************STATEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ON PUBLIC OPTION***********

[uponit7771]

Link - http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/say-what-sebelius-touts-public-option

"...Nothing has changed. POTUS has always said that what is essential is that health insurance reform must lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans and increase choice and competition. He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals..."

I am FUCKING SICK...SICK of people on THIS PROGRESSIVE FORUM believing ANYTHING Americas EXTREMELY sloppy M$M says!!!

America is a great and grand nation that has her warts and the US new media is a huge, fat, hairy, stank ass'd wart!!!

[GarbagemanLB]

1. the best way, but not the only way. Nothing has changed.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Yes, let's make the Public Option the only way......

and have the asshole media and their masters bulleyed it, like they do everything they want to kill.
Let's just pinpoint the only thing that matters, so they can take their best aim at only that!

Brilliant! :sarcasm:

[GarbagemanLB]

4. ...and they aren't doing that now? Have you been paying ANY attention to the media?

The ENTIRE debate has been about 'government-run' healthcare. ALL their bitching has been about the public option.

No, they aren't backing down in hopes of later passing a public option, they are backing down because they are too afraid of the healthcare industry. Such strength! Such principle!

[Cha]

30. Yeah, excuse us if we want President Obama

to handle this and not you.

[uponit7771]

5. Yeap, Obama was trying to take the focus off the PO that the mediawhores have put on it

[Sebastian Doyle]

31. One of TWO possible ways.

Either Single Payer or a True Public Option. Anything less than that is nothing but another bailout of another corrupt as shit industry. Arguably worse than Goldman Sachs, because they merely steal you blind. They won't kill you like the "health" insurance bastards.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. There are other ways

Pass far more stringent regulations or break up the insurance companies via anti-trust. But in practical terms, I don't think either of those are more viable than the public option.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Susie Madrak is a hack with very little politcal journalism experience. She

writes off the cuff and doesn't check her sources very thoroughly. I'm not even sure she has any of her own sources and instead she repeats what other people write.

[sketchy]

11. She did a good interview with Joe Sestak

at Netroots. She's a very talented writer in my opinion, and has a great ability to translate difficult issues into accessible language.

[John Q. Citizen]

23. She has what she excuses as "brain farts." She's reminiscent of a real life Rosana Rosana Danna.

never mind...

But she's not a comedian. That's just the way she is. Like Rosana, she's often in over her head without a clue that she's in over her head.

I know what you mean about her over-simplifying complex issues with cliche. But i don't call reliance on chiche talented writing. The best part of her blog is the picture at the top.

Yes, she has some people who love chiche and like that kind of inane off the cuff dishonest writing style. I'm just not impressed. Of course I'm also not a freshman in college, so i'm not as easily impressed as some people are.

[janx]

13. There's a lot of that going around. n/t

[harun]

6. Best way is H.R. 676, but Public Option can still help get us there.

[uponit7771]

7. Yeap

[will_in_chicago]

8. Step by step

Let's also remember that Congressman Kucinich was able to get through committee a proposal to allow the states to adopt singe payer plans. So, we can get to single payer even if it takes time. (The Canadian health care system began with a single province -- Saskatchewan. So, we do have a model.)

[John Q. Citizen]

24. There is nothing in any off the bills in either the house or Senate that in any way resembles the

public Option.

The Public Option, to work, was supposed to start with an enrollee base of 130 million people. The most that HR3200 will have after 10 years is 10 million people enrolled. That's puny and won't do a thing to keep costs down or keep private insurance "honest."

The proponents of the public option aren't being honest about what the public option is and what it isn't.

The HELP bill is even worse as regards the "public option" No enrollees after ten years according to the CBO. So where's the beef?

[OHdem10]

9. No disrespect but Clintonian Answer

Do not get me wrong I love Bill Clinton warts and all.

PO is the best way. Does not mean he will insist on or demand.
He has obsrved this is the best way. Leaves him wiggle room
in case he is forced to support something else.

This is what good politicians do.

If he sticks to must lower costs, other than Single Payer, the
Public Option is the only way to lower costs.

I will say Obama is still in PO court at this moment.

