Pelosi Bites Blue Dogs

Let’s hear it for Nancy Pelosi!  I have often called on her to step down as Speaker if favor of someone with the gumption not to cave in to Repuglicans and Bush Dogs.  Nevertheless, when she does something right, integrity demands that I give her credit due.  This time she did.

...Pelosi is planning to include a government-run public option in the House version of the healthcare bill. She wants to model it on Medicare, with providers getting reimbursed on a scale pegged to Medicare rates.

"The speaker is full-steam-ahead," said a senior Democratic aide.

But a Pelosi aide said nothing is final, and the proposal to revert to the more left-leaning version of the language would be vetted before the entire Democratic Caucus.

Blue Dog Democrats, many of whom represent rural districts where Medicare reimbursement rates are low, vehemently oppose tying the public option to Medicare.

Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and a group of fellow Blue Dogs had negotiated a deal with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) in July that would remove the link to Medicare. Under that plan, officials with the government-run plan would negotiate individually with providers.

That move, which drew howls of protest from liberal members, prevented the bill from getting stuck in committee. But Ross returned from the August break saying he couldn't support a public option under any circumstances, essentially withdrawing his support for the deal.

Pelosi is now effectively withdrawing her support. In leadership meetings last week, she said the public option in the House bill should be linked to Medicare.

Other Blue Dogs involved in the deal have said they realized the public option they negotiated was likely to change before it went to the floor.

Pelosi has also told her fellow leaders she still wants an income surtax on the wealthy, rather than a tax on "Cadillac" health plans, as a means to help pay the $1 trillion cost of the bill. The rest is to be made up with savings in Medicare by eliminating wasteful spending.

That will worry many members who led the charge against the surtax when it was rolled out.

Pelosi wants decisions on the public option and tax this week. She wants to produce a bill that will be a starting point for negotiations among the disparate and, at times, warring factions of the Democratic Caucus.

"The Speaker is committed to having a strong public option in the House bill because it is the best way to promote competition, control cost and keep the insurance companies honest," said Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami. "The caucus continues to meet to discuss the legislation and its provisions."... [emphasis added]

Inserted from <The Hill>

The way BARF is currently set up, many middle class people will be hit by the surcharge, breaking Obama’s promise not to raise takes on people making under $250,000.  It also contains no adjustment for inflation and no control on what rates companies charge.  During the campaign, Obama said he will finance health care with a tax on the wealthy.  Since they got all the benefits from the Bush/GOP tax cuts, it’s only fair that these people give some of that largesse back.

BARF currently contains no public option, without which thwe insurance has no incentive to keep rates down, and without which, millions will be left out with no insurance and no way to pay for health care.