With the latest news of Ben Nelson's stated opposition to the public option and willingness to form a centrist group that would oppose the inclusion of the public option to the healthcare reform bill, my eyes have finally opened as to how this so called healthcare reform debate is going to be nothing but kabuki theater.
I have been following the healthcare reform debate very closely. I have consistently read Ezra Klein and Jon Cohn blogs, along with Politico, the Hill and mainstream media to find out the latest happenings in the formation of this healthcare bill. I have watched the healthcare reform townhalls and committee hearings. After the announcement of Ben Nelson's decision not to support the public option, I feel like such a fool for wasting my time following the latest healthcare reform developments.
In my humble opinion, these centrist Democrats starting to come out now against the public option reveal a more sinister strategy from the Democratic leadership at large. The Democratic leadership never planned to support a public option. The only reason why the leadership put the public option on the table was to stifle the progressive voices that wanted single payer.
They thought that if they provided some type of fig leaf for single payer supporters to latch onto, then they could divide the group between the purists who supported single payer no matter what and people who would accept the public option as a compromise. And they were successful, very successful at that even here on this board. Unfortunately for me, I was one of those on the public option camp and I feel like a complete fool--an absolute fool for believing that the Democratic party wanted to have a hybrid system that could lead to single payer; especially given the fact that the public option had problems with adverse selection (cherry picking).
Now given the realization that the Democratic leadership never intended to support a public option, I believe that I can see where this debate is going. Yesterday Ben Nelson was the first Democrat to come out against the public option. You will see the rest of the usual suspects and maybe even some netroots favorites start to come out against it this week. Why this week? The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on expanding coverage this Tuesday, May 5th and the public option will be "discussed" during that meeting. But here's the thing. If you look on the Senate Finance committee's website, you'll see who is on the panel. The panel is heavily weighted in favor of people against the public option. I don't see anyone on that panel who would really champion the cause for the public option. Well, once that hearing happens on Tuesday, you are going to start to see the excuses (contradictory excuses by the way) by Senators coming out against the public option. Like I said before, you'll probably see some surprises in the people that come out against it. Then the blogosphere will react by writing a bunch of diaries calling for us to e-mail and call our representatives. Centrist Democrats will stay firm in their opposition against the blogosphere's insistence that a public option be included in the healthcare reform bill. The media will write stories about how these centrists stood firm against the unreasonable demands of the left wing of the Democratic party. In recent times, we saw this kabuki theater with the half-hearted attempt at filibustering Alito. I just wonder who's been designated on the Senate side to come write an action diary on daily kos on how to "save the public option plan." Will they bring out the big guns like Senator Ted Kennedy? Yes, these people are that cynical.
Well, what comes after the exclusion of the public option plan? A hybrid of the Baucus-Wyden plan. I first heard this plan mentioned in Ezra Klein's blog a few weeks ago:
If you talk to supporters of the Wyden plan about the continued role for the Healthy Americans Act, they tend to emphasize a pretty simple point: They've actually got legislation. Their bill has been written and rewritten. They have spent years working with the Congressional Budget Office to get the budget hawk's seal of approval. They have brought the legislation before academics and interest groups, before politicians and business leaders. They have heard concerns and incorporated new features. They have put in the hours. And it was hard, and it took time. But the work was necessary. And it is done.
The Baucus white paper, by contrast, is not done. It is, as Baucus frequently says, a preliminary document. But there is little time. Baucus and Kennedy have announced their intention to release legislation in June. That's three months. Three months to rebuild American health care. To work with the Congressional Budget Office. To write and rewrite the legislation to achieve a good budget score. To finish. What you hear from Wyden's supporters, then, is a very simple plea: Copy our homework. Cadge our work. Change what you want. Put your name on it. But use it. It is, after all, done.
http://www.prospect.org/...
Also, as Ezra Klein mentioned several months ago, the Wyden plan is budget neutral and thus would comply with Paygo rules.
http://www.prospect.org/...
The CBO under Orzsag no less scored the Wyden plan as budget neutral last year. The CBO couldn't do the same thing with Max Baucus' plan that included the public option. Although Congress and President Obama agreed to the reconciliation process for healthcare reform, they also said that healthcare reform had to abide by paygo rules. The Wyden plan is THE only plan that meets paygo requirements. So the Wyden plan along with some Baucus additions will be healthcare reform.
Oh, by the way, Arlen Specter signed onto the Wyden plan last September.
http://www.prospect.org/...
So his switching his party affiliation to the Democratic party is just more kabuki theater. But that's a matter for Pennsylvania Democrats....
And the great thing (I'm being facetious) about the Wyden plan is that it enjoys bipartisan support. Here are some of its co-sponsors on the Republican side:
Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Judd Gregg (R-NH)
http://www.prospect.org/...
Just imagine all the "wonderful" media stories about the successful passage of bipartisan healthcare reform legislation. Can't you see now all of the crowing among Republicans and Democrats about how they compromised their differences and came up with a "uniquely American" solution to healthcare reform. It makes me sick to even think about it!!
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities wrote a report examining the different features of the Wyden plan and I would recommend that you look at it if interested:
http://www.cbpp.org/...
Here are just some highlights of the hybrid Wyden-Baucus plan:
- Medicare would be extended down to 55 year olds and above
- Individual mandate to buy health insurance with subsidies
- Transformation of healthcare from employment-provided to an individual responsibility by eliminating the tax exclusion of health care benefits entirely
- Health insurance premiums would be community rated so that sick and healthy people would supposedly be charged the same premiums.
I could go on but I don't feel like it. I feel really manipulated right now. I refuse to support this Wyden garbage. I know that I'm going to be screwed over big time with the passage of this legislation. I am now going to be paying taxes on my healthcare benefits and I'll probably be dropped out of group health coverage. Screw it. Whatever. I'm done. I've had it. I'm not going to waste my time calling my Senators or Congressman in order to play a role in this kabuki theater/healthcare reform farce. I thought I was doing something when I called Congressman Hoyer and Senator Mikulski and asked them to support a public option plan. I was so naive. What a waste of time!!