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Snowe: White House Needs to Compromise on the Public Option
Brian Beutler | September 9, 2009, 3:31PM
Sen. Olympia Snow (R-ME)
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Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) may be the deciding vote--and the deciding voice--on health care reform, but for the time being she's warning President Obama that she doesn't support a public option without a trigger and urging the White House to compromise with other Republicans.
"I talked to [President Obama] last week while I was in Maine and I talked to him on Monday as well," Snowe said on MSNBC earlier today. "We talked about the public option. I was ... urging him if he could take the public option off the table in his speech this evening so it could provide, I think, a momentum of a different kind in moving this issue forward overall."
Despite this pressure, Obama is nonetheless planning to support the public option in his speech tonight, by some accounts very strongly. However, Snowe remains convinced that the President will be flexible on the public option when push comes to shove.
"I think he is going to be very flexible, absolutely," Snowe noted. "I have discerned that in my previous conversations as well, that he has a practicality and a pragmatism and he recognizes that those are essential to achieving an agreement. He would prefer to have a bipartisan a agreement and broad support at that."
"The point is I don't support a public option. And none of my Republican colleagues do and some Democrats in the Senate and even in the House. I think the point is how do we bridge the divide?" That is why, she said, she suggested the so-called trigger mechanism months ago.
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Walter Mitty
September 9, 2009 3:34 PM
Sen Snowe needs to deliver more than just one vote the way she's talking here.
Too bad Voinovich wasn't game to be #60.
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AJM
September 9, 2009 5:15 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight estimates that Maine is approximately 62% for the public option to 30% against. That's the divide that Sen. Snowe needs to reconcile. Whether or not they call her, those in Maine who support public option will consider what she has done when deciding if she is as reasonable as they had thought her. It is high time that she is unelected.
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Smooth Jazz
September 9, 2009 9:45 PM in reply to AJM
Wasn't the same thing said about Joe Lieberman? Yet he still roams the halls of Congress. Saying that people need to go is different from actually kicking them out.
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Smooth Jazz
September 9, 2009 9:42 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Actually she doesn't. She can more easily do without the health care reform than we can do without her vote. Ben Nelson pegged his vote to hers. Her position represents roughly the Blue Dog/Joe Lieberman position. In the House, you can trample the minority. Not so in the Senate. She occupies a strategic position. She's like the Strait of Hormuz of the health care debate.
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Obama1st
September 9, 2009 3:38 PM
Snowe can live w/ her GOP position and defend how they are opposed to reform and helping the majority of Americans who are dying and suffering for the love of profit and greed. Make these complete political whores live with their choice.
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Docb
September 9, 2009 3:43 PM
No, Olympia...no to republican give away to HC corporations...The public option is a must--the trigger for medicare was just eliminated by Congress so that does not work for the people either! Dems must go it alone..just like the repubs did with the Bush 'tax breaks' for the wealthy--which costs twice what HC reform will.
Shameless
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JohnW1141
September 9, 2009 3:44 PM
What benefit will it have to rational voters if Obama gets one Republican, Snowe, to support this reform?
How will it benefit Obama and the Dems?
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kenga
September 9, 2009 4:08 PM in reply to JohnW1141
1 less R Senator from ME, in the future.
Insofar as healthcare, or insurance, or corporate reform - not so much.
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3star2nr
September 9, 2009 4:15 PM in reply to JohnW1141
the idea is to give the Blue dogs cover so they can get re-elected.
It would look "bad" if they voted on a all dem bill.
But its 100% bullshit. its a shame that this thing has become about politics and not whats right or wrong.
On the ground s of whats riht you cant argue against the public option.
The solution is simple Obama needs to rally behind the progressives and vote in favor of the public option.
That bill will pass the house. Then go to budget reconcilliation for the senate. We just need 50 votes and biden.
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JadeZ
September 9, 2009 9:41 PM in reply to 3star2nr
it doesnt give anyone cover.
you think people will vote based on what she does?
geeez
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VictorLH
September 9, 2009 3:45 PM
What's the point of dealing with a Republican at this point. Mark up the Bill and pass it. When will the Democrats ever get it - The GOP will never make a deal.
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agio
September 9, 2009 4:09 PM in reply to VictorLH
It's not the GOP that's preventing meaningful healthcare reform from happening. It's a handful of Democratic senators.
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Indie Pro
September 9, 2009 3:47 PM
A trigger might fix this — but the funny thing about such triggers is that they almost never get pulled.
Paul Krugman
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/why-the-public-option-matters/
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Frog Leg
September 9, 2009 3:52 PM
The public option is dead. Give it up and move on.
