Senator Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas) joined a Republican coalition to defeat public option amendments offered in the Senate Finance Committee. Having long been considered by the main media as a fence-sitter on offering a public option to Americans suffering under the current health care system, she finally showed her colors on the issue, and the color is green.

A few weeks ago the Huffington Post reported that Senator Lincoln was the top recipient of campaign contributions from the health care industry this year among senators. Blue Cross Blue Shield, the dominant health care insurer in Arkansas, is among her top contributors.

Responses posted on the Green Party Watch website are indicative of why Lincoln may lost her Senate race in 2010. Susan wrote, "That almost makes me want to move to Arkansas to vote against Blanche Lincoln. What a sellout to the insurance industry." Dave said, "Wow, if I lived in Arkansas I’d totally start a ‘move to Arkansas to vote against Blanche Lincoln’ campaign. And Lynn said, "I AM from Arkansas and WON’T be voting for her next election."

In February of 2009 Michael D. Tanner, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, testified before the Arkansas House Insurance and Commerce Committee. He said, "I understand the frustration that Arkansans feel with the problems facing our health care system. In particular, Arkansans are worried about cost and access. Simply put, health care and health insurance cost too much, and too many people, including roughly 486,000 Arkansans, 17 percent of your state’s population, lack health insurance. And the two problems are deeply entwined; cost is the number one reason why people go without health insurance."

Tanner also stated, "…the average cost of a family insurance plan in Arkansas tops $9,900…" According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2001, Arkansas had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $22,750 which ranked 50th in the United States (including the District of Columbia) and was 75% of the national average, $30,413. According to data released by the US Census Bureau, in 2000, the median household income was $30,293 compared to the national average of $42,148. In 2001, the median income for a family of four was $47,838 compared to the national average of $63,278. For the period 1999 to 2001, the average poverty rate was 16.3% which placed it 48th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked lowest to highest.

With a median income of $30,293, is there any question why Arkansans cannot afford the average cost of a family health insurance plan of $9,900? That’s at the median level. What about the 49+% of Arkansans whose income is below the median.

At a time when Arkansas needs a Senator to stand up for them, Blanche Lincoln chose to support her contributors rather than her constituents.

More About Senator Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Lincoln Opposes Public Option

Blanche Lincoln Feet to the Fire

Sen. Blanche Lincoln Co-sponsors SHOP

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas Republican?!

Blanche Lincoln Rakes in Health Care Dollars – Huffington Post 09/04/2009 – The senior Arkansas senator is also the top recipient of campaign contributions from the health industry among senators this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Lincoln has received $325,350 in contributions from the health industry, as of June 30. The large amount in contributions underlies a constantly shifting position by the senator on health care reform.

Monopoly Money: "Our good friend Senator Blanche Lincoln thinks it’s very dangerous for the insurance companies to have to compete with a public plan option: ‘One of our biggest concerns is that it doesn’t need to be a government plan that usurps that ability to compete in the marketplace, which I’m concerned that a totally government-run option would do,’ she said."

For more information about her political contributions, you can visit the Federal Election Commission Blanche Lincoln Page.

September 11, 2009 – America remembered the anniversary of events that sent the country into mourning the loss of some and resolve to seek retribution. The country was both stunned and united in spirit. Eight years earlier, freedom was assaulted.

Not far from the sixteen-acre site that was known as the World Trade Center stands the Statue of Liberty, a beacon to everyone, everywhere that America stands for freedom.

Americans are free to choose where they live. Americans can choose where they work. Americans can choose whether or not to participate in any of a number of religions. No terrorist group can take away those freedoms. They can knock down buildings; they can slaughter innocent American citizens, but they cannot destroy freedom.

Americans are free to argue among themselves about freedom, itself. How do we define freedom or, more importantly, how do we practice freedom? Freedom cannot be defined by any means other than how it is practiced by the population. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an 18th Century French philosopher who was born in Switzerland, wrote, "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains."

No one would argue that certain freedoms must be sacrificed in order to participate in an organized society. No person is free to rape or rob or murder another person. Common sense causes us to put on chains that prevent us from doing certain things. But common sense does not always rule the day. Some might say that common sense rarely rules the day.

Americans have the freedom to choose other chains that restrict how they live. The unbridaled use of credit is one example of how many citizens chose to limit themselves. We are not free to do whatever we want when we are chained financially to someone or something else. And, of course, there are a number of citizens who want to restrict the freedoms of other citizens.

Don’t you find it interesting that we proclaim as shameful the way women are treated in some countries because of religious dictates while many Americans want to restrict others based on religious dictates? There can be no religious freedom if it must be based upon the interpretation of another religion.

Freedom is defined by choices. Freedom is chained when choices are chained.