The Note: Daschle Folds on Federal Public Health Care Plan

[masuki bance]

Daschle Folds on Federal Public Health Care Plan


June 17, 2009 6:07 PM

ABC News' Elizabeth Gorman reports:

In an attempt at bipartisanship, three former majority leaders of the U.S. Senate, Tom Daschle, Howard Baker, and Bob Dole, offered their solution today to the biggest obstacle to achieving health care reform -- a public option.

"While I feel very strongly that consumers should have the choice of a national, Medicare-like plan, my colleagues do not. . . But we were concerned that the ongoing health reform debate is beginning to show signs of fracture on the public plan issue, so in order to advance the process of developing bipartisan legislation and to move it forward, it's time to find consensus here," Daschle said.

"We've come too far and gained too much momentum for our efforts to fail over disagreements on one single issue," he said.

In a blow to President Obama and many of his Democratic allies in the health care fight, the plan recommends that there be no federal public option, but rather state or regional public-sponsored networks that would compete with private health plans, according to the summary released today by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

"If you want to stop this thing dead in its tracks, or dead on arrival, in my view you put the public plan in it," Dole said when asked whether there were any non-negotiables to deal with when drafting the bipartisan recommendations.

"I had a lot of trouble with mandates just as Tom had trouble with the public plan. ... But if we can't compromise, how do we expect anyone else, how are we going to get a bill passed," Dole said. "We weren't going let two or three issues derail our total effort."

The White House praised the Bipartisan Policy Center’s approach in a statement that continues to touch on only the broadest of goals.

"This group of extraordinarily experienced legislators agree with the President that health reform must be enacted this year because the status quo -- skyrocketing health care costs, rising premiums, swelling deficits – is unsustainable," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

"With this report, they have demonstrated what can be achieved with bipartisan effort. The Bipartisan Policy Center has produced a significant report, and the White House applauds their efforts," added Gibbs.

...

The bipartisan plan, which Dole said is totally cost neutral, taxes medical benefits of premiums exceeding $15,000 annually. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama opposed any such taxing of health care benefits.

...

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/06/daschle-folds-on-federal-public-health-care-plan.html

http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/


Not a good sign.


Why??




*edit for formatting

[Autumn]

1. Can't think of anything Dashle hasn't

folded on.:shrug:

[Thrill]

2. Good thing he isn't in the administration anymore

.

[jgraz]

3. Jesus, how does that guy manage to stand erect?

Is there some law that Senate majority leaders need to be completely spineless?

[tavalon]

7. I believe that's in the bylaws

[asphalt.jungle]

4. and the fact that he's folding matters because?

all it shows is that we really dodged a bullet with him having tax problems. a cheap suit is better at holding up than this guy.

[jgraz]

5. Good point. Why is he involved in this at all?

:shrug:

[Autumn]

8. I think it's because he belongs to

the health care industry. They own his ass.

[tavalon]

9. msm

loves them a rivalry. They never got over Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding. They've been trying to recreate that every day and in every way.

[masuki bance]

10. The MSM didn't put this group together, or issue the report. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Indeed.

[avaistheone1]

6. I don't know about Howard Baker, but both Daschle and Dole have take signficant money from the

health care industry. They are not going to bite the hands that feed them.

[wtbymark]

11. its disgusting, nothing is going to get done..

our spineless, bought and paid for representatives are going to cave on a public option and nothing is going to change at all. More big profits, less coverage and they get their next campaign contribution. Blows my mind, fuck us in the ass a little more will ya?!?

[watrwefitinfor]

13. And why are two Repubs and one bought & paid for DLCer deciding

what kind of 'reform' we will have?

Was there an election? Did the Repubs lose their asses? Why do they have twice the representation on this committee or whatever the hell it is?

We need to get our asses in the street, or at least on the phones. This is just assinine.

Wat

[masuki bance]

15. I think George Mitchell is out of the country. nt

[Larkspur]

14. I'm so glad that Daschle was ousted from HHS before the first hearing

Dino Daschle never had a spine and his conflicts of interest would have made him to make sure that a public option wasn't even discussed.

[Joe Bacon]

16. Another wimp.

I wonder how much money the pimps running the health insurance racket put in Tommy's pocket?