Speaking with ABC's Rick Klein just now on the Baucus health care reform bill he voted for Tuesday, Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) took aim at conservatives and said there is "more do do" before the bill is complete.
Wyden said he voted in favor of the bill in the Senate Finance Committee because he "felt it was important to move the issue forward." He said Democrats had to push the bill past "far right" senators who "want to prevent any health care reform" from passing this year.
Wyden also jabbed White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs for saying so often the president wants a final bill with choice and competition. Wyden says the exchanges found in the Baucus bill will exclude 90% of people from participating within seven years. He favors exchanges for all like the ones available to members of Congress, who can switch among providers and plans when they wish. In the interview with Klein, Wyden called the Baucus exchanges "unacceptable" and said the White House claim that exchanges do provide choice and competition is "not going to pass the smell test."
A spokesperson told TPMDC later Wyden will vote against the Baucus bill if it includes the exchanges as written.
Late Update: Wyden appeared on ABCNews' TopLine webcast (video not available yet).

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Indie Pro
October 15, 2009 12:54 PM
He said the claim that exchanges do provide choice and competition is "not going to pass the smell test."
well said
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Jim H
October 15, 2009 12:58 PM
Your title is inaccurate. He's saying "the current bill which sets up an insurance exchange doesn't adequately provide those elements and is therefore, "unacceptable." "
In other words: the exchange in the bill is unacceptable, not exchanges in general are unacceptable. Big difference.
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johnmccsf
October 15, 2009 1:06 PM
There's more to reform than just the public option - lots more
Here's Jonathan Cohn's Top Ten
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/the-top-ten-things-worth-fighting
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johnmccsf
October 15, 2009 1:08 PM
I think it is a very good thing that many of the items still in dispute, eg public option, shape of the exchanges are cost savers
Very good news
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fbacon2
October 15, 2009 1:27 PM
I haven't seen the video, so I can't say for certain, but it is accurate to say Wyden "jabbed" Robert Gibbs, or was he using Gibbs and Obama to support his own position? We tend to play these stories up for maximum conflict, so I'm curious.
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sirjibbylee
October 15, 2009 2:21 PM
"more do do"?
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Andreams
October 15, 2009 2:54 PM
I like Wyden's idea of an exchange like federal employees have but I want to know if he's talking about just the benefits or if he also means his exchange will offer rates like the federal one. That makes a huge difference since the federal plan is not age banded. If the Wyden exchange is age rated, it's not even worth considering.I've called his office several times and have gotten conflicting answers. I also want to know if individuals would be able to get the same plans at the same rates as businesses - haven't gotten a straight answer on that either.
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theone718
October 15, 2009 4:47 PM
Ron Wyden is a good dude. I remember he seemed like he was waivering a bit but he had bigger fish to fry with his FCA amendment, hopefully he comes out with a nice compromise version that can be in the merged bill.
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Tyche
October 16, 2009 3:25 PM
Ron Wyden's ideas are clearly the best among all of the Democrats. WHY is he not being listened to?? If the Democrats want a bipartisan bill, they would simply get behind the Wyden-Bennett Healthy Americans Act. They'd probably get 70, or more, votes!!! It has choice. It has competition. It reduces costs. And, it has Republican support! What is the problem?
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