Could the Baucus Bill HELP Give President Obama Cover For A Public Option?

[TomCADem]

The Republicans have been staking their opposition to health care reform on their opposition to a public option, BUT have insisted that they do support health care reform. The reason given by Republicans for their opposition has been opposition to a government takeover in the for of a public option.

Well, Baucus just presented a Christmas gift to the Republicans, and none of them lifted a finger to help him, because they don't want to sign on to anything that could be construed as a victory for President Obama. In other words, this Bill could have easily been written by a Republican, and no Republican is on board.

I do think that once the Republicans have committed themselves to opposing even Baucus's bill, then the stage is set to say, "okay, we tried, the Republicans essentially wrote Baucus's bill, and they still voted it down, so lets get a public option through reconciliation."

[Oregone]

1. It will help the shittiest public non-option look amazing

At this point, how can you be anything but cynical? Baucus set the stage for anything more than shit being considered "good"

[PretzelWarrior]

2. well...........you do have a valid point there.

[TomCADem]

4. So, Are You Saying The Republicans Get A Free Pass Again?

The question is whether the free pass is given by liberals, the media or both? Check out the following polling analysis by Erza Klein. It seems to suggest that people want to see the President reach out to the Republicans even while they believe the Republicans are acting in bad faith. So, perhaps the Baucus bill can be used to address the anamolies in the polling numbers. The Democrats reach out in the form a GOP-friendly Baucus bill, the Republicans stiff him at the alter, then Democrats can convincingly say, hey, we tried. We gave the Republicans and absolute gift, and they still turned it down.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/09/the_tea_party_vs_the_polls.html?hpid=topnews

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Let's start with the public option. A solid 55 percent of the country supports "having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans." That supports jumps to 76 percent if the option is reserved for those unable to get health insurance now. But for all that, when asked if they would favor health-care reform if the government option was dropped from the package, support jumps to 50 percent. In other words, the America people strongly favor the public option, but prefer health-care reform without it.

Or take Republicans. Asked whether the Democrats should change health-care reform to attract Republican support, 71 percent support the effort to reach across the aisle. But asked whether Republicans are "making a good faith effort to cooperate with Obama and the Democrats on health care reform," 62 percent say they're not. And when asked whether Obama and the Democrats are making a good-faith effort to reach out to the Republicans, 50 percent say they are. To sum up, Americans believe the Democrats should rewrite the bill to attract the support of Republicans, even as they believe Republicans have not been negotiating in good faith, and Democrats have been.

What you saw at the Tea Party this weekend was a lot of certainty about health-care reform. "No" polled at 100 percent. The American people, however, evince no such clarity. They're confused about health-care reform, and particularly about the process. They'd be comforted by some level of consensus in Washington, even though they realize one party desires nothing of the sort. I imagine that it would be hard for a congressman to know exactly what to think of these numbers.

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[Oregone]

5. No, Im saying the Democrats will

The stage is set, such that, any bill that has any semblance of a "public option" for some amount of people will be hailed as a great triumph--even if it is anemic and false short of satisfying the original goals the Democrats laid out. Upon its passing, the Democrats (many of them) will get major credit for fighting for a bill perceived positively by the American people, although, it may fall completely short of expectations before the goal posts were moved. And at the end of the day, the Democrats may pass a firewalled option that will result in mandated private insurance for the most people, yet never be held accountable for their failure to bring true affordable universal healthcare for everyone.

I honestly don't know if Baucus is an out-of-touch ass or he simply had the proper constituency that allows him to play the boogey man (and benefit politically) in the interest of the Democratic party. This might be stage-craft orchestrated to avoid delivering once they are even in power, yet still be hailed as heroes.

I don't know what to believe any more. I guess it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, once you remove all the faces, there will be a final bill that should be judge on policy terms alone.

[TomCADem]

6. Yet, the Polling Results Suggest That We Needed To Go Through This Exercise

Due in part to the fact that we do have conservadems. We may not like it, but with certain Democrats who are DINOs even on issues as fundemantal as universal health care. Now, if the Republicans were sincere about their beliefs, rather than just blind opposition, they would be rallying behind the Baucus bill, which would put heavy pressure on President Obama to reciprocate such bipartisan efforts. HOWEVER, the Republicans left Baucus high and dry, and by hanging Baucus out to dry, where can Baucus go? IF the Republicans had rallied to Baucus's bill, then the conservadems would have been emboldened. Now, they have just been isolated.

[Bolo Boffin]

3. I hope so.

The way the Republicans have fallen all over themselves to reject even this plan is my proposed trigger for a public option. Bring it on - we tried.

[MasonJar]

7. Baucus has a nothing bill.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Agreed...Baucus bill is DOA