[uponit7771]

10. DAMN!!! He has ALREADY said the bill MUST...MUST include the Public Option!! What about that don't..

...you understand man!?

Come on people, pay attention...Obama has spoken on this so many times he's starting to turn from light brown to bright blue......in the face!!

[bvar22]

34. Comprehension problems?

"POTUS has always said that what is essential is that health insurance reform must lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans and increase choice and competition. He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals..."

The above statement is FAR from "MUST include a Public Option".
In fact, it doesn't say that at all.

[Faryn Balyncd]

12. K&R - - But the President should affirm that Public Option is ESSENTIAL, that he will VETO w/o it.

[uponit7771]

15. That would be great but they've been consistant on not drawing lines in the sand...

...I also think this is another rope-a-dope to suck those in who don't want the wildly popular option and then use it to run against them.

What's surprising is the overall reThug approval ratings are 15-20 points lower than dems and they keep digging themselves even further.

Look at Gallups poll on reThugs and Hispanics...it's alarming.

[Froward69]

14. Seems to me

that putting it out there that a public option may be dropped will quell the hard core fanatical right. Take the pressure off of members of congress and allow republicans to they think they won. let them think their tantrum handed Obama a blow. yet when the final bill is voted upon and signed by president Obama... a public option would be included. rendering them mute... like they will turn down a public option once it is enacted. or have anything to say for that matter.

[uponit7771]

17. EXACTLY!!! I also believe this move is part of a Rope-A-Dope that will make it easier to run against

...those who voted against the wildly popular public option in 2010 and 2012.

[Froward69]

19. Agreed.

[JaneQPublic]

25. It may quell the right, but it should also fire up the left.

There should be a lesson learned from this little false alarm: That the Left needs to be every bit as outspoken as the right; otherwise, the White House may have no other option but to ditch the Public Option for real.

Now is the time we ALL of us to phone (again) both our senators, our congressperson, and the White House and simply state we support the Public Option.

Also, there needs to be plenty of people on the left at the Public Forums to carry the banner for the Public Option. It would seem that if Obama could attract 500,000 people to a campaign rally, his supporters should be able to organize enough people to shout down the Glenn Beck supporters.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. My only fear is that what is passed is truly a Public Option and NOT a Co-Op

There is some talk of possibly a Co-Op being passed off as a Public Option

[uponit7771]

18. I've come to the conclusion that if NOTHING is done to lower prices in the next year I'll be

...disappointed whether it be called a PO or CoOP if we don't lower prices and get the HCI cos honest this country will be in for some hurt

[paulk]

22. that's my main worry, also

Since "healthcare reform" has already been redefined as "health insurance reform", I wouldn't be surprised to see co-ops cast as a public option.

[azmouse]

20. Well said!!

:applause:

[mkultra]

21. K & frickin R

[glowing]

26. It's Rush's Boil...LOL.

[jimlup]

27. But you do notice the change in Obama's language here?

It is pretty obvious. At the least they are putting out feelers and trial balloons. I think they set their sights too low and are folding way too early. I'm concerned that they are going to trade away the public option for a "bill" and I'm potentially pissed!

[donco6]

28. You really think this means he's insisting on a public option?

It couldn't be more obvious that he is signaling his willingness to abandon it, as long as the substitute "lowers costs" and provides "options." Total capitulation. It's coming.

[natrat]

29. these people are such incredible bullshit

create a fog, and then at the last minute push through a scam bill at midnight-patriot act, fisa etc etc

[Better Believe It]

32. So far you have failed to provide a link for that alleged "White House Statement"

Is it bogus?

I can't find any mention of it at the White House website.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[jberryhill]

35. "He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals"

Yes, and I believe the best way to unwind at the end of the day is with a five hour orgasm.

But I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get that.

[Becky72]

36. OP relies on the words of an "anonymous White House staffer"

As stated in the link he provided. Conveniently, he does tell us that the "White House" here is represented by this anonymous staffer. Not very re-assuring, if you ask me.

A reader might think at first that these were Gibbs' or Obama's words.

[csziggy]

38. K&R