Faster horses
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HELENA - Within hours after Sen. Max Baucus voted Tuesday to omit a government-run insurance option from his health reform bill, a pair of liberal groups vowed to use a critical TV ad to "pummel" the senator for his action.
"These senators just voted against what their constituents want - and voted with corporate interests that have given them millions," said the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).
PCCC and Democracy for America already had prepared the ad, featuring Billings resident Bing Perrine, to begin airing Tuesday on broadcast outlets across Montana.
Perrine, who has more than $100,000 in debts because of a medical care related to a congenital heart defect, says on the ad that "none of this debt would have piled up if I'd had the option of buying into a public health insurance plan."
He then raps Baucus, a Montana Democrat, for opposing the public-option plan and asks "Whose side are you on?"
Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, voted twice in committee Tuesday to reject amendments from fellow Democrats to include the public-option insurance plan in his health reform bill.
Baucus said he opposes the public plan because its inclusion will prevent the reform bill from passing the full Senate. The so-called "public option" plan would be a nonprofit, government-run health plan that would compete against private health insurance in certain markets.
The TV ad featuring Perrine suggests that Baucus is opposing the public-option plan because he has received millions of dollars in campaign money from the insurance and health industries, which generally oppose the public option. The proposal also is opposed by Republicans and some moderate-to-conservative Democrats in Congress.
Democracy for America and PCCC intended to raise $100,000 to air the ad in Montana and Maine, where it targets U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, but said Tuesday they've already raised $90,000 and are upping the ante to $200,000.
Snowe, also a Finance Committee member, also voted against the public-option plan Tuesday.
"These two senators are out of step with their constituents and deserve pressure and political pain right now," said PCCC in a statement late Tuesday. "We are raising our fundraising goal to $200,000 to PUMMEL Baucus and Snowe with ads in their home state featuring the voices of their constituents."
Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf said the ad ignores the fact that Baucus' bill would prohibit private insurers from rejecting people like Perrine because of pre-existing health conditions.
"Stories like Bing's are tragic and wrong, and that is exactly why Max is fighting for meaningful health care reform to make sure this type of situation never happens again," Matsdorf said.
"The Senate Finance Committee is on the verge of passing a bill that will provide tax credits for small businesses and prevent insurance companies from denying people care based on pre-existing conditions, and Max is going to keep pushing to get it done."
"These senators just voted against what their constituents want - and voted with corporate interests that have given them millions," said the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).
PCCC and Democracy for America already had prepared the ad, featuring Billings resident Bing Perrine, to begin airing Tuesday on broadcast outlets across Montana.
Perrine, who has more than $100,000 in debts because of a medical care related to a congenital heart defect, says on the ad that "none of this debt would have piled up if I'd had the option of buying into a public health insurance plan."
He then raps Baucus, a Montana Democrat, for opposing the public-option plan and asks "Whose side are you on?"
Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, voted twice in committee Tuesday to reject amendments from fellow Democrats to include the public-option insurance plan in his health reform bill.
Baucus said he opposes the public plan because its inclusion will prevent the reform bill from passing the full Senate. The so-called "public option" plan would be a nonprofit, government-run health plan that would compete against private health insurance in certain markets.
The TV ad featuring Perrine suggests that Baucus is opposing the public-option plan because he has received millions of dollars in campaign money from the insurance and health industries, which generally oppose the public option. The proposal also is opposed by Republicans and some moderate-to-conservative Democrats in Congress.
Democracy for America and PCCC intended to raise $100,000 to air the ad in Montana and Maine, where it targets U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, but said Tuesday they've already raised $90,000 and are upping the ante to $200,000.
Snowe, also a Finance Committee member, also voted against the public-option plan Tuesday.
"These two senators are out of step with their constituents and deserve pressure and political pain right now," said PCCC in a statement late Tuesday. "We are raising our fundraising goal to $200,000 to PUMMEL Baucus and Snowe with ads in their home state featuring the voices of their constituents."
Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf said the ad ignores the fact that Baucus' bill would prohibit private insurers from rejecting people like Perrine because of pre-existing health conditions.
"Stories like Bing's are tragic and wrong, and that is exactly why Max is fighting for meaningful health care reform to make sure this type of situation never happens again," Matsdorf said.
"The Senate Finance Committee is on the verge of passing a bill that will provide tax credits for small businesses and prevent insurance companies from denying people care based on pre-existing conditions, and Max is going to keep pushing to get it done."