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Dem Aide: Schumer Dealmaking On Public Option "Inappropriate"
Brian Beutler | November 21, 2009, 3:28PM
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
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The plot thickens!
A Senate Democratic aide tells me that folks aren't too happy with the news that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is negotiating a public option "trigger compromise with members of the caucus.
"He went on his own to talk to Landrieu about the trigger option," the aide says. "That's rather unseemly, especially for Schumer to have reached out to Landrieu before we had the vote. It's very inappropriate."
Obviously there are plenty of reasons for plenty of people to say they're upset about this. But the fact that Schumer began these discussions before today's vote does seem notable, given that Harry Reid was supposed to be negotiating for the votes.
Landrieu and her fellow conservative Democrats have been very adamant today that the public option as it is will earn this health care bill a filibuster. Schumer is apparently involved in discussions with them, and other members, to reach a compromise.
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Maritza
November 21, 2009 3:34 PM
The opt-out stinks any ways folks. CBO estimates that on 3-4 million people will in the public plan if there is an opt-out which is so low that it isn't even worth it.
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kash79
November 21, 2009 3:44 PM in reply to Maritza
It's not the question of how many CBO will think will enroll in the PO? But how many will have that choice available if they want.
CBO says two-thirds of the country or at least 60% of the country, as per other sources, will have a PO choice in the exchange, if it is in the final bill.
Only a handful may enroll at the end, but the bill in its current form will offer it to millions of people. And that's a big and important distinction.
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CT Voter
November 21, 2009 3:55 PM
So he apparently got her to vote to start debate and this is deemed "inappropriate"?
What's most important here? That the process not get derailed, or that people behave "appropriately"?
I'd say this is like herding cats, but that would insulting to cats.
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bluebell
November 21, 2009 4:21 PM
Comparing Congress to cats is absolutely an insult to cats. Schumer is a faux progressive. Most of them are.
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cmpnwtr
November 21, 2009 4:26 PM
Schumer's part of leadership. It's his job to work out a way to pass the bill. An aide doesn't get to decide what's appropriate for Schumer to do.
The handwriting is on the wall, the PO is out unless they go reconciliation. Surely this is news to no one.
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matyra
November 21, 2009 4:28 PM
If there are going to be triggers in their bill, it better be triggers to a robust public option.
Can you imagine a trigger to a lackadaisical, shitty-assed public option as is now written in Reid's version of the Senate bill? Sorry, but that doesn't fly. Give us the PO outright as is in the current bill (or better) or give us triggers to a robust PO.
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Stroszek
November 21, 2009 4:31 PM
The beginning of the 2010 fight for majority leader?
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Tanjaoui
November 21, 2009 4:31 PM
These two clearly hate each other, but there's nothing to choose between them. Why can't Leahy take over? Reid is useless...
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Doug Kahn
November 21, 2009 5:07 PM
I agree it's part of the rivalry. Chuck Schumer helped a lot of those folks get elected, and wants to be majority leader. In a way, he already is. Naturally, Harry Reid's aide (obviously that's who the anonymous source is) is going to criticize Schumer, and do it by insinuating that Schumer is in favor of a trigger. If you're going to just go ahead and report what someone says as real news, at least consider the possibility that it's not really the truth. Otherwise, you're just reporting gossip.
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Stephanie Hunter
November 23, 2009 2:35 PM
Not sure what's so inappropriate about trying to compromise. I know that the public option is worth the effort to compromise. It's already serving many and working well in Ohio! http://cli.gs/23yYaM/
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