NYT: Obama NOT dropping the public option
by liberalpragmatist
Wed Sep 02, 2009 at 07:41:12 PM PDT
According to tomorrow's NYT, while Obama will scale back elements of the current proposals, the public plan is not being dropped.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/2/776056/-NYT:-Obama-NOT-dropping-the-public-option................
Timed to coincide with Congress’s return from its summer recess, the president’s address would follow a tumultuous month in which opponents of sweeping health legislation disrupted lawmakers’ town-hall-style meetings and the White House struggled to regain control of the debate. Mr. Obama is also scheduled to travel to Cincinnati on Monday to speak at a large Labor Day picnic organized by the A.F.L.-C.I.O. He will have a receptive audience, as labor unions have been among the strongest supporters of his effort to expand coverage and rein in health costs.
So far, the administration’s ideas of concessions are likely to fall far short of the fundamental changes that Congressional Republicans seek.
For now, White House officials said,
Mr. Obama remains committed to the goal of insuring all Americans and still prefers to foster competition for insurance companies by creating a new government insurance program, or public option.more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/health/policy/03care.html?_r=1&hp.................
Sen. Schumer's statement ...
"The President is clearly not running away from this battle, but rather confronting the challenges we've encountered these last few weeks head-on. He's pulling out all the stops, and this level of involvement from the President could well be a game changer. There is no better way to turn public opinion around than to have someone as popular as President Obama addressing the American people directly, without intermediaries interpreting - or misinterpreting - his ideas."
more:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/09/schum...action is my duty, reward is not my concern