I was under the assumption that it wouldn't be tax payer subsidized, but rather run solely on the premiums it brought in, with the idea being that since it wouldn't have to spend money on lobbying, bribing politicians, advertising, paying out-of-whack executive compensation packages and worry about about stock dividends that it could offer a competitive to private company packages that would be roughly 15% cheaper.

It is a false choice. Of course we don't want the government to go bankrupt. Instead of trying to court republicans and unwilling democrats if all of that energy had been focused on 'how' to pay for it in an acceptable, responsible way she wouldn't even be able to try to make this false argument.

Based on her recent comments, I consider this woman an idiot.

Mary is making funny here. She's ignoring that the people going into the PO would be covered by subsidies if they can't get insurance. Without the PO, that money would still be spent, but on Insurance Coverage. At a higher rate than Medicare + 5%.

I think she knows this, but the Insurance Money in her pockets means that she'll shill for Big Health.

John

Ok Ok she's not the swiftest pirogue in the fleet, but consider Moon Unit's competition in the Great State

Who is feeding her this crap?!

She keeps giving weak rationalizations for opposing a public option. She sounds like she's trying to BS a bunch of ignorant people. How is it in her best interest--nevermind her constituents'--to keep coming up with lame excuses for trying to kill a public option?

Even if she has no idea what she's talking about, and I don't doubt that a bit, what is driving her to come up with or repeat this bogus bullshit?

Mary, pay attention now. WE ARE SUBSIDIZING health care for the uninsured right now. They go to the emergency rooms, long after the less costly preventive measures might have helped, and they get treated with taxpayers footing the bill. Get a clue or STFU. Please.

Congratulations. You understand more about it than a sitting US Senator.

...Landrieu described the public option as a "government-run, taxpayer subsidized, national insurance plan."

At least she got two out of three right.

I can't stand this cow! Didn't she read the CBO scoring of the bill with the public option and as Bob Cesca just pointed out in his article today, didn't she and the other blue dogs just vote for a single payer government run healtcare program for veterans today? Is she suggesting that we all join the army to get healthcare? I can't stand this bitch and judging by her girth, she probably won't be around much longer. I'm guessing she's got heart disease buried under all that whale blubber she's carrying.

Thanks, Senator. Can I play too?

"Do you want a public option if it would force the government to turn citizens into flesh eating zombies?"

Good job correcting this disgusting pig, NPR. I'll be withholding my donation this year.

What an outrageous remark! This does not bode well for a vote for cloture. She has basically just voiced her adherence to GOP talking points. I am not sure how to reconcile her remarks and the rumors that the senate bill will include a PO. It appears that Reid again has failed in bringing everyone into the fold, but that they are marching forward in high-stakes floor vote without knowing ahead of time whether they have the votes for cloture.... If this is the case, we can only pressure Landrieu, Lincoln etc- but I see no hope there unless people in their state start protesting en masse. I think a bill with PO goes to the floor and fails. Then, a second bill without PO, or with a trigger is finally submitted, and passes. Then, Reid can just shrug and say that he did his best and failed. What a pathetic party!

Some politicians, though dumb, pretend to be dumber than they really are because they think the hicks back home suspicion politicians with a buncha fancy book larnin.' (Ben Nelson) Some are really that damn dumb. (Inhofe).

And then there's Mary Landrieu, who thinks she's playing dumb but is, in fact, every bit as stupid as she thinks she's pretending to be.

Sen. Mary Landrieu is a 'chicken-shit' who represents one of the poorest states in the union. There is no excuse for her opposition to a robust public option. Most of her constituent support comes from the black community in New Orleans, Shreverport and southern portion of the states, and they will stand to gain from a health care reform bill with a robust choice.

Outside three years when she sold real estate when she graduated college, she has always been on the government employee health plan. First though Daddy, and then on her own.

Why not ask her if she supports continuing the war in Afghanistan if it means bankrupting the country.

Hmmm . . .

Why is it that I have a suspicion that Karen Ignagni and AHIP (see PBS Online Newshour video @ 8min30sec) are stuffing copious amounts of $100 bills up Mary's asteroid-orifice?

~OGD~