He must.
I wrote here last week, that the GOP will fight against the public option.
Why?
It will more than likely put their insurance cronies out of business, that is why. (And don't think it is only the GOP, we have some spineless Democrats on our side that will be pressured by the insurance companies checkbook, so don't be shocked.) Big Pharma and insurance companies are working overtime to kill the public option in the health care bill. To be honest, why even have a health care bill, with only options from insurance companies? That is not a bill, it is a waste of time and a showing commitment that lobbyists still run it on the Hill.
I'ved poked around Washington today, talking with friends on the Hill who confirm the worst: Big Pharma and Big Insurance are gaining ground in their campaign to kill the public option in the emerging health care bill.
You know why, of course. They don't want a public option that would compete with private insurers and use its bargaining power to negotiate better rates with drug companies. They argue that would be unfair. Unfair? Unfair to give more people better health care at lower cost? To Pharma and Insurance, "unfair" is anything that undermines their profits.
So they're pulling out all the stops -- pushing Democrats and a handful of so-called "moderate" Republicans who say they're in favor of a public option to support legislation that would include it in name only. One of their proposals is to break up the public option into small pieces under multiple regional third-party administrators that would have little or no bargaining leverage. A second is to give the public option to the states where Big Pharma and Big Insurance can easily buy off legislators and officials, as they've been doing for years. A third is bind the public plan to the same rules private insurers have already wangled, thereby making it impossible for the public plan to put competitive pressure on the insurers.
This fight must be lead not only by President Obama, but must have a voice at the grassroots level. It must be the will of the people. Since President Obama sent a letter to Sens. Baucus and Kennedy with the insistance that public option must be a part of the health care bill, the Republicans are now digging in and saying no. In doing so, President Obama will ramp up his image and go straight out to the people.
After months of insisting he would leave the details to Congress, President Obama has concluded that he must exert greater control over the health care debate and is preparing an intense push for legislation that will include speeches, town-hall-style meetings and much deeper engagement with lawmakers, senior White House officials say.
Mindful of the failures of former President Bill Clinton, whose intricate proposal for universal care collapsed on Capitol Hill 15 years ago, Mr. Obama until now had charted a different course, setting forth broad principles and concentrating on bringing disparate factions — doctors, insurers, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, labor unions — to the negotiating table.
But Mr. Obama has grown concerned that he is losing the debate over certain policy prescriptions he favors, like a government-run insurance plan to compete with the private sector, said one Democrat familiar with his thinking. With Congress beginning a burst of work on the measure, top advisers say, the president is determined to make certain the final bill bears his stamp.
Again, I don't trust insurance companies, if their product and service was so exceptional, cost efficient there should be no issue, but that is not the case. We all know this show and we all have had issues with health insurance coverage in this country, cost and care. If you want to continue to pay the high priced premiums with not much to show for it, go ahead do nothing. But if you are one of the millions where this issue has bankrupted you, cost you, provided not enough for you, then you need to have your voice heard and now.
Now Mitch McConnell, the House Minority Leader states the following:
...."the key to a bipartisan bill is not to have a government plan in the bill."
This is about insurance companies keeping and retaining the iron clamp on this issue and to keep running the health care business (that is how they at look health care) more of same, nothing of change.
Time to get organzed and it starts here, find a meeting near you.
Lastly, congress has the best medical care in this country. Why they are holding back and siding with the insurance checkbooks against their constituents, the very people that PAY THEIR SALARIES is a question they need to answer. Why we, the people, can not have the same coverage and care is beyond me?
Sen. Kennedy Releases Draft of Health Care Reform Bill; Obama Pushes Reforms
NYT
h/t Terri @ Daily Kos
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