President Will Make Case For Public Option Wednesday Night

[kpete]

Source: ABC

ABC
President Will Make Case For Public Option Wednesday Night
September 06, 2009 9:17 AM

....

I had a pretty spirited go around with White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs and the latest on this dilemma over the public option. The bottom line: Gibbs says the President will make the case for a public option in his speech to Congress on Wednesday but he won't issue a veto threat if it isn't in the final package.

Gibbs also said the White House is willing to draft its own health care legislation. Here's our exchange:

GEORGE: There has been some talk about whether the President will draft legislation is that what’s happening now?

GIBBS: "Well look, We have been looking a legislation for months. You have now several different proposals in the House and Senate that have made the way to the committee process. Obviously the Senate Finance Committee continues to work, so you are going to have ideas coming from a couple different directions and the president has take all those stands and pull them together."

GEORGE: So he will do that and put his ideas on the table?

GIBBS: Were going to certainly..People will leave that speech knowing where stands and if it takes whatever to get health care done the president is ready willing and able to do that. We are closer George than we have ever been before."


Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/09/president-will-make-case-for-public-option-wednesday-night.html

[Eric J in MN]

1. 2008 Obama-Biden promise: public option anyone can join

The least he could do now is support a public option which only a small number of people can choose.

Obama-Biden website:

"any American will have the opportunity to enroll in the new public plan"


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/15/767136/-As-a-candidate,-Obama-supported-public-option

[onehandle]

2. No making cases. Push it through. Say it's about national security.

Nationalize health insurance, energy, and banks.

Take them.

[Donnachaidh]

3. translation - pretty speech, covering up the massive wimp out he's going to do

by allowing the blue dogs and the pukes to rip out anything that might be true reform.

All the campaign contributions generated by this weenie move isn't going to get the votes next time dude. No matter what your advisers tell you. Offer hope and then shit on those promises? People WILL remember this political act of cowardice.

[debbierlus]

9. Yep. He is bought & paid for....and if the private insurance companies realize their wet dream

Obama will have served his purpose.

The corporations don't need a democrat or a republican. They just need a sell-out.

[emulatorloo]

10. I take that sort of stuff about as seriously as I take "Obama is A Socialist!"

I doubt I am the only one. But knock yourself out!

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. +1

:thumbsup:

[Junkdrawer]

4. Here's what I expect...

Obama will repeat the "Some kind of mechanism to insure competition" line and perhaps say that this is why he supported and continues to support a "Public Option".

The Senate to be the "bad cop" and will include a severely watered down, meaningless public option (perhaps with a trigger).

The progressive caucus will split - 20 to 30 will vote against the "compromise" bill.

Enough Republicans will defect to get it through.

Obama will sign.

[connecticut yankee]

5. For all of you out there that don't understand

He is the President.

He was elected by a majority of the American people.

He was elected because people wanted change.

He promised to do a job.

Let him do it.

He won -- get over it!

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. 'He won - - get over it!'

:eyes:

[Warpy]

6. Just getting those smug old boys in Congress to talk about

health care reform instead of burying it in committee within a week after the president mentions the subject is progress, farther than we've ever been before.

It's not enough. Democrats in Congress will pay the price in 2010 if they don't get this through.

[ima_sinnic]

7. "make the case"? I now would not expect anything stronger.

whatever. the fact that you will sign whatever bogus, watered-down POS "reform" crosses your desk, no matter what, speaks volumes about the "leadership" we've gotten on this issue. thanks a lot for nothing, esp. for creating apathy and cynicism in millions of voters who busted their gullible butts for your campaign only to be given the finger.

[stlsaxman]

8. This coming from Snuffy it's GOT to be true!

So don't count on it.

We are doomed.

[KoKo]

11. The OP is a transcript of Snuffy's interview with Gibbs...there's a video

at the ABC Website if you don't believe the transcript is accurate:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/09/president-will-make-case-for-public-option-wednesday-night.html#

[Tim01]

13. So much for leadership. nt