The Public Option

The public option deserves an up or down vote in a national advisory referendum on Nov. 2 in the midterm elections. Why are congressional Democrats averse to letting the American people decide this issue? Is it because they want to ram through Congress a bill the people hate before they all get booted out of office? Why won’t the Democrats let the people vote on health care?

  Steven Calabresi

The Public Option is the Sirens song of the far left-wing, extremist -- titillating in its allure, hard to resist, difficult, if not impossible to secure, always just a few moves out of reach, seductive, yet guaranteeing a bad end to all who vote for it. The president, long ago, gave up on the public option; the Senate has given up on the public option and the American people (through thousands of letters and lively town hall meetings) have clearly indicated that they do not support the public option. The resounding “no” to the public option has been clearly heard, several times, if only the majority in Congress would listen.

  Lurita Doan

I would like Lurita Doan (and anyone else, for that matter) to "prove" that a majority of the American public do not support the public option. I would also like to see proven that a majority of the American people support the current rip off of sick and dying people by the health insurance industry in this country.

[...]

While "letters and lively town meetings" are dramatic, they do not necessarily represent a "majority" of the American people, since they often express the views of "extremists" who are so moved by their passion as to write letters or scream at a meeting. In fact, the majority in this debate has allowed itself (and President Obama has allowed it by not managing the public debate effectively) to be pushed around by a minority that equates paying high insurance rates to the health insurance industry with "freedom."

  Jeffrey Stewar

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

And I expect President Irrelevant has a good deal of insurance company money in his coffers that keeps him from pushing for a public option. When he is absolutely certain beyond a doubt that there's no hope for it, maybe he'll make a little "last ditch" push.

Yes, I'm just speculating.