November 2nd, 2009
Don't cry for me Joe Lieberman
The good news on health care reform today is the movie is nearly over.
Democrats are facing up to the choice that faced them from the start of the debate. They can either tell their grassroots to suck on this and pass a bill moderates within both parties will accept, one without a public option, or they can roll their opponents in a parliamentary floor fight.
The question was put by Sen. Joe Lieberman, who now says he will vote with Republicans to filibuster any bill with a public option in it. The leadership bill includes a public option, but Lieberman plus a united Republican caucus mean that bill can’t come up for a vote.
No reform is better than a public option, he told CBS’ Face the Nation.
House Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing ahead with a bill that includes the public option, plus new regulatory authority for the Federal Trade Commission over health insurers. This despite the fact the public option they have crafted would only get a 2% market share, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Liberals are calling for Lieberman’s political head on a platter. Matt Osborne of The Huffington Post says including the public option makes the leadership bill a budget measure eligible for reconciliation, so a filibuster would be out of order. Markos “Kos” Moulitsas notes Lieberman was for ending filibusters as a freshman Senator.
Of course tossing aside Lieberman might leave moderates in both camps without a party at all. Could we have an American version of England’s Liberal Democrats come out of this?
Stay tuned. I think a dance number is coming up.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 11/02/09
