ALL that was said was the PUBLIC OPTION was only a piece of the entire plan

[NoSheep]

I finally heard what Obama and Sebelius said today from their own mouthes. I heard the words THEY used and my take is they are only trying to downplay the public option in order to calm these kooks down who are being mislead as to what that is all about.

I'm glad Democrats are expressing their anger about the possibility of losing ground on this issue to the lowest common denominator and I'm happy that everyone is writing and calling and emailing the White House and the newspapers and the blogs and their "representatives" about how important this is. (You are all doing that aren't you?)

Visibility is everything.

But I swear..it was simple as PIE. No one has given up anything...at least not as far as I can discern from their words I heard today. It is clear they are just trying to inject a little calm (less focus on the misunderstood issue) into the madness that has been going around about this.

Can anyone post a video that shows anything different? Even on Countdown they are wringing their hands and I just don't see it. I think there was a game like this called "rumor mill" when I was a kid where a story just flies all out of proportion exponentially as you spread it around in whispers and that is what this looks like...unless someone can show me something different.

The clips I saw were at the top of Olbermann's show tonight.

Observe while this thread just tanks and all the hand wringing continues. :wtf:

[BumRushDaShow]

1. I got done watching Valerie Jarrett on CSPAN (from Netroots last Saturday)

about 1 1/2 hours ago and the question came up and she reiterated that Obama wants a public option as he feels that it is the best way to have the "competition" necessary to bring costs down.

The problem that seems to be causing the hand-wringing is ONE committee and a pile of trial balloon comments that people keep fantasizing and internalizing represent what is in some (non-existent) "final" version of the bill (and to hell with the other 4 committees and all the amendments and debates to come). :eyes:

[NYC_SKP]

2. Unreccing the First Unrec.

Which, in the past, would have been a rec.

Nobody conceded anything.

The dramatic over-responses by the MSM and by some here is astonishing.

:toast:

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Seems the unrec'ers are out in force.

Sigh....

[NoSheep]

7. Thank you.

:think:

[Fumesucker]

4. One thing we know for sure..

A public option that actually does some good is anathema to the insurance companies, they will fight like rabid wolverines to make that unhappen.

Which is why so many of us are pessimistic.

[kiva]

5. Read the full text.

Sebelius said that the public option was not the ESSENTIAL element for health care reform, and that the administration would be open to the idea of coops. Saying it isn't essential makes it very clear that it is a negotiable item.

Very likely this was a trial balloon to see just how important the public option is to progressives, and I think they discovered that many people do consider it to be an essential element, hence the 'oh no, we didn't mean that!' response today.

[NoSheep]

11. Every reason why our voices, complaints, letters, etc are very necessary-

HOWEVER...I do not think discussing co-ops, or saying the public option isn't "essential", means there will be no public option. I think it means:

We are trying to tell you crazy people it isn't what the entire bill is about.

When did ESSENTIAL begin to mean EVERYTHING?

[kiva]

18. If something is essential it means that things won't work

correctly without it. But then trying to explain the definition of basic words to someone who chooses to call those who disagree 'crazy people' is probably useless.

[NoSheep]

19. Call them whatever you want. I call them crazy.

[NoSheep]

20. My reply to you was not an insult. Yours to me was. Can't you have a civil discussion?

Probably not.

[kiva]

21. Again, a problem with definition.

Civil discussions don't include calling anyone who disagrees with you 'crazy'. When you start a rant by dismissing the opinion of others by calling them crazy, you really don't want a civil discussion, you want an argument.

[NoSheep]

22. If you believe the mobs at the town halls who are working against something

that will probably benefit them are not "crazy"....then we don't speak the same language. If you think a person who hates a black man because of the color of his skin is not "crazy" then we don't speak the same language. If you are here to defend republican racists, then YOU are "crazy".

I've had enough of CRAZY people defending the fascist ultra right wing.

[DJ13]

6. With Obama seemingly supporting whatever Baucