Landrieu Opposes Medicare

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:44:47 AM EST
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Points for honesty for Senator Mary Landrieu:

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) [said] "I am not a big fan of public option[. . . .] We already have two public options that most people in America understand Medicaid and Medicare. Both have very, very serious problems. One is gonna be bankrupt in seven years and the other one doctors won't want to participate. So we certainly don't want to create a third one like that."

I see no reason for national Democrats (not being an interloper, Louisiana Dems can decide if they want her) to care about the political fate of Mary Landrieu. But at least her opposition to a public option is honest - she would abolish Medicare if she could. As for Medicaid, Louisiana can opt out any time it likes. I wonder that Landrieu does not argue for that?

Speaking for me only

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Landrieu Opposes Medicare | 31 comments (31 topical)

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They can fix Medicare. (5.00 / 4) (#8)
by hairspray on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 11:08:41 AM EST

A robust public option using Medicare as the center piece would work just fine. Of course all of those weapon systems need to go also.

She is in a perfect position (5.00 / 4) (#9)
by andgarden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 11:41:27 AM EST

to support this now and reap the benefits at her next election when it is a popular program. I think she is being politically very stupid, but whatever.

The best and easist fix for Medicare (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by MO Blue on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 11:52:20 AM EST

would be to convert to a premium based Medicare for All system for those under 65.

I know that is not going to happen and I may be stating the obvious but evidently many in Congress have been able to avoid the obvious in pursuit of campaign donations.

prediction #2 (none / 0) (#1)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:46:16 AM EST

Landrieu will be out in the next election.

Melancon loses to Vitter next year (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:49:37 AM EST

Louisiana is Republican. Arkansas is too BTW.

Maine BTW, is Democratic. Once Snowe and Collins go, Maine will never again elect a Republican Senator imo.

This is just the completion of what started in 1964.


: totally agree about (none / 0) (#4)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:52:49 AM EST

AR. I will vote against them both if they dont wake up.

: 1964 (none / 0) (#21)
by sancho on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 01:51:23 PM EST

and why we should let the South secede, again.

as will many (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:51:56 AM EST

so called democrats if this goes down. Michael Moore was serious about electing republicans and so am I and lots of other people.
if we are going to be governed by republicans they damn well might as well be called republicans.

the democrats are finally starting to understand that this is not a idyll threat. which is why I am hopeful. the one thing they can be counted on to do is save their own sorry a$$es. they will not do it because its the right thing to do.


: Funny (none / 0) (#26)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 04:27:03 PM EST

That's what Repubs are calling Blue Dog Demos.

She should be a good example then (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by ruffian on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 10:57:23 AM EST

that even going so far to the right as to oppose Medicare is not enough to win you Republican votes if you do not support every one of their other issues.

Hope the WH and Senate leadership watch that one.

Of course probably the only lesson they will learn is that they have to go even more to the right.


: Obama needs a sit down (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by hairspray on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 11:05:58 AM EST

with Landrieu, Lincoln and Pryor. They can be forced into line if Obama puts pressure on them. Its what LBJ did when he wanted Medicare in the '60's. But the realignment is probably coming. We need the two GOPpers in Maine to be gone and it couldn't happen soon enough for me.

Title is somewhat misleading. (none / 0) (#11)
by oculus on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 11:54:08 AM EST

She doesn't support a Medicare-like public option. Cutting own throat if she says she doesn't support Medicare.

Disagree (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:06:32 PM EST

"We already have two public options that most people in America understand Medicaid and Medicare. Both have very, very serious problems. One is gonna be bankrupt in seven years and the other one doctors won't want to participate. So we certainly don't want to create a third one like that."


I think it's the clear implication of her quote (none / 0) (#13)
by andgarden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:07:53 PM EST

Such a sychophant! (none / 0) (#14)
by oculus on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:08:35 PM EST

Hey, you can parse out the logic (none / 0) (#15)
by andgarden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:12:01 PM EST

yourself. She has a little wiggle room, but only if she can find a reason to support programs whose reasoning she does not support.


I'm certain there is a pun in there (none / 0) (#18)
by oculus on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:32:10 PM EST

somewhere re "parsing." Steve M?


: Heh (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by Steve M on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 04:54:26 PM EST

Sounds like a parse-onal problem to me.

It certainly dosnt sound (none / 0) (#24)
by jondee on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 03:15:06 PM EST

like she likes Medicare.

She's assuaging the knee-jerk gubmint haters, it sounds like. Not much of a suprise there.


Very odd considering the (none / 0) (#16)
by oldpro on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:12:36 PM EST

Landrieu family is thought to have a progressive, even liberal, political history in La. It's all relative, I guess.

"landslide" Landrieu isn't going to have (none / 0) (#17)
by andgarden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 12:15:25 PM EST

to Obama turnout on her side next time. She's the Gordon Smith of 2014.


Not to mention all those 'liberals' (none / 0) (#19)
by oldpro on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 01:23:15 PM EST

who left the state after the NO debacle and won't be coming back to vote Democratic.


The 2008 vote in Orleans parish (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by andgarden on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 01:26:25 PM EST

dropped to a level not seen since the 1980s in a Presidential election. I did the math a few weeks ago, and Landrieu just barely won Louisiana outside of NO, but that requires black turnout that probably won't exist in a non-Presidential year.


: Yup. (none / 0) (#23)
by oldpro on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 03:05:51 PM EST

landrieu is correct about both medicare and (none / 0) (#22)
by Bornagaindem on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 01:52:28 PM EST

medicaid. Doctors don't want medicare patients and the repugs put in the poison pill of drug coverage for seniors with out allowing medicare to negotiate for prices (need I remind you that Obambi already gave that one away). The only thing that will bring down prices is to get everyone n the same pool. It is amazing that mediacre has remained solvent up until now when it has to cover all those old people. Figure out what your premiums would be if you had to cover that age group under the private insurers model?

We are so screwed if this administration passes even HR3200 because these are bills for private insurers not for the american citizen. And remember none of these pols cares because it doesn't even get started until 2013- AFTER obama gets to run for reelection. And you don't think that is on purpose?

: Remember that us in (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 05:31:59 PM EST

that "age group" have paid Medicare taxes on earnings for about 42 years and we now pay premiums of around $109 per month plus whatever we pay as premiums for supplemental insurance and Medicare Part D.
So if Obama will not loot the treasury to pay for coverage for his base perhaps we will not be as big a burden as everyone fears.

: So she opposes Medicare (none / 0) (#25)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 03:38:00 PM EST

Glad we got that straight.

kill the messinger (none / 0) (#29)
by diogenes on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 08:24:18 PM EST

Well, around here doctors don't want to participate in Medicaid due to very low rates. The Medicare trust fund is going broke, is it not?

See my above comment. (none / 0) (#31)
by sallywally on Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 09:09:22 PM EST

Docs do participate in Medicare and they are still extremely far from the poorhouse.


: Find me one in Houston because my husband (none / 0) (#32)
by suzieg on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:42:13 AM EST

cannot find one who will take him unless he's covered by an "advantage" plan.

: I said MEDICAID (none / 0) (#33)
by diogenes on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 08:30:49 PM EST

Doctors don't participate in Medicaid. Around here you have to call at 8AM on the first day of the month to get one of the token spots which get opened. They reluctantly participate locally in Medicare (which is going broke). Doctors don't go to the poorhouse because of higher rates paid by the "evil" private insurance companies.