As discussed earlier in this space, some liberals are sounding quite happy about the new deal on healthcare reform that Senate Democrats have worked out. Not all of them, though. In fact, MoveOn.org seems to be hopping mad over the whole thing, especially the at least partial abandonment of the public option that's involved in the agreement.
From an e-mail the group sent out to its members Wednesday afternoon:
Dear MoveOn member,
How could they?
Senate Democrats have just announced a tentative health care deal that doesn't appear to include a real public health insurance option.
Instead of pulling out all the stops, they've bargained away the heart of health care reform—allowing conservative senators like Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson to hold the process hostage and protect Big Insurance.
And sure enough, the insurance companies are reportedly thrilled with these terms. "We WIN," one industry insider said during the negotiations. "No government insurance competitor."
If the health care bill doesn't include a public option, it'll be a huge giveaway to the insurance companies. But the deal isn't final yet, so we need to send an immediate message to Congress and President Obama that any health care bill without a real public health insurance option is simply unacceptable.
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