Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News

Blue Dog Democrats are just "looking to cause trouble" over their opposition to health care reform said a top House Liberal Thursday. Speaking to reporters during a conference call to discuss the need for a public option in health care reform, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, warned that many moderate Democrats are moving against the public option simply to gain campaign contributions.

"They're for the most part, I hate to say, brain-dead, but they're just looking to raise money from insurance companies and promote a right-wing agenda that is not really very useful in this whole process," Stark said.

Stark also attacked the proposed co-operative system, which has been touted in the Senate as a possible compromise on the public option.

"There is no real example of either the regulation, or how you would establish them, or where they would get enough people to have a purchasing base," said Stark. "You might as well talk about unicorns. You know, what is a medical unicorn? My kids all know what a unicorn is. But you don't. You have never seen one. So I think this co-op is just a way of ducking the issue of having the public plan."

Joining Stark on the call was Roger Hickey, Co-Director of Campaign for America's Future, who said that despite the opposition, he was still optimistic that health care reform will contain a public option.

"Whilst some of the legislation moving through the House and Senate goes a long way to end discrimination by insurance companies on the basis of health status, and that they even cap premium increases, reform parts of the bill cant do the whole job," Hickey said. "This is why I'm confident that a robust public option on a level playing field with private insurers remain in the legislation."