Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, November 17.

1. Jon Walker reports that a new ABC/Washington Post poll indicates the country “nearly divided” on the overall health care reform effort, but “very high popular support [for] the public option and the employer mandate.” Isn’t it interesting how the most progressive parts are the most popular? Hmmmm.

2. Jane Hamsher comments on an email from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) that says, “The question is no longer if we will have some sort of public option in the final health care reform bill, but instead what form it will take.”  To put it mildly, Hamsher is suspicious of what this means. asking if Durbin’s and Reid’s “online people really think they can burn the entire online left community by manipulating them so shamelessly on something that is this important to them, and that nobody will remember?”

3. I’ve got a roundup from the state blogs, including Calitics, Loaded Orygun, Blogging for Michigan, Blue Virginia, Minnesota Progressive Project, and West Virginia Blue. Keep up the great work, everyone!

4. Jon Walker analyzes the options for passing health care reform in the U.S. Senate without having 60 votes, and asks, “how many thousands of lives and billions of dollars are they willing to throw away to maintain some of their terrible, anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, special Senate privileges?” The answer to that question, of course, should be “none.”

5. Jon Walker writes that we need to address health care costs, and that it’s no “great mystery” how to do so: “There are plenty of thoroughly tested, completely proven cost control mechanisms we can directly borrow from other nations.” One thing’s for sure, though, Walker concludes, “we need to take off the ‘free market economagic’ blinders” and “start by adopting solutions proven to work elsewhere.”

6. Jon Walker is concerned that the Stupak Amendment “could radically reduce the availability of abortion coverage in this country,” and that “its reach could be far beyond the exchange.” Which is why it’s such a bad idea and should be removed from health care reform legislation, ASAP!

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 16.

1. Jon Walker reports that “HR 3962’s Massive Expansion Of Coverage Would Result In Very Small Increase In Health Care Spending.” Walker adds, “Despite the Republican talking point, it is not some liberal overreach-this reform bill is extremely modest reform that leaves statue quo mostly unchanged.”

2. Jane Hamsher requests that we “[a]sk Sherrod Brown to save us from PhRMA and the Eshoo/Hagan/ lobbyist-written biologics legislation HERE.”

3. I blog about a story on My Left Nutmeg, which has a rabbi telling Joe Lieberman with regard to health care reform and the public option, “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbors.” The rabbi also asks Senator Lieberman, “what is it that you stand for?” That’s an easy one: Joe Lieberman stands for Joe Lieberman, not for the people of Connecticut, on this crucial issue.

4. Jon Walker blogs about a report in the New York Times that “the drug companies have dramatically jacked up the prices of their medications this year to lock in profits before reform starts.” Wonderful, huh? As Walker puts it, “there goes your magic savings from the PhRMA deal.” Ugh.

5. Michael Whitney reports that “Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) will oppose a final health care bill that has triggers or that allows states to opt out of the public option – with an asterisk.” The “asterisk” is that she would “allow states to opt-out only if they did provided ‘a more progressive option’ offered at the state level.” Sounds reasonable to me.

6. Jane Hamsher asks “What do you do when you’re busted spamming the Congressional Record?” Easy: “Raise Drug Prices!” As Hamsher notes, that takes “some serious stones”.

7. I report on the teabaggers in Virginia backing off their plans to burn Nancy Pelosi and Tom Perriello in effigy for supporting health care reform. It turns out, they were scared off by bloggers like Blue Virginia and Firedoglake. Are we “liberal bloggers” really that scary to big, bad tea partiers?  Apparently so!

8. Jon Walker writes that the Senate health care debate is expected to start on November 30, which obviously “does not leave the Senate a lot of time to finish up amending the bill before Christmas.” Are we going to miss another deadline on getting a health care reform bill to President Obama’s desk for signature? It’s starting to look that way, unfortunately.

9. Jon Walker says that Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware “thinks Democrats should embrace Snowe’s worthless trigger,” and predicts that “Senate Democrats are going to rue that day if they sellout the over 80% of their base that supports a public option in order to win the support of one single Republican.” And that’s not even counting Joe Lieberman! Heh.

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 13.

1. Jane Hamsher writes about a Goldman Sachs evaluation that says the House version of the public option would cause insurance stocks to drop 36% by 2019. Jane concludes, “It’s hard to look at this as anything but advocacy on their part to apply political pressure to weaken and pass the Senate Finance Committee bill, because it’s highly unlikely that no health care bill will be passed.”

2. Jon Walker has more on the Goldman Sachs analysis.  Walker highlights Goldman Sachs’ belief that “the public option would be the dominant player on the health insurance exchange, with over 50% of that market…significantly more than the CBO’s projection that the public option would only sign up 20% of the customers on the exchange.”  Walker believes that Goldman Sachs is “much better at this type of analysis” than the CBO, and thus recommends “listening more to Wall Street’s analysis than the CBO’s.”

