I hope so. I read the transcript for Dr Deans appearance on MTP and i noticed he did not outright say "kill the the bill".
Few days ago he said "If it were me, I'd kill the bill all entirely. But on MTP he suggested the bill should be allowed to go to conference so we can fix it some more.
Dean on Countdown few days ago.
On "Meet the Press"
MR. GREGORY: You say an "unseemly scramble for votes." For Senator Lieberman, they had to give up Medicare expansion or else he would not have voted for it. For Senator Nelson, much the same thing, and also including this--these restrictions on whether abortions can be paid for in a federal exchange of private insurance plans. Given this rush and the compromises made for votes, do you stand by your words this week that you would not vote for this bill?
DR. DEAN: I would certainly not vote for this bill if this were the final product. But there are--the House bill is a--quite a good bill. This bill has improved over the last couple of weeks. I would let this thing go to conference committee and let's see if we can fix it some more, because this...
What he wants fixed
MR. GREGORY: What needs to be fixed specifically?
DR. DEAN: Well, first of all, the cost controls need to apply to hospitals. Second of all, we really do need some kind of a public option. At least allow the states to have a public option, a real public option, because they--you know, some senators have said, "Well, there's a public option to the bill." Well, that's not really true. The public option in this bill is allowing the federal government to, to negotiate with private insurance companies. That's not a public option.
He had some positive things to say about the Senate Bill
DR.DEAN: Well, let's start with the positive things. Over the last week there were some things that were improved. David mentioned the so-called medical loss ratio, the limits on what insurance companies make, and that was true. That was added to the bill. It was, it was in a form that the, the CBO wouldn't have allowed, and now it was allowed. It's not all that strong, but it's strong. We can expect some, some gaming by the insurance companies, but it's there. There were some cost control mechanisms that were gutted; they got restored. So there are some things here, but there are still big loopholes. The major cost control commission that was going to control costs, which had been gutted in the bill as a week--as of a week ago, is restored; except it doesn't apply to hospitals, which, of course, are the biggest drivers of cost controls--I mean, of cost increases. So the bill is better than it was, but it's still got a long way to go.
His position, still a skeptic.
MR. GREGORY: All right. But, Governor, my, my question was without the public option, is your position say no to the bill?
DR. DEAN: My position is let's see what they add to this bill and make it work. If they can make it work without a public option, I'm all ears. I don't think that's possible.
Dean is a decent man, despite the bitter argument with the administration, he still has the president's back. I hope we learn from him.
MR. GREGORY: Given your own fight within the Democratic Party, indeed, within the Obama administration, do you intend to stay in the Democratic Party?
DR. DEAN: Of course. Absolutely. I, I've said I would vigorously support the president's re-election in 2012. I have every intention of doing that. Look, whatever fights we have inside the Democratic Party--and this is a very, very, very sore one, because I really do think we're going down a track that's not going to be helpful in the long run without some really brutal fights ahead of us. But, you know, President Obama, first of all, has had a terrific record on the environment. Despite his struggles, I think he's actually moved the dialogue in Copenhagen forward. He's--he restored America's good name around the rest of the world. I mean, he is so far ahead of whatever the Republicans might choose to do in 2012 that of course I'm going to support President Obama.
On agreeing with Republicans (progressive - Teabagging alliance)
SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ): If you live long enough, all things can happen. I now find myself in complete agreement with Dr. Howard Dean, who says that we should stop this bill in its tracks. We should go back to the beginning and have an overall bipartisan agreement. Dr. Dean, I am with you.
(End videotape)
DR. DEAN: Well...
MR. GREGORY: How do you react to that?
DR. DEAN: ...I, I think, you know, the Republicans' behavior has been reprehensible. They haven't lifted a finger. All their, their--they, they have really put their party in front of their country here. You know, they could have made this bill a better bill, but they choose just to kill the bill because they thought they did do that for political reasons. First--and I don't believe there's a bipartisan compromise possible. As David Axelrod said, the Republicans of today and the John McCain of today is not the same--not even the same as the Republican Party of eight years ago, and it certainly isn't the same as the Republican Party my father was in until the day he died. So it--you know, I respect John McCain, but it's, he wouldn't be the first person who twisted my words around and used them for something I had no intention of endorsing, which is the Republicans' behavior in this bill.
For those mulling a progressive teabagging alliance count Dr Dean out. LOL
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