Lieberman: Public Option Is "Wrong"

(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.

[treschny]

I'm a Canadian who just found this article when trying to find out what was new in your efforts at health care reform. Our Medicare is different than insurance because health care workers here work for the government directly. I have a question - with public "insurance" does that mean your doctors would still be free to choose who they will and won't treat? What if private insurance decides to pay doctors more for their services? Won't that become a problem? Also, I realize public insurance won't have shareholders to pay, so that is more efficient, but will public "insurance" need to break even or make money? I'm not sure why this needs to be like insurance at all. Why not just have the government pay for health care straight up? Cut out the middlemen...

[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.