so beaten up for so long with this "liberal = socialist = gay abortionist terrorist sympathizer" crap that they take it like an abused spouse... but I don't.
Any right-winger who uses these tactics deserves to be lambasted in public and has removed themselves from honorable debate.
NO COMPROMISE WITH HATEMONGERS! It's that simple. You don't reach out the hand of friendship to someone who's already spit on it and is clearly hawking up another one, with a big smile on their faces. No thanks.
August 17, 2009 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Will Obama learn anything about negotiations from this? If he does, he'll go full-bore for the public option and get it though on 60 votes in the Senate.
August 17, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
So Republican. The Dems capitulate and the Rs say "more."
The Dems jump, but the Rs say higher.
August 17, 2009 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is really starting to look like trying to feed a spoiled kid a dinner when all the kid wants is to keep playing x-box f0r 30mins, sigh...
August 17, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The RNC isn't about to support the kind of radical change we need. The elephant in the room is the difference in administrative costs between government and private industry and the high cost of pharmaceuticals.
Co-ops simply cannot compete with a robust public option and are nothing more than incremental realpolitik tinkering in my view.
August 17, 2009 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
xpost
The Kaiser Health Fnd tracking poll via the
National Journal
The article reviewing data from other polls concludes that Congressional Dems far more than even insurance companies and way more than the President will be the ones to suffer if HCR fails
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/po_20090817_8760.php
Been saying this for months - the polls can't be relied upon as guides to the public's view of specific measures but when it comes to broad support for major reform, the mandate is with the Dems not the 'Bagger Republicans, and it is the Dems who will pay the price of failure
August 17, 2009 9:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is great - they've just shot down the only compromise option that isn't a flat-out giveaway to the insurance companies (mandatory insurance with subsidies is the giveaway).
Since they've stated that they won't accept any compromise, fuck 'em. Put the bill that the voters really wanted (a true public option) on the floor, and make the Rethugs filibuster it. Let them explain to their constituents why they wouldn't sign up for any option other than the "give all our money to the companies that caused the problem" choice.
August 17, 2009 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do posters here really believe that Pelosi has 218 votes for HR 3200 or another public option reform bill?
The math in the house is worse than in the senate, where there probably is a bare majority that could get something through reconciliation, IMO. On the other hand, I believe there are at least 50 dems (and maybe 60-70) in the House that either won't vote for PO-included plan or won't vote for anything that doesn't attract at least some GOP votes.
Ire from the Progressive caucus will be a big political plus for most of these blue dog and moderate Dems--making their threats as empty as a michigan factory.
the administration could have sold a PO to middle of the road Americans--back in May. That bus has now left the station.
August 17, 2009 8:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes Pelosi has the votes to pass HR 3200
August 17, 2009 9:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well we could take the Rs at their word--since they are so against socialism and any social safety net, remove all registered (and/or self-identified) Rs from medicare and social security. We certainly don't want to make them take any government handouts nor any government health care! (Snark.) I only wish we could actually do that! LOL.
August 17, 2009 9:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this puts us back to square one: Public option
The Blue Dog conceit is that a coop will be bipartisan. But theres the little detail that:
NOT A SINGLE GODDAMN REPUBLICAN WILL VOTE FOR ANY HEALTH CARE REFORM!
(Fun tip: Print out the text and mail it to your Dem congressperson as a helpful reminder.)
August 17, 2009 10:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Repus will vote for reform. They will vote for mandated coverage. As one repugnant congressman said last night, they're for guarantee issue and covering prex at "no more that 1 1/2 times or 2 times" the regular premium.
That's reform all right. Fixes that prickly problem insurance companies have now in that there are prisoners out there they still haven't captured.
August 18, 2009 8:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
In other news, water is wet and the sun rose in the east this morning.
As we used to say in high school: "Well DUUUUUUHHHH!"
August 18, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink