Obama's Health Care Speech Won't Include Public Option (Politico) UPDATE: Politico Wrong

[berni_mccoy]

Politico is reporting that Obama won't be pushing for a Public Option:

I don't trust Politico, but here it is: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26672.html

Obama is considering detailing his health-care demands in a major speech as soon as next week, when Congress returns from the August recess. And although House leaders have said their members will demand the inclusion of a public insurance option, Obama has no plans to insist on it himself, the officials said.
...
Top officials privately concede the past six weeks have taken their toll on Obama's popularity. But the officials also see the new diminished expectations as an opportunity to prove their critics wrong by signing a health care law, showing progress in Afghanistan, and using this month's anniversary of the fall of Lehman Brothers to push for a crackdown on Wall Street.

On health care, Obama’s willingness to forgo the public option is sure to anger his party’s liberal base. But some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers if they argue they would rather have no health care law than an incremental one. The confrontation would allow Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done.

The thing I do not like in this article is they paint is as backing away from the Public Option for political reason on Obama's part. The problem isn't Obama, the problem is the Democrats in the Senate who won't support it. To date, we only have 44 Democrats and 1 independent who support the public option in the Senate.

I do feel, however, that Obama could be holding the Senate Dems feet to the fire on this, but he appears not to be willing to do that. Either way, I'm severely disappointed if this report is true. Democrats should not be caving on this issue.

Update: As Babylonsister pointed out, there is a very contrary article on this from The Atlantic (http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/09/something_new_on_health_care_ultimatums_from_the_president.php ). Given that politico is a suspect source, I'll consider the other article over this one. Usually, I'm a little better at seeing the kernel of truth in politico articles, but there is none to this one.

[Captain Hilts]

1. IF true, VERY disappointing. nt

[babylonsister]

2. And the Atlantic has an entirely different take.

I hate it that one source can set the daily meme, especially one like politico that is known to have a r/w bias. :grr:

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/09/something_new_on_health_care_ultimatums_from_the_president.php

snip//

He will insist upon a mechanism to cut costs and increase competition among insurance companies -- and perhaps will even specify a percentage rate -- and he will say that his preferred mechanism remains a government-subsidized public health insurance option

[lamp_shade]

7. Thanks. That politico link has been posted about 6 times so far this morning. Keeryst.

[berni_mccoy]

11. Thanks for the link. I'm usually better at seeing the kernel of truth in their articles

but this one I could not make out. Seems as if they are pulling out all the stops on the propaganda on this issue.

[high density]

17. You stopped quoting a bit too early there

...but (Obama) will remain agnostic about whether the plan must include a robust public option.

This is the problem and it's aligned with what Politico reported! There is no reason for Obama to be so obnoxiously tentative on this piece of his plan.

[babylonsister]

18. You can believe politico all day long. I don't, and they've been

busted countless times.

Here's two just from today. They are not credible! Media Matters has been tracking them for years, as have other sites.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6444054&mesg_id=6444054

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6443835&mesg_id=6443835

[high density]

19. I'm not a fan of Politico by any means

But when The Atlantic confirms that Obama is going to be "agnostic" on the public option, I see no reason to doubt what Politico is saying here.

[fasttense]

3. Politico is published by a banking family involved in a money laundering scheme.

Don't trust their reporting to be unbiased.

[backscatter712]

4. It's Politico. I'll believe it when I hear it from someone credible.

In other words, not right-wing-shills.

[asdjrocky]

5. The problem starts at the top.

The problem is the President. It is his job to whip Congress into shape, that's why we voted for him. If there is no public option, it is an Obama fail.

[high density]

6. If anything Politico is doing us a favor here

Now the liberal wing has time to tell Obama (again) what needs to be done. I guess the White House forgot the outrage around their first stupid trial balloon on dropping the public option. The Democrats need to get this done or else we have a lot worse things to think about than losing 2010. We cannot let the insane 25% Bushbot part of this country continue to destroy everything, and I really wonder what Obama is thinking in constantly capitulating to them. They've shown time and time again they will not vote for ANYTHING and they just want to water down whatever he does pass. Then the Republicans will continue to scream about how horrible it is anyway, and the citizens of this country will be worse off for it.

[OHdem10]

8. So we are going to have a GOP Bill. I did not realize McCain won

the election. sarcasm

[kjackson227]

9. I'm trying not to sweat the idea of no Public Option until I hear this coming...

from President Obama, himself. Hopefully, all the speculation will be put to rest next week. But even if he says that Public Option is still on the table, we still have to get those back-stabbing, cut-throat Dems to jump on board. If the Dems mess this up I swear...

[PeaceDreamer]

10. I'm pissed at Obama

What happened to Obama's values and beliefs? He is another sellout for power.

[blogslut]

12. Tell us what you think Obama's values and beliefs are

?

[lamp_shade]

16. Well you sure did come to the right thread dincha now peacedreamer. Look around, there

are a couple other threads you can join in on.

[Junkdrawer]

13. I'm guessing there WILL BE a "Public Option" -- Some kind of weak toothed...

pale shadow of "Medicare For All" -- but it will bear the handle "Public Option".

[high density]

14. Then the Repukes will tell us how much it costs and how bad it is

They'll tell us it's all the Democrats' and Barack Obama's fault. The law will be diluted to the point of being useless by the Republicans, but the Democrats will inevitably get the blame for it. In the end we're left with another Republican win and a loss for USA. The insurance companies and dittoheads are happy, everybody else isn't, and we're just where we started with a lot less political capital.

[Junkdrawer]

20. Yep. 2010 will be 1994 all over again...Democratic President - Republican Congress...

Look at it this way: Pelosi and Reid's job of explaining why legislation is always tilted far to the right will get much, much easier.

[tinkerbell41]

15. Local RW radio station

They started the drumbeat on this at 2am this morning, and it has been beating more loudly as time goes on. They did cite Politico as the source, leading me to believe it was bullshit. On edit, the station has also been pushing the idea that the bill eventually leads to single-payer(which bill I'm not sure) sorry.