Obama Hushes Health Care Advocates. Is the public option going away?

[Karmadillo]

http://www.counterpunch.org/flanders07072009.html

Gag Order
Obama Hushes Health Care Advocates
By LAURA FLANDERS

Don't like the way the Wall Street bail-out turned out? It looks as if we're in for something similar regarding healthcare.

With popular fury at the status quo rising and hunger for a real, public option attracting over 70 percent approval in polls, the White House is urging public-option advocates to hush.

According to the Washington Post, in a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama asked health care advocates to ratchet back their pressure for a public option. He's apparently concerned about advertisements and on-line campaigns targeting foot-dragging Democrats.

We've been here before. Back in the fall and spring, when popular fury at private bankers was soaring, Washington urged liberal lobbying groups to focus more on backing the White House plan and less on attacking bankers and banks.

What happened? Washington allowed Wall Street insiders, many of whom had overseen the breaking apart of the economy, to manage the so called recovery, putting most of what was rotten back in place. The re-distributions of wealth to the top continued, while civilian unemployment headed through the roof.

As Barney Frank told bankers back in February, “People really hate you, and they're starting to hate us because we're hanging out with you.”

The health care debate is suffering from the same dynamic.

Specifically, on July 4, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations will rally support for "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage. But the words public option were left out.

more...

[Buzz Clik]

1. Sweet jeebus! The President has issued a gag order to .... whom exactly? And who has been hushed?

This stuff gets crazier every day.

[Winterblues]

2. He is trying to hush left leaning organizations such as Move On

They are targeting Democrats that are in the pocket of the Heaklth Insurance Industry with Ads and promoting Primary Challenges.

[Buzz Clik]

3. Ah. And how's that going? Has he had them arrested? Frozen their assets? Kidnapped their families?

Or, is this just more ca-ca?

[Winterblues]

6. Just Obama expressing his wishes

I think the term gag order was a bit exagerated..I happen to disagree with him on this issue as I do on many others as well.

[abumbyanyothername]

4. Dear Senator Boxer

Listen to Howard, not Rahm Emmanuel.

We want a public option.

"We're here. We're not going anywhere. We voted for change a few months ago. And if there isn't change, we'll vote for change again."

Your faithful constituent,

abumbyanyothername

[Ardent15]

8. Agreed. n/t

[emulatorloo]

5. don't put all your eggs in COUNTERPUNCH's basket. They aren't that reliable

as a source.

[madfloridian]

7. In this case it is true.

Obama did warn us not to attack the conservadems.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4430

[SemiCharmedQuark]

9. "We should focus our resources on advancing legislation" is not quite as dramatic as "OBAMA HUSHES

LIBERALS!!!!"

It's not something that *I* agree with nor is it advice that *I* will follow, but it is not as dramatic as Counterpunch makes it appear. And it is *not* a warning. A warning implies consequences if one does not follow the instructions. No consequences were issued.

[madfloridian]

10. One article implied there might be.

Consequences that is.

"In the call, leaders of both chambers expressed optimism that they will hold floor votes on legislation to overhaul the $2.2 trillion health system before Congress breaks in early August.

For his part, the president vowed to use his strong approval rating with voters to continue making the case for sweeping reform, according to one congressional staffer with knowledge of the conversation. Obama also hinted that efforts are under way to discourage allies from future attacks on Democrats, according to the source, who did not have permission to speak on the record about the discussion.

The White House had no comment on the president's call."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070302309.html?hpid=topnews

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. One article that quotes an annonymous source?

And there is still no mention of a warning. Discouraging is not the same as warning.

Again, I disagree here. I think the calling out the blue dogs has helped us and I doubt the public option would be viable still if people had not done that. But I also don't think it helps our case to overstate things.

[emulatorloo]

12. There is way too much hyperbole in some of these articles. Agreed that it does not help

our case

[Mimosa]

13. That is my exact fear

I am scared Obama is going to let us down. Nothing so far is reassuring me.

My own health condition (diagnosed as fibromyalgia and *not* diagnosed as MS for fear of losing self-paid BC/BS health insurance policy) means nearly every treatment is excluded from coverage. My husband and I have $10,000 deductible EACH 70/30 policies which cost us over $700 a month. Because his asthma is excluded and anything they can possibly relate to FMS we have no Rx coverage. No preventative care related to our pre-existing conditions. And yet we pay for non-existent coverage for fear of accidents, heart attacks or cancer. We fear if we don't we'd lose our home. What can we do?

I worked hard to get Obama elected. I am beginning to fear he is giving in to special interests and my small family will be no better off than we were before.