Just being reported through NY Times and Huffington Post.
Thanks Joe. For everything. We knew we can depend on you. I hope Obama and the Democrats in the Senate put him in his place in 2010
Here is the link to the NY Times article
http://www.nytimes.com/...
December 14, 2009
Lieberman Rules Out Voting for Health Bill
By ROBERT PEAR, NY TImes
WASHINGTON — In a surprise setback for Democratic leaders, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, said on Sunday that he would vote against the health care legislation in its current form.
The bill’s supporters had said earlier that they thought they had secured Mr. Lieberman’s agreement to go along with a compromise they worked out to overcome an impasse within the party.
But on Sunday, Mr. Lieberman told the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, to scrap the idea of expanding Medicare and to abandon the idea of a new government insurance plan, known as a public option.
On a separate issue, Mr. Reid tried over the weekend to concoct a compromise on abortion that would induce Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, to vote for the bill. Mr. Nelson opposes abortion. Any provision that satisfies him risks alienating supporters of abortion rights.
It appears Mr Lieberman is again enjoying his power plays
Senator Snowe, of Maine, has tried to find common ground with Democrats. But she has rejected Mr. Reid’s proposal to let uninsured people ages 55 to 64 purchase coverage under Medicare.
Mr. Lieberman described what it would take to get his vote. "You’ve got to take out the Medicare buy-in," he said. "You’ve got to forget about the public option.
At Least Sen. Snowne is showing that she can be reasonable.
Mr. Lieberman said he would have "a hard time" voting for bill with the Medicare buy-in.
"It has some of the same infirmities that the public option did," Mr. Lieberman said. "It will add taxpayer costs. It will add to the deficit. It’s unnecessary. The basic bill, which has a lot of good things in it, provides a generous new system of subsidies for people between ages 55 and 65 and choice and competition."
We'll see what the CBO numbers say this week. Perhaps Mr. Lieberman is posturing