Did Obama campaign on public option?

[HughMoran]

Posted: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:59 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Barack Obama

From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
Some liberals are upset with this statement President Obama made to the Washington Post: "I didn't campaign on the public option."

The liberal group Progressive Change Campaign Committee is up a with new TV ad in response, which will run in D.C. and Wisconsin (to influence Sen. Russ Feingold). "President Obama should frankly feel ashamed that he promised Americans a public option, got people to believe real change was possible, and then never truly fought for it -- instead, pushing an insurance mandate that he specifically campaigned against," said the PCCC's Adam Green. "Hopefully, our ad inspires one brave senator to represent the will of the people and insist that a public option be in any final bill."

As we've written before, the words "public option" didn't appear in any Obama campaign speech we can remember; they didn't come up during the debates; and they didn't surface in TV ads. Remember when Obama and Hillary Clinton dominated the MSNBC debate with Brian Williams and Tim Russert with 16 minutes of health-care discussion, the words "public option" were never uttered.

It is true that a public plan was part of Obama's health-care plan, and it's also true that the public option was an idea being debated in policy-wonk circles during the campaign.

But, from our vantage point as reporters who covered the presidential campaign, Obama's quote to the Washington Post appears to be correct.

And here's Huffington Post's Sam Stein's take: "An examination of approximately 200 newspaper articles from the campaign, as well as debate transcripts and public speeches shows that Obama spoke remarkably infrequently about creating a government-run insurance program. Indeed, when he initially outlined his health care proposals during a speech before the University of Iowa on March 29, 2007, he described setting up a system that resembles the current Senate compromise - in which private insurers would operate in a non-profit entity that was regulated heavily by a government entity."

Now, there’s no doubt that Obama broke a promise on mandates. And he’s had to answer for that in interviews with reporters. It’s certainly accurate to say that he campaigned against a mandate. Remember, Clinton was in favor a mandate and much of the debate on health care centered around THAT word. And because of the mandate, the irony for the left -- now up in arms about mandates -- is that her plan was the one that was seen as the more liberal.

...

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/12/23/2159620.aspx

______________________________________________________________

Let the debate begin.

[VMI Dem]

1. Did Bush misrepresent the Iraq War?

The "debate" goes on.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

9. Let me be sure I understand you...

You're comparing the brazen and repeated lies of the Bush Adminstration -- lies that resulted in the death of thousands of U.S. soldiers, the wholesale violation of international law, and the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens....with Obama's inability to come through on a policy proposal which has resulted in.....what? Your being pissed off?

Come on. How about a nice Holocaust comparison? I'm sure you have it in you.

[VMI Dem]

19. Nah, just comparing the mincing of words and quibbling that is going on with this bullshit.

Have fun spinning it thought.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

24. Speaking of the spin cycle...

I'm not comparing the two, I'm just "comparing the mincing of words..."

So you're not comparing. You're just...uh...comparing.

Nice try.

[Cha]

14. WTF do bush's lies on Bombing Iraq

have to do with this except in the puny ignorant minds of those trying to bring down the President?

[jonnyblitz]

61. look up the meaning of the word "analogy". educate yourself nt

[DJ13]

2. "Public PLAN" ..... "Public OPTION"

The hair splitting to excuse this crappy bill (and Obama) are getting downright silly.

[Donnachaidh]

23. it's the refrain of the week from the Cult of Personality Crowd

They took lessons from Rove on this shit.

[NJmaverick]

41. You're talking about the Howard Dean cult right?

[Donnachaidh]

42. working on that christmas bonus insurance whipping boy?

Do you take the Path train into the job? Or do they let you troll sites from home?

[NJmaverick]

43. .

[stevenleser]

49. LOL, accusing people on the internet of being paid shills. The most silly trick in the book

A wholly unproveable and irrelevant thing to do.

[TomCADem]

29. The "Public Plan" Was Not The Crux Of President Obama's Healthcare Proposals

Was it mentioned? Yes. Was it the centerpiece? Hardly. President Obama's "Blueprint for Change" has several pages on health care, but only one single mention of a public plan.

[Blue_Roses]

56. thank-you ...

I thought the whole website had jumped the shark.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Well he mentioned it in passing, dammit!

That means it was a core tenet of his campaign!

[Orsino]

12. +1

As weasely as those words are, the vagueness of the phrase "campaign on" makes the statement technically true.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. People are abusing the vagueness of "campaign on" from both sides, IMHO. (nt)

[madfloridian]

4. Yes, he did. His own words in video form.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/barack_obama/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2009/12/23/pccc_ad

Yet You Tube won't let me post it here.

