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Public Option Pressure: As Stories Leak WH And Dem Leaders Say No Decision Has Been Made
Dems: Reports Of Death Of Public Option Are Greatly Exaggerated
House leadership sources are telling TPMDC they think news on the "robust" public option is leaking out to pressure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the health care discussions are getting hotter, and closer to the final deal.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Barack Obama Politico's story this morning suggests Pelosi doesn't have the votes, but our sources insist the leadership isn't yet at that stage.
Presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett jabbed at the Politico story while appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe today, saying of the reporter who penned the piece, "I don't know whether Mike Allen can actually count votes or not."
But House sources think Democrats may have spoken with Allen to apply pressure on Pelosi at this late stage in the game.
Sources also knocked down a suggestion that President Obama expressed his preference for a type of public option during a huddle with Senate Democratic leaders last night at the White House.
An administration source tells TPMDC that last night Senate leaders updated Obama on their progress toward the final merger. The group discussed a public option that includes a state opt-out clause, but stressed they had not made a final decision.
Senators are "still working through the substance and talking to their members about it," the source said. "They didn't ask for the president's endorsement since no decision has been made."
"No decision has been made," two other sources said this morning.
The House leadership continues to keep its eye on the prize of 218 votes, and believes that any of the public option plans being considered will result in a strong bill.
House Democrats are holding a caucus meeting at 9:30 a.m. and TPMDC will keep you posted.
The Democratic whip's office has been surveying members on the public option for the last several days to get a sense of where they stand on different elements of the bill, a strategy that will inform the final version of what the House introduces.
Jarrett, one of Obama's closest advisers, said it was "too soon to tell" if the White House would get the public option it prefers.
"We're going to keep pushing until the very last moment," Jarrett said.
Late update: Here's video of Jarrett.
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15 Comments so far
Show AllWhy Obama keeps wrapping himself in ambiguities and cloaks is beyond me...does he think he is Harry Potter with his "invisibility cloak?" and he can continue to wave his magic wand to avoid being perceived as the "obstacle" in trying to protect his own corporate cronies for being ISOLATED and FULLY exposed for what they are? Geithner, summers, insurance companies, banks, etc?.
Let me see.
Polls clearly show that the American public knows what it wants, even as it is understandably unsure what congress and the White House is doing with respect to 'insurance reform': two to one, the people want a 'Medicare type public option'.
Two to one, now that is a lopsided vote if ever there is one. So why is there so much hand-wringing by Obama? Perhaps he should set a good example for congress, and stop endorsing fund-raisers that has an entrance fee of tens of thousands of dollars.
"the American public knows what it wants, even as it is understandably unsure what congress and the White House is doing with respect to 'insurance reform'..."
You said it.
This reminds me of "tort reform", which is just another way of saying "legislative measures designed to make it harder for individuals to sue businesses".
Too bad nobody is talking about "health care", which is something we all actually really need.
This is a simple answer, Ian: the people don't count! It's what the corporate powers want that goes. We're only good for producing crap, consuming it and pulling the lever on election day. Oh, yeah, and for paying the taxes that will bail them out and keep the war machine going. Remember, they are also the ones who count the votes.
The so-called "leadership" of the Democratic party doesn't really want a public option. So if one winds up in whatever finally emerges out of the backside of congress, rest assured it will be grossly underfunded with rules written in such a fashion as to render it meaningless. Those Democrats possessing the real power are as corrupt, rotten and immoral as the Republicans.
Medicare for all, aka single payer healthcare, is favored by a majority of Americans.
How can we convince Congress to do what the people want?
Tell your members of Congress that unless they support Medicare for all, you won't support them.
Take the Medicare For All Pledge now:
http://bit.ly/medicareforallpledge
"How can we convince Congress to do what the people want?"
Very easily. We line them all against the East (or West or South or North) wall of the Capitol, blindfold them, tie their hands behind their backs, give 'em each a cigarette and have all of the arm-bearing American citizens across from them lock and load!
I was an avid Obama supporter during the campaign because he promised to stand up to the special interests.
Boy, was I conned.
At least McCain has principles. This guy, aargh!
If single payer becomes single prayer, then we can have breakfasts to celebrate and serve coma toast to honor the Democratic party as we reform the progressive movement.
I just have to add this for the sake of irony:
From the CounterPunch CIA article:
By the late 1970s, the CIA had planned or carried out the assassination of leaders in more than a dozen countries; CIA jokers called this “SUICIDE INVOLUNTARILY ADMINISTERED” courtesy of the Agency’s “Health Alteration Committee.”
That's ha, ha, hillarious (as in Hillary or a basketfull of dead babies).
HEALTH ALTERATION COMMITTEE! Now you know what the repub/democratic corporate party health insurance reform is REALLY all about.
Public option is not the same as single payer. This is the real lie by the democratic party leadership when they try to say that the public option is a valid policy. It is not.
For those of you confused, you can thank the democratic party leadership that is being untruthful about the so called public option, just like they tried to say the war in middle east is winding down.
Public option is more of the same. Don't settle for it.
Single payer or single term.
Public option is not an option.
This article left me wanting to read more. Did the Democrats have bagels and cream cheese? Was orange juice on the table?
-TIA
They're probably holding a secret auction to see which insurance company pays them the most for what "option."
There will Be NO:
1. Single Payer or
2. Public Option
The Democrats just have to pretend to their very gullible and naive "liberal" and "progressive" base that some movement has been made as they search for an accepted rationale to this same "liberal" and "progressive" base of why it did not happen because it NEVER was GOING to HAPPEN!!!!
Wake Up Already...
The Democtratic Party HAS NO LOYALTY TO ITS "liberal" and "progressive" base....That is why the Dems formed the DLC.....during the Clinton-Gore years and that is who Rahm Emanuel and Hillary and Biden and the rest line up with....
Stop being so GULLIBLE!!!
Since the current so-called health care system is so obviously broken, since the so-called "public option" is so desperately needed, and there will never be any "bi" in Republican partisanship, the recalcitrant Democrats who are not supporting a robust public option are either stupid, cowardly, lazy, ineffective, hypocrites, or already bought off by the insurance industry. There are few alternative explanations for their disgraceful conduct and fewer yet intellectual ones if the principles of our nation and the Democratic Party actually mean anything.