GOP leaking Senate memos to MSM trying to show health reform deal not imminent

[sabra]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/29/top-dem-aide-significant-policy-issues-could-still-derail-deal/

Top Dem aide: 'Significant policy issues' could still derail deal

WASHINGTON (CNN) — CNN has obtained an e-mail from a top aide of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus – a message that aims to debunk a Washington Post headline that negotiators are close to a deal.

The authenticity of the e-mail, sent to top aides to senators on the Finance Committee and obtained by CNN from a GOP source, was confirmed by a Baucus aide.

"While progress has been made in recent days, neither an accord nor an announcement is imminent," wrote Russ Sullivan, Democratic staff director for the committee. "In fact, significant policy issues remain to be discussed among the Members, and any one of these issues could preclude bipartisan agreement."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/29/key-senate-aide-health-reform-deal-imminent/

In a memo to legislative aides on the Senate Finance Committee, obtained by FOX News, the staff director to Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of that committee, warns that despite a Washington Post headline and report indicating that a compromise deal on health care reform is imminent, that is in fact not the case.

Baucus' comments Tuesday night to reporters indicated that a deal could be coalescing. The chairman said cost issues are nearly "nailed down" and that most other issues were coming together.

But the memo from his staff director, Russ Sullivan, who has been at most closed-door bipartisan compromise negotiations among his boss and five other committee members, leaves quite a different impression.

[villager]

1. and yet, if there's no public option, do we want a deal to be imminent?

n/t