Joe Lieberman opposes the Baucus healthcare reform bill

  Before the Senate committee voted to send the Baucus healthcare reform bill to the floor of the senate Senator Joe Lieberman voiced his opposition to the legislation.

  Joe Lieberman expressed his concern that the healthcare reform bill will actually drive up insurance costs for most Americans who already have healthcare insurance. Joe Lieberman is also opposed to any bill that includes the “public option.”

  While the president and the media are celebrating the victory of enticing Republican senator Olympia Snowe into supporting the Baucus bill Joe Lieberman’s defection is actually a much larger story.

  Democrats do not need a single Republican vote to pass this bill, they only want Republican votes to provide cover in case the legislation ends up being a disaster. What the Democrats do need in order to pass this bill is full Democrat support and that is where the real problem may lie. There are several moderate to conservative Democrats who are opposed to this bill and while Joe Lieberman is technically not a Democrat he is an important voice on this issue. And he does not support the bill, at least not yet.

  While all of the publicity has surrounded the Snowe defection Joe Lieberman has dealt what could be a major blow to the chances of this bill’s passage and he has done it under the radar while being ignored by the media.

  The outcome of today’s vote was never in jeopardy but the final outcome of this bill is still in jeopardy. If moderate to conservative Democrats follow Joe Lieberman’s lead this bill could still be in serious trouble.

  I will gladly trade one Olympia Snowe vote for one Joe Lieberman vote.