Straight from the POTUS mouth (re: Public Option)

[Clio the Leo]

A day after his chief of staff suggested the White House could live with a public option-free health care reform bill, President Obama released a statement (from Russia!) reaffirming his support for a government-run health care plan:

"I am pleased by the progress we're making on health care reform and still believe, as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest. I look forward to a final product that achieves these very important goals."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/wbarchive/whiteboard07072009.html

everybody breathe ..... ;)

[Sebass1271]

1. That's my President!!!

[elleng]

2. DITTO: Obama Praises Public Insurance Plan on Healthcare.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday a government-run, public health insurance plan would be the best way to bring down costs and "force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest."

The statement by Obama, released by the White House, comes as Congress considers whether to include a public insurance option in a broad overhaul of U.S. healthcare being crafted.

http://nytimes.com/reuters/2009/07/07/us/politics/politics-us-usa-healthcare-obama.html

[Adelante]

3. I never stopped breathing

One thing I know for sure is that Obama may not be able to achieve every last thing we want, but he sure as hell will be trying as long as he's in office.

:)

[Arkana]

4. Doesn't get much clearer than that.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Public option

is the way to go. And yes, keep the insurance companies honest. You can also do this by preventing them from practicing medicine without a license. Example: We have a patient with hypolipidemia--this needs to be monitored, just like blood sugar is monitored. But she called yesterday, saying she wouldn't get her next lipid test because her insurance won't cover it. Just one test a year, even if you need to track your cholesterol to make sure what you have been given is working. As my co-worker said, "The insurance company would rather have her take ineffective meds for a year, possibly resulting in serious complications that could cost them thousands of dollars, than to pay for a lipid test that costs under one hundred."

[elleng]

7. This is the sort of thing Prez O has in mind to get rid of, I believe.

Clean up the crap, do things the best way.

[OneGrassRoot]

21. I never thought of it that way...

While I'd like to see insurance companies becoming a thing of the past altogether, one step could be to have decisions made only by licensed medical professionals.

So many decisions are made by persons who are essentially in clerical positions. It's one of the reasons the doctors get so upset when treatment is denied, as they know someone without any knowledge of medicine is often making that decision.

[MNDemNY]

6. If only his "words" carried more weight.

His actions show they may well be empty.

[elleng]

8. ???

.

[uponit7771]

9. They expect him to light his hair on fire and run around DC with a blue speedo on now...

...wouldn't hurt...prolly do some good come to think about it.

[elleng]

10. ???

.

[MNDemNY]

17. How is that "transparency " thing going?

And those "illegal " wire taps?? DOMA? DADT? Need I go on?I'll breath when ACTIONS are taken. His words, alas, ring hollow.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. While you're holding your breath, can you hold your posts too?

Thanks.

[MNDemNY]

29. No. Your welcome.

[CakeGrrl]

12. If only people were as skeptical of the WSJ every time they blast a doomsday headline.

:eyes:

[MNDemNY]

18. I am.

[mopinko]

24. +1

[backscatter712]

11. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Obama gets back from his trip.

We may see The Rock Obama...

"RAHM!!! OFFICE!!!"

"oh shit..."

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. That might be plausible if this was the first time. n/t

[polichick]

13. I guess that's his version of "bully pulpit" politics. Hope it works. nt

[Cha]

14. JHC! I missed that

whole inflammatory statement from the COS..what the heck?!

Hasn't he been listening?

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. What's going on?

Is Rahm Emannuel just shooting off his mouth unafraid of being yanked back by the boss, or is there some kind of good cop/bad cop strategy at work?

I have to think that unequivocal support for the idea from the entire administration would help the cause immeasurably.

[Clio the Leo]

19. I suspect that Rahm Emanuel is more than aware on how negotiations work in Congress....

.... and, unfortunately, those negotiations dont always include maintaining a tone that the left will fee reassured by. ;)

[SpookyCat]

20. I admit to ignorance on financial issues,

so I'm going to defer to DUers who are knowledgeable.

In an article on Huff Post today, it states

"The president and his aides already have signaled a willingness to consider an alternative to a public plan under which a network of nonprofit cooperatives would compete with for-profit insurance companies. That is the leading idea in the Senate Finance Committee."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124692407982802911.html#mod=rss_Politics_And_Policy

Does this make any sense? Would it work, or is it a cop out?

Thanks!

[mkultra]

22. yup, moving along exactly as expected

his performance is somewhat better than I hoped it would be. Lets hope congress is less contrary than DU.

[SpartanDem]

23. Kick

[Politicub]

25. Yeah! Public option now!

We will not settle for anything less.

[masuki bance]

26. Please, how is that a repudiation of what Rahm said?

It's not, that statement fits well with what Rahm said. It has no timeline, or demand that it be included without triggers. It doesn't even state that he will only sign a plan that includes it.

It's a bland statement of the general idea of the public option, nothing more.

Some people are so easy to spin.

[shireen]

28. fire Rahm Emmanuel!

really!

[nightrain]

30. good luck with that....

[Jakes Progress]

31. One of the best things about Obama

is that he realizes that he doesn't know everything. He looks to others to be experts and advise him. In this he is being ill-served by Rahm and by some of his economic advisors.

I was thinking this while reading about Robert McNamara's death. Kennedy delegated way too much to someone that he thought was smart when all he was was cocky and full of himself. The results were devastating to Democrats and to the country.

I think the same thing might be happening with Obama's advisors. Someone needs to tell him they don't know as much as he thinks they do and that their egos and private agendas will hurt more than just his presidency.