Lieberman: Public Option Is "Wrong"

Renews Vow to Filibuster Any Health Care Reform Legislation that Includes Gov't-Backed Coverage

(CBS)  Senator Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said Sunday that anyone supporting a government-backed health insurance plan is not only "wrong," but is jeopardizing the passage of any reform of health care.

"I'm all for health care reform," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "We have a system that needs fixing. But we've got some more urgent problems than that, and the first most urgent is to fix our economy, to get at creating jobs again."

Lieberman told moderator Bob Schieffer that the public option "came out of nowhere," and said it was not necessary to achieve what he described as the two goals of health reform: "Make health insurance more affordable, and to extend it to people who don't have it now.

"The public option I think was raised in the last year by people who really want to have a government-controlled health insurance system. That's their right. I think they're wrong.

"But it's not necessary - as President Obama has said over and over again - to achieve the goals that he has. So I hope it's not in there at the end" he told Schieffer.

The senator said that he would filibuster any legislation including a public option.

"Yes. Yes, I'm not going to filibuster to stop the debate on health care reform from beginning because I want to have that debate. I want to have health care reform. I want to be able to say, yes, there are so many good things we can do to make health insurance more affordable and to extend it to people who don't have it now," he told Schieffer.

"There're so many good things we can do to make health insurance more affordable and to extend it to people who don't have it now, but I feel so strongly about the creation of another government health insurance entitlement, of the government going into the health insurance business, I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single Senator to stop a final vote."

"But wouldn't that mean that you might wind up with nothing instead of something?" asked Schieffer.

"Yeah, but I'd say to the people who are all of a sudden making the public option a government health insurance company the litmus test here, they're stopping us from getting something done."

On the supposed corruption within the Karzai administration in Afghanistan, Lieberman said, "We really got to keep our eye on the ball here. And David Axelrod said it well in the previous interview: We're in Afghanistan to stop the Taliban and al Qaeda from coming back into control there because if they do, it will be a base from which they can attack us again as they did on 9/11."

Finally, on President Obama's surprise visit to Dover Air Force Base to see the remains of American troops received, which was lambasted by Rush Limbaugh as a "photo op," Lieberman said, "I think he was there as commander in chief for all Americans. And I don't fault him or question his motives at all.

"I was proud that my president was there," he said.

[Jimmy371]

Congress and Yobama don't want real health care reform. If they did, they would make health care as transparent as the law-making process and his administration.

Oh wait, there is no transparency. Everything is being done behind locked, closed doors, in middle of the night. That explains why a public option is a lie. It's just Yobama and the left-wing's way of taking over medicine. The government can make things as cheap as it wants and run as big a deficit as it wants, regardless of the results. Look at Medicare as an example. They have done nothing to fix the fraud in Medicare and it won't change anything now.

[MWCBS]

Joe Lieberman is such a DISGRACE.

He just cares about Joe Lieberman.

I hope Harry Reid puts him in his place.

He is a FRAUD and in the insurance company's pocket.

He is such bad KARMA. If he messes around and does not support the DEMOCRAT's my vow is that I will be campaigning door to door in CT in 2012 for his opponents(s) if I live long that long.

He has health insurance and a good job he is so awful!!

[southview417]

Conn. is never going to get rid of old Joe. Most of this states payrolls are from the healthcare and credit card industry because of there lax restrictions of these businesses.Ever notice most insurace and cc companies list conn. or deleware as home offices. There is a reason for this. It would be economic suicide to vote in someone who really cared about the American people and their needs.

[Lawson-TN]

Ol' Joe is quite literally sleeping with the insurance industry lobby. His wife is a paid insurance industry lobbyist, and we're supposed to think that's had no impact on his bizarre idea that somehow the government is both such a screwed up entity it can do nothing right, but yet is a threat to private insurance companies and can put them out of business by competing with them? Which is it? Is the government so inept that it can't run anything right, or is it a threat to the private insurance industry by creating real competition? These thugs in the insurance industry have had it too good for too long and caused far too much heartache and pain for Americans. Lieberman is a liar, an idiot and not worth the spit in my cheeks. I don't see him trying to undo Medicaid. That seems to be working pretty darn well. I don't know anyone on this "socialized medicine" who would gladly give up their Medicaid. Expand it to ALL AMERICANS! Its wrong to make somebody choose between health and food, health and rent, health and keeping the lights on. Nobody should be bankrupt for getting sick in this country,especially after paying thousands of dollars to these companies naively thinking they have health coverage. And when I think of how the companies discriminate against people with developmental disabilities, even mild affliction, and deny them health coverage, its gets me really angry. Its time to take these Cartels down and their paid-for, in-the-pocket politicians with them. These Blue Dogs are disgusting panderers that sold out to mobs from the radical right, the tea-baggery folk who despise them, but they voted against the reform anyway to appease them. Disgusting. All of you for the status quo of the health care industry are selfish, disgusting, anti-American, anti-Democracy, evil lovers of money and worshipers of unfettered capitalism. The love of money, truly is the root of all evil.

