Gang Of Six Centrist Senators Demands Delay On Health Care Reform

[babylonsister]

Ryan Grim
Gang Of Six Centrist Senators Demands Delay On Health Care Reform
First Posted: 07-17-09 11:56 AM | Updated: 07-17-09 12:32 PM


A bipartisan group of centrist and conservative senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders on Friday urging delay in consideration of health care reform.

The letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, was drafted by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and is also signed by Democratic Reps. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.), who caucuses with Democrats, signed on, as did Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins -- moderates heavily courted by President Obama.

The organized effort to slow down the process is a blow to the reform effort. Obama has pushed hard for a final vote before the August recess, arguing that delaying until September could slow momentum and risk missing a historic opportunity.

The letter, sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stresses that while the senators still want health care reform done this year, they don't feel comfortable voting for it until they've had more time to study its costs and benefits.

Read the letter at link~

Reid had said on Thursday that senators always want more time, no matter when a vote comes.

Any of those individual senators calling for delay by themselves would be a surmountable obstacle; but together, they make a formidable force and throw the possibility of an August vote in serious doubt.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/17/gang-of-six-centrist-sena_n_237750.html

[grantcart]

1. What Bayh didn't have a pen

Or maybe he doesn't need more time.

I can't figure out what Wyden's problem is.

[babylonsister]

2. This could explain it-maybe Wyden wants it done his way...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/the_idea_that_could_save_healt.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. This deserves it's own OP Babylonsister.

Perhaps there is one already?

Wyden's amendment seems like a brilliant idea to me.

[babylonsister]

14. I tried...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6087576&mesg_id=6087576

[grantcart]

19. interesting

[City Lights]

20. I just K&R'd that. nt

[Inuca]

22. Same here

Wyden has been working in this for along time AFAIK. I remember seeing him several times in recent years standing up at the end of the day to speak about this on the Senate floor. That was long before Obama was even thought to have a chance at the presidency! I WANT health care reform, I think that what we have now is mostly an abomination, but at the same time I AM weary of things getting rushed, no matter how noble the reasons. IMHO the stimulus bill WAS rushed and could maybe have been bettered were more time allowed.

All I am saying is don't judge people automatically because they signed this letter. By the way, judge away at Nelson and Landrieu :-), also at Collins (don't trust/like her much). But Wyden is a different story, and probably Snowe as well, I tend to trust her good intentions and will for real cooperation.

[sandnsea]

24. If the employer based premium is over 11%

then the employee can opt out with the House plan, it's 12% with the HELP plan. So these plans have an option that is close enough to Wyden's to make his irrelevant. It isn't right to burden employers with more paperwork. If the public plan is sufficiently affordable, the business will change what they're doing anyway. Wyden is on an ego trip.

[librechik]

3. Salazar borrowed it and then lost it

BAH! Blue dog BS!

[Inuca]

18. WHat's going on with Wyden?

my first thought as well upon reding this.

[KoKo]

25. A commenter on Klein's article re Wyden says Wyden took a lot of pharma money..

while I don't know that it's true, it does seem odd that Wyden who was called one of our most liberal Dems is proposing such a weak compromise which doesn't do anything to cut costs or to have a public choice.

[Inuca]

29. If you read the article linked above

by babylonsister you will see that what Wyden proposes MIGHT cut costs and significantly increase choices, though as an incremental process. I do not have the information nor the professional background to pass judgment, but Klein's explanation in the article makes sense. He says that it is not sure it will work as projected, but when you walk into new territory nothing can be 100% sure, and if you look for certainty you will barely touch the status quo. Click on the article, it's definitely worth a read if you care about the issue.

As to Wyden, he is one of those politicians that I am very reluctant to throw stones at. Maybe he took a lot of pharma money, I have no idea (what is "a lot"?). It can be checked reasonably easily, but I don't have the time nor the inclination. And even if he did, I do not automatically assume that he is corrupt and his proposal is nothing but a payback. Nobody is perfect, and I am sure Wyden is not either, but one has to see the big picture.

And finally about public choice: to be honest, I am not even sure what exactly it is supposed to mean any longer. I do not necessarily want the government, federal or otherwise, directly involved in managing health insurance. All I want is something that is fair and affordable and that anybody can have access to, in some form or another. Whether it is called public, single payer or garlic bread, I do not particularly care. I doubt that if somehow we polled the various people here that virtually shout and throw stones against those that are not vehemently and unequivocally for a public option, if somehow we polled them to find out what exactly that means to them... well, I think the results may be quite interesting.

By the way KoKo, if in any way in this message I give you the impression that I am coming after something you said, it's all my fault for poor writing and definitely not my intention :-).

[kath]

34. It looks like significant change wouldn't happen for FIVE YEARS, though.

Jeebus.

[KoKo]

37. I did...and I still don't understand where Wyden went from"Most Liberal"

to "Centrist" with Lieberman." Maybe you can explain this? :shrug:

[bobbolink]

41. That's very researchable. Here's an idea: do the research how much ALL these critters get from

lobbyists and the corporations, then pass the hat and put up billboards with that info in their districts.

Let the people know.

Let them then defend their idiocy.

It's keeping it all hush-hush that is making it work for them. Make it all public!

