Sources: White House drafting health care bill

[kpete]

Source: CNN

Sources: White House drafting health care bill
Posted: September 4th, 2009 05:54 PM ET

From CNN's Ed Henry, Jessica Yellin and Gloria Borger
CNN has learned that the White House is working to draft health care legislation.
CNN has learned that the White House is working to draft health care legislation.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – CNN has learned that the White House is quietly working to draft health care legislation after allowing Congress to work on its own for months.

Multiple sources close to the process tell CNN that while the plan is uncertain, they are preparing for the possibility they could deliver their own legislation to Capitol Hill sometime after the President Barack Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday, with one source calling the possibility of new legislation a "contingency" approach if efforts by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus to craft a deal fall through.

Multiple sources say the current thinking among administration officials is that the president will lay out a path to reform in his speech next week that the White House hopes can bridge the various differences in the competing proposals. Sources expect the president to emphasize the message: If Congress passes something now, it will serve as a foundation to pass further reform in the future.

As previously reported by CNN, the so-called trigger option remains very much on the table.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/04/cnn-national-political-correspondent-jessica-yellin-and-cnn-senior-political-analyst-gloria-borger/

[Paper Roses]

1. All they will do with the "trigger" option is shoot themselves in the

foot. This is another waste of time.

[Happyhippychick]

2. This is the right move and I'm glad he's doing it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. It's only the right move if it's the right bill.

And if it's got a "trigger" or any other shell game bullshit in it, then it's not.

[Generator]

4. You misssed the screw the liberals part of the piece

Really the meat of anything Obama does.

The Democratic source told CNN Friday that the White House was very conscious of the potential congressional fallout: "How do you (get the deal passed) without a revolt in the House? It can be done, but very delicately."

The bottom line, said the source, is that the president would have to "move to the center" on the issue eventually, "and it's not a bad thing to have liberals screaming at him" — that development will help sell the deal to Americans, "convince them it's a good, moderate deal, if liberals are mad."


Thank GOD Obama is screwing them liberals, that's what makes a good Democratic president. :hurts:

I do believe that's the flushing us down the loo smiley.

[mike_c]

5. +1

[Dr Fate]

6. This is not the 1990's. If this is their strategy, they are going to fall on their faces.

Their problem here is that "Liberals" (and it is wrong to even assume that it is jsut Liberals who want more REAL options) have yet to appear irrational, or far outside of the mainstream on this- and I doubt they will.

Much of the public would rather see Obama define himself by taking a stand, not by saying "Hey- I'm not *those guys*. Hey! Look at those wacky Liberals over there acting crazy. You do think they are crazy, right? I mean, they are just as bad as the tea-baggers, right?"

Ummmm, No.

Not gonna work this time. The DLC needs to get out of their VH1 "I Love the 90's" mode and get real.

[corpseratemedia]

21. agree

they're going to be really shocked when the bottom of the "wacky liberals" support base falls out from under them. The DLC forgets that millions upon millions will NEVER forgive them for nafta, etc.

[pdefalla]

11. Hey, Obama - guess what?

"that development will help sell the deal to Americans, "convince them it's a good, moderate deal, if liberals are mad"

It turns out that the "Americans" are already sold on a deal WITH A PUBLIC OPTION! Your battle to convince the American people that they really don't want a public option defies logic. What happened in those secret meetings with Insurance and Pharma lobbyists? Your sounding just like Chuck Grassley on this one! What the #*&*& is going on with our "Democratic" president?

I'm getting worried. Gates, Summers, Rom, Rendition, Afghanistan, bailouts, Bernanke.....and now complete capitulation to the Republicans when we don't have to! Tell me you have some plan, that this will all make sense somehow someday? I'm beginning to think that Hillary would have been a better choice....

[laughingliberal]

13. Public Option Is the Center

the president is moving to the right and trying to make industry happy. Industry Happy=People Screwed

[Wounded Bear]

14. How in the hell can they move "closer to the center?"

There's precious little progressive/left thinking in the proposals out there.

How about we drag things MORE TO THE FUCKING LEFT!!!!!!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. If he moves toward the center, he'll be moving left.

No makey sense.

[McCamy Taylor]

7. Just like Taft-Hartley was a grounds for reform down the line?

Do not kid yourself. Once Big Business finds a goose that lays golden eggs, they protect it forever.

[Tx4obama]

8. CNN Report is FALSE according to NBC and White House

Contrary to a CNN report, the White House is not drafting its own health-care bill, according to a senior administration official.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/04/2054240.aspx

[dccrossman]

9. Probably half-true

They're probably writing their "requirements" for a bill or marking up either a House bill or the Senate HELP bill.

But heck it's all speculation.

[MasonJar]

10. No to hoping for the future. Public option now is least I am willing to accept.

He should have done this at the beginning. What a stupid move. And he is still relying on Baucus group. That certainly shows where the wind is blowing. Olympia Snowe has made clear that she will not support a public option. Who needs her? She has already watered down the stimulus package in areas which would hsve helped real citizens, her views accepted so Obama could have his bi-partisanship.. These small state senators, and I am from a relatively small state myself and believe in the House/Senate dynamics, have too much clout in this debate. They are skewing what the people want.

[PFunk]

12. I hate to say this but maybe a 2010 dem butkicing due to a liberal backlash is what's needed.

If this is the only way to force the democrats to stop doing so the more power to it. After all, the dems have taken their progressive/liberal base for granted far to long and look where it gotten us and the party. Sometimes one has to be taken down a few pegs before they start listening to reason. IMO the current democratic party has reached this stage.

So in short, from what I've heard/read so far I'm not only expecting a 2010 loss for the dems. I'm counting on it.

[excess_3]

15. this should have been done in December .nt

[joeycola]

16. he president would have to "move to the center" on the issue eventually,............

what a bunch of crapola the WH is pushing on the American people---just to get a bill, any bill!!


http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/04/obama.health.care/index.html?eref=rss_topstories


"All of our caucuses are very unified about a robust public option, and that is essential in health care reform efforts," Lee said in a separate phone interview after the conference call.
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A Democratic source close to the process told CNN Friday that the White House was very conscious of the potential congressional fallout: "How do you without a revolt in the House? It can be done, but very delicately."

The bottom line, said the source, is that the president would have to "move to the center" on the issue eventually, "and it's not a bad thing to have liberals screaming at him." That development will help sell the deal to Americans and "convince them it's a good, moderate deal, if liberals are mad."

[Demeter]

17. Wait, and Wait, and Wait, and then? We'll See

Did we elect a President, or an empty suit?

[Faryn Balyncd]

18. Will it lay the foundation for Zeke Emanuel's plan to PRIVATIZE MEDICARE?

The devil is in the details.

Will the corporatists again be the ones drafting the details?

[dgibby]

20. No doubt in my mind whatsoever! n/t

[No Elephants]

22. Bull...

On this issue:

Left is socialized medicine, where the government owns hospitals, hires and fires doctors and nurses and other personnel and sets their salaries.

Moderate Democrat is single payer.

Right wing Democrat--barely left of Republicans--is a viable public option.

The rest is Republican. You know, all the stuff that this President ran on changing.

The last thing this President needs to do is lie that public option is "the left of the left" and what he really needs to do is move further right. Yet that is exactly what he is doing. He should be telling the truth--that so-called "reform" without a strong public option is nothing but another transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury to corporations, this time bailing out an industry that does not even need bailing out.

However, the truth is awkward if you will sign anything and declare victory.