Lieberman Still Opposing Health Care Reform

The only Republican member of the Democratic Caucus, Joe Lieberman, made it clear last Sunday that he will not support any kind of real health care reform. He says he would like to vote for health care reform (a lie), but then made it clear he would join Republicans in blocking a vote on the package unless the most important reforms are gutted from the bill.

The Democrats need 60 votes to cut off debate and vote on the reform bill. To reach 60, they need every Democrat and both independents in their caucus (Sanders and Lieberman). If the Republicans vote as a block and Lieberman joins them, that would effectively keep health reform from being approved (or even voted on).

Lieberman said on some Sunday news shows that he would not allow a vote unless the reform package:

* Eliminated any kind of a public option.

* Eliminated the compromise non-profit private insurance proposal.

* Eliminated the provision to extend Medicare to those 55 and older.

* Eliminated a proposal to provide long-term home health care to the disabled.

Of course if none of these proposals were included in the reform package, then there would be no real reform. The insurance companies would continue to raise their premiums, while refusing to pay off on their policies. It would mean that instead of a doctor, an insurance company employee (who's bonus depends on denying coverage) would remain in charge of deciding what kind of treatment patients could have.

None of this should come as a surprise though. Joe Lieberman has been bought and paid for by the giant medical and insurance corporations for a long time now. In his career, Lieberman has received over $2 million from the health care industry and another $1 million from the insurance industry. Is it any wonder he opposes any real reform?

I have to ask, whatever happened to proposing health care reform as a reconciliation bill -- a bill that would only require a majority vote and could not be filibustered? If this is still possible, then that is what needs to happen -- regardless of what Joe Lieberman (or Ben Nelson) wants.

Once the bill is finally passed, there is one more thing the Democrats need to do. They need to take Lieberman's committee chairmanship away from him and kick him to the curb (hard). Let him caucus with his Republican buddies. He was not elected as a Democrat, and after his actions during the last campaign and currently, he clearly shows he doesn't belong anywhere near the Democratic Caucus.

Joe Lieberman is a treacherous, villainous and utterly vile little creature, who is willing to step over the bodies of millions without insurance to sell out to his corporate masters.