The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    CVille Dem's picture

    The Public Option? Alive? Could it be?

    By CVille Dem on Thu, 07/22/2010 - 4:59pm |
    From  ThinkProgress.org there is news that may give us all some hope:


    Just when you thought the last nail had been driven in the public option coffin months ago, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the public option has once again returned to Congress. As Noam Levey reported last night, "[c]reating a major government health insurance program was roundly rejected last year, but 128 House Democrats are pushing to reconsider the idea, contending that it would hold down federal spending."  

    Why is this a possibility?  Because it turns out it will reduce the deficit by $68 billion.It 

    It is very unlikely that this bill, (HR 5808), sponsored by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and 128 cosigners will pass, considering the battle-fatigue  (ha! too funny!) of the current Congress.  However, this indicates to me that the concept of Universal Health Care will continue to be an issue.  Why?  Because if nothing else, it is actually cheaper than our current broken system; it will also work better than the last bill will.  

    I am heartened by this, even though I am not naive enough to believe this will change anything in the short term.  If the previous Health Care Bill had simply died, I have no doubt that the conversation would have ended there for decades.