Obama Readies a Fallback Health-Care Proposal

[Frank Booth]

Source: Wall Street Journal

President Barack Obama will use a bipartisan summit Thursday to push for sweeping health-care legislation, but if that fails to generate enough support the White House has prepared the outlines of a more modest plan.

His leading alternate approach would provide health insurance to perhaps 15 million Americans, about half what the comprehensive bill would cover, according to two people familiar with the planning.

It would do that by requiring insurance companies to allow people up to 26 years old to stay on their parents' health plans, and by modestly expanding two federal-state health programs, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, one person said. The cost to the federal government would be about one-fourth the price tag for the broader effort, which the White House has said would cost about $950 billion over 10 years.

---

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel didn't devise the smaller policy, the official said. But Mr. Emanuel argued that it wasn't feasible to pass a comprehensive bill and counseled a lesser version, according to several people familiar with the conversations. Others argued that Democrats were going to take a political hit by voting for a health-care bill no matter what, and they should opt for a sweeping measure whose benefits would be easier to highlight.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703510204575085970815851804.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1&

---

Democrats running for the hills yet again. . . .

[TomCADem]

1. Bart Stupak Was Out On Fox News Demanding More Stringent Abortion Restrictions

The irony is that we thought that the House was the more liberal institution.

[SoapBox]

19. Grrrr...Stupidpak makes my blood boil

...abortion is legal...period.

I want these loons to get their nose out of women's crotches.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. This does NOT make me happy at all.

Still have two uninsured daughters (24 and 28) that each have their particular issues that a watered down, chicken shit plan wouldn't serve.

Just incredible how challenging it is to be behind when we are ahead.

[DURHAM D]

3. How sad...

What in god's name does the D after Obama's name stand for? I guess nothing.

From the article:

"Others argued that Democrats were going to take a political hit by voting for a health-care bill no matter what, and they should opt for a sweeping measure whose benefits would be easier to highlight."


I am with the "Others".

[Lorien]

26. "Defeat"?

It seems like his "leadership" is focused on turning us into the Defeatocrat party; wave the white flag before the opposition even has a chance to speak! Though I suppose we aren't the ones that he's fighting for to begin with....

[dflprincess]

4. "His leading alternate approach would provide health insurance .."

but nothing about acutal access to health care.

[tsuki]

5. Why in the world do you announce your compromise position before

you negotiate for what you want? Reminds me of Oliver, "Please, Sir, may I have some more?"

[Jefferson23]

10. Exactly, that is what has me infuriated to no end.

[KoKo]

37. Sadly, it seems to be a pattern. And, it confuses the public and makes Dems look weak..

I don't know if it's Emmanuel doing this or if it comes straight from Obama. Maybe they are just clueless...but to keep doing the same thing over and over...what are we to think...

[salguine]

6. Obama has turned out to be a big fat worthless fucking zero in a suit. He makes

Bill Clinton look like César Chávez.

[winyanstaz]

7. This will not do....

This will not help enough people...and it doesnt get rid of the Insurance death panels either....
We the people want a Public Option Now!

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Oregone]

9. If they can't create an egalitarian system, they have no business forcing everyone to pay into it

And more capitulation isn't going to accomplish that

[BP2]

11. Fallback? More than Barack already has? Gods help us. eom

[thereismore]

12. Talk about showing your cards. Now the fuckers have no reason to agree on the current bill.

Does Obama have yet a third and weaker bill? A fourth? WTF Obama, WTF.

[Iowa]

24. +1

We are either witnessing the most fumbling, bumbling, incompetent Democratic Presidency in recent history, or a Trojan Horse who works for the dark side. We can only hope that someone like Alan Grayson takes him on in 2012, and that he keeps his hands off the most important domestic issues for the three long years remaining in his term. God forbid that he tries to negotiate a "fix" for Social Security. Hell, I wouldn't trust this guy to negotiate the purchase of a used car.

[BootinUp]

13. "Fallback" very inspiring way of putting it. lol. nt

[Pirate Smile]

14. Sam Stein: White House Denies Obama Is Considering Scaled-Back Reform Plan

White House Denies Obama Is Considering Scaled-Back Reform Plan

Administration officials with knowledge of current health care negotiations pushed back Wednesday evening against a report that the White House is readying a paired-down version of reform should the current proposal fail to win sufficient congressional support.

