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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: public option

public option stories: 72 news summaries

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Interview

Life Inside Nancy Pelosi's Bubble

For feisty speaker, there are only Dems, donors and vote counts

Nov 2, 09 12:33 PM CST
(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi is smiling that trademark mask-like smile as she sits down for the interview. A recent California poll puts her approval rating at 34%, a big plunge from 48% in March, but the speaker barely noticed. Whenever poll numbers come up she waves her staff off, saying, “I’... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • health care reform • speaker of the House • public option • women's issues

ANALYSIS

Lieberman, Bayh Wives
in Bed with Health Biz

Ties to pharma, insurers  make filibuster threats suspect

Oct 30, 09 9:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - The threats from Sens. Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh to help filibuster any health reform bill with a public option should come as no surprise to anybody familiar with their family finances, writes Joe Conason. Lieberman's wife Hadassah spent 30 years working in the corporate health sector for pharmaceutical firms... More »

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health care • Joe Lieberman • health care industry • lobbying • health care reform • Evan Bayh • WellPoint • public option • Susan Bayh

Interview

Pelosi to Liberals:
Cheer Up, Shut Up

Get on board, says speaker, and don't expect amendments

Oct 30, 09 9:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - The health care bill Nancy Pelosi unveiled yesterday may not be as liberal as some of her colleagues would like, but she says they’d better get over it. The speaker intends to keep debate to a minimum, and squash any attempt to add an amendment that would strengthen the... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Medicare • House of Representatives • health care reform • interview • public option • women's issues

Paul Krugman

Time to Pick a Side on Health Care Reform

House bill ain't perfect, but it's the best we're going to get

Oct 30, 09 7:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - No more fence-sitting or holding out for a better bill. “It’s the defining moment for health care reform,” declares Paul Krugman. “Everyone has to decide which side they’re on.” By everyone he means not only politicians but people in the media and other influencers.... More »

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Joe Lieberman • health care reform • Paul Krugman • centrist • public option

first takes

 Pelosi Plan Finds 
 Foes on Left, Right 

Liberals say it's too conservative, and conservatives say it's too liberal

Oct 29, 09 3:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Some early takes from the left and right on Nancy Pelosi's health care bill:
  • Tevi Troy, National Review: This will offend states, employers, budget hawks, insurers, even liberals who don't think it's "robust" enough. "The Pelosi approach is an impressive demonstration of coalition building—if you’re
... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Congress • House of Representatives • health care reform • public option

 Pelosi Presents $900B 
 Health Care Bill 

It could go to the floor as early as next week

Oct 29, 09 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi showed off the House’s sweeping health care reform bill today, boasting that it was a historic step toward providing quality health care for nearly all Americans. The bill, which officials say will cost roughly $900 billion over 10 years, would cover 96% of the country, requiring nearly... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • House of Representatives • health care reform • public option

Pelosi to Unveil Bill With Weaker Public Option

Liberals suck it up as plan tied to Medicare rates lacks votes

Oct 29, 09 7:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi will unveil her long-awaited version of the health care reform bill today, but it won’t include the top item on liberals’ wish list: a public option with rates tied to Medicare. Instead, the bill contains a weaker version of the government-run plan that would let doctors negotiate... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Senate • Harry Reid • Medicare • House of Representatives • health care reform • public option

Poll Numbers

Public Backs Afghan Troop Surge 47%-43%

....and majority support holding off on decision until after runoff

Oct 28, 09 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Public support for a troop surge in Afghanistan is surging, too, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll . Support for a troop increase edged out opposition 47% to 43%, after trailing opposition 44% to 51% last month. But 58% also support waiting until after the runoff election to make... More »

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Afghanistan • troop surge • poll • health care reform • poll numbers • public option • Afghanistan election

PUBLIC OPTION SHOWDOWN

 Reid's 6 Biggest Headaches 

Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman are two of them

Oct 28, 09 8:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - To get the 60 votes he needs just to bring his health care bill to the floor of the Senate, Harry Reid is going to have to rein in some of his caucus' members. Politico surveys the majority leader's biggest challenges.
  • Joe Lieberman, Conn. The independent said yesterday
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Senate • Harry Reid • Joe Lieberman • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Evan Bayh • Democratic Party • Mark Pryor • Ben Nelson • Democratic Senators • public option • Blanche Lincoln

POLL NUMBERS

Afghan Surge Gains Favor; Public Sours on DC

Support for public option also grows; GOP isn't more popular, though

Oct 27, 09 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - New poll numbers out today hold good news and bad for the Obama administration. Support is rising for a troop surge in Afghanistan, the NBC/Wall Street Journal survey finds, and nearly half now favor a public option in the health-care reform measures now under consideration. The bad news: 58% said... More »

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Iraq • troop surge • Republican Party • health care reform • Afghanistan war • opinion polls • Obama administration • NBC News/Wall Street Journal • financial crisis • President Obama • public option