3. Jane Hamsher marvels at Harry Reid’s “list building off the public option,” saying she is “[g]lad to hear it” and that “as long as reconciliation is a possibility, I doubt either the AFL-CIO or us will accept him shrugging his shoulders and saying ‘what can I say, Joe made me do it’ as a solid excuse for ditching it.”

4. Jon Walker writes that the CBO analysis of the Senate health reform bill “is taking even longer than expected.”

5. I’ve got a “Voices from the States” writeup by Betsy Muse of BlueNC, in which she writes, “Under the current makeup of our state government, I don’t think there is a chance that North Carolina will opt out of participating in healthcare reform.”

6. Jane Hamsher highlights a story first blogged on Blue Virginia that “teabaggers” in Virginia are planning to burn Nancy Pelosi and Tom Perriello in effigy tomorrow afternoon.  Fun times in Danville, Virginia! (not)

7. Finally, Jane Hamsher reports that Harry Reid’s online poll indicates 67% saying that the public option is the “most important aspect of health care reform.”  Hamsher believes that Reid’s effort is sincere, given that “You don’t list build by appealing to people you plan to punk.”

I hope you had a lucky Friday the 13th! 🙂

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 12.

1. Jane Hamsher writes that “Harry Reid says he has a wonderful relationship with the albatross hanging around his neck,” aka Joe Lieberman. Personally, I still can’t comprehend how Lieberman wasn’t booted from the caucus when he not only endorsed John McCain, but campaigned with McCain and Sarah “Wolf Killer” Palin against Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008. Argh.

2. Jon Walker blogs about a Washington Post story “that Harry Reid is looking into possibly raising the Medicare payroll tax for those making above $250,000 a year.” Walker believes that “[i]f Reid can get the Senate bill to more heavily rely on taxing the wealthy, and less on taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits, it could reduce the number of contentious issues needed to be settled in conference.” Not that there are any contentious issues that need to be settled in conference. Ha.

3. Jon Walker writes that “[w]hile health reform does not directly address many GLBT issues, it does try to fix many of the problems with our current system that do strongly disadvantage the community.” Let’s hope so, it’s about time this issue is addressed!

4. Michael Whitney writes that “[s]ince Monday, activists from Firedoglake, CREDO, and Democracy for America helped put in hundreds of calls to progressive Members of Congress to find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs in the final health care bill.” Whitney asks that “you call progressive Members of Congress and find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs.” Please help out if you possibly can.

5. I report on a new poll by Quinnipiac University that indicates the public option is highly popular in Connecticut, and on balance it’s a political loser for Joe Lieberman to oppose it. Not that he gives a rat’s hindquarters.

6. Jon Walker writes that this is “only one important battle for health care reform,” that even if “a health care reform bill passes this year, there will be at least two more legislative battles before progressives could turn it into a quality universal health care system.” Something to look forward to.

7. Jon Walker believes that Rep. Bart Stupak has no plans to “fold,” and also that if “the pro-choice block in the House is not serious with their threat, the Stupak amendment will be in final bill.” That’s an outcome we don’t want, so let’s hope pro-choice representatives get “serious.” Fast.

8. Jon Walker says that Senator Harry Reid “may pay for reform with Medicare payroll tax on capital gains.” Walker believes that this is “a smart way to raise money and should be a relatively easier sell, as tax increase[s] go.”

9. Michael Whitney reports that “Rep. Michael Capuano’s office is telling constituents that he will oppose a final health care bill that has triggers or opt-outs.” That’s good news, but of course we need more commitments like this. As mentioned above, if you can, please call progressive Members of Congress and find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs. Thanks.

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Wednesday, November 11.

1. Jane Hamsher points us to Kagro’s “excellent rundown of what happened on the public option fight,” and also why abortion rights activists, with “an existing network of professional lobbyists and policy analysts, plus a multi-million dollar funding base,” didn’t see the Stupak amendment coming and work effectively to head it off. Simply bizarre.

2. Jon Walker reports on Sen. Tom Carper’s “no good, super terrible, completely awful, new new new ‘alternative’ to the public option,” namely “to take Olympia Snowe’s worthless trigger idea (which already should have 60 votes if no liberal Democratic senators bolt), and  weaken it further for no reason.” Brilliant!

3. Jon Walker writes that “if Harry Reid tries to go this route [e.g., “accept some worthless fig leaf like the Snowe’s trigger or Carper’s Plan B”] to get a watered-down compromise, it will not ‘show the left that he did everything he could do.'” In the end, Walker concludes, “The left will not be ‘placated’ by a big show and half hearted measures.”  Sorry, but that’s not what we’ve worked so hard for the last several years.