Hours before Thursday's much anticipated White House health care summit, the Wall Street Journal reported that the president and his team are "working on a more modest Plan B", just in case. This alternate approach would provide insurance to approximately 15 million uninsured Americans, or half as many as the current plan, and would include modest expansions of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program -- all in all, a far cry from the current legislation under consideration.

The Journal reported that "no final decisions had been made" with regards to the Plan B approach. But one administration official who spoke to HuffPost insisted that while a fallback option had been developed, it is not even on the administration's radar.

"This proposal was developed because the president wanted to know what the impact would be if he had to go small post-Massachusetts Senate race. It's not where we are," the official said.

"As you can tell from covering the news this week," the official added, "this is not the proposal we're pursuing."

The president has instead -- as the administration official notes -- placed his chips behind a comprehensive package of insurance reform and coverage expansion. Based on the Senate's legislation, with fixes taken from the version passed by the House, Obama's plan would cost roughly $950 billion over the course of 10 years. It would cover more than 30 million uninsured with expansions to Medicaid, the establishment of state health insurance exchange pools, and major subsidies to help individuals purchase coverage, among other reforms.

The fallback option would roughly halve those achievements, relying on incremental, less controversial reform proposals. The idea is that, as a last ditch gambit, the Plan B proposal could net the White House the bipartisan support necessary for a much-needed health care victory.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/24/white-house-denies-report_n_475980.html

[shraby]

17. I call bullshit on the article..who besides freepers

spell "pared down" as "paired down"???
I smell a rat.

[Frank Booth]

21. Unfortunately, this Huff Post article makes no sense.

First, they "pushed back Wednesday evening against a report that the White House is readying a paired-down version of reform", but then two paragraphs down they admit that "a fallback option had been developed"??

As numerous people have already posted, if you've developed a worst-case scenario fall back option, you have no choice but to keep it secret. Now the whole country knows that Obama has a plan-B, even if he's supposedly still pushing for the original proposal.

I like Obama, but he's repeatedly shown that he's too naive and weak-willed to be a good president. I'm hoping he'll eventually wise up and grow a spine.

[GOTV]

28. They aren't "considering" plan B, but they did "develop" it. To me develop > consider

It sounds like a word game. You can't credibly say you're not considering something you've actually built.

[Demeter]

15. I've Never Seen a More Disgusting Example of Cowardice, Cynicism,and Abuse of Voters

Even Nixon had more class.

[Pirate Smile]

16. It isn't fucking true. Don't be so quick to believe everything Murdoch is trying to sell you.

[Demeter]

18. Oh, It'sTrue, All Right

[GOTV]

29. They claim they are not considering it, but it IS true that the scaled back plan has been developed

[SlingBlade]

20. " a more modest plan " Wow. They don't even try to hide it

any longer.

Where's that November Countdown Clock ticking away it's , Tick tock tick tock.

[global1]

22. Doesn't Make Sense That They Would Compromise Even Before This Summit......

what kind of message does this send the Regressive's (formerly Repug's)?

On one hand we have "P.O. with Reconciliation" and on the other hand "Obama Readies A Fall-Back Health-Care Proposal".

Looks like he's got both ends of the spectrum covered.

[PSPS]

23. Our worthless empty-suit president milquetoast strikes again!

He's turned out to be a real piece of work. I've come to the conclusion that all of obama's vaunted 'intelligence' is nothing more than wishful thinking. He's not really a very smart man at all.

[Lorien]

25. I'm sure the people that he's working for think that he's bloody brilliant

those people aren't us, of course, but they are getting everything that they paid for. :grr:

[AzDar]

33. + 1

:thumbsup:

[winyanstaz]

27. So...in a battle,...it is wise to tell of your plans in case you are defeated?

sheesh.....This is all bullcrappy

[depakid]

30. "the official said..." -coming from Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, I need a little more than that

before jumping to conclusions.

[annabanana]

31. meh. . . wsj. . . n/t

[Zoeisright]

32. Fuck you, STUPID.

I hate that little weasel's guts.

[high density]

34. Wheee, more unsourced bullshit to get liberals pissed off at the WH

This shit comes out at least once a week and then nothing comes from it. Yet some people fall for it every time and get their blood pressure all up.

[DisgustedInMN]

35. Fucking worthless wuss.

[Odin2005]

36. Obama EPIC FAIL.

[Javaman]

38. Meh, so what else is new?

Honestly, are we really all that surprised?