Lieberman Threatens Filibuster Over Public Option

Independent's warning is bad news for Harry Reid

Oct 27, 09 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - Joe Lieberman doesn't want a public option, and he warned today that he would join a Republican filibuster to try to prevent one from becoming law. The statement by the Democrat-turned-independent is bad news for Harry Reid's prospects of getting 60 votes in the Senate. Lieberman said he told Reid... More »

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Congress • Senate • Joe Lieberman • filibuster • health care reform • independent • public option

Libs to Obama: Fight for the Public Option

Reid wants the president to lean on
3 hold-out Dems

Oct 27, 09 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - As Harry Reid labors to push through a health reform bill with a public option, albeit an opt-out one, liberals are getting more and more antsy for President Obama to step up and lead this effort. They complain that he’s being too passive in the debate, annoyed that as... More »

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Barack Obama • Harry Reid • Rahm Emanuel • health care reform • public option

How Reid Rescued
the Public Option

Opt-out plan bridged divides in Dem caucus

Oct 27, 09 5:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - The public health insurance plan was brought back from the brink of oblivion thanks to Harry Reid's swift adoption of an "opt-out" plan brought to his attention just three weeks ago. In backroom negotiations with members of the Democratic caucus, the majority leader found that the federal approach bridged... More »

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Charles Schumer • Harry Reid • Senate Democrats • Senate Health Committee • health care reform • US Senate • Tom Carper • public option

health care reform

 Public Option a Go: Reid 

Senate bill will include government health plan, with opt-out

Oct 26, 09 4:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Reid will include a public insurance plan in the pending health care reform bill, with a provision allowing individual states to refuse to participate. The Senate majority leader’s bill is likely to include an “opt-out” version of the public plan, taken from the Senate health committee, as... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Reid • Senate Health Committee • Senate Finance Committee • health care reform • US Senate • Obama administration • Robert Gibbs • President Obama • Health, Education, Labor & Pensions • public option • health care cooperative

 Reid Narrows In 
 on 60 Votes 
 for Public Option 

Landrieu and Lieberman agree not to block opt-out plan

Oct 24, 09 9:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Reid closed in on the 60 votes he needs to pass a health reform bill with a public option yesterday, aided by 2 Democratic moderates who pledged not to filibuster the vote. Both Mary Landrieu and Joe Lieberman said they wouldn't block the bill, which offers a public insurance... More »

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Congress • Senate • Harry Reid • Joe Lieberman • Olympia Snowe • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • public option

'Robust' Public Option May Be Dead in House

But not everyone buys report that Pelosi
lacks the votes

Oct 23, 09 9:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - The public option continues its yo-yo course. On the same day we get news that Harry Reid is leaning toward putting a version into the Senate bill, Mike Allen reports at Politico that Nancy Pelosi doesn't haven't the votes for a "robust" version in the House. Talking Points Memo... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Senate • Harry Reid • health care reform • public option

 Reid Goes for 
 Broke With Public 
 Option Bill 

Senate majority leader banks on 60 votes, infuriates Baucus

Oct 23, 09 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Reid is preparing to bring a health reform bill that includes a public option to the floor of the Senate, gambling that his 60-member caucus will support the plan if it contains opt-out measures for individual states. The majority leader and other senators met with Barack Obama yesterday to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Nancy Pelosi • Barack Obama • Charles Schumer • Senate • Harry Reid • Olympia Snowe • Susan Collins • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Max Baucus • Ben Nelson • public option

Dems: Let's Just Call
'Public Option' Medicare

House Reps suggest rebranding government-run plan

Oct 21, 09 2:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Some House Democrats think the public option would sound better if they renamed it “Medicare,” or maybe “Medicare Part E,” as in “Medicare for Everyone.” They think that rebranding could bridge the gap between liberals and centrists who oppose the plan. “People don’... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Medicare • House of Representatives • health care reform • Mike Ross • House Democrats • public option

Nate Silver

 Why the Public 
 Option's Still Alive 

Polls, time, and activism keep popular concept on the table

Oct 21, 09 12:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Reports of the public option’s demise look to have been exaggerated. Nate Silver breaks down what revived it at FiveThirtyEight.com:
  •  “The tireless, and occasionally tiresome,” advocacy from liberal bloggers and interest groups.
  • The CBO thinks it will save money.
  • The shift of
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congressional Budget Office • health care reform • activists • Nate Silver • public option • health insurance industry • Gang of 6

Pelosi Fighting for Stronger Public Option

Plan with Medicare-linked option would
cost only $871B

Oct 21, 09 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi is on a mission to pass the strongest public option on the table in the House—a plan that would pay doctors the same rates as Medicare—and she's close to having enough votes, she told fellow Dems last night. The plan would cost just $871 billion, according... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Nancy Pelosi • Medicare • House of Representatives • Congressional Budget Office • health care reform • James Clyburn • Blue Dog Democrats • public option

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