Lindsey Graham: The Public Option Is Dead

I've been saying to all my friends for months now that the only health care the Republicans want is to let the poor and uninsured keep dying so their insurance pals can keep pillaging the American people.

You contradict yourself:

1. If there isn't a public option, Democrats won't get elected.

2. The Republicans are doomed because Democrats are going to get elected.

For Lindsey Graham and the Republicans, it's okay to mandate people to buy private sector health insurance, but not okay to mandate private sector health insurers to provide health care.

With all the 'liars' and 'guns' and 'birthers' and non-sense manufactured by the Republicans, it hard to focus on health care. Of course, that's the Republicans' goal - distraction- and that's the real reason why the public 'is very afraid'.

Here’re some of the slogans Republicans use to sell 'fear' to you and me: “Government needs to get out of the way.” “Regulations strangle innovation.” “Government intervention drives up the cost of health care.” "It's a government take-over." "Government cant afford it." And, of course, the reliable, change-the-subject: “Oh, no! It’s not us; it’s those nasty malpractice lawyers – get the Government to pass laws against them!” or “Oh, no! It’s not us; it’s those wasteful and inefficient hospitals, nurses and doctors!”

The reality of the Republican ‘plan’, if it could be called a plan, is this: The Government would require people to buy insurance company products. Insurers would jump into the newly-created-government-guaranteed-market (actually, a pseudo-market, in which people are mandated to buy, but called a ‘market’ by the Insurers, who would enjoy captive-customers). When the government-created, captive-customers began to demand accountability and efficient services from the Insurers, the Insurers would cry ‘Government Interference in the Market !’. That's what the 'public fears' - that their government is going to set them up for another crisis like the financial crisis - heads the insurers win, tails the citizens lose.

And, sure enough, in the Republican 'plan', the results would be: Insurers in the pseudo-market win and citizens in the psuedo-market lose; health insurance companies’ profits would sky rocket; real health care coverage for individuals would decline. That's what victory would look like for the Republicans and that's what people are rightly scared of.

So, there will be a public option, and Lindsey Graham wont vote for it; Republicans will be required to vote as the Republican Party dictates.

Look for Lindsey Graham and the other Republicans to campaign as the party that voted for the insurance industry and against policy holders, and tried (but were un-successful) at denying health care to all Americans. Maybe he can con enough people into voting for him; personally, I'd be too scared.

Which means, the GOP have lost the war. This will be THEIR Waterloo.

This is much more of a political battle than it is about health care.

If the democrats succeed on health care reform the republicans can expect the majority in congress to extend. If the democrats fail, the republicans have a chance to regain power.

Of course they are going all out for this. And of course there is the corporate interests that are quite content with their current profits and not interested in change.

I think we have to demonstrate radically in big numbers if the dems try to pass a bill with mandates and no public option for their sake as well as ours.

And No 'trigger', that's a scam and we all know it.

I never cared much for Lindsey Graham. He likes to think of himself as a straight talker and part of the "moderate" centrists in the Senate. Always walking around with hypocrites like McCain and Lieberman.

Journalists rarely mention the central role he played during the Clinton impeachment trial. He was an opportunist back then and one now.

I'm not sure if the public option is dead but my concern is that the argument for it is losing steam. By Obama saying that he is open to other alternatives that achieve the same goal, many centrists have been given permission to vote against it. And the progressive side just isn't all the fired up right now. It's tough to mobilize millions around something which does not have many direct benefits. Health care isn't like the environment - it's not cool. It's scary.

I think the progressives need to have a meeting and stand unified for the public option. They should have a consistent message and whenever a reporter tells them that the Senate does not have the votes -- they should aggressively respond back with, "The bill has not been introduced yet. And I am not going to assume anything. The American people want and need a public option and I intend to do everything in my power to make sure we get one!!"

I saw a bit of that after Obama's speech but we need to maintain momentum. We're just not as good as the right in fighting. They're better fighters.

Dearest Lindsey,

With all the shit you've got going on in South Carolina, don't pretend to speak for the rest of the country. How would you know whether people are "scared" or not? Really.

Time to back off, Missy, and try to keep your head down for a while (I know what you're thinking!).

Love and Kisses,

Texar

Translation of article: Public Option is dead because much of Congress and the insurance industry is VERY afraid. They KNOW it means the end of the gravy train. Why anybody else is against a public OPTION is beyond me.

no, lindsey, a majority of americans who favor true health care reform with a robust public option is not afraid; it is instead you and your fellow republicans and your corporate sponsors who are afraid - afraid their robust profits will be threatened, afraid obama will succeed, afraid a majority of americans will trust the government again and afraid, lordie God forbide, the sane and unparanoid sector of americans will begin to demand public financing for all elections!