[HughMoran]

5. Ummm, 7/09 is after he was elected

The question was did he campaign on a public option.

[DJ13]

6. Obama ‘08 campaign document, "Barack Obama’s Plan for a Healthy America" (PDF)

The Obama plan both builds upon and improves our current insurance system, upon which most Americans continue to rely, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans. The Obama plan also addresses the large gaps in coverage that leave 45 million Americans uninsured. Specifically, the Obama plan will: (1) establish a new public insurance program available to Americans who neither qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP nor have access to insurance through their employers, as well as to small businesses that want to offer insurance to their employees; (2) make available the National Health Insurance Exchange to help Americans and businesses that want to purchase private health insurance directly; (3) require all employers to contribute towards health coverage for their employees; (4) mandate all children have health care coverage; (5) expand Medicaid and SCHIP to cover more of the least well-off among us; and (6) allow state flexibility for state health reform plans.

[Meshuga]

8. To be fair, the video is from this summer and not from the 2008 campaign n/t

[OHdem10]

7. C'mon, he is just trying to save face. by pretending he got what he

wanted.

He permitted himself to be rolled and most people know that.
By not taking a stand and showing the American People he does
really believe in something, he handed it over to the Senate
and that was the downfall. Permitting 6 senators from 6 small
states essentially write the bill was the blunder of the year.


Perception trumps reality. He is getting a bill. A bill that
Sucks. Does anyone really believe in his heart he wants a bill
that sucks.

[tblue]

10. But in politics perception is everything.

And Obama is perceived by some in the base as weak at best, disconnected, or disingenous. It's very troubling.

[HughMoran]

18. Never miss an opportunity to take a swipe at Obama

Good for you - consistency is next to godliness.

[tblue]

55. It's not about Obama.

I am not hung up on a person or even a party. I couldn't care less about someone's popularity or personality or legacy. It's about policy, for me anyway. Seems to me when people get wrapped up in a charismatic figure, they end up supporting things they'd otherwise oppose, and vice versa. That's dangerous.

Obama, to me, is as good as what he does. And I'll even give him credit for what he tries to do, whether or not he succeeds. Consistent? You bet!

[boston bean]

11. He campaigned on a PUBLIC PLAN, the OPTION came about after he sold out a public PLAN. nt

[NJmaverick]

13. The interesting thing about think progress is that most of the quotes were from 2009

when he wasn't campaigning. Not that it will not stop supposed progressives from starting the circular firing squad. It's a shame, I have cosidered donating to them. I might was well just donate to Free Republic and cut out the middle man.

[saracat]

21. Post #6 has the quote regarding a public plan from his campaign lit.

When verbal hairs have to be split regarding public ""plan" versus public "option", someone is not being forthright.The veribiage also utilizes "on" as opposed to "for" in order to provide a loophole. It is very disingenous.

[NJmaverick]

25. Do you think the President wrote his own literature? that's pretty weak ground to call him a liar

[saracat]

27. Wow. Thats a real stretch. This was quote from his "platform"

and this was from HIS Healthcare Plan.I would supose he approved it.Are you saying he didn't know his own healthcare position?

[NJmaverick]

32. It would be nicer if the people who called him a liar would admit they were wrong

[saracat]

37. You read his heathcare platform and expect people to say they didn't see it?

Talk about turning yourself into a pretzel? Do you seriously believe Obama didn't know what was in his own health care platform? That was the issue I addressed.Some feel he wouldn't be aware of what was in his own platform. One of my friends wrote Obama's disability platform and Obama had to approve it. Perhaps you are saying he didn't actually stand for anything?That his platform was just "words"?????

[NJmaverick]

40. I expect people that falsely accused the President of lying to own up to it

That just basic human decency.

[saracat]

45. Why is it impossible for you to address the issue? Was a public plan in the presidents Health Carel

Platform or not? Why do you deflect from that issue? Or can't you really debate that issue? And BTW, off track, and I admit it,"human decency" would have been to fight for a PO or a "Public plan".

[spiritual_gunfighter]

30. To say that Obama isn't responsible for his own platform literature

and doesnt know what is in it is actually worse.

[NJmaverick]

34. To think he edits every detail of his campaign literature is a huge stretch

remember when smears against Democratic Presidents only came from the right?

[HughMoran]

36. Look down below a bit

You may want to rephrase that a bit -> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x89685#89769

[treestar]

16. I had thought he did

But also realized that anything he campaigned for would require Congress to go along. He can't "promise a PO to the American people." He can only say he'd veto a bill without it. I don't think he wants to do that.

