Obama Heads to Labor Day Rally as Union Pressure on Public Option Mounts

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/4860/obama_goes_to_labor_day_rally_as_union_pressure_on_public_option_mounts/

Monday
September 7
12:34 am

As President Obama goes to a Cincinnatti Labor Day rally today expected to draw thousands, the labor movement, especially presumptive incoming AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, is increasingly drawing a line in the sand over the public option in health reform.

Meanwhile, SEIU is joining with Health Care for America Now (a progressive coalition that includes the AFL-CIO), in promoting Labor Day-related health care events that urge citizens to pressure legislators to "Send Them Back to Congress" to pass reform, with a strong emphasis on retaining the public option.

Unfortunately for progressives, administration officials continued on Sunday's talk shows sending mixed signals on their support for the measure: backing it as important, but not signalling they're willing to fight for it as indispensable.

Meanwhile, over the last few weeks, Trumka has set off alarm bells among some in Washington's punditocracy because of strong statements indicating that Democrats who won't back a public option can't count on future labor support -- and that the AFL-CIO won't back a bill without a strong public option.

That's a stance that differs in tone, if not necessarily in substance, from the administration. As Reuters reported:

U.S. President Barack Obama's top aides said on Sunday he still wants a government insurance option in healthcare legislation but they left room for a compromise that could disappoint his liberal backers.

Ahead of a major Obama healthcare speech on Wednesday night, the advisers sought to portray a sense of momentum behind an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system after a tumultuous summer of debate during which Obama lost ground and Republicans rallied opposition.

Obama, speaking to a joint session of Congress, will lay out specifics of what he supports to try to regain control of the healthcare issue and gain passage of a plan this year.

FULL story at link.

[ProSense]

1. Another event the media tried to use to cast doubt about Obama's support for the public option

He's speaking, he's not speaking...that's a sign the public option is dead, blah, blah....