by Deb Cupples | Via Memeorandum, the Huffington Post reports:
"The man once slated to head Barack Obama's health care system
overhaul is now coming out against one of the chief components of that
effort.
"Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said on Wednesday that the
Obama White House would likely have to scrap a federal public option
for health insurance coverage if it wanted to get the votes needed to
pass systematic change.
"'We've come too far and gained too much momentum for our efforts to
fail over disagreement on one single issue,' the Senator and one-time
HHS Secretary nominee said, according to ABC News."
Oh really? How much ground have we actually gained in health care reform? Drug makers, hospitals, doctors, and medical-supply companies are still charging exorbitant prices. Private contractors from the healthcare industrial complex are still routinely overcharging (some might say "defrauding") federal health-care programs -- i.e., us taxpayers -- and driving up costs.
If the Obama Administration and Congress drop the public-insurance option, what else would be left but our old, costly, corrupt health care system?