Nancy Pelosi Lambastes Insurance Companies as 'Immoral'

Fearing that government-sponsored health coverage would siphon customers from the 70 percent of the population now covered by self- or employer-paid plans, the insurance industry has been aggressively opposed to the so-called "public option" being pushed by President Obama. Insurers have spent millions on advertising, lobbying, and campaign contributions.

In a statement Thursday to reporters -- intended to rally Democrats -- Pelosi added that insurance companies have had a "good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people."