As for fighting for it, I don't see how he could get Lieberman to go along by pressuring him. He'll have to deal with Lieberman for at least the next three years.

I accept that the President can't get everything he wants, even if I wanted him to be able to get it.

Real progressives would live with this, move on, and try to get at least one more Senator. Look at who is up for reelection and work like a dog to keep all Dem Senators and dislodge at lease one Republican - with a Democrat who would at least vote to end the debate.

[Phx_Dem]

28. Bringing reason into a hyperbolic debate is

a good thing.

:thumbsup:

[Thickasabrick]

17. It's semantics and this is just bullshit. Whatever - where is the

alternative to what a public option would have provided....competition.

[phleshdef]

20. He presented it during the campaign but he never promised he could make it happen.

[lamp_shade]

22. Obama didn't lie.

[NJmaverick]

33. It's sad that we have to dispell LIBERAL generated smear campaigns against Obama

this is terrible, you would think only the right would be guilty of this crap.

[Capn Sunshine]

26. Obama? No.

His supporters and campaign people? Oh, yeah, totally. I remember specifically cautioning a bunch of enthusiastic State level pols about putting words in Obama's mouth.

Judging by the gnashing of teeth here on this subject, my advice was ignored.

[janx]

31. I've been waiting to see how you weigh in on this.

TNX :hi:

[NJmaverick]

35. Remember when these sort of smear campaigns against Democratic Presidents

only came from the right? It is beyond shameful.

[ipaint]

38. Yes.

Covering All Americans and Providing Real Choices of Affordable Health Insurance Options.

Families and individuals should have the option of keeping the coverage they have or choosing from a wide array of health insurance plans, including many private health insurance options and a public plan. Coverage should be made affordable for all Americans with subsidies provided through tax credits and other means.

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html




Every American has the right to affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan will ensure that all Americans have health care coverage through their employers, private health plans, the federal government, or the states. My plan builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and creates a new public health plan for those currently without coverage. Under my plan, Americans will be able to choose to maintain their current coverage if they choose to. For those without health insurance I will establish a new public insurance program, and provide subsides to afford care for those who need them. My plan includes a mandate that all children have health care coverage and I will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs to help ensure we cover all kids. My plan requires all employers to contribute towards health coverage for their employees or towards the cost of the public plan. Under my plan a typical family will save $2,500 each year. We will realize tremendous savings Covering All Americans and Providing Real Choices of Affordable Health Insurance Options.

Families and individuals should have the option of keeping the coverage they have or choosing from a wide array of health insurance plans, including many private health insurance options and a public plan. Coverage should be made affordable for all Americans with subsidies provided through tax credits and other means.

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html


In the 2008 Obama-Biden health care plan on the campaign’s website, candidate Obama promised that “any American will have the opportunity to enroll in new public plan.”

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf


Every American has the right to affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan will ensure that all Americans have health care coverage through their employers, private health plans, the federal government, or the states. My plan builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and creates a new public health plan for those currently without coverage. Under my plan, Americans will be able to choose to maintain their current coverage if they choose to. For those without health insurance I will establish a new public insurance program, and provide subsides to afford care for those who need them. My plan includes a mandate that all children have health care coverage and I will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs to help ensure we cover all kids. My plan requires all employers to contribute towards health coverage for their employees or towards the cost of the public plan. Under my plan a typical family will save $2,500 each year. We will realize tremendous savings within the health care system from improving efficiency and quality and reducing wasted expenditures system-wide. Specifically, these savings will result from investments in health information technology, improvements in prevention and management of chronic conditions, increased insurance industry competition and reduced industry overhead, the provision of federal reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, and reduced spending on uncompensated care.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/

NPR interview 2007-

Obama: Senator Clinton’s plan for healthcare, my plan, John Edward’s plan are all similar in the sense that we set up a government plan alongside the private plans that people have. And people can buy in. And we all subsidize participation in that plan.

Laura Knoy: So it’s not universal, single payer healthcare such as Dennis Kucinich<'s plan>?

