Talk about playing chess: Obama saved his "I didn't campaign on the PO" comment until now

[brentspeak]

Why didn't he say "Er, uh, well...I didn't campaign on the public option," before this week?

[lxlxlxl]

1. because he is president and does not have to deliver analyses like he is on cable news

yes, he didnt go on TV and tell everyone to go single payer, but maybe he was dealing with a colossal bank failure, two wars, and a directionless economy...

the entire stock market hangs on his every word. he has to be careful.

no one ran in 2008 on single-payer healthcare. they ran on taking back the white house from the GOP. wait for single payer in 2016 / 2020. in your lifetime if your lucky...this country is more conservative and the political efforts is more uphill than you've realized.

[polpilot]

2. Had to conduct the research. No longer about principles. It's 'legalistic' for him now.

[chimpymustgo]

4. The research with Big Pharma and the insurance industry.

[tridim]

3. Obama did it just to piss you off..

Because you're so freaking boring.

[dkf]

5. It was pretty "in your face".

A big screw you to the people who actually do gruntwork.

[Orangepeel]

6. he fucked up a comment to a newspaper. he's not standing by it

It was a dumb thing to say, probably motivated by guilt. But it's not like he was waiting to spring a lie on us until this week.

From today:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/july-dec09/obama_12-23.html#transcript

PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, look, I've been in favor of the public option. I think the more choice, the more competition we have, the better.

On the other hand, I think that the exchange itself, the system that we're setting up that forces insurance companies to essentially bid for three million or four million or five million people's business, that in and of itself is going to have a disciplining effect.

Would I like one of those options to be the public option? Yes. Do I think that it makes sense, as some have argued, that, without the public option, we dump all these other extraordinary reforms and we say to the 30 million people who don't have coverage, "You know, sorry. We didn't get exactly what we wanted?" I don't think that makes sense.

[Laelth]

8. Vomit.

He doesn't want to tell the uninsured, "You know, sorry. We didn't get exactly what we wanted?" But he does want to tell the uninsured, "Now you must buy low-quality health insurance or you will be a criminal and will be fined?"

How does that make any sense? HCR isn't something he's doing for the uninsured, it's something he's doing to the uninsured.

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[gravity]

7. While you a busy complaining about a comment

Obama is on the verge of getting his healthcare bill passed with all the Senate Democrats aboard. I think he is playing chess just fine.

[tridim]

9. +1

Get with the present people. The country is moving forward with or without you, it's your choice.

[jwirr]

10. He isn't stupid and he knows what we want him to do about quite a

few issues. What I want him to do is level with us. What is it you really want to do with this nation? You said change - okay I want to know exactly what he means when he says change - before we start on the other important issues that he is promising change on. Honesty on these issues is the thing I want most right now. No more - "well look guys - I didn't campaign on that issue."