As an eventful week ends, here's the Friday wrap-up of health care reform news from FDL Action. Note: I'm now working with FDL Action to fight for a strong public option (e.g., no “coops” or “triggers”) as part of REAL health care reform this year. 1. Jon Walker reports on the CBO's analysis of tort reform. Walker writes, "Despite Republican claims that it is practically a cure-all for the nation's out-of-control health care costs, its effect would be very minor." So why do Republicans make such a big deal about this issue? And while we're wondering about the Republicans, here's another rhetorical question: why DO they hate America? (snark)
2. Jane Hamsher writes about Jon Tester confirming to Chris Bowers of OpenLeft that he'd vote for Chuck Schumer's "level playing field" public option. Based on this, Jane concludes that "there are now enough votes to pass a public option in the Senate" and that "the notion that we 'don't have enough votes' just exploded."
3. Jane Hamsher strongly challenges the "underlying assumption...that members of the Democratic caucus will join with Republicans to filibuster a bill and keep it from coming to the floor." According to Jane, this would be "a historically unprecedented event" that is extremely unlikely to happen now. Jane concludes that this means the "opt-out" proposal is not "the only way to pick up 60 votes in the Senate needed to pass a health care bill." Ergo, why go there?
4. Jon Walker discusses the "critical" question of "who will pay for this opt out." According to Walker, "The red states who want to opt out of a public option should be forced to raise their own taxes by several billion to pay for it." Personally, I'd pay money to watch that one, it would be hilarious! :)
5. A busy Jon Walker also takes a look at which states are likely to opt out of a public option and concludes that it depends on how the opt out is structured exactly (e.g., state legislature only, state legislature plus governor, governor's decree?). This is where my head starts to hurt and I'm grateful there are people who know a lot more about health care reform than I do!
6. Jane Hamsher wonders how the opt-out can be gaining steam "if no conservative Democrat has yet to endorse it." Good question; anyone have an answer?
7. Last but not least, Jane Hamsher points out that "opt-out states are 'where the majority of the black population in this country lives.'" and argues that "blue state liberals savoring the opportunity to punish red state rednecks for electing Republican majorities might want to consider that." The point is, there are lots of "blue" folks living in those "red" states who could be deprived of access to a public option under "opt-out," and that's not right.
