Blanche Lincoln Comes Out Against National Health Service

by: Chris Bowers

Wed Sep 02, 2009 at 20:43

A local Arkansas news portal is running a headline declaring that Blanche Lincoln is opposed to the public option:

Lincoln: Public option too expensive

Posted on 01 September 2009

By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK - U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln said today she opposes a public health insurance option because it would be too expensive.

Hmmm... that doesn't sound too good. Maybe we should cross her off the whip count list.

Or not:

"I would not support a solely government-funded public option. We can't afford that," Lincoln told reporters before her speech.

Ummm... a "solely government-funded" public option? Like what? All four bills to pass congressional committees include public options that are funded entirely through premiums. None of them have any government funding, much less are "solely" government funded.

According to what Lincoln actually said, she is open to a partially funded public option, which would actually be even stronger than any of the current bills. As Brian Beutler wrote, this statement is more hedging of bets than anything else.

If Lincoln came out against anything, she came out against Britain's National Health Service. As I understand it, the NHS is solely government-funded.

The problem here lies with the web portal in question, Arkansas New. I don't blame websites for wanting to make news through big headlines and catchy opening sentences. However, the website seems to fundamentally misunderstand what a public option actually is. Their article is only correct is the public options on the table were solely government funded, but that is the exact opposite of the truth.

Chris Bowers :: Blanche Lincoln Comes Out Against National Health Service

Tags: Blanche Lincoln, whip count, health care, (All Tags)

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Blanche Lincoln Comes Out Against National Health Service | 20 comments

Blanche known for choosing words so carefully? (0.00 / 0)

I don't know her. My first question, as implied here, is whether she meant what she specifically said. Or did she mean it to be interpreted the way the print journal reported it?

by: NealB2 @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 00:54:01 AM UTC

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Liek most politicians (4.00 / 4)

I'm sure she meant it to be interpreted different ways by different groups, and for all of those interpretations to be favorable.

by: Chris Bowers @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:01:34 AM UTC

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So the "public option" is nothing but a co-op? (0.00 / 0)

All four bills to pass congressional committees include public options that are funded entirely through premiums.

What's the role of government? Organize the co-op and then get lost?

by: Jacob Freeze @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 05:37:38 AM UTC

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a co-op isn't national (0.00 / 0)

smaller base of subscribers

big health loves co-ops

by: The Big Hurt @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 05:42:51 AM UTC

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So it's just a big co-op? (0.00 / 0)

Is this what it's all about?

Government assistance to set up a big co-op?

by: Jacob Freeze @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 07:09:37 AM UTC

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It is accountable to Congress (0.00 / 0)

And thus can be changed, via the budget, later on. a co-op can't be.

by: Chris Bowers @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 12:00:01 PM UTC

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I never counted her as a supporter anyway (4.00 / 1)

She is fighting a very tough, uphill battle to hold her seat in 2010 and she is in a very conseravtive state. I completely expected to lose Lincoln on this.

by: BobTegas @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:11:20 AM UTC

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So did I (4.00 / 1)

But I am hopeful about Pryor.

by: Chris Bowers @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:25:57 AM UTC

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re: tough re-election (0.00 / 0)

OK, she faces a tough re-election battle.

But how does a vote against the PO help when the PO isn't gov't-funded and is the thing that can keep prices down?

I don't get it. Do the people at Arkansas enjoy paying more to the private insurance companies?

by: The Big Hurt @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:41:06 AM UTC

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The people of Arkansas (0.00 / 0)

Do the people at Arkansas enjoy paying more to the private insurance companies?

apparently, yes.

by: DTOzone @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 03:16:58 AM UTC

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scare tatcics work, unless counteracted with truth (4.00 / 1)

if someone is barely holding on as it is, telling them that there could be tis big, adverse change isn't going to actually rally their support. Particularly when you have the right going hardcore with a giant megaphone, and the left not really responding.

by: Valatan @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 03:32:27 AM UTC

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re: megaphone (0.00 / 0)

the right will go hardcore with a giant megaphone no matter what you do

a voter that will believe the right's megaphone that a PO vote will appoint bin laden as director of medicare will believe anything the right spits out

telling them that there could be tis big, adverse change isn't going to actually rally their support

doesn't winning the lottery bring big change? does anyone reject the winnings that will change his/her life?

I'm not saying that a PO is winning the lottery, I'm just trying to find examples of big change that's positive to the minds of the people

by: The Big Hurt @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 04:12:22 AM UTC

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that's why I said adverse change, and not just change. (0.00 / 0)

and of course, the right will always go in with a big megaphone. It's why it's so enraging that the left has been silent as the right went into their predicable histrionics.

by: Valatan @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 04:18:16 AM UTC

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I think it's clear what's really going on (4.00 / 3)

Once Bowers gave up on single-payer, Lincoln felt safe in coming out aganist it.

I hope Chris apologizes to the Open Left community and the nation.

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.

by: Hopeful in NJ @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:25:17 AM UTC

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. (0.00 / 0)

As the CBO has shown, having a public option is less expensive than not having it.

by: squib @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 01:37:58 AM UTC

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Meanwhile (4.00 / 2)

Olbermann has Clarence Page on tonight saying that the House bills have a public option but that the votes are not there in the Senate. Seems he has it backwards.

Politics is the art of the possible, but that means you have to think about changing what is possible, not that you have to accept it in perpetuity.

by: David Kaib @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 02:13:45 AM UTC

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This is actually better (4.00 / 1)

I may be hearing what I want to, but what I am hearing is backing down and accepting the inevitable. Using the confusion that the republicans created to oppose a bill nobody proposed so the backing down can be spun as a victory.

The left is going to cave because the left always caves. Why hasn't the left caved? Oh my god they aren't going to cave.

Anyone who watched Matthew's first segment can see that the CW hasn't caught up to reality. It isn't the progressives that will lose their seats if a bill doesn't get passed.

by: Judeling @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 03:57:02 AM UTC

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Blanche has been saying (4.00 / 2)

We can't afford it for weeks now.

She's a lost cause. For gawds sakes people.. the first thing she did after D's took over this year was introduce and bring to a floor vote.. an elimination of the estate tax. This is a senator who never introduces anything. She is all about protecting the rich. She's a plantation democrat in the truest meaning... Entire family and their wealth have been since the civil war.

As for Ar media, honestly, AR Times or their blog are the only folks I would consider reputable. arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog

And I would love to know why Chris thinks Pryor might possibly do the right thing? I agree he might join in on a - pass something and call it a victory bandwagon... but he ain't a PO or robust PO advocates friend at all.

by: Eureka Springs AR @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 04:53:31 AM UTC

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Both Lincoln and Pryor (0.00 / 0)

are honorary chairs of the trigger happy Third Way.

by: Eureka Springs AR @ Thu Sep 03, 2009 at 15:17:37 PM UTC

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Blanche Lincoln Comes Out Against National Health Service | 20 comments

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