[mccheese0]

Amazing, what a turncoat. How in God's name did he ever manage to be a VP candidate for a good party like the Dems. He should go to the GOP where his miserable butt belongs until he gets voted out next election. He has no business in a party composed of decent people who give a crap about the common good. He is in the pay of the special interests, insurance lobby, etc. What a hypocrite: He lives in his little national security hole, comes out once a year to go to Walter Reed for his annual check up on my dime... then he decides the stick it to me and the rest of the country that are one illness away from bankruptcy. Thank you Joe "Useless" Lieberman.

Please CT, we have all given this turkey the benefit of the doubt for too long (including me). It's time to give up on Lieberman and replace him with a real Democrat.

[coichua]

THAT THE WAYS IT WAS.
HEALTH CARE PUBLIC OPTION IS COMPETITION WITH INSURANCE HEALTH CARE CORP.
WHICH THOSE CORP. DID NOT WANT THIS COMPETITION AS THEY HAD BEEN THE KING AND CONTROL THE COST, THE WAYS THEY WANTED,THAT THE WAYS IT WAS, WE NEVER HAVE HEALTH CARE,
TODAY IS THE TIME WE DESIRE ANY ONE HAVE HEALTH CARE.
UNITE STATES WAS ONLY ONE COUNTRY IN THE WORLS DID NOT HAVE HEALTH CARE FOR CITIZENS
PLEASE, WE ARE NOT GIVING UP OF OPPROTUNITY AS IT NOW

[czman11]

It looks like the old Joe switches parties like socks he puts on every morning. He must be the worst case of a turncoat I have ever seen in my life. I wander if they put stupid pills in Connecticut's drinking water or if the people of this state are just so gullible to his bull**** that they keep on electing him. This clown would join communist party if he could benefit from it. It's time for the old Joe to take a hike and retire so we don't have to keep up with with his party and mind changing practice. Good people of Connecticut, you have the power at your fingertips to send this turncoat on permanent vacation and I sure hope you will.

[shockeyguy]

Schieffer used to be my favorite interviewer.No more. He let Lieberman spew lies the whole time and never challenged him.How is it that allowing competition for insurance companies will raise rates? This defies supply and demand.Lieberman is an ego maniacal dolt who supports spending billions in Iraq but,says health care is too expensive. Schieffer sat there and let him go on unchallenged.I have seen my last Face the Nation. It might as well be on FOX!

[tawpdawg1111]

dongeddes and bgbgl I agree with you wholeheartedly. Scheiffert may be too old or something....he had a big fish smackin' him across the face and let it get away without ANY effort. WEAK, CBS, WEAK!

My how things have changed there.

[wgthomas3-2009]

The one good thing about the stolen election of 2000 was that Joe Lieberman did not become vice president. Can you imagine where we would be if he had become the president after Gore had served his term(s)? I totally have not respect for Lieberman. Connecticut, you are better than this.

[bgbgl]

Mr. Lieberman loves the color GREEN as in Money.
Mr. Schieffer gave a soft interview failing to show 2006 tapes of the Senator campaigning strongly our need for universal health care like Congressional members have? What a sham! Lieberman always supported his state based health insurance corporations. Once he got elected he basically said screw you to the citizens of his state and of course citizens of this country. I don't agree with the hosts on the tape that he has learned a lot since then. Obviously he never brought it up as how he has evolved. He just says what needs to be said to keep the insurance company support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5B10rYlG2o

Mr. Schieffer should have questioned this remarkable change! Hard questioning is needed when such an important issue affecting all of us is on the table.

If Tim Russert was here he would have challenged the Senator and questioned his horrible flipping. Either CBS is becoming more skewed to the right or Mr. Schieffer needs to do his homework or retire. Sorry. You may be a nice guy but we are wondering what is going on at CBS. We have already stopped listening to Katie and moved to another major network for evening news and are becoming quite concerned about "Face the Nation".

Oh one more thing. Try to email the Senator if you are out-of-state like I did and watch him tell you to go to your own senators because he is too busy. He forgets he is a Senator of our country. I have emailed many and never got such a arrogant response. Oh very professionally done just letting you know you are not important.
Senator Lieberman I will definitely financially support a Democratic opponent when your time comes.

