Write to Ben Nelson and Olympia Snowe and Newspapers

Reid still has some work to do. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has continued to express skepticism about the state opt-out, preferring instead to allow states to choose their own competitor to private insurance.

And Reid’s best hope for a Republican vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, has said it would be difficult to support a national public option with a state exemption.

Reid may well settle on an alternative, such as Snowe's "trigger" option, which would allow states to join a national insurance plan if affordable coverage is not widely available. Bipartisanship remains an important factor to the White House, and the trigger could be the only way to get there. -- Politico

This begs a question or two:

Question for Ben: Under a state opt-out public option, do you doubt Nebraska voters are wise enough to decide if they want to opt-out of the national public option and "choose their own competitor to private insurance?"

Question for Ben: Do you think unless you yourself restrict the options Nebraskans have, Nebraskans can't choose what is best for Nebraska?

Question for Olympia: Do you think unless you restrict the options for Maine yourself, Maine won't do what is best for Maine?


Everyone, think it through. The only subsidies are to individuals and families to purchase insurance, public or private. Not to the public plan.

If the public plan isn't so great, states can see that and then opt-out.

If it is really great, they can change their minds and opt back in.

This kind of dynamic is called a "market dynamic."

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My letter to Senator Ben Nelson:

Senator, we read you "prefer instead to allow states to choose their own competitor to private insurance."

This is a great idea.

My state will be able to opt-out IF WE CHOOSE, and "choose our own competitor to private insurance."

I like this plan.

Please let us have that choice to opt-out, so we can *choose for ourselves* on a state level whether we want the national public option.

Let us choose, and don't let Congress choose for us, one way or the other.