Howard Dean: "We have 51 votes for the Public Option in the Senate"

[WilliamPitt]

DR. DEAN: Well, I don't think so. I mean, by my vote count, we got 51 votes in the Senate to pass healthcare reform with the public option.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/15/782194/-Dr.-Deanwe-have-51-votes-for-the-Public-Option-in-the-Senate

[FSogol]

1. Then do it! Now! n/t

[onehandle]

2. Mandate! nt

[BadgerKid]

3. Quit counting unhatched chickens! n/t

[fascisthunter]

4. Hey Will... how'd ya like last night's game?!

phew....

Thanks for the post BTW... still fighting for the PO.

[WilliamPitt]

8. I didn't

But they liked it less in Buffalo:

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/795737.html

[seabeyond]

5. lets rock n roll, kick some ass, getter dun. nt

[Cleita]

6. Some politician just said on the radio earlier that we don't have

50 votes (51st vote being Biden) for a public option to pass. Sorry, I was half asleep and didn't catch his name. I hope he's wrong. However, even 51 votes would still require a filibuster or nuclear option as I hear. I am really confused as to how that works. It seems Bush could push anything through even when he didn't have a big majority but we can't. I don't get it.

[Kingofalldems]

7. Republican disruptor will hate reading this one

A thread mentioning the great Dr. Dean and positive news about the Public Option. Ouch.

[Indigent]

9. It's not clear whether the public option can be passed through reconciliation

Because the rules are murky. Let's hope it's possible, but reconciliation is intended for budgetary measures only. We'll see.

[sybylla]

16. Medicare For All can be passed through reconcilliation

As it just takes a subtle budgetary tweaking of Medicare. At least that's what I've been told by those in the know.

Sounds like a fine "nuclear option" to me. They want to cower in their bunkers, then we should get out the big guns.

[Vidar]

10. Thank you, Howard.

[puebloknot]

11. K&R Let's keep cheering for the Little Engine that Could! nt

[redqueen]

12. Whose opinion holds more weight?

Dean's or DK's?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6554466

[mzmolly]

13. I hope he has some

inside info? :D

[eridani]

14. I thought that Dean was pushing for voluntary buy-in to Medicare as the public option

I can't tell whether or not he has given up on this. I sure hope not.

[BzaDem]

15. The problem is that there aren't 218 votes in the House for a Medicare-style public option.

Heck, there weren't even enough votes in committee to get a public option tied to Medicare. The Blue Dogs were prepared to vote with the Republicans to kill the bill in committee, and the only reason they didn't is because Henry Waxmen changed the public option to negotiate rates instead of use Medicare rates.

The problem with negotiated rates is that a public option with negotiated rates would not lower costs enough to get through reconciliation procedural hurdles (which require 60 votes to waive).