Lieberman Defects While Public Support for Medicare E Grows

Joe Lieberman is no Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Many progressives admired Olympia Snowe’s stance (even if they disagreed with her). By contrast Lieberman’s  announcement that he may join the Republicans in a filibuster that aims to block letting the health care reform bill come to the Senate floor is merely vintage Lieberman. He’s an opportunist. I knew him many years ago, back in Connecticut, when a reform candidate was challenging the Democratic machine. Lieberman wavered on the sidelines, waiting to see who was going to win. He didn’t want to risk picking a losing team.

Today, as Lincoln Mitchell points out on Huffington Post: “By wavering between the two parties while never fully abandoning the Democratic Party, Lieberman has made himself far more important than he should be. If he were to formally switch parties, he would suddenly be of little interest to the Republicans as he would be just another member of the minority who would probably be suspect because his right wing credentials would not be strong enough for the Limbaugh-Palin wing of the party.”

Will Lieberman be able to push the Republican filibuster over the top?  Only if moderate Democrats join the Republicans to create the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation from coming to the Senate floor. I very much doubt that four or five moderate Democrats want to be known as the Democratic Senators who let the Republicans bury health care reform. I believe that the moderates will join liberal Democrats to break the filibuster. Then, when the bill comes to the floor, moderates will be free to vote against it.  Democrats only need  a simple majority (50 votes)  to pass the bill, and they probably have 53.The bottom line is this: The public wants reform, and they want the option of a public insurance plan.
Nevertheless, the media will make much of this story. It’s a headline; headlines sell newspapers.

Comments

[Maggie Mahar]

Ann--

Thanks for your comment.

You wrote: "Medicare E is about treating healthcare as a human service based on science and caring . . "

That's it in a nutshell.

[Maggie Mahar]

Gail, Rick, Dgenerative Arthritis,

Gail & Rick --

Thanks for your suppot regarding Lieberman.

I agree. I don't see him as a real threat.

Degenerative Arhtritis--

I've very glad you read the blog. And thank yuu for the kind words.

[Ann Malone, RN]

Medicare E is about treating healthcare as a human service based on science and caring that prioritizes people's healthcare and financial security needs. It's not about "Chairman Mao" as one commentor here tried to make it--Pahleeeez!! There's no sound logic in trying to compare healthcare services to computers b/c there's no "free market" in healthcare. People die when they don't receive needed care.

HealthBeat readers might want to take a look at remarks on the ethics of health reform made by a primary care doc and advocate at a 10/27/09 roundtable (link below). They provide a useful perspective for which to view the actions of Joe Leiberman and every other sitting politician; every member of Congress has the responsibility to enact real health reform. Real reform will prevent illness, save lives, and it will save LOTS of money. Really. Just look around the world for examples; it's not rocket science.

Real reform requires that politicians put people before the corporate profiteering and personal fortune-making that dominate our current broken, wasteful, and harmful "healthcare system". Trust me, I've seen it all in my work as a nurse in hospitals, homecare, and community settings.

For the majority of Americans real reform means creating Medicare E Everybody In, Nobody Out to provide a better deal and better care for all of us.

Ethics of reform roundtable remarks are here http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/10/28/the-ethics-of-health-care-reform

[Degenerative Arthritis]

I rarely post, but I wanted to say thanks for sharing this information.

[conspunk]

Just heard you on Bill Handels show. What nonsense. Profit motive makes healthcare more expensive? What about opening it up to competition. How much would PCs be if there was no MAC??? How much would a piece of crap GM car cost if there was no Honda?? Health care is expensive because it IS subsidized by the Government and the outrages lawsuits that drive insurance costs up for doctors and hospitals. BTW who do the trial lawyers support. Is chairman Mao your hero too?. I hear he pushed universal healthcare too.

[Maggie Mahar]

Tom --

Thanks much

Oh yes, I rmemeber, a quisling appeases the occupying forces. A turncoat.

As I recall this was the name of someone in Scandanvia who went over to the Nazis. (This was very unusual inhis country)

[Tom Moore]

Remember the name Quisling?

[Michael Kirsch, M.D.]

Is Lieberman an 'opportunist' because you disagree with him? If he joined with Reid, would he then be considered a principled statesman? www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com

[Dr. Rick Lippin]

My take on Joe Lieberman at best an ATTENTION SEEKER - At worst a self destructive MARTYR

He is toast.

Dr.Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa

[Gail Nowacky]

I have little regard for him after seeing his last exploit.