October 22, 2009 2:46PM 

# “Why Don’t We Fix the Two Public Options We Have Now instead of Creating a Third One?” 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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That sensible — and hopefully not rhetorical — question was posed by Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu (D‑LA) on [National Public Radio](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114036115), according to [*The Hill*](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/64301-landrieu-blasts-public-option).

Regarding recent polling that shows that a new [Fannie Med](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10382) (my term) commands majority support among the public, Landrieu quipped, “I think if you asked, ‘Do you want a public option, but it would force the government to go bankrupt?’, people would say no.”

[Real health care reform wouldn’t bankrupt taxpayers or the government.](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10646)

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) 

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