Very good news on the EgaliCare front

The story is reported at Politico:

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he’d back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill.

Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue, said he opposes any health care bill that includes a government-run insurance program—even if it includes a provision allowing states to opt out of the program, as Reid has said the Senate bill will.

“We’re trying to do too much at once,” Lieberman said. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now.” …

Lieberman said that he’d vote against a public option plan “even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line.”

His comments confirmed that Reid is short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill out of the Senate, even after Reid included the opt-out provision. Several other moderate Democrats expressed skepticism at the proposal as well, but most of the wavering Democratic senators did not go as far as Lieberman Tuesday, saying they were waiting to see the details.

Lieberman did say he’s “strongly inclined” to vote to proceed to the debate, but that he’ll ultimately vote to block a floor vote on the bill if it isn’t changed first.

“I’ve told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture,” he said.

“I can’t see a way in which I could vote for cloture on any bill that contained a creation of a government-operated-run insurance company,” Lieberman added. “It’s just asking for trouble—in the end, the taxpayers are going to pay and probably all people will have health insurance are going to see their premiums go up because there’s going to be cost shifting as there has been for Medicare and Medicaid.” [article continues]

Most L-Dotters are happy, others are suspicious:

Reply 9—Posted by: whyyeseyec, 10/27/2009 3:05:57 PM

The article says he opposes a `public option` but it doesn`t say he opposes a govn health blll.

As far as I am concerned, a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g that passes will only be a springboard for more incrementalism in the future.

Don`t trust any of them. They are all scoundrels …

Reply 10—Posted by: osprey21, 10/27/2009 3:13:40 PM

Joe basically just threw a hand grenade into the Dem nest. They must be furious.

Reply 11—Posted by: BeatleJeff, 10/27/2009 3:14:50 PM

Careful, Joe, or the Left might just run a challenger against you in the next primary!

Reply 12—Posted by: mrduc, 10/27/2009 3:20:08 PM

Ha ha ha, CT DUHmocrats, aren’tcha sorry you backed DeStefano? Still, I’ve lived in this state too long to trust Joe LIEberman, even a broken clock is right twice a day. LIEberman tho (I) still routinely votes DUH party line. He did surprise me on this one, even with all the insurance workers in CT, who BTW, vote DUHmocrat … go figure.

Reply 13—Posted by: Gesundheit, 10/27/2009 3:22:03 PM

Joe Lieberman is an eloquent, engaging speaker who can finally pull the veil off of ObamaCare. Once the Obama administration started attacking the health insurance companies, it was only a matter of time before they mobilized to defend themselves, and Joe Lieberman will make a worthy leader of their counter-insurgency.

Reply 14—Posted by: Proud American, 10/27/2009 3:32:50 PM

I gotta tell ya. I just don’t trust Joe. I don’t trust him. Remember—he was Al Dorks VP pick.

I do not trust him.

Reply 15—Posted by: starboard, 10/27/2009 3:58:34 PM

Not all Democrats are bad. Joe is an America First Democrat and a good guy. To stand up like he did over Clinton’s escapades now this, says a lot about his character. Where are some of the outraged Republicans???

Reply 16—Posted by: pointyhead, 10/27/2009 3:59:03 PM

Remember, he was against abortion before he was for it, and is now against it again. He changes sides like I change underwear.

Reply 17—Posted by: fb2002, 10/27/2009 4:00:04 PM

State op out plan for socialized medicine is an incredible sign of weakness. Looks like this mess is going down in flames.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 27, 2009 04:05 PM | Send