4. Jane Hamsher writes that “the absolute best, most optimistic outlook for passing a bill in the House without a public option means that 13 or fewer progressive votes could stop it.” She then proceeds to list 16 progressives who have pledged that they’ll vote against any bill without a public option. The result of this analysis is powerful: “no health care bill will pass without a public option. Period.”  Now that we’ve got that out of the way, how about the Senate stops wasting time and gets this thing done already?

5. Jon Walker says that “PolitiFact Is Wrong About Nita Lowey: Abortion Coverage Could Become Rare With Stupak Amendment.” What’s weird is that even after Walker contacted PolitiFact and told them exactly why they were wrong, they still would not correct their story, arguing that the possibility of abortion coverage becoming rare “seems remote.” Based on this, Walker remarks, snarkily, “PolitiFact claims to be a ‘fact checker,’ not a ‘in my opinion it seems like an unlikely outcome’ checker.” Heh.

6. Finally, Jon Walker reports that “since the House agreed to decouple the public option from Medicare rates, [Sen. Kent] Conrad has expressed some tepid openness to the public plan.” True, it may not be a “ringing endorsement” of the public option by Conrad, but on the bright side he “does not sound like a man who is about to threaten to bring the whole bill down if it includes one.”  Hey, that almost makes me tepidly optimistic!  LOL

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, November 10.

1. Jon Walker warns that the Stupak Amendment “reaches far beyond any of the reporting so far” and could “effectively stop many employer-provided health insurance plans from covering abortions for tens of millions of Americans.” Scary stuff, well beyond the women’s-right-to-choose piece of this monstrosity.

2. Jon Walker points out that although Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) “is completely correct our current system is completely unsustainable and will not survive another decade if it continues in the same manner it has been,” he himself has “yet to endorse the kind of radical reform necessary to reduce cost.”

3. David Dayen provides a rough outline of the Senate schedule for health care.

4. Jon Walker reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is prepared to use “reconciliation” if necessary to pass health care reform with a public option.  Is this leading up to a death match between Sanders and Joe Lieberman, who has vowed to fillibuster a public option?  Stay tuned! 🙂

5. Yours truly reports that the House vote on health care has already become an issue in the gubernatorial primary in Alabama.

6. David Dayen writes that “Barbara Boxer sounds confident that the Senate will not be able to join the House in passing restrictive anti-choice language in the health care bill.” Let’s hope Boxer’s confidence isn’t misplaced.

7. Last but not least, Jon Walker says we shouldn’t get too excited about Bill Clinton giving Senate Democrats a pep talk.  Apparently, Clinton “told the Senate Democrats to pass anything, and do it quickly.” Anything?  With all due respect to President Clinton, that’s not really the point here, now is it?

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 9.

1. Jon Walker summarizes the passage of health care reform (HR 3962) as “a truly historic moment…[that] will help millions of Americans,” but also “at best bittersweet” from a progressive perspective. In the end, this bill “will at least provide progressives the tools they can use build with.” It certainly “will not be the end of health care reform.” In other words, we all could be working on this issue for a looong time to come.

2. Jon Walker asks “the 37 House Democrats who voted against health care reform because it is too liberal, why are you even Democrats?”  Walker adds, “I’m not big on party purity tests, but there are some things that are so essential that they are at the heart of what it should mean to be a Democrat.” Things like providing high-quality, affordable health care to all Americans.

3. Jane Hamsher writes about her appearance this morning on “Democracy Now” with Dennis Kucinich talking about the House of Representatives’ Saturday night health care vote. Among other things, Hamsher points out that “[w]ith the exception of Kucinich and Massa, all of the House progressives abandoned their July 30 pledge to vote against any bill that didn’t have a public option with rates tied to Medicare.” Apparently, a pledge ain’t what it used to be on Capitol Hill.

4. Jon Walker argues that there are two reasons to use “reconciliation” to pass health care reform: 1) to “save the public option;” and 2) to “kill the Stupak amendment.” In the final analysis, Walker concludes, “if a bill is passed under regular order that does not contain a real public option but contains the Stupak amendment, it is because Harry Reid refused to use reconciliation.”  I’ve posed this question many times before, but I still don’t understand how Republicans were able to force through their agenda from 2001 to  2006 with a bare majority in Congress, yet it’s so hard for Democrats with large majorities in both chambers. Any theories?

5. Jon Walker writes that in “three hours on Saturday,” he managed to do what “women’s organizations failed [to do] in legislative and media battle on the issue” of women’s reproductive rights; namely, “coming up with a…strategic counter-proposal or attack to undercut Stupak.”  Maybe it’s time for pro-choice organizations to hire Jon Walker? Ha.

