Yesterday's Leftovers For 2/25/10: At Least Sign The Letter
With how neither showed no desire to sign up for Michael Bennet's Letter signing for the PO, it shouldn't have been a surprise that the rational Iowa Senator came out publicly to show no support for a position he was an ardent supporter of for so long.
"I hate to say it, but I am not certain we're going to be able to get a public option in this bill," Harkin said with a sigh, in an interview on the eve of President Obama's bipartisan healthcare summit. That phrasing may sound relatively optimistic, but the way Harkin discussed the public option made it clear he didn't see much hope for the plan for now. "That doesn't mean we stop trying... I keep reminding people that this bill is not written in stone, like the Ten Commandments, for ever and ever. This is a law, it's a bill, we change laws all the time around here -- that's what we do."
Now the thing that is disconcerting here is the fact that the likes of Senators Harkin, Jay Rockefeller and Russ Feingold wouldn't even sign the letter. Harkin could still hold his view of the government option not being in the final bill while keeping the momentum going by believing it at least had a chance. Instead, he choose not to along with those other two supposedly reliable "progressive" Senators.
If Sheldon Whitehouse and Sherrod Brown could sign onto the push, then why couldn't those three?
Again, we can easily argue over what type of public option would be (or would have been) implemented if it is (or was) somehow placed in the reconciliation bill, and whether it would actually make that the dramatic difference that it should make even if it is weaker than the House version. The argument there is strong to say that it wouldn't merit significant change, as well as the feeling that it could possibly up the CBO score.
But it all comes down to the overall idea and potential of the public option to improve to heights that the current Senate bill just can't reach.
The public option, if done correctly, can go nowhere but up, while the Senate bill is disproportional to it in terms of its ceiling (or basement to be proper), starting off okay but possibly being a disaster (unless important changes are made).
Any implementation of the PO into the health insurance reform bill is a winning situation both in terms of policy and especially politics. And this negative move by Harkin can nullify all the fighting that he did for the PO late last year, and the same goes for Rockefeller, Feingold or any progressive figure in the Senate.
It makes people skeptical on whether you really REALLY wanted it in the bill now. I really believe in my heart Harkin does want it, as well as Rockefeller and Feingold.
But those Senators can't claim now they fought 100% or tough and nail for it.
Because they would have did what Bennet sure didn't have to do, which was bring the public option back to life. The Colorado Senator could have left it alone and laugh at the thought of doing what he has done with some House Dems, Adam Green, and MoveOn.org.
Bennet chose not to, and the likes of Whitehouse and Brown joined him in support by signing onto it.
Harkin could have at least supported it. Sadly, he joined Rockefeller and Feingold's ridiculous silence by making a poor decision.
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