Legal Commentary

Jim Cooper "Supports" A Public Option

By Big Tent Democrat

Kos polled Jim Cooper's (D-TN) district and it turns out people are not happy with his behavior regarding a public option. Cooper responded saying, he did too support a public option:

The whole premise of the poll is that I oppose a public option, and that is simply not true. I have repeatedly said that I’m FOR a public option[.]

Kos rightly notes:

We never said, "Jim Cooper opposes the public option" or anything along those lines. So if his constituents think Cooper is opposing the public option, that's his fault.

But Kos misses a point Cooper rightly makes:

I will continue my fight for health reform. We need to cover EVERYONE, and we need to do so responsibly so that we don’t bankrupt the country. This has always been my position, this is the President’s position, and I will continue to work with him to get the job done.

If people doubt Cooper's commitment to the public option, and there is absolutely good reason to, then there is good reason to doubt Obama's commitment to the public option. Obama "supports" the public option just like Jim Cooper does.

Here's the solution - let Obama firmly commit to the public option and I bet Jim Cooper will too. Of course, that assumes the President is relevant.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 24, 2009 (boomark / email).