Lieberman's Stand

Hi everyone, "B" here. I thought we could get the conversation started by continuing our e-mail debate over Joe Lieberman's threat to help filibuster any health care bill with a public option. I heartily applauded this move, while my more liberal friends seem downright apoplectic about it.

I'll start by posing three sets of questions. Feel free to respond to all, some, or none:

1. What is the overall goal of health care reform? Is it just some combination of (lowering overall health care expenditures; lower premiums for working class families; decreasing the number of uninsured; correcting perceived unfairness in the insurance industry)? Do you think any one of these is more important than the others?
2. Why did President Obama not fight harder for the public option?
3. To what extent is the relationship between Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and the health care industry affecting Bayh's positions on health care reform?

I will post my thoughts on these within a reasonable time frame; I look forward to hearing from you all as well. 

B