List of 51 Senate Democrats Who Support a Public Option: What's Stopping Them Now?

Some day, just for kicks, I'm going to collect quotes from every scold who called upon their volumes of wisdom about Senate procedure to decree that Joe Lieberman must be the ultimate decider on any health care bill, because after all it took 60 votes to pass anything. Because now, as we've known all along, that's a self-imposed limitation that the Senate can surmount if they want to.

Some day, just for kicks, I'm going to collect quotes from every scold who called upon their volumes of wisdom about Senate procedure to decree that Joe Lieberman must be the ultimate decider on any health care bill, because after all it took 60 votes to pass anything. Because now, as we've known all along, that's a self-imposed limitation that the Senate can surmount if they want to.

But let's remember that back in August, when Chuck Schumer was pushing to pass health care through reconciliation, here was the guy who was running the health care show on behalf of the White House:

[Rahm Emanuel] acknowledged the political realities that have made the Finance Committee's still-unfinished cooperative plan a center of attention.

"We have heard from both chambers that the House sees a public plan as essential for the final product, and the Senate believes it cannot pass it as constructed and a co-op is what they can do," Mr. Emanuel said. "We are cognizant of that fact."

And then he handed the keys over to Joe Lieberman and Blanche Lincoln to write a wildly unpopular bill that is threatening to take down the party.

When he voted against a public option on the Senate Finance Committe, Max Baucus -- who has supported a public option in the past -- said he did so because it couldn't get 60 votes in the Senate. And now they can't even get 50 votes to agree to change the bill in any way.

So, should we conclude that the 51 Democrats in the Senate who said they support a public option when 60 votes were needed were all full of shit, now that the bar is down to 50 and they're still not moving?

Here is a list of the 51 Democrats who said they support a public option:

#SenatorStateComment
1AkakaHISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
2BaucusMTSaid reason for voting against on Senate Finance was the need for 60 votes
3BennetCOSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
4BingamanNMVoted for Schumer's "level playing field" public option on Senate Finance
5BoxerCASigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
6BrownOHVoted for HELP Committee public option
7BurrisILSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
8Byrd"In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American."
9CantwellWAVoted for Schumer level playing field on Senate Finance
10CardinMDVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
11CarperDEVoted for Schumer's "level playing field" public option on Senate Finance
12CaseyPASigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
13DoddCTVoted for HELP Committee public option
14DorganNDI do believe that some sort of public option needs to be part of the proposal, along with a focus on bringing down health care costs and prevention.
15DurbinILVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
16FeingoldWISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
17FeinsteinCASigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
18FrankenMNSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
19GillibrandNYSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
20HaganNCVoted for HELP Committee public option
21HarkinIAVoted for HELP Committee public option
22InouyeHISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
23JohnsonSDI asked, "What about the bill are you opposed to?" He replied, "That it doesn't have a robust public option".a
24KaufmanDESigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
25KerryMASigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
26KlobucharMN"I would prefer a public option that would be a competitive option that would allow people to buy into a Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, which is a series of private plans."
27KohlWISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
28LautenbergNJSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
29LeahyVTVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
30LevinMIVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
31McCaskillMOVoted for Schumer's level playing field on Senate Finance
32MenendezNJVoted for Schumer level playing field on Senate Finance
33MerkleyORSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
34MikulskiMDSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
35MurrayWAVoted for HELP Committee public option
36Nelson (Bill)FLVoted for Schumer's "level playing field" public option on Senate Finance
37ReedRISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
38ReidNV"I've told people, whoever will listen, that I am in favor of the public option."
39RockefellerWVVoted for Schumer Level Playing Field public option on Senate Finance Committee
40SandersVTVoted for HELP Committee public option
41SchumerNYSponsor of Schumer Amendment
42ShaheenNHVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
43SpecterPASigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
44StabenowMIVoted for Schumer's level playing field on Senate Finance
45TesterMT"We need competition, and if we get a public option that will help Montana. I will support it."
46UdallCO"I support the President's plan to include the public option as a tool help reform our broken health care system. But above all, any reform must be done in a deficit-neutral way and must provide choice, stability and security for those who have insurance."
47UdallNMVoted for Kennedy resolution demanding public option in May
48WarnerVA"It's not a make or break thing-he wants to see a health reform bill that contains costs, and if it includes a public option...he would vote for it."
49WebbVATold the Huffington Post he is open to a public health care option.
50WhitehouseRISigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
51WydenORSigned Oct 8 letter demanding public option
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