Perfect example of media spin, this time on Obama's meeting with the progressive caucus

[ProSense]

Jake Tapper

Speaking to Grijalva, Woolsey, Lee, as well as leaders of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, President Obama mostly listened to the lawmakers, sources told ABC News.

Obama asked for them to define what they meant by a “robust” public option; he was told to stress similarities between the public option and Medicare. The members of Congress said people aren’t getting the correct information about what health care reform and the public option would be. If they understood the similarities, those with health insurance too, how that would drive down their costs, they might be more in favor it, they said.

The president supports the idea of a public option, but not as a way to get to a single-payer health care, sources say. He sees it as a means to an end -- the president will sign a bill that has a way to lower costs, keep insurance companies honest, and increase competition – it remains to be seen whether that would be a public option, a public option with a trigger mechanism that would kick in if certain benchmarks aren’t met, or non-profit co-ops.

Why would Obama be emphasizing the first point in bold to the progressive caucus?

Here's video of Congresswoman Woolsey describing the meeting.

Also Tapper's sources mentioned co-op? Here's Kerry on co-ops from his recent town hall meeting:

It seems to be a fall-back position, not a public plan, still affordable, still provides competition, run by members...
It's not well defined at all.

It doesn't seem to be winning any GOP support...

The co-op idea is dead.

[ProSense]

1. CNN: House liberals tell Obama public option is 'essential'

House liberals tell Obama public option is 'essential'

<....

Two congresswomen on the call, which took place Friday afternoon, tell CNN that the president probed them about how entrenched they are, even asking them to define what they mean when they call for a "robust" public option.

"I think he would like to convince us that there is something sort of that could lead to a public option that would satisfy us, and guess what? It doesn't," Rep. Lynne Woolsey, D-California, told CNN in a telephone interview after the conference call.

Woolsey, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, insisted that the president did not explicitly warn them that he may have to give up a so-called public option in order to pass a bill through the more moderate Senate, but it seemed he was laying the groundwork.

"He has to decide where that line has to be drawn and he knows we have to decide where the line can be drawn," said Woolsey.

The conference call included leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Another Democratic source familiar with the call said the president did made clear it will be hard to pass a public option out of Congress because of deep opposition from moderates, and talked about what's most important to him — market reforms that force more competition, lower costs for health care, and expanded coverage for the uninsured.

<...>

This is confusing, why would the house have to give up a public option for the Senate?

Also a source is claiming that "the president did made clear it will be hard to pass a public option out of Congress," even though Woolsey said he didn't?

[Enrique]

2. your analysis is biased

you are hung up on your certainty that Obama will not drop the public option, which you can't possibly know. It's possible even Obama doesn't know for sure what he's going to do, which is why the progressives are working on him.

That Tapper story is fine. He quotes a few progressives about their talk with Obama, then gives a paragraph of background which seems to be accurate.

[ProSense]

3. Anyone who claims co-ops are in the mix is not credible.

For Tapper to include the laundry list of options that were on the table at the start of the debate and attribute it to a source regarding
the current meeting is not credible.

[Enrique]

4. the Senate Finance Committee is discussing co-ops

and it's entirely credible the source would make Obama appear open to that option, since Obama is clearly attempting not to appear to favor or disfavor any version yet. That will probably change with the speech, but that speech hasn't happened yet.

I'm guessing you really don't like the co-op option and can't imagine Obama going with it. Well, I'm with you. But the reality is that Obama has not yet ruled that or anything else out.

[ProSense]

5. Were. n/t