Obama: Exactly. It’s not single payer, it’s a transitional system building on the existing systems that we have.

cont.-

Require all children to have health insurance, and employers to offer employee health benefits or contribute to the cost of the new public program. Expand Medicaid and SCHIP and create the National Health Insurance Exchange through which small businesses and individuals without access to other public programs or employer-based coverage could enroll in a new public plan, like Medicare, or in a range of approved private plans.

http://www.verumserum.com/?p=8554

This side-by-side comparison of the candidates' positions on health care was prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation with the assistance of Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. and is based on information appearing on the candidates' websites as supplemented by information from candidate speeches, the campaign debates and news reports. The sources of information are identified for each candidate's summary (with links to the Internet). The comparison highlights information on the candidates' positions related to access to health care coverage, cost containment, improving the quality of care and financing. Information will be updated regularly as the campaign unfolds.

snip-
Barack Obama-

Create a new public plan so that small businesses and individuals without access to other public programs or employer-based coverage could purchase insurance. Plan coverage would offer comprehensive benefits similar to those available through FEHBP.

http://www.health08.org/sidebyside_results.cfm?c=5&c=16


May 2007-

Mr. Obama would create a new public plan open to individuals who cannot get group coverage through work or the existing government programs, like Medicaid or the State Childrens Health Insurance Program. He would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange, a regulated marketplace of competing private health plans that would aim at “reforming” the private insurance market and giving individuals other, more affordable options for coverage.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/us/politics/29CND-OBAMA.html?_r=2




http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/22/818090/-President-Obama:-I-Didnt-Campaign-on-the-Public-Option.-



edit- had one link listed 2 times.

[Bluenorthwest]

39. You drop the ball

and then you say "I meant to do that". This is what Obama is doing.
According to many on DU he 'campaigned on escalation in Afghanistan', a subject that he mentioned as little as possible, and downplayed wildly. Yet they claim that was enough. He campaigned on it, promised it. So the same holds true for his many mentions of the public option as candidate and as President. His website spoke of the public option. His printed materials and his commercials. He spoke of it in speeches and in debates.
It is what it is.

[chill_wind]

44. The article still concedes a second major point-- regarding mandate, which still makes

him less than honest in his quotes to WAPO:



Half-truths or half-lies? People will have to decide.

President Obama rejected in an interview Tuesday the criticism that he has compromised too much in order to secure health-care reform legislation, challenging his critics to identify any "gap" between what he campaigned on last year and what Congress is on the verge of passing.

"Nowhere has there been a bigger gap between the perceptions of compromise and the realities of compromise than in the health-care bill," Obama said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Post about his legislative record this year. "Every single criteria for reform I put forward is in this bill."

"Now, there’s no doubt that Obama broke a promise on mandates. And he’s had to answer for that in interviews with reporters. It’s certainly accurate to say that he campaigned against a mandate. Remember, Clinton was in favor a mandate and much of the debate on health care centered around THAT word. And because of the mandate, the irony for the left -- now up in arms about mandates -- is that her plan was the one that was seen as the more liberal."

(OP above).

[NJmaverick]

46. You're reaching and swapping terms to avoid owning up to a smear campaign

that has been exposed.

[chill_wind]

48. And the article is reaching and glossing. You're not addressing the reality

of the mandate bait and switch that has been exposed.

[NJmaverick]

52. The FACT of the matter is the President was victim of a fake smear campaign not from the right

(like you would expect) but rather from the left (which is utterly disgraceful).

[cliffordu]

59. Yep, and kay and ARE, tough guy.

[NYC_SKP]

47. Hell no he didn't. nt

[Avalux]

50. Unfortunately, the facts won't stop some from calling Obama a liar and worse.

And the mandates - we'll see if they end up in the final bill.

[Vattel]

51. Obama's campaign promises included the public option.

Obama's "issue statement" on health care reform to the Washington Post during the campaign includes these words:

"I will establish a new public insurance program."

Full text:

Do you have a plan to make health care more accessible to Americans? If so, how would you do it?
Every American has the right to affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan will ensure that all Americans have health care coverage through their employers, private health plans, the federal government, or the states. My plan builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and creates a new public health plan for those currently without coverage. Under my plan, Americans will be able to choose to maintain their current coverage if they choose to. For those without health insurance I will establish a new public insurance program, and provide subsides to afford care for those who need them. My plan includes a mandate that all children have health care coverage and I will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs to help ensure we cover all kids. My plan requires all employers to contribute towards health coverage for their employees or towards the cost of the public plan. Under my plan a typical family will save $2,500 each year. We will realize tremendous savings within the health care system from improving efficiency and quality and reducing wasted expenditures system-wide. Specifically, these savings will result from investments in health information technology, improvements in prevention and management of chronic conditions, increased insurance industry competition and reduced industry overhead, the provision of federal reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, and reduced spending on uncompensated care.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/#health-care

[njjdem]

58. he

did

[bvar22]

53. I was wondering what the Talking Points ...

...from the Obama Defense Team would be today.
How were they going to spin his dreadful mistake of yesterday.

