Baucus Urges GOP to Support His $900B Health Reform Bill (WaPo)

[jefferson_dem]

Baucus Urges GOP to Support His $900B Health Reform Bill

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 7, 2009 12:03 PM

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus is urging three Republican colleagues to sign off on the $900 billion health-care reform package they have helped to negotiate over the past two months, to add a bipartisan proposal to the mix before President Obama's speech Wednesday.

The Baucus plan, circulating among the Finance Committee's "Gang of Six" this weekend, sets forth provisions that have already gained the group's unofficial support and adds nothing new to the mix that the group has not already deliberated, senior Senate aides said. But Democrats are wary that two of the three GOP negotiators -- Sens. Charles Grassley (Iowa) and Mike Enzi (Wyo.) could still walk away, under pressure from their Republican colleagues to allow Democrats to fight for a bill on their own.

Two of the Baucus measures reflect the group's long-standing goal to find common ground on highly contentious issues. Instead of a government insurance option, the Baucus proposal would create a network of non-profit cooperatives -- an alternative that Grassley, the lead Republican negotiator, has backed. And it would levy a fee on insurers for providing high-cost plans, a provision aimed at curbing health-care cost inflation that Democrats and Republicans have endorsed, but that would violate an Obama campaign pledge not to target more generous plan covering many union households.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/07/AR2009090700786_pf.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Why would GOP support this DINO?

If we haven't learned by now that appeasing the Republicans is counter-productive, then we are too stupid to run the country.

[Critters2]

2. Because he's practically one of 'em. The real question is ...

why would any Dem support this DINO?

[lyonn]

3. Baucus is working the repub system

"the Baucus proposal would create a network of non-profit cooperatives -- an alternative that Grassley, the lead Republican negotiator, has backed. And it would levy a fee on insurers for providing high-cost plans, a provision aimed at curbing health-care cost inflation that Democrats and Republicans have endorsed, but that would violate an Obama campaign pledge not to target more generous plan covering many union households."

Unbelievable

[WeDidIt]

4. He may get exactly one supporter

Olympia Snowe.

In the end, she won't vote for it though. The only way Snowe could ever be defeated would be in a primary challenge, and Club For Growth is all geared up to do just that if she votes for any health care reform bill

[freddie mertz]

5. I'd be amazed if he gets this out of his own committee.

He has alienated the other Democrats there: just ask Jay Rockefeller.

And he will never get ALL the pukes in his committee, so there we have it.

Epic fail.

Baucus must go.

[WeDidIt]

6. Could this be a one time only bipartisan offer that if no more than 2 or 3 GOPpers go for it

then it gets thrown out in favor of a Democratic bill?????


Nah....

[Phx_Dem]

7. That actually makes sense, since Baucus is more aligned with the GOP.

He needs to go, even if it means a Republican takes his seat. He's no better than a Republican and we'd get the (great) satisfaction of seeing his lose his seat and send a strong message to others like him.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. And we all know they won't, meaning the only option is reconciliation

I wonder if this is again the strategy of offering the GOP an olive branch we know they won't take and then doing the whole thing by ourselves.