[dongeddes]

Not only is Lieberman wrong, bur Shieffer was wrong not to call-him-out on his comments on Sunday morning. Sheiffer may be pleased with some calling him the new Tim Russert, but Russert HE IS NOT! Can you imagine Tim allowing Lieberman to spew his soft-spoken drivel about Health Care without playing the clip of this same narsasistic jerk taking exactly the opposite position while running for re-election two years ago (..."a Public Option is the only way to go"...). A real "newsman" would have his facts in order and not conduct this kind of puffball stagecraft. Either Shieffer has lost it, or his staff and producers don't care about getting the facts straight. Or else, maybe CBS is not allowing its (so called) newscasters to do a proper job. Either way, I'm so disgusted that I will no longer watch this "show".

[noloyalisti]

Who elected this bozo? A Republican in sheep's clothing. He is a pathetic little dweeb owned by the health insurance lobby. But then again, Connecticut elected this jerk. How did we become so ignorant and stupid?

[TheScarletPimpernel]

I was disappointed that Bob Schieffer sat their and let Sen. Lieberman spew so many misrepresentations and outright lies about the public option and never once challenged him. Either Mr. Schieffer was totally unprepared for the program or he simply let a personal opinion (opposition to the public option) control his show and permit such blatant and repeated misrepresentation. I expect this of Fox News, but not CBS.

[natdef_1]

Thank God for Lieberman -- someone in Congress has to drop an anvil on the Communists!

[Lawson-TN]

Communists? Uh, are you stupid or something? Do you even know what Communism is, or how absolutely ridiculously moronic you are for saying "someone (sic) in Congress has to drop an anvil on the Communists!" Do you? Have you any idea just how stupid that was to say, or do you get off making absurd inflammatory anti-Democracy remarks like this on public forums just to see your words magically appear on the screen? You don't know what Communism, or Socialism even is, let alone why and how it is so radically different from anything being put on the table in a bill that would finally let Americans be able to get treatment for being sick without ending up bankrupt. And why do you love the insurance industry, anyway? How can you possibly sit there and feel all warm and fuzzy about this group of pandering thugs? You have no shame, apparently, match with your lack of sense. Go soak your teabag.

[ellensmithee]

If Lie-berman says he's against it, I'm for it.
Lie-berman's a puppet for the Council of Foreign Relations, who are sure they own us.

[natdef_1]

And who's your Geppetto???

[rafterman1]

If you are agaisnt a public option, you are agaisnt health care reform - PERIOD. Because anything less than a public option is just the same bullsh*t health care system we've had the past 50 years, no reform at all.

[DMarlin0531]

It is easy for Joe Lieberman to say that we don?t need public healthcare. He has a regular paycheck, insurance and access to the best healthcare. He also represents a state which prospers from the insurance premiums. The majority of insurance firms are based in Connecticut because of the lax laws they have concerning the liability of insurance companies.
Could it be that the insurance company and medical corps have bribed the lawmakers out of giving the general public some much needed assistance???
In addition to the legislature having "us the taxpayers" bail out banks and car manufacturers, they have ignored the fact that we "the taxpayers" don?t have jobs, and the banks are still repossessing our homes even though we will be paying their debts through ?higher taxes.?
How do the "lawmakers" propose that we afford to pay for day to day necessities much less health insurance?
This is just another example of what is reported everyday about
Politicians, who take more than they need while they try to pass laws for rationing what is left of the necessities to the ?rest of us?.
The legislatures seem to have no sense of morality, but never-the-less are entrusted to write the laws (to protect society) which they (the lawmakers) seem not to obey nor abide. (http://justicefacts.blogspot.com/)

[erb0087]

"For one thing Lieberman is NOT an independent, he is a REPUBLICAN."

That isn't quite true.

Most of Lieberman's positions such as his strong endorsement of the Global Warming position (that mankind is causing it), his extreme pro-choice position on abortion, his support for gay and lesbian rights (stopping jusy short of endorsing gay marriage), and his gun control positions (Lieberman has received an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association and a 90% from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence) all put him at the far left wing of the Senate.

[proudmilvet]

Aposleal... You said Jesus would'nt have anything to do with Christianity? Who do you think CHRISTianity is named after,Kris Kringle? Are you that Stupid? Wait, i forgot. you're a Conservative!

[jwesel1]

The concept of trinity is the basis for modern day christianity which is not what Jesus taught. Jesus believed in one God.