Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: Senators Lied About Supporting Public Option

By FireDogLake's Jane Hamsher FDL

Cenk Uygur had Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on the Young Turks yesterday. Now that only 50 votes are needed to pass a public option in the Senate, guess what? They magically disappear:

She was also pessimistic about the idea of including the public option in the new proposed reconciliation bill in the Senate:

“We don’t have the votes for the public option in the Senate.”

Now, remember we were told earlier that the Senate easily had 51 votes for the public option but that we needed 60 votes in the Senate because of the big, bad Republicans. Now, all of a sudden we don’t have 50 votes. If it only needed 40 votes, or 30 or 20, we still wouldn’t have it. Why? Because the corporations run the place. The rest is all smoke and mirrors.

Remember too that these “fiscal conservatives” are supposedly worried about the cost of the bill, but they would rather pass the wildly unpopular excise tax than vote for a public option which actually saves money (even Schumer’s weak “level playing field” saves $25 billion). And now that we’re all worried about losing seats in swing districts? Well, a bill with a public option in it is more popular than the Senate bill without one — even among Republicans.

So, the Senate wants what the lobbyists tell them to want, and all the rest is kabuki. One more time, here is the list of 51 Senators who say they want a public option. Biden would make 52. What’s stopping them now?

Here is a list of the 51 Democrats who said they support a public option:

# Senator State Comment
1 Akaka HI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
2 Baucus MT Said reason for voting against on Senate Finance was the need for 60 votes
3 Bennet CO Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
4 Bingaman NM Voted for Schumer’s “level playing field” public option on Senate Finance
5 Boxer CA Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
6 Brown OH Voted for HELP Committee public option
7 Burris IL Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
8 Byrd “In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American.”
9 Cantwell WA Voted for Schumer level playing field on Senate Finance
10 Cardin MD Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
11 Carper DE Voted for Schumer’s “level playing field” public option on Senate Finance
12 Casey PA Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
13 Dodd CT Voted for HELP Committee public option
14 Dorgan ND I do believe that some sort of public option needs to be part of the proposal, along with a focus on bringing down health care costs and prevention.
15 Durbin IL Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
16 Feingold WI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
17 Feinstein CA Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
18 Franken MN Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
19 Gillibrand NY Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
20 Hagan NC Voted for HELP Committee public option
21 Harkin IA Voted for HELP Committee public option
22 Inouye HI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
23 Johnson SD I asked, “What about the bill are you opposed to?” He replied, “That it doesn’t have a robust public option”.a
24 Kaufman DE Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
25 Kerry MA Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
26 Klobuchar MN “I would prefer a public option that would be a competitive option that would allow people to buy into a Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, which is a series of private plans.”
27 Kohl WI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
28 Lautenberg NJ Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
29 Leahy VT Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
30 Levin MI Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
31 McCaskill MO Voted for Schumer’s level playing field on Senate Finance
32 Menendez NJ Voted for Schumer level playing field on Senate Finance
33 Merkley OR Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
34 Mikulski MD Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
35 Murray WA Voted for HELP Committee public option
36 Nelson (Bill) FL Voted for Schumer’s “level playing field” public option on Senate Finance
37 Reed RI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
38 Reid NV “I’ve told people, whoever will listen, that I am in favor of the public option.”
39 Rockefeller WV Voted for Schumer Level Playing Field public option on Senate Finance Committee
40 Sanders VT Voted for HELP Committee public option
41 Schumer NY Sponsor of Schumer Amendment
42 Shaheen NH Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
43 Specter PA Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
44 Stabenow MI Voted for Schumer’s level playing field on Senate Finance
45 Tester MT “We need competition, and if we get a public option that will help Montana. I will support it.”
46 Udall CO “I support the President’s plan to include the public option as a tool help reform our broken health care system. But above all, any reform must be done in a deficit-neutral way and must provide choice, stability and security for those who have insurance.”
47 Udall NM Voted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
48 Warner VA “It’s not a make or break thing–he wants to see a health reform bill that contains costs, and if it includes a public option…he would vote for it.”
49 Webb VA Told the Huffington Post he is open to a public health care option.
50 Whitehouse RI Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option
51 Wyden OR Signed Oct 8 letter demanding public option