Breaking: Obama Signaled On (Conference) Call He Understands How Serious We Are About Public Option

[WillyT]

Top House Liberal: Obama Signaled On Call He Understands How Serious We Are About Public Option
The Plum Line
Greg Sargent's blog
Posted at 09/04/2009, 05:44 PM EST

<snip>

I just got off the phone with Dem Rep. Raul Grijalva, one of more than two dozen House progressives who held a conference call with President Obama today to discuss the public option’s fate.

Says Grijalva: The call left him with no doubt that Obama understands House libs are dead serious about not backing any bill without a public plan in it.

“He understands how serious we are about this,” said Grijalva, one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, in describing the tone of the conversation. “For many of us this is not a political dance. He got that point.”

Grijalva says Obama asked how far liberals were willing to compromise on the public option, another sign, Grijalva noted, that he grasps that they mean what they say. He added that Obama asked a number of “frank” and “probing” questions, though he declined to say precisely what they were.

In another newsworthy tidbit, Grijalva says Obama signaled that discussions about the public option would continue even after his big speech before a joint session of Congress next week. That may be an indication that Obama won’t be mentioning the public option in his speech, but doesn’t want liberals to despair at that prospect.

Said Grijalva: “I didn’t come away from this discussion feeling that we were dead.”

<snip>

Link: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/

Hmmm...

:kick:

[redqueen]

1. Rep. Grijalva was the one who said yesterday that Obama was signaliing it was dead...

in phone calls with activists... this guy's a real hoot. :P

[Captain Hilts]

3. Gibbs said the same thing. Good to see Chelsea and ManU get whacked by the refs. nt

[redqueen]

7. Did they?

I need to read about this.

I didn't know Gibbs said as much... it was this Rep I saw quoted here yesterday.

[Captain Hilts]

9. He said the final plan is 90% done. nt

[redqueen]

11. Well this rep was saying that the WH was calling activists

and letting them know there would be no public option.

So that's a bit different!

[Captain Hilts]

14. I read that also. It's so hard to tell what's going on. I'll wait for the P to speak. nt

[wryter2000]

2. I love Obama. This is not a bash

But "signalling" gives me the willies. :scared:

I do believe that our progressive dems in the House will make sure that there's a public option in whatever bill we get.

[Junkdrawer]

4. About what I expected....

He'll just repeat the "Some kind of mechanism to insure competition" line and then he'll rely on the Senate to be the "bad cop".

There'll be a severely watered down public option (perhaps with a trigger) and the progressives will split. Enough Republicans will defect to get it through. Obama will sign.

[Laelth]

25. That sounds about right to me.

The Republicans really want this bill to pass. Their health insurance buddies really want the individual mandate. On the other hand, the Republicans want to defeat Obama and hurt the Democratic Party. I suspect, however, that insurance industry money is their prime mover, and they will do what it takes to insure that their masters get a massive Federal bail-out.

If the Progressive Caucus doesn't vote for the bill, the Republicans will.

:dem:

-Laelth

[PopSixSquish]

5. But, But, But, I Thought That Fact That Obama Asked Questions During the Call Was a Bad Thing

:shrug:

I think I will start the weekend's drinking festivities now...

[WillyT]

6. You're Late Dude, LOL !!!

:beer::toast::beer:

I think I'll start with...



:hi:

[redqueen]

8. It will be a bad thing again soon, I'm sure...

;)

[WillyT]

12. Ya Know Redqueen... I Don't Know About You, But...

I think that this being Labor Day weekend is the perfect metaphor for giving birth to this Health Care baby.

I mean... ya got yer false starts, your painful contractions, the car gets warmed up, the car gets turned off, people are in a panic, nobody knows if the baby is gonna be healthy, and EVERYBODY has an opinion on what should happen next, LOL!!!

Happy Labor Day, and cheers!

:toast:

:hi:

[Curtland1015]

15. +1. Great analogy.

...also, go Gunners.

Except YOU Diaby. You go to hell.

[redqueen]

18. LOL

The poor guy... everyone makes mistakes right? You know he feels awful about it.

Why are so many Arsenal fans so fickle? :P

[Curtland1015]

20. Oh I like Diaby just fine... it will just take some time getting over it is all.

I should really reserve most of my hate for the refs anyways.

[redqueen]

17. Hah! Good one!

Happy Labor Day to you too...

Cheers! :toast:

[Jennicut]

27. Sounds right on regarding my pregnancies

[ddeclue]

10. Why do I always feel like we have to drag Obama kicking and screaming into doing the right thing?

Why do I always feel like I'd never have this problem if our President were named Kucinich or Edwards?

:eyes:

[Curtland1015]

16. You wouldn't. Because THEY never would have gotten elected.

:P

[ddeclue]

22. But I DO feel that way... Obama always has to "build consensus"

and "negotiate" and "appease".

I'm sick of it - I want a fuckin' leader who's gonna lay down the law and stick up for liberal principles not namby pamby around and cave into the corporatists in our own party and the yahoos in the Republican party.

[JanusAscending]

24. You mean like a ............

Democratic version of "W"??? Thanks,.....but NO THANKS!!

[ShortnFiery]

13. He better.

My husband talked me out of voting 3rd party president in 1996 and I've voted for the democratic candidate ever since.

But no more ... no more CENTRISM = CORPORATISM.

[emulatorloo]

26. Who made up that "Corporatism" word? A Pharma Marketing team?

"Ask your doctor about Corporatism (r). Side effects may include priapism and premature baldness."

[WeDidIt]

19. Here's to hoping I have to apologize to DU

I'm not holding my breath, but the fact that I'm breathing a little easier is nice.

[frebrd]

21. "Obama asked how far liberals were willing to compromise on the public option"

The public option is the compromise, instead of single payer. And if it involves a "trigger", it's meaningless.

:banghead:

[Froward69]

23. ya know if President Obama would

start really freaking them out. they could be distracted enough to pass this without them noticing...