Apparently, there is NO WAY to spin it, so they are taking the path of BLUNT, hostile DENIAL in the face of overwhelming factual evidence and video.

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

[HughMoran]

54. All you got is ad hominem to a post that brings a third party viewpoint and asks for debate?

That's very mature of you. I'm trying to figure out why I took you off ignore.













That was a mistake - enjoy your life.

[bvar22]

57. Wouldn't it be better ....

...if you just acknowledge the REALITY?

Say something like, "Well, President Obama made a mistake today. Its understandable and human given the pressure pot he lives in. Everybody KNOWS he campaigned on a Public Option...I mean there is video tape out there, not to mention screen caps of his campaign website.... And the video on Jon Stewart is going to be embarrassing.
But, so he made a mistake.
Its no big deal.
All politician make them."

If you continue to DENY it in the face of VIDEO, Direct Quotes, and Screen Caps, you lose what little credibility you have left.

That is the problem with HERO Worship.
You can NEVER admit that your HERO is human.

But carry on your chosen path.

[martymar64]

60. He campaigned on NO INDIVVIDUAL MANDATES

Sorry for shouting. He can't use that tired routine to tapdance out of this one. It's appearing more and more that he sandbagged the PO on purpose.

Sure there are some positives in the bills, especially the House version. The Senate version is a joke and should not be rammed down the throat of the House. We did not elect Ben Nelson or Joe Lieberman president and Obama's vocal support of the PO via the bully pulpit would've gone a long way to securing support in the Senate. Instead, he hemmed and hawed over the PO, weakly trying to play it down as unimportant, despite enormous public support for it. Then he sent his flying monkey Rahm over to order Harry Reid to give in to Joe Lieberman.

I see the reality that the Senate has offered up an enormous shit sandwich that they want every person in America to take a big bite of. One can only hope that in conference the House can stand firm against the Seante and insert it's provisions into the final bill. Only that would give progressive reason to declare any sort victory on this issue. Given the performance of congress this session, especially the Senate, that hope is miniscule and I won't hold my breath. They are basically risk averse pussies, after all (with a precious few exceptions).

[PurityOfEssence]

62. Not really, but more than just sorta; Obama in a nutshell: both sides now

When Obama says he didn't run on a public option, he's potentially technically correct, depending on how you interpret the concept of to "run on": a public option wasn't a key plank in his platform. So, by this thinking, if it was part of things, but not the heart and soul of it, then he maybe sorta didn't "run on it".

Therein lies the problem, though, because it WAS one of the pieces of trim around the edge of his platform, only alluded to when trying to court liberals. It was there in his website, it was mentioned in speeches, it was written about, and it wasn't just the extremely rare instance; it was done to actively court those who truly wanted it, while camouflaging it enough so it wouldn't scare off the other Reagan lovers he so hungrily courted.

He really caught himself with his own expediency here, and there's something transcendent about the fluffing of this point: he's making an emphatic denial in a insinuating way. Sure, he didn't base his whole raison d'etre on the public option, so he didn't "campaign on it", but what he's trying to make people think here is that it wasn't part of his platform, when IT MOST CERTAINLY, OBVIOUSLY, AND REPEATEDLY WAS.

That's the damning misbehavior here: he wants people to think that he never promised it, never really pushed for it while campaigning, and this simply isn't so. No, he's not "lying", but he's once again so extremely misleading that quibbling over whether it's a "lie" misses the point; he's deliberately deceiving and trying to have the average pedestrian think that he never said anything of the sort. Much as he's studious about sidestepping commitments like this, he actually did on this one. Perhaps he was simply confused and forgot that he actually made an actual specific statement on something for one of the few times in his life. Yet, no, he didn't capitalize on this point and feature it in his rosy vagueness of promisy conjuring of future happenings, so in a strictly semantic way, some could say that he didn't "run on it". Hold on a second there, though, because by the less enabling vantage point, he most certainly DID run on it, because it was repeated in print and videotaped moments. It's all a matter of how what the word "on" is...

George W. Bush never said that Saddam Hussein orchestrated 9-11, but he kept saying Iraq and Saddam in the same sentence with 9-11 so many times that people made the intentional leap of logic. He wanted that to happen, and he wanted the deniability.

If you're inclined to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, you probably will. If you're sick of the greasy old-style politicking, you won't.

What's amusing is the emphatic way he quibbled.

[jeanpalmer]

63. "there’s no doubt that Obama

broke a promise on mandates. And he’s had to answer for that in interviews with reporters." LOL.

[GeorgeGist]

64. Symbolman would never lie.