Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is standing his ground against the public option. And it sounds like he’s quite serious.
The Wall Street Journal reported:
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, speaking in that trademark sonorous baritone, utters a simple statement that translates into real trouble for Democratic leaders: “I’m going to be stubborn on this.”
Stubborn, he means, in opposing any health-care overhaul that includes a “public option,” or government-run health-insurance plan, as the current bill does. His opposition is strong enough that Mr. Lieberman says he won’t vote to let a bill come to a final vote if a public option is included.
Probe for a catch or caveat in that opposition, and none is visible. Can he support a public option if states could opt out of the plan, as the current bill provides? “The answer is no,” he says in an interview from his Senate office. “I feel very strongly about this.” How about a trigger, a mechanism for including a public option along with a provision saying it won’t be used unless private insurance plans aren’t spreading coverage far and fast enough? No again.
So any version of a public option will compel Mr. Lieberman to vote against bringing a bill to a final vote? “Correct,” he says. ……
This puts Harry Reid in a spot – if the public option’s out he could lose liberals, and the socialist Bernie Sanders. If the public option’s in he loses Lieberman.
Good.
Joe is a dick. Let’s be realistic. He voted “yay” in the first round, allowing debate to begin. The American public does not want the Reid legislation IMPOSED upon them in any form. Why is there a need for debate about something WE the people do not want? Joe voted aginst what we want (which is to be left the Hell alone by the Obama gang.) Belly up to the trough pardner. Let’s see how much Harry will give us for our future votes on this.
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Oh, I know. But I’m trying to remain positive.
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I hope he blocks the bill. But Sam’s right, too. Anyone who voted to allow the bill to move forward even though they’re against it is disingenuous, at best.
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I meant to say Terry’s right. Woops!
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Landrieu’s vote cost US $300 mil., just for a vote to proceed. How much will Lieberman’s vote cost to pass the bill itself? It could be very high, along with a few others. We better learn to like it. It will cost us a ton of money just to get it, before they even start to run it.
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