Specter will 'emphatically' sell Obama on public option

[t0dd]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said on Wednesday that he would personally convince President Obama to back the public health insurance plan ad part of healthcare reform legislation.

Specter made his comments ahead of the president's address before a joint session of Congress tonight in which he plans to renew the push to pass a sweeping health reform bill.

The Republican-turned-Democrat tweeted upon his return to Washington:

This U.S. Senator is going to tell him (the President) emphatically that we need the public option. http://tinyurl.com/kwykdh

Specter also made comments at a rally outside Philadelphia's 30th Street Station just before he departed for DC.

"I think it highly unlikely that President Obama's going to say the public option's not viable," he said to members of Heath Care for America Now, a group of healthcare activists and union members.

"I think the president may say that he wants to know what congress thinks under our constitutional system and this member of congress, this united states senator is going to tell him emphatically that we need the public option," he added.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/57867-specter-will-emphatically-sell-obama-on-public-option

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Arlen Specter >> Joe Sestak.

[Arkana]

1. Gotta give Specter this--he's a team player.

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. He's up against a very popular House Rep in the primary

He doesn't get to play Dem right now. He has to go all out.

[MH1]

13. Yes. I fully credit Joe Sestak for Specter's current "model Dem" behavior

because Arlen knows he's out on his ass if he doesn't act like a Democrat at least through the primary. I won't be holding my breath after that though.

[Blasphemer]

15. Yep - he's feeling the heat! nt

[the other one]

9. Whichever team he thinks can help his own career. nt

[Cant trust em]

2. He should start talking to Baucus and Conrad.

I feel like senators pressing other senators is something that needs to be done.

[Qutzupalotl]

10. Right. Obama's already sold on it, despite all the

premature autopsies in the media.

[liberal N proud]

3. Specter? - Who would have thought?

I guess he really is concerned about re-election.

[ShortnFiery]

6. Bingo! Anything ... I mean any damn thing to win his next election ...

even if it means behaving like a REAL Democrat.

If he's successful at convincing Obama - Great. But if he's just going to USE THIS STATEMENT to attest to his position, it means nothing.

Talk's cheap Arlen - Make it happen. :thumbsup:

[hadrons]

4. Might be a bad sign .... if Arlen thinks the fix is in ...

then he'll LOOK like the defender of the public option knowing it won't be there

I hope I'm wrong though

[ShortnFiery]

7. If "the fix is in" I hope the good people of Pennsylvania choose Joe Sestak in the Primaries.

http://joesestak.com/Home/Home.html

Joe Sestak :patriot: :applause:

[PearliePoo2]

5. What say you Arlen????

We'll see......so many times you talk tough and in the end...it's all just talk Senator.

[global1]

11. OK Arlen - Strong Arm Some Of Your Old Repug Buddies In The Senate To.......

vote for it. Get it to 60 votes and then maybe I'll believe you. Let's see what you can do.

[Kolesar]

12. perhaps he is listening to organized labor

Specter has a decent record on labor issues.

[MH1]

14. Maybe ... but he opposed EFCA and still wants to write card check out of it.

As said above, talk's cheap - and we know from history that Specter can talk a great line but in the end that's all it is, just talk.

[Kolesar]

19. Good information

I had lost track of the EFCA story.

[nealmhughes]

16. I love the smell of Sestak in the morning . . . cue surfers, cue explosions, action and roll 'em!

Come on, I guess about half the people to reply thought exactly what I did upon reading the post and not the replies beforehand, and that is a good thing.

[BootinUp]

17. Oy vey, can this rub off on the DINO's?

sounds good.

[dipsydoodle]

18. Better than selling him

on ebay - I suppose. :shrug: