Harkin 'Surprised' By Lieberman Claim He Wasn't Pushed On Public Option

[spiritual_gunfighter]

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) said on MSNBC he was surprised that Sen. Joe Lieberman told reporters the White House didn't pressure him to support a public option.

Harkin, a progressive who wanted to see a public option in the health care bill, said he'd "assumed" that President Obama would have been pushing Lieberman (I-CT) at all costs since that's what Senate Democrats ultimately compromised on to secure Lieberman's vote.

"I'm really surprised at that. I would have thought that President Obama, I know he met a number of times with Sen. Lieberman, and Sen. Nelson and others," Harkin said. "I assumed that they were pushing hard for the public option. ... The senator said 'No' under any circumstance and that's why we had to do the compromise."

Lieberman told Huffington Post his negotiations on the public option were with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/harkin-surprised-by-lieberman-claim-he-wasnt-pushed-on-public-option.php?ref=fpblg

I dont know why Sen Harkin is surprised, I'm certainly not.

[babylonsister]

1. Would you be surprised if it turns out Lieberman lied? Me neither. nt

[Skittles]

2. um

don't you think if Lieberman lied the White House would friggin' COMMENT on it???

[babylonsister]

3. I just read about what Lieberman said; has this been out there long?

I don't know. And you're right, I would think they would comment on it.

[NWHarkness]

6. No

The White House only attacks to it's left.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

4. I wouldnt be surprised if Lieberman lied

But all I have to do is look at the evidence.

Obama: Public option ‘not the most important’ part of healthcare bill
By Sam Youngman - 12/21/09 05:11 PM ET

President Barack Obama said Monday that Congress should approve a final healthcare bill even if it doesn’t include a public option.

Obama said the House and Senate bills are 95 percent “identical” and downplayed the fact that final legislation is unlikely to include a public health insurance option during an Oval Office interview with American Urban Radio Networks’ April Ryan.

“There's 5 percent differences, and one of those differences is the public option,” Obama said.

“But this is an area that has just become symbolic of a lot of ideological fights. As a practical matter, this is not the most important aspect to this bill — the House bill or the Senate bill.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/73275-obama-public-option-not-the-most-important-part-of-healthcare-bill

Obama campaigned on the Public Option as part of his health care platform and now it is a symbolic gesture....sort of like my vote in 2012.

[Kahuna]

5. The failure of the public option didn't depend on just lieberman. Why

all the kvetching over whether Obama "pressured" him about it? Say Obama already knew he had a deal with Nelson and Landrieu without the PO, so when he approached lieberman, he didn't mention it because he already knew that lieberman was already of like mind with the aforementioned, so it was definately off the table? Why all the kvetching? I don't get it. Just one more thing for DEMS to whine about.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

7. "Just one more thing for "DEMS" to whine about

You sound like Phil Gramm talking about the commoners.