The dems have long known to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

So why all the outrage?

I laugh a little at the folly of it all.

Folks, the current Democratic party is so completely removed from the Democratic party of the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's, it's down right amusing to expect our current batch of dullards to actually stand up and do the right thing.

They have completely forgotten about us. However, they certainly have gotten down the charade of empathy toward our plight. That they do very well. Understanding our reality? Not so much.

Believe all you want about the promise of hope and change, but frankly, since when does a politician of any affiliation tell the complete truth? I'll just stand over here, watching the monkey poo fly.

I'm starting my own political party, it's called the political skeptics or maybe the cynical realists, I'm still trying to decide. Want to join?

My slogon is: Meh, so what else is new?

[lonestarnot]

39. Is he going to fucking compromise my underwear too?

[yurbud]

40. if it fails to generate enough support from DEMOCRATS? Cuz that's all reconciliation needs.

[Jamastiene]

41. Whether you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right, President Obama.

It's time to stand the fuck up and get this shit done. It shouldn't take the entire first 4 years of your presidency to get one piece of legislation passed. This is getting ridiculous.

If you give up before you ever start, you are setting this entire piece of legislation up for defeat. It's time to get tough with the Republicans and about half the Democrats as well.

A bit of advice from a red stater who knows how to deal with them on a one on one level:
If you want them to work with you instead of just blocking you at every turn, you have to COMMAND respect from them. They'll never GIVE you RESPECT. You have to MAKE THEM respect you.

Even if you think it is not important, it is. Use your noodle. It's not that hard to outsmart a Republican and you have more than enough brain power to defeat them. You just have to use what you already have.

Republicans will never respect you if you admit defeat right out of the gates. The only way you are ever going to get any respect from ANYONE is you dig in your heals and fight like Hell for what you believe.

Never cave to a Republican. You give them an inch and they'll take a mile. That is the way they operate. They are testing you. If you spare the rod on their asses, you are just spoiling them even more than they already are.

You have to get biblical with a Republican before you can win with them. It is the only thing they understand or respond to. You have the be the meanest, most ruthless SOB in the room to make a Republican back the fuck down. Trust me. It works. It's the only thing they respond to. Get nasty. Fuck politeness. The Mr. Nice Guy persona is not working. Being Mr. Nice Guy is not getting you anywhere with them and it WILL NOT. They DO NOT RESPOND TO "NEGOTIATIONS" or "NEGOTIATORS." We KNOW this. We've seen them operate for year and years.

They only respond to brute force. It's the way they were raised and it is the only thing they understand. Crack the whip on their asses and move on to getting some damn jobs back in the country.

On a personal level:
There is a reason there are gay people, black people, Jewish people, and lots of other people who are routinely hated by the Republican Party (and half the Democratic Party too, to be honest) still live in this country. We fight like hell for ourselves on a one on one basis and command some damn respect in our daily lives. We may never have rights here like in other countries, but we stand and fucking fight.

It is the ONLY WAY we have survived.

WE STAND THE FUCK UP FOR OURSELVES!

If WE can fight to just live on a day to day basis, knowing full well we may lose our lives in the process, YOU can do it too.

Let's put it this way:
You can either stand and fight now. Or you can go down in history as the president with the clearest mandate who still managed to fuck it all up because you tried to work with the Republicans THE WRONG WAY.
There is a right way and a wrong way. We'll never agree with the Republicans and we'll never change their minds, but we'll never defeat them and their stalling tactics if we don't at least stand up and try.

That is the point: You either stand up and fight or you are admitting defeat before you ever even start playing the game.

Whether you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right.

1. Stand up!
2. Put the fear of God into the Democratic Party to STAND THE FUCK UP too. No one respects a spineless person who will not fight for what they believe in. Who has the least respect for a coward? Believe it or not, it is the coward themselves who has the least respect for themselves. That does not a winner make.
3. Remember that the people who elected you wanted a fair health care reform that will cover the most Americans, protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, AND actually get passed into law.
4. Quit trying to be the nice guy. They just see you as a pushover because of that.
5. Whip it out and put the Republicans in their places and show them who the fucking boss is, dammit!

[harun]

42. If Rahm wants to simplify things.....

I'll write the one page bill for him:

Medicare Part-E (E = Everyone)

Everyone pays 10% more on their income tax over 30K a year and all people are covered for their whole lives.