Jody Wagner Will Fight Any Attempts To "Opt-Out"

After last night's debacle where Creigh Deeds said he would consider opting out of a federal public option for health care, I asked both of his ticketmates what their position was on this issue.

Jody Wagner, our nominee for Lt. Governor was the first to get back to me.  Jody's husband is a doctor, and from that she knows first hand how difficult the current system is.  Her husband, Dr. Alan Wagner treats many patients without health insurance for free- but when they need other specialized care it is very difficult for him to find the uninsured other doctors who will help for free in a timely manner.  Jody also said that she has seen the system as a small business owner and the limited options that are available to her business to insure their employees.

Jody believes that any federally run public option should not be a financial burden on the states and it should cut costs for individuals and increase access.  She strongly believes that if and when that type of bill passes Congress that the next Governor whether it was Governor McDonnell or Governor Deeds should participate in that program and she will fight to make sure they do.  In short, without taking any direct swipe at Creigh- Jody said unequivocally that she would fight any attempt to "opt out" of a federal health insurance option.

Jody then took the opportunity to draw a sharp contrast with the record of incumbent Lt. Governor Bill Bolling.  It's worth noting that Virginia Lt. Governor is a part time position- and Bolling also serves as an insurance company executive by day.  Wagner pointed out that Bolling has voted against allowing insurance companies to be held liable if their decisions lead to death or injury.  He has voted against allowing patients to choose doctors outside of their insurance plan—even if the doctors agreed to the plan’s rates. Finally he was even vocally opposed to a patient's bill of rights.

I've invited Lt. Governor Bolling to come here and live blog and explain his position on this and other issues- and so far his campaign has declined.  The one question I would ask him is whether he planned to recuse himself from any "opt out" vote on a public option- since he has a direct financial benefit for his employer in not allowing it to pass.  Virginians deserve to know whether he would recuse himself from this obvious conflict- or if he would cast a potential tie-breaking vote to opt-out and deny uninsured Virginians health care- while potentially personally benefiting financially from that decision.

Comments

[Mr. Jefferson]

"without taking any direct swipe at Creigh"

What is with these mamby-pamby candidates? Do they know that they are running on their own ticket, and are not linked like a Presidential/VP ticket are?

So now we have Wagner (who should have been close to Bolling) refusing to directly distance herself, and Shannon's campaign (who should have been ahead of Cooch) unequivocally saying that Deeds will win (at BlueVa).

What are they doing? Don't they know that he's bringing them down?

(sigh)

[kelley in virginia]

if & when Jody Wagner can prove to me that any fed. public option health care WILL NOT cost 1 red cent more yet provide all this add'l care to all these many more people, then i say we should stampede Congress to make them pass it.

[change]

Maybe you could have her ask Dr. Wagner how he will feel when he is not able to treat patients as he sees fit when the government limits his ability to do so, as was proposed in the previous bill in congress.

[Rob Smith, III]

CBO report that was released today, anyone?

[Not Bentard]

Wow. With friends like that, who needs Republicans?

JHC, couldn't Mrs. Wagner have shown at least one day of restraint, for Deeds to fight and unite with her--even if they disagree (as Dems do with this issue)?

No of course not. Looking desperate is now the look of her campaign, and without probably gaining a single vote because the next two weeks is a long two weeks.

[James Young]

"Jody believes that any federally run public option should not be a financial burden on the states and it should cut costs for individuals and increase access. She strongly believes that if and when that type of bill passes Congress that the next Governor whether it was Governor McDonnell or Governor Deeds should participate in that program and she will fight to make sure they do."

I hear Jody also believes in the Tooth Fairy.

[Terry]

Too bad she will lose by the widest margin of them all.

[Spock]

Why didn't she campaign on what her husband is doing from the start?

He is the kind of Dr America needs.

I will say I do feel better about voting for her now that there is a slight ray of hope that one politician's family has concern for the people.

Much of the Dem losses for this election is due to very badly run campaigns.

VA Dems need a new slate of strategists and consultants.

Honestly, a candidate like Wagner has some attractive qualities that were never touched on and could have at least pushed up her numbers.

Bolling has a boat load of mud to sling, but one cannot win on mud alone.

Deeds was a bad nomination choice.

Killgore should be a red flag warning TO BOTH PARTIES that the "South West" strategy cuts the state in half, hence a guarantee loss in the understated NOVA support.

The only sign of life seen from Shannon is the fancy CG commercial about child molesters.
Decent commercial, but he dropped the ball in exposing COOOCH as the teabagger loon nut he is.

Oh, there are some VA Dems who need to stop kicking around "Progressives".

Simply wearing a donkey skin does not make one a Democrat, it makes one a jacka**.

[asmith]

Doubt it Terry, that will go to Deeds.

[Wilson]

Just how does a Lt. Governor fight anything? They have no real power unless there is a tie, and pontification by an impotent politician is not going to be heard.

[wb]

"last night's debacle where Creigh Deeds said he would consider opting out of a federal public option for health care"

Ugh. I've never seen a candidate triangulate so poorly. This whole campaign has been an embarrassment. It was supposed to be Jim Webb, but it looks more like Jerry Kilgore. I have to remind myself that it's my civic duty for me to even care about voting this time.

Oh, well. The Democratic domination couldn't last forever. Two steps forward, one step back for Virginia.

[Pete in Williamsburg]

Kelley,

You don't want to pay for health care for the uninsured. My question is, do you think you're not paying for them right now?

If an uninsured person goes to the ER and can't pay the bill, those unpaid costs are shifted to those of us who do have health insurance. That's why the cost of our health insurance rises faster than our wages. A public option, like Medicare, gets them in the system and gets them paying. Also, it eliminates any excuse for anyone not to have health insurance.

[I.Publius]

"Jody Wagner Will Fight Any Attempts To 'Opt-Out'"

Will she do that as a lobbyist? She sure as hell won't be doing it in any official capacity. Bolling wins this one by a bigger margin than in '05, when he PWNED Leslie Byrne. You remember that election, don't you, Ben?

[The Bulletproof Monk]

The only reason to vote for Jody is to get her out and as far away from her ability to fudge and fornicate Virginia's budget anymore.