[Chemisse]

4. Ugh! We need to start phoning!

Damn people in Congress, couldn't make a decision on whether to post a "No Swimming Sign" in shark infested waters without needing more time to ponder it.

If this is postponed, mark my words it is the kiss of death for healthcare reform.

[bobburgster]

7. Opps, sorry posted that in your name.

That's what happens when we share the PC:)

[Arkana]

5. Fuck you, Mary Landrieu.

Seriously, this is the same woman who co-sponsored Brownback's "NO ANIMAL-HUMAN HYBRIDS" bill.

[Vinca]

6. While they are waiting, people are dying.

Some in Congress seem to take this exercise as some kind of joke. I'm seriously pissed.

[babylonsister]

10. Yep. Here's a link to a ticker-Americans Losing Health Coverage

http://www.familiesusa.org/health-reform-ticker.html

The ticker above shows how many Americans have lost their health coverage since January 1, 2008. And with every minute that ticks by, more and more people are joining the ranks of the uninsured. In fact, at least four people lose coverage every minute. That’s more than 260 people every hour, more than 6,300 people every day, 2.3 million people every year.

We intend to count every single person who loses health coverage until Congress passes – and the President signs – health reform legislation that protects all of us.


I imagine Nelson doesn't know or care about this.

[Walk away]

8. If Leiberman keeps this up can we dump him?

Why do we want him to caucus with the Democrats when he is completely useless to us? Send him to the pukes so they can stop droning on about sixty votes to their terrified wingnut base.

[DJ13]

9. Why does the MSM paint conservative Dems as "centrist"?

[ihavenobias]

13. You took the words write out of my mouth.

I was just about the leave almost the same comment. Although I wouldn't say conservative either, I'd say corporate funded (or something like that).

[joeybee12]

16. How can you be a centrist when you're against what 75% of Amreicans want? n/t

[Echo In Light]

28. Planting seeds of slippery perceptive coercion within the public mind

[Deep13]

12. No! No! No! No!!!!

They can hem and haw for another month and be back at the same exact spot.

Here's an idea. How about a bill to cancel Congressional and presidential health coverage until the public has something just as good?

The House is done with theirs. What's the hold up?

In what sense is someone like Landrieu a Democrat anyway?

[mmonk]

15. Another bookmark for my project.

[Birthmark]

17. If they are against health care reform they aren't centrists.

And if they're against single-payer, they aren't Democrats, imo.

That is, unless the Democratic Party has moved massively to the right.

[Deep13]

26. It's moved massively to the right.

Not on social issues so much. It's always been pretty iffy about those. But on economic, rich vs. poor matters, it has moved from the poor side over to the corporate overlord side.

[Birthmark]

42. Shhh!

I'm trying to make believe that they haven't. For personal reasons, you understand.

[DailyGrind51]

21. Teddy needs to make an appearance on the Hill!

Ted Kennedy's personal appeal to colleagues in Congress would unite the troops on this issue now, when it is needed.

[Inuca]

23. If he is not already there

it means he cannot :cry:

[SeattleGirl]

27. The hell with that noise!

If they want a delay, fine. Take away their government-supplied health care for the duration of the delay.

[GeorgeGist]

30. A nation that does not take care of its citizens ...

has slaves that call themselves citizens.

[Sebastian Doyle]

31. How did Ron Wyden end up with this crowd?

The others are the usual DLC suspects, but didn't Wyden used to be an actual Democrat?

How much money did Kaiser Permanante pay him? :puke:

[kath]

32. Oh, jeebus, do I ever hate those fuckers...

[PretzelWarrior]

33. PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATOR especially if one of these foot draggers

we cannot let the opportunity pass. They want ammunition from home visits to torpedo the entire plan.

[Zorra]

35. They figure if they put it off, it will lead to republicans gaining congressional seats

in the mid-terms. This, in turn, will make it impossible to get enough votes to pass any kind of effective public option, and the turncoat Blue Dogs will be able to blame it primarily on the republicans.

Once again, conservative "Democrats" will have killed health care reform.

The Blue Dogs will have done their jobs for their beloved corporate masters, who will give them another fat check to finance their campaigns.

[WI_DEM]

36. I used to think Wyden was a liberal--was I wrong?

[KoKo]

38. Some of us here on DU are asking that SAME Question! What the Hell went WRONG?

:shrug: I'm here in NC so I don't know about Oregon Politics. Maybe the guy isn't even from Oregon or whatever. I just know that someone, that we were told was a "flaming liberal" somehow has his own Health Agenda" that most of us never heard about before.

:shrug: What's going on here? Did the RW/Blue Dogs manage to Pick off Wyden as one of their Own? If so, WHY?..How"

Perhaps I'm misreading the whole thing and Wyden will be our CHAMPION COMPROMISER for HEALTH CARE!

Sorry if I offended his supporters here on DU ...but it does seem a bit "Odd." All of it.

[Greyhound]

39. Come on Oregon! You have a chance to dump this Republik in Democratic clothing this season.

I think Steve Novick would be a great alternative. "A true progressive with a strong left hook!"

[bobbolink]

40. Be still my heart... my two disreputable CO Blue Fucking Dogs didn't sign?

So, there ARE miracles after all?