6. Michael Whitney says that now is the time “to refocus our efforts to secure a public option in the final bill that’s signed by President Obama.” In addition, we need to be “nailing down enough Members of Congress to stop triggers or state-opt outs from appearing in the conference report bill.” Something tells me this is going to be an intense next few weeks.

7. Yours truly blogs about Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) comparing health care reform to the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, this type of insane rhetoric is becoming typical of Republicans these days.

8. Jane Hamsher asks whether Planned Parenthood and NARAL will “score” the Stupak amendment, which “[s]ome are calling…the worst assault on a woman’s right to choose since the passage of Roe v. Wade.” If it’s that bad, pro-choice groups should “score” it, right?  Seems pretty obvious.

9. Jon Walker writes sarcastically, “Surprise! Ben Nelson Demands The Stupak Amendment!”  Yes, what a huge surprise that was. Not.

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 6.

1. Jon Walker asks, “Does Landrieu Not Know That All Her Demands Regarding The Public Option Have Already Been Addressed?” Specifically, Walker wonders if Landrieu is aware that “House Democrats adopted [Chuck] Schumer’s idea of a ‘level playing field’ public option,” one that is supported by premiums (not “government-run, taxpayer subsidized” as Landrieu seems to think). Very strange.

2. Jane Hamsher writes that “Anna Eshoo (D-PhRMA) may be the author of the language granting drug companies endless monopolies on biologic drugs, but she couldn’t have done it without the help of her good friend Jane Harman.” Hamsher urges everyone to sign the petition telling Senators Brown, Stabenow and Schumer to fight for affordable generic drugs for cancer and AIDS patients.

3. Jon Walker says that, “[a]s it stands, I can’t say I’m 100% confident in the success of a negotiated rates public option limited to only the new exchange.” Walker explains in detail how “the public option will reach several important tipping points in the first few years that will determine its long term success or failure.” Fascinating stuff.

4. Jane Hamsher writes about the AFL-CIO threatening to “reduce its contributions to Democrats who don’t side with them on the [health care] issue.” Hardball.

5. Jon Walker asks if the Republican strategy of “[d]ragging their heels, endless delaying, obstructing everything, screaming about overreach and government takeovers” has “succeeded in paralyzing enough conservative Democrats at just the wrong moment.” Walker worries that Democrats could end up “facing two opponents in 2010…Republicans, and staying home.” As someone who just observed exactly that in Virginia, I can say that this is not farfetched at all.

6. Jon Walker live blogs the House Rules Committee meeting to discuss the House health care reform bill HR 3962. Click here for Part II of Walker’s live blog.

7. An incredibly busy Jon Walker writes about a “new CBO analysis of the House bill [that] demonstrates how weak the CBO believes the new risk adjustment mechanism will be.”

8. Jane Hamsher asks asks everyone to “[h]elp Medical Students Fight PhMRA for affordable generics with their POP video.”

Finally, keep an eye on the House over the next few days, keep the pressure on your representatives for the best possible health care reform, and have a great weekend!

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 5.

1. Jon Walker reports on what he correctly calls a “cruel sick joke” – the Republican “health care reform “alternative.” Among other things, “It does not ban insurance companies from refusing to cover pre-existing conditions. It guts state health insurance regulations, and lets insurance companies charge sicker people more.” That’s why I like to call the GOP the “I’ve got mine so @#@$@ you” party.

2. Jon Walker blogs about DCCC chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen telling “members in a closed-door meeting that Democrats win by supporting the core Democratic agenda.”  Both Van Hollen and Nancy Pelosi emphasized that “Republicans attacked New York Democrat Bill Owens on health care during his own victorious special election campaign, but Owens still won.” In short, Democrats stand the best chance of winning when they give voters a clear alternative to Republicans.

3. Jon Walker says that endorsements of HR 3962 (the “Affordable Health Care for America Act”) by the AMA, AARP, American Cancer Society and Consumers Union “should help ensure that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be able to whip the votes to pass the bill on Saturday.” Let’s hope they more than counteract the Bachmann tea partiers who showed up en masse today on Capitol Hill!

4. Jane Hamsher has video of AMSA medical students and her visiting the Senate on Halloween to stop the Anna Eshoo/PhRMA Bill. Jane adds that you can help the medical students “spread the word by telling Senators Sherrod Brown, Chuck Schumer, Debbie Stabenow, Susan Collins and David Vitter (yes, that David Vitter) to help them fight to defeat Eshoo and PhRMA.”

5. Last but not least, Jon Walker reports that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has been disinvited as keynote speaker for the Palm Beach County, Florida Democratic Party’s annual fundraiser “because she has not yet decide to support cloture on health care reform.” Sorta like your mother saying, “you won’t get any dinner if you don’t stop hitting your brother?” 🙂