Is Blanche Lincoln Coming Around On Health Care Reform?

Who'll be the next in line?

One of Blue America's biggest successes was when we put together 6 full page newspaper ads asking why a Democratic congressman would join the GOP in opposing health care for needy children. Before we could run the ads 5 of the Democrats announced they were changing their positions in favor of reform and we were able to save the thousands of dollars we had scheduled to spend. We still ran the full page ad against Jim Marshall, an ultra-conservative Democrat from Georgia, and he voted with Republicans against the kids anyway. Jim Marshall, a Zeller Miller Democrat, will have Blue America on his ass for the rest of his miserable career.

Yesterday when I woke up I had a letter from Digby telling me that Blanche Lincoln, the first target of the Blue America Campaign for Health Care Choice is reassessing her support for Insurance Industry CEOs against the interests of Arkansas' working families. (A few days ago we mentioned that one of the families she shills for-- the Waltons of Wal-Mart-- may also be telling her to change her reactionary position.) "Individuals should be able to choose from a range of quality health insurance plans," said Senator Lincoln. "Options should include private plans as well as a quality, affordable public plan or non-profit plan that can accomplish the same goals as those of a public plan." She sounds almost like a Democrat. Digby:

Far be it for me to suggest that the threat of a barrage of ads throughout the state using the words "quality public plan" would precipitate this, but her office was informed about what was coming down the pike starting.

Greg Sargent at Who Runs Gov speculated today that "pressure from the left might be getting results, albeit limited ones, in the case of “centrist” Dem Senator Blanche Lincoln, who has been resisting any commitment to backing a public health care option."

Lincoln, who’s getting hammered by ads demanding she commit to the public option, has now shifted towards supporting one, at least in rhetorical terms. In a piece for today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, she says health care reform should include a public plan or a non-profit substitute.
Here’s the key graf from Lincoln:

Health care reform must build upon what works and improve inefficiencies. Individuals should be able to choose from a range of quality health insurance plans. Options should include private plans as well as a quality, affordable public plan or non-profit plan that can accomplish the same goals as those of a public plan.

The assertion that reform “should” have a public plan or non-profit substitute is a shift from her previous position, which was only that she was “evaluating” a public plan or a substitute.

Lincoln’s position had made her a top target of the left. The Blue America PAC, which is headed by liberal bloggers Howie Klein, Digby, dday, Jane Hamsher and John Amato, raised money for ads targeting Lincoln in her home state of Arkansas, pushing her to commit to a public option.

To be sure, Lincoln left herself wiggle room. The non-profit substitute for a public plan could take many forms, and the idea is viewed in some quarters as a potential ruse to avoid creating a strong public option. But Lincoln clearly seems to be shifting on the question.

TPM made much the same point today in the post Amid Pressure From Party Leaders And Reformers, Blanche Lincoln Now Open To A Public Option.

A couple things to keep in mind. First, Lincoln has been under fire from reformers for being unwilling to unequivocally endorse the public option-- and since she still hasn't done that, it's hard to imagine they'll be fully satisfied.

Second, this comes as Democratic leaders are making their strongest push yet to unite caucus members ahead of a tough fight over health care reform. Majority Leader Harry Reid is pushing the Senate Finance Committee to move ahead with a comprehensive and satisfactory health care reform bill with or without Republican support, and, relatedly, Majority Whip Dick Durbin is urging party members to oppose Republican filibusters on Democratic agenda items, even if they don't support the underlying legislation.

So where does that leave the Blue America community? Our first batch of TV spots started running all over Arkansas today. We're talking about putting the second wave on hold now that Lincoln (and Pryor) seem to be moving in the right direction. We'll re-assess in a week. Meanwhile, we're trying to decide what state our next target should be. Pennsylvania, where Republican-Democrat hybrid freak Arlen Specter take even more outrageous bribes from the Medical-Industrial Complex and Big Insurance than Lincoln and who is playing a devious behind the scenes role in trying to water down the effectiveness of a public option at the behest of his patrons? Or how about Iowa, the home of Chuck Grassley, the Republican tasked by the Insurance Industry with being on the front line of offense against the entire concept of "robustness"in a public option. As ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee-- something he held onto rather than take on that position on the Judiciary Committee for the specific purpose of working with his pal Max Baucus to weaken any reform to the point of making it ineffective-- Grassley makes an excellent target of opportunity. He also has to face a politically well-educated voting base in a blue-trending state in 2010. Imagine ridding the SEnate-- and American politics of a worse-than-worthless hack like Evan Bayh! Or maybe you have another suggestion? Let us know-- and, please, continue donating to the Campaign for Health Care Choice. We can make this work, one crooked senator at a time!

Meanwhile, where do we look for leadership on health care policy? Ken suggested Howard Dean the other day. I'm with him on that-- and with another Vermonter as well, Senator Bernie Sanders. THis is the guy who should be writing the legislation, not disgraceful Big Business shills like Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley.




UPDATE: Our Blanche Lincoln Ad Goes National

David Shuster ran our ad on MSNBC as a news story today-- and invited Jane on to talk about it.