Does Obama even want a public option?

[SHRED]

He seems to be OK with NO re-importation for prescription drugs.

If we do not get a public option then what controls cost?



----

[boston bean]

1. NOPE! He does not, and neither does a majority in the Senate. nt

[rucky]

2. He wants to pass something

more than he wants any actual item in the bill.

[SHRED]

5. But what mechanism, in the bill, controls costs of...

...co-pays, deductibles, rising drug prices, and insurance rates?


Is the President counting on us not to notice or ask?

[rucky]

11. Here's a good article that sums it up...

"good" as in informative. I'm still up in the air about whether this bill is better or worse than what we have now.

http://www.slate.com/id/2247258/

[rug]

10. It's become more of a kidney stone than legislation.

[Lerkfish]

14. DUzy! how do I recommend that for a DUzy?

[sendero]

16. It's all vanity and politics..

.. at this point, not about fixing anything.

[lonestarnot]

3. The recipient of health care, the insured. They continue to not get health care, but continue to

pay premiums at a higher rate. So yeah control, yeah it's in the hands of the insured. :sarcasm: I understand there is a hand donation box now being placed at the doors of all insurance headquarters.

[wroberts189]

4. Says he does repeatedly. That is all I know. nt

[Lerkfish]

6. doesn't look like it: remember, he made SOME unknown deal with big pharma and insurance

whatever that deal was, the reimportation and public option, although wildly popular with voters, was "off the table".
anti-trust is off the table, and the mandate is on the table.

one wonders what the rest of the deal entailed

[AllentownJake]

7. All actions speak to no

All words say yes.

What are you going to believe, him or your lying eyes.

[DefenseLawyer]

8. The machine doesn't want it. The machine paid good money not to have it.

It's irrelevant what the President wanted. The question was, did he have the desire or the courage to challenge the machine and the answer to that is obviously "no".

[LiberalLoner]

12. This. Exactly. We are NOT living in a democracy - the President has no power. We are

controlled soley by the super-wealthy corporations - this is fascism. Don't like it? Move to Europe. Sure wish I could move to Europe. America is toast. Done. We will become Haiti in our lifetimes.

[3324SS]

9. The Good Graces of the Insurance Industery

Will keep costs down!

They promise!

No PO, No Cost Controls + Mandates = 100% Royal Screwing

[babylonsister]

13. He favored a PO, rethugs opposed it. You'd know that if you made

any effort to find out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x62124

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8628272

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8558108

[sendero]

17. Bullshit..

... the Repugs are against ANY health care legislation, and even though it took Obama a fucking year to figure out that there wasn't going to be any "bipartisanship", there is still no PO.

Obama has made it clear through his ACTIONS (not his words which are at odds with his actions) that all he cares about is passing something that won't piss anyone in the industry off.

[babylonsister]

18. A question was asked and answered, providing links. Sorry if the

answer wasn't what you wanted to hear.

[sendero]

20. Your links..

.. don't answer anything. Just like with Bush, I watch what is done rather than what is said, talk is very very cheap and political talk even cheaper.

[bread_and_roses]

21. By their acts ye shall know them

Like someone else said, "who you going to believe - him or your lying eyes?"

Doesn't much matter what he says, words are cheap.

And at this point, anyone claiming that the lack of PO will be the fault of the Rs has to be living in some alternate universe.

[Marr]

28. Do you think wrestling is real, too?

Obama does what all triangulating corporate hacks do. He feigns support for liberal ideas in public, and maneuvers against them in private. It's why talks about "bipartisanship" so much. It's perfect cover for turning any bill into a corporate giveaway.

Much like these Senators who claimed to be for a public option when they thought it had no chance of passing, and suddenly aren't so into the idea when it becomes a possibility, Obama's done a bit of theater on the issue. He gave you a nice little show, that's all.

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Let's See: Most Americans Are In Favor of a Public Option

And most Americans are against mandates and no public option.

Obama has chosen the more difficult path of mandates and no public option, a mechanism strongly disliked by Americans. Why pick the harder, more unpopular route unless he himself is strongly against a public options?

Based on his actions, there can be no doubt about it: Obama is strongly against a public option.

[w4rma]

19. No. He wouldn't have allowed Rahm to make a deal with the insurance lobby if he did. (nt)

[piratefish08]

22. He seemed to. Back in the day when a Public Option wasn't an option.....

[tabbycat31]

23. I think he still does

but it's very clear that Rahm does not support a public option. Hopefully Congress is on our side here and we get 50 Senators plus Biden to get this separate public option bill through

[msongs]

24. he wants his presidency to be "saved" after doing little for a year on HCR lol nt

[kenny blankenship]

25. Regulators! Regulators will control costs. And they'll be about as effective as the SEC

ask Harry Markopoulos how that works out.

[Forkboy]

26. I don't think he really gave a shit one way or the other, but it sounded good on the campaign trail.

[Dinger]

27. Hmmmm, Let's See . . .

:rofl:

[Dinger]

29. Does He Want Public Schools?

:shrug: