What kind of public option does President Obama want passed?

[Better Believe It]

I'd like President Obama to get down to specifics and not issue vague generalities.

Does he favor the House and Senate public option proposals that will exclude most people?

Does he want a strong public option that will be available to everyone?

Does he favor a public option that will give the private insurance industry a level playing field?

Is President Obama against taxing the health care benefits of working people and does have favor mandating employers and individuals to buy private health insurance or be fined?

Can anyone tell us exactly what kind of public option President Obama favors?

Anyone.

Anyone at all.

I'm listening.

Perhaps the specifics of President Obama's plan is a big secret that will soon be revealed, or maybe not.

We won't know what President Obama wants until he thinks it's time to tell us and Congress exactly what kind of universal health care with a public option he wants on his desk to sign. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and we wait .... and wait .... and wait for President Obama to lead on this by fighting for his plan and explaining clearly what it includes and doesn't include.

That's based on my assumption that President Obama has such a plan. We just haven't learned the details of it yet.

So he needs to spell it out, lays his cards on the table and than the public will understand exactly what he's proposing.

That's the job of the leader of the Democratic Party.

And that's what the central political leader and advocate of universal health care should do .... unless he's abdicated that responsibility to small population state Senators such as Max Baucus, "blue dog" Democrats and "moderate" Republicans.

The Republicans and "blue dog" Democrats shouldn't be allowed to drive a meaningful public option health care bill into the ground but it looks like we're heading that way. President Obama should state in no uncertain terms exactly what kind of health care bill with a public option he wants on his desk and do that now.

If he fails to do that, the chances are no meaningful health care legislation will be passed during his administration .... certainly not any change we can believe in.

[earth mom]

1. Unless the insurance companies are out of the picture, the entire thing is going to be FUBAR. nt

[Cant trust em]

2. Then the entire thing is going to be FUBAR. nt

[Autumn]

3. Good questions and I think you are

right if he spells it out, and lays his cards on the table the American people will back him up. He has to know we voted for him and we will have his back on this. This is our time.

[Better Believe It]

6. They will back him up if he does this.

[dflprincess]

28. Depending on his answers

if he comes out with something no better than what Congress is coming up with I couldn't support it.

He's already back pedaled on making it mandatory, I don't have a lot of hope he isn't going to sell us out on the rest of the bill too.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. Dems from large states voted to for the house bill which is a sham, so the size of the state

population doesn't seem to matter.

We already know what will work and that's single payer.

But from Obama to Waxman to Pelosi to Kennedy, no one has the backbone to advocate what will work.

Sure, small population state US Senator Bernie Sanders does, and so do about 80 Dems in the house, but who else?

Everyone else is far more worried about subsidizing private health insurance companies and extending their gravy train than they are concerned with affordable available care for people.

[Better Believe It]

12. Your points on "small states" are good ones.

And while I support single payer Medicare for All I was hoping for at least a viable public option open to all, that would challenge the private insurance industry and eventually put them out of business.

[John Q. Citizen]

14. If putting them out of business later is a good idea, then doing it sooner is a better idea.

I hate to break it to you but it has been apparent to me for a while that any bill passed will be a bonanza for the health insurance industry and will strengthen and preserve their dominance, not weaken and remove their dominance.

if you have read the house bill, which is the more "liberal" of any that are out their, it is a giveaway to the private insurance industry industry, and it's bound to fail down the road because it lacks any cost containment


Everywhere a hybrid public private has been tried it has failed because it affords little to no cost containment.

What is the incentive for cost containment when the basic part of the plan is subsidizing private insurance companies from the US treasury?

I know, we all had high hopes. But it's better we face the facts like adults than to cling to unrealistic dreams that aren't going to happen.

[ProSense]

5. "certainly not any change we can believe in." Wow,

nothing left, huh?

:rofl:

Obama should leave the naysayers to continue making up crap while he goes about the business of supporting health care reform. Seriously, after all the President has said, you want him to define a specific proposal in more detail than the proposals already out there/

Obama doesn't have to do anything more except lay out his principles. The bills are crafted in Congress.

[Autumn]

7. I would like him to define a specific proposal,

I have read the ones the Congress is kicking around and seeing them trying to weasel around it , I would like to see what our head honcho is wanting.

[ProSense]

9. Beyond the proposal he has outlined, that is not the President's job. Period.

Health Care Reform

[Autumn]

13. I would like for him to say that

this is what I have in mind, this is what I will accept. Use his muscle and mandate and tell congress not to fucking waste his, or our time. I do know he has said it must include a public option but what kind of option does he have in mind and why do we have to wait so long. He needs to explain that to the American people. You and I have a different idea on what his job is. Period.

[ProSense]

18. That's BS. He's said what he will accept many times. There is an entire site of guidelines.

Claiming that you want him to state something beyond what he has stated is simply a silly tactic that means nothing. The bill is crafted in Congress.

[Autumn]

20. I guess I don't watch the

same shows you watch. Cause all I have seen or heard on television is generic guidelines.

[Better Believe It]

25. Democrats in Congress asking for more specific direction from White House

One Democratic senator told CNN that some congressional Democrats are "baffled," and another senior Democratic source told CNN that those members are frustrated that that they're not getting more specific direction from him on health care.

"We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on the Hill are looking for is for the president to weigh in and make decisions on outstanding issues," the senior Democratic congressional source said.

"Instead of sending out his people and saying the president isn't ruling anything out, members would like a little bit of clarity on what he would support -- especially on how to pay for his health reform bill," the source added.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/22/health.reform/

[Better Believe It]

32. "Will President Obama articulate specific policy proposals on health care that he's for ...."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Tonight’s presser:

Will Obama be able to articulate specific policy proposals on health care that he’s for, or will we hear more of the same chatter on his principles? Repetition is always important to pushing a message, but one of the things that may be slowing down the process in Congress is that the president hasn't come out publicly on the specifics. He won't even say if he's OK with the millionaires' surtax or not; whether a co-op is enough to fulfill his "public option" promise; or what amount of "virtually" universal coverage is satisfactory. Other issues will also come up tonight, including the stimulus and the economy in general, perhaps Iraq, Afghanistan, GITMO, and the Bush-era investigation issue. But health care should dominate.


http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/22/2004093.aspx

[Better Believe It]

23. So the President should leave everything up to Congress

Is that what you think LBJ did to get Medicare passed and is that what FDR did to get Social Security passed?

Do you really think they didn't lead those battles and via their closest allies promote very specific legislation they wanted adopted?

If what you say is true, why has Rahm Emanual at his Presidents request, used his "sharp elbows" on members of Congress to get other specific legislation passed that Obama wanted and why has President Obama used his Attorney General and others to defend and promote very specific legislation he supports on other issues?

[John Q. Citizen]

10. We know. He wants Americans to be able to keep the unaffordable useless insurance they have now.

He wants to transfer our tax money to private insurance companies so they can better rip us off.

But wait, he wants a "public option, too, so they can't rip us off quite so much?

It's a bunch of crap.

It's a joke and the joke is on us.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Congress offers nothing. The house bill provides for a public pool that goes into effect in 2013

and after ten years will cover 10 million people.

That's the change we can believe in, if you can believe it.

See, I worked for Obama because I believed him when he said he would listen to all ideas regardless of ideology. When he cut the Single Payer people out of their seat at the table before the table was even set up, I realized he was full of BS and healthcare reform would be a joke. And it is.

They will pass shit and declare victory and health care will still be unaffordable and unavailable. But you will have to pay, even if you get little or nothing in return.

The insurance lobby, who got a seat at the table, will love it. They will have a better more efficient way to rip us off.

[ProSense]

11. Well, he can veto the bill. Any bill signed will originate in Congress. n/t

[Autumn]

15. That's a waste of time

for him and us. He has a mandate and he needs to kick their ass in line.

[ProSense]

19. No, asking the President to make statement after statement is a waste of time. n/t

[John Q. Citizen]

22. That's for sure. All talk no action.

[jody]

16. It's probable he will sign the bill and declare "Mission Accomplished" surrounded by Senate & House

leaders from both parties, all bought and paid for by corporatists who control our government.

God, I hope I'm WRONG!

[Autumn]

17. God I hope you are wrong

too.:scared:

[dflprincess]

29. I fear you are correct

and he's probably not giving us more details of what he thinks should happen because, had Congress come up with a bill that actually did reform our access to healthcare, he could take credit. If Congress passes something that is a complete disaster (looking very likely) he can claim it's not what he wanted. He's chess player y'know. :sarcasm:

[ProSense]

21. Is this your

OP?

Appears you already know the answer.

[Better Believe It]

24. You think I know the answer to which question?

[Bullet1987]

26. Hasn't Obama stated he wants a Public Option for Everyone?

Isn't that what the big fuss is over?

[Better Believe It]

27. The problem is the legislation proposed does not provide for such a public option!

If President Obama wants a strong and viable public option, Congress will have to re-write their health care plans which fall far short of the public option proposed by President Obama.

President Obama said:

"Any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans - including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest - and choose what's best for your family."

Hasn't President Obama read or been fully brief on the House of Representatives and the Senates "The Affordable Health Choices Act"
health care proposals? Their plans DO NOT provide a public option where everyone is free to choose the best plan for themselves or their family. Severe restrictions exist on what employers and individuals can choose the public option. According to Congressional aides, only 9 million people will have qualified for the public option in 2019, a full decade from now! Everyone else will be covered by mandatory private insurance!

So if President Obama really wants a public option available to all employers and individuals at "a one-stop shopping marketplace" he'd better instruct the Democratic leadership in Congress to write a new bill because it just can't happen under the current Congressional health care proposals.

Once again, here's the hard facts about the current proposed legislation that President Obama is going to have to deal with and change if he truly wants the strong public option that he proposed in his speech, a public option that we and employers will truly be free to choose.

If you want to read the hard facts about the proposed legislation and can handle the truth click here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8538863

[MarjorieG]

30. The campaign plan, or even Kerry's wonderful 2004 plan, seem out of reach with industry influence.

He wanted to see what could get through Congress first, and avoid Hillary's dictating to Congress. The Energy Bill a mish-mash, but a start. Feel the same way about health care and impossibility of perfect legislation at the start. Health care bills far worse now because of lobbying and media killing it for ad dollars. What, Mike Ross wants to kill it in the House because he makes too much money from a pharma business!

If bill is perceived as dead, our Congress critters will not stick necks out, and media made sure of that. Now, will lobbyists resurrect this to their specs, ultimately, not wanting to lose the share of dollars.

I want the Congress to vote for us, for once, but I don't see it happening. What kind of leverage does Obama, or any of the good Congress folks (there are many) have at this point?

[dionysus]

31. hurr spare the change huuurr sob sob cry

:eyes: