AlterPolitics

Is there any wonder why Americans are so cynical about their government?  The White House and key Democrats in the Senate are essentially telling us that a necessity for a ‘bi-partisan’ Health Care Reform bill trumps the actual contents of said bill.  Consider that their definition of a ‘bi-partisan’ bill is one passed by ONLY Democrats except for a single Republican vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe’s (R-ME).

Could this be just a rhetorical excuse to water down Health Care Reform?  Consider that the bill approved Tuesday by the Finance Committee has no government-sponsored insurance option — something Americans support by a two-to-one margin — and yet requires all American citizens to purchase unaffordable health insurance from the private health insurance industry. In fact, the health insurance industry leveled a veiled threat in the form of an industry-funded study on the eve of the vote that stated they’d be likely to raise insurance premiums with the passage of the Baucus bill to the tune of $1,700 more per family per year.  The health insurance cartel continues to prove, time and again, that greed has no bounds.  The Senate Finance Committee has given them a present — in the form of the Baucus bill — and they’re already scheming on how to better their lot.

So Obama is willing to kill meaningful reform for the sake of Olympia Snowe’s vote.  Here’s how the President responsed to the bill’s passage, which he hailed as a victory:

President Obama appeared in the Rose Garden late Tuesday afternoon to hail the Senate Finance Committee’s passage of a health-care overhaul bill – singling out Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Me.) for her “courage” and “seriousness of purpose.”

As expected, the White House claimed victory in achieving a bipartisan bill with the addition of Snowe, the only Republican so far to sign on to the effort. Obama said the bill “enjoys the support of people from both parties,” leaving aside how narrowly bipartisan the vote was.

Are you kidding me?!  Mr. President, YOU’RE the one showing courage, by betraying all your core supporters who obviously misjudged your character during the campaign.  Do you believe for a second we’re going to let you window dress this as some kind of ‘reform’?

Here’s what Olympia Snowe had to say today on the public option:

While emphasizing that she still opposes the so-called public option, Snowe said on CBS TV that she could foresee a government-run plan that would “kick in” if private insurers failed to live up to expectations that they keep premiums in check.

“I think the government would have a disproportionate advantage” in the event of a government-run option, Snowe acknowledged.

It appears the White House is now gung-ho about pushing for final legislation that accommodates Olympia Snowe’s preferences — never mind what the American people want.  ALL to garner her single vote.  Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said on CNN:

He [Nelson] expects “some version of the public option” to be in the final bill, though he said it may hinge on Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

“Olympia Snowe of Maine is quite key here,” Nelson said. “And if her vote is critical in the future, then she may insist what is a kind of public option.”

Because God knows how horrible it would be if a Health Care Reform Bill got passed without that single Republican vote.