A history of Public Option rhetoric?

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

"I also want to say to seniors, if you're happy with Medicare the way it is, fine, you can stay in the program, but we're going to give you additional choices, just like they give federal employees in the federal employee health plan. Federal employees have got a variety of choices from which to choose, so should seniors."

- Bush jr. in a debate with Al Gore (source)

Is that Bush endorsing a *gasp* public option?!

let's see who else supports such a similar sort of idea....

"We allow you -- if you choose to, you don't have to -- but we give you broader competition to allow you to buy into the same health care plan that senators and congressmen give themselves.

If it's good enough for us, it's good enough for every American. I believe that your health care is just as important as any politician in Washington, D.C.

You want to buy into it, you can. We give you broader competition. That helps lower prices."

- John Kerry in a debate with Bush jr. ( source)

Is that Kerry endorsing a public option?

So when the FUCK did a public option become socialism?

Not to mention: WTF! Kerry is saying what Bush said 4 years earlier.

Comments

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Kerry clearly said that we need to have a public option. Bush was talking about creating more choices. What's funny is that whole exchange was around privatizing social security. My bet was that he was talking about allow Medicaid users to use a private Medicaid paid option... you know, the exact opposite of a public option.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Bush was addressing seniors specifically. "More choices in Medicare" could mean a bunch of things, but my guess is it was either A.) the prescription drug benefit or B.) some quasi-private form of Medicare.