What are not legitimate concerns are those being put forward claiming a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system. I’ll be honest. There are countries where a single-payer system may be working. But I believe – and I’ve even taken some flak from members of my own party for this belief – that it is important for us to build on our traditions here in the United States. So, when you hear the naysayers claim that I’m trying to bring about government-run health care, know this – they are not telling the truth.
What I am trying to do – and what a public option will help do – is put affordable health care within reach for millions of Americans. And to help ensure that everyone can afford the cost of a health care option in our Exchange, we need to provide assistance to families who need it. That way, there will be no reason at all for anyone to remain uninsured.
The filibuster was the Democrats’ excuse. They used that excuse many times, and it was never legitimate.
If minority Republicans can use it to block everything, then minority Democrats can too … except that’s not how it played out … and that’s how we know that the corporate Dems were just pandering to big pharma et al.
– obama 2009
https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2009/06/obama-rejects-single-payer-019106
This was said after single-payer was blocked. This was his version of RomneyCare, in response to the original vision being defeated via filibuster.
The filibuster was the Democrats’ excuse. They used that excuse many times, and it was never legitimate.
If minority Republicans can use it to block everything, then minority Democrats can too … except that’s not how it played out … and that’s how we know that the corporate Dems were just pandering to big pharma et al.