CNBC is already beginning to panic........

[Joanne98]

About the possibility that the healthcare bill is dead. The other Morning Joe has CEO of AETNA on and is trying to make him look good. Joe looks worried.

If we CALL THEIR BLUFF and stop the bill the insurance giants will FREAK OUT and demand that the pols they gave all that money to get the bill passed though Congress.

We will see a complete turnaround from the republicans and the bluedogs. They will be BEGGING us to pass the bill.

IMHO

[Jennicut]

1. They are freaking out that the Baucus health care bill is dead.

They don't want no freakin public option. The poor insurance companies won't be happy.

[AllentownJake]

4. I think they actually need the Baucus bill to grow and not shrink

Employers are cutting back on their plans for employees, people are more willing to risk bankruptcy than private insurance, children are covered by SChip. Healthcare providers hate dealing with them.

In all honesty without this bill they might die a naturual death.

Its like the bankruptcy bill that was signed a few years ago. Imagine what shape the financial institutions would be with the old bankruptcy protections for consumers.

[Jennicut]

6. I think you are correct. That is why there is the huge emphasis in the media on the

Baucus bill being THE bill when in reality all the liberal Dems are against it. Gibbs did not sound too excited about the bill yesterday...I think he expressed it was crap in so many words.

[AllentownJake]

13. Their stocks shot up yesterday

The Insurance executives made a bet that if their bill was proposed by a democrat it would pass.

I think they are in for a rude awakening. Democratic voters aren't republican voters. We don't trust our leaders as much and will actuall read the bill or a snyposis of the bill and lobby our leaders to reject it.

[berni_mccoy]

11. +1

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. they bet $1.4 million chips on Baucus' plan each and every day.

And the roulette wheel hit double zero instead.

You bet they are scrambling. It was a bit like that scene in animal house, when the dork takes over the marching band (the band being Big Insurance) and leads them into a dead end alley.

[AllentownJake]

2. President Obama signs this bill

His presidency is over.

[Junkdrawer]

3. Just enough Republicans in safe seats will "reach across the aisle"...

as long as a meaningful Public Option is dead.

Wanna Bet?

[Warpy]

8. No GOP will vote for this bill or any other bill

because the last thing they want is anything called "reform" passed under a Democratic president by a Democratic majority Congress.

Even if they wrote the bill themselves, guaranteeing the rights of the insurance giants to raise premiums, cheat subscribers out of benefits, imposing Draconian fines on people who either refused to buy insurance or are disqualified by pre existing conditions, and be exempt from all consumer complaints, they wouldn't vote for it.

That's almost what the terrible Baucus bill does. It's a Reppublican's dream and a citizen's nightmare.

They still won't vote for it. Not now, not ever.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Bingo. n/t

[AllentownJake]

14. I think that is correct

Their primary interest is getting back in power and they want a bill to fail more than they want their corporate masters to be happy.

[Junkdrawer]

16. More plot twists are left in this story... n/t

[Joe Bacon]

5. Wait for Johnny and the Supremes to go to junk parts of the Baucus bill!

Just wait for the court challenges. Johnny and the Supremes can't wait to gut the parts about pre-existing conditions! They'll gut that and reinstate recision rights too!

[votingupstart]

7. call a spade a spade

"health care bill" that has no public option is an insurance company subsidy. call it what it is

[mucifer]

9. former cigna executive and current whistle blower has been on capital hill

lobbying congress for DECENT health care reform.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile.html

He was on liberal talk radio yesterday optimistic about the public option and his communication with congresscritters.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Healthcare Reform Is Dead And We Didn't Get The Memo?

The Baucus dog & pony show is over...a poison pill that may not even make it out of committee yet to the Senate floor for a vote. But there's still a bill the Senate can now move forward on...the one from the Health Committee.

There aren't 60 votes for Baucus on either side...I doubt there are even 50. It was a bone to both the rushpublicans and the insurance lobby to deal in...they blew their chance.

Yes, rushpublicans and Blue Dogs will be clamomring to pass the Baucus sell-out, but the game is now with 4 bills...all with the Public Option. Not all of the Baucus bill is evil (much is)...and we'll see those elements in the final bill to placate some fence sitters, but what came out of the Finance committee yesterday is DOA. The insurance companies still don't realize it.

[CoffeeCat]

18. The final bill has to be one...

...with a REAL public option. It had been not be some watered-down Baucus bill.

That's probably the game that will be played. The Baucus bill won't have the votes
and the final bill will be a fusion of Baucus ideas and the ideals of those who want
real reform.

If too much compromise happens, we won't get a good public option.

We absolutely need that.

Baucus's bill is actually incredibly neocon, right wing. It's deplorable. It's too bad that such
an anti-reform, pro-corporate bill is being held up as the benchmark from which any bill is crafted.

WRONG.

[KharmaTrain]

19. I Like The Numbers...

We'll have 4 bills ALL with a robust public option. The Baucus bill is the outlier...there are chunks in there that can be used as chum to get the votes where needed to push this thing over the top. Having it around can give some ConservaDems cover to pretend they stood up or got something out of it.

Remember, there's a silent game happening...the backroom dealing that always comes with a bill of this size. Be assured deals are being struck to make sure there's a bill and one that will reflect what this Administration desires. Remember, President Obama holds the final card in this game...it's called the Veto. Of course he won't use it, thus he'll make sure the bill he gets is the bill he wants. Every President gets to this point during the later stages of this type of process.

[JVS]

17. Keeping fingers crossed

[Better Believe It]

20. The private insurance and drug industry want Congress to pass their bill.