Harry Reid likely has it wrong about Elizabeth Warren's pragmatism versus progressiveness
1 min read
Harry Reid had many progressives up in arms last week as he left the impression that Elizabeth Warren is not as progressive as her campaign rhetoric indicates. I beg to differ.
A few days ago, former Senate Majority Leader Reid was David Axelrod’s guest on his CNN podcast The Axe Files. Axelrod pointed out that many establishment Democrats believe that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is too far left. Reid came to Warren’s defense in a rather odd manner.
Reid said that Warren had asked for his thoughts on Medicare for All. He said he told her he believed that they should shore up Obamacare. After all, he said, they had come close to a public option before. While Reid did not say what her response was, he said that he knows she is pragmatic. I find it interesting that he believes that a public option for health care is as good as Medicare for All and that a stance in favor of a public option is pragmatic.
To be clear, a public option is not as good as Medicare for All, even though those who accept a public option would likely save substantially. All else being the same, it is impossible for private insurance to compete with the cost structure of a public option, which is devoid of profits for shareholders, duplicitous charges, overpaid executives, and much more.
