McCain Says Public Option Must Be Dropped for Compromise

NY Times ^ | August 24, 2009 | JOSEPH BERGER

[neverdem]

Wading into the debate on a national health care plan, Senator John McCain said on Sunday that one way for Democrats and Republicans to reach a compromise would be for President Obama to abandon a government-run insurance program for the nation’s 49 million uninsured.

Interviewed on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Mr. McCain, the Arizona Republican and 2008 presidential candidate, said that a public plan would cause many Americans to lose their private health insurance. Although he was not asked to explain, opponents of a government-run plan have previously warned that many employers would scuttle private insurance for their workers if such a program were enacted.

“Certainly if you have it, you shouldn’t have to lose it,” Mr. McCain said of private insurance. “But under the president’s plan, you would have to lose it in my view because of the government option. I believe that one of the fundamentals for any agreement would be that the president abandon the government option.”

Last week, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, said that a government-run plan was not essential to an overhaul, a concession to United States senators who say such a plan could not win the backing of a majority of the crucial Senate Finance Committee. The focus shifted to discussion of nonprofit medical co-operatives, which are popular in some Midwestern states and more palatable to conservatives. But outrage by liberals supporting a government plan has made the fate of that provision unclear.

Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat and a member of the Finance committee, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that President Obama “believes strongly in a public option.”

He argued that a government plan was imperative because it would introduce competition in the industry. In 40 of the 50 states, he said...

[GOPJ]

What compromise? We need to come up with our own plan.

[wny]

Is McCain STILL here?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SunkenCiv]

• McCain: Obama must drop health care public option
  [says Obama must be more bipartisan]
• McCain refuses to consider taxes to reduce deficit
  [says reduction of SS, Medicare costs needed]

[Cacique]

Why oh why can’t this asshole shut the F*ck up!!!!

He has no clue why he lost and he desrved to do so....

[ScottinVA]

We’re advancing the ball down the field and the bad guys are tired and back on their heels. Finally, at long last, conservatives, standing strong and united, have entered the red zone with the winning score mere yards away. Victory is in clear sight.

And now McCain wants to punt.

This isn’t some highway bill under discussion; it’s our nation’s survival. Anyone.. ANYONE who sells out at this critical time needs to pay a steep political price.

[Victoria Delsoul]

McCain is the master of ‘compromise.’ I say ‘no compromise, no deals.’ Just get rid of the whole damn thing.