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ttarleton
September 9, 2009 4:01 PM in reply to Frog Leg
Sez you, not me. But you go on ahead and give it up.
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Frog Leg
September 9, 2009 4:11 PM in reply to ttarleton
It's gone whether you give up on it or not.
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Maritza
September 9, 2009 3:59 PM
The trigger will come out of conference between the House and Senate.
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fbacon2
September 9, 2009 3:59 PM
Oof. I think I'm hearing the sound of a stampede coming this way.
Until I see what they come up with, this is just an opening bet from her, as far as I'm concerned. She wants to trigger a public option and remove it at the same time? She asked the president to take it out of the speech, but he's going to defend it anyway?
This is still fluid. Even if the WH was going to concede the PO, they wouldn't just do it now and let the vultures circle over something else. And if they can get Snowe to commit to supporting some sort of bill, they still have leverage to push their own terms with her--up to a point.
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Indie Pro
September 9, 2009 4:01 PM
no public option - no mandates
How did the ideal of Healthcare reform, and universal healthcare turn into a giveaway to the insurance industry?
Money and dupes in the democratic party, that's how!
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agio
September 9, 2009 4:08 PM in reply to Indie Pro
Matt Taibi explains how the whole shell game works. Read it, if you can stand to.
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Indie Pro
September 9, 2009 4:56 PM in reply to agio
I read that the other day. Thanks. I appreciate the link.
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3star2nr
September 9, 2009 4:10 PM
Ass if that makes anysense. He got rid of single payer they said no, he got rid of the public option THEY SAID NO, he introduced Coo- Ops, THEY STILL SAID NO.
Why are we even wasiting time with this woman
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VivaAmerica!
September 9, 2009 5:09 PM in reply to 3star2nr
single payer was never on the table. It was never part of serious negotiations.
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Matt Jones
September 9, 2009 4:25 PM
Here's a novel option - we own 80% of AIG. What about just having them start a health insurance business?
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capeJoe
September 9, 2009 4:43 PM
Health care reform without a public option is worse than doing nothing. Mandating citizens to buy health insurance from profit-seeking private companies is just another huge payout to corporations.
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Moose49
September 9, 2009 4:44 PM
Has she even been pinned down as to why? Has she ever been forced to explain why she opposes a provision that will lower health care costs, improve health care reform's impact on the deficit she claims to care so deeply about, and provide Americans with an additional health care choice that polling shows we want?
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Indie Pro
September 9, 2009 5:01 PM in reply to Moose49
the thing is, no one makes opponents discuss why they object. There is no reason to object, except you don't think govt works. You are against all govt programs. That's the only reason.
but that is enough for many dmes justto give up.
some people don't know how to fight, only acquiesce. just look at the comments. many people are all ready saying it's over.
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politicjock
September 9, 2009 4:48 PM
What are people in mean sitting on their ass for? Sen. Snowe's phone should be ringing off the hook right now asking her to support the PO.
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politicjock
September 9, 2009 4:48 PM in reply to politicjock
I meant to write Maine not mean.
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CranialRectalLoopback
September 9, 2009 5:05 PM
Senator Blowe, there's a trigger on you.
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xixi333333
September 9, 2009 5:45 PM
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ru4862
September 9, 2009 5:47 PM
So, the White House is the resting the feature of the public option in the hands of Sen. Snowe? Unbelievable! I call on the voters of Maine to pull the trigger your senator's career.
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twoviragos
September 9, 2009 5:55 PM
Do you think that these Republicans think that since Obama is not white it means the Democratic party is still the minority? No Senator Snowe Obama doesn't HAVE to compromise on the public option. You are a nice lady and all, but we won, you lost, get it? We really don't have to compromise with you on anything.
And while I come from a state with a Blue Dog rep, I still say screw the Blue Dogs. If they are going to behave like Republicans then what difference does it make if they lose to Republicans in the next election?
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xargaw
September 9, 2009 6:41 PM
Elections have consequences. Since when does the country have to give up anything to get one GOP vote? Senator Snowe's state is in favor of a public option. It is time for her to represent her state and support the majority.
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atticus1104
September 9, 2009 7:38 PM
Why do Republicans insist on lying about every aspect of health care reform? It seems like they are incapable of telling the truth. Here is Senator Barrasso, a medical doctor, blatantly lying about health care premiums.
progressnotcongress.org?/P=2839
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TPMReaderHG
September 9, 2009 9:10 PM
Why is Senator Snowe against a public option?
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Alan in SF
September 9, 2009 9:31 PM
TPMRead: SHe's not allowed to say, and no one's allowed to ask.
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