Brian Beutler report at Talkingpointsmemo.com highly suggests that Sen. Olympia Snowe is trying to have it both ways on the public option.
Earlier this week there were reports and a Rec'd diary on Dailykos celebrating her for coming out for a public option based on some comments she had made on videotape at a town hall. Turns out her office now insists she misspoke by releasing her public statements with a bunch of new qualifiers basically saying she is against the public option now.
but here's the video in question:
TPM:
I've obtained, from two separate sources, video from the Maine health care rally in question, during which a Snowe representative named Cheryl Lehman really does say what she was reported to have said--that Snowe supports a public option, which should be "available from day one."
That rendering is a reformer catch phrase which basically means "no trigger mechanism." But Snowe's staff emailed me the full text of that statement today, and it contains an important qualifier. Snowe supports a public option, available on day one, "in any state where private plans fail to ensure guaranteed affordable coverage."
But as you can see from the footage, that qualifier wasn't appended to the statement Lehman read. It's difficult to say whether the error was Lehman's or Snowe's, but at the very least it creates the appearance that Snowe's telling her supporters in Maine one thing and her colleagues in Washington something else. I've sent the clip to Snowe's staff, with a request for an explanation and will post any response they send along.
So let's look at all the health insurance industry's contributions to Olympia Snowe, shall we?
Senators Call for Health Care Delay, Receive Big Campaign Contributions
Sen. Olympia Snowe raised $1,147,630 from the health and insurance sectors over the course of her career. Her first day in office was January 4, 1995. In total, she has served 5,309 days as a United States Senator. This calculates out to her raising $216 every day from the health and insurance sectors. Seventy more days would yield $15,120.
So Olympia Snowe, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Ron Wyden, Susan Collins, and Joe Lieberman are calling for a 70 Day Delay on healthcare reform. Here's how much Olympia Snowe and these "6 Deadly Hypocrites" would make in those 70 days:
Factor in lobbying into these seventy days and the amount of spending around this bill could skyrocket. If we go by the numbers presented by the Washington Post, that the health sector is spending $1.4 million a day on lobbying, then we’ll find another seventy days would allow the industry to spend another $98 million.
Snowe's Ties To Health Care Industry Raise Concern As Reform Talk Heats Up
Her staff, too, has ties to some of the biggest players in the private insurance, with major stakes in the reform effort.
...
"Under Snowe's proposal," wrote former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, "the public option would kick in years from now, but it would be triggered only if insurance companies fail to bring down healthcare costs and expand coverage in the meantime."
aide to senator, who would not provide an on-the-record response, noted that the Snowe had yet to fully oppose the public option despite taking a leading role in pushing for a trigger proposal.
...
That's because over the course of her career Snowe has received more than $400,000 in campaign contributions from the insurance industry; more than $400,000 in donations from "health professionals;" more than $135,000 in contributions from hospitals and nursing homes; more than $100,000 from pharmaceutical and health products companies, and more than $60,000 from health services and HMOs, according to records from the open-government group, Center for Responsive Politics.
Included in those totals were more than $38,000 from the political action committee of the American Medical Association, more than $27,000 from the PAC of Aetna Inc, a major health care provider, and more than $20,000 from the PAC of American Hospital Association.
But unfortunately, groups like the AMA, though on board with Obama, is not helping one ounce.
TPM'S Josh Marshall in the TPM healthcare press conference live-blog:
It's interesting to note this list Obama has of just how many interest groups or organizations are behind the plan and yet it seems to be so jammed up. The key is that most of these groups are extremely fair weather friends. Happy to sign on nominally but not putting an ounce of muscle into the effort.
Call Senator Snowe, and let her know your position on the public option:
Mailing Address:
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Toll Free: (800) 432-1599
Fax: (202) 224-1946
Auburn State Office:
Two Great Falls Plaza
Suite 7B
Auburn, ME 04210
Main: (207) 786-2451
Fax: (207) 782-1438
Augusta State Office:
Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building
40 Western Avenue
Room 408C
Augusta, ME 04330
Main: (207) 622-8292
Fax: (207) 622-7295
Bangor State Office:
One Cumberland Place
Suite 306
Bangor, ME 04401
Main: (207) 945-0432
Fax: (207) 941-9525
Biddeford State Office:
227 Main Street
Biddeford, ME 04005
Main: (207) 282-4144
Fax: (207) 284-2358
Portland State Office:
3 Canal Plaza
Suite 601
Portland, ME 04101
Main: (207) 874-0883
Fax: (207) 874-7631
Presque Isle State Office:
169 Academy Street
Suite 3
Presque Isle, ME 04769
Main: (207) 764-5124
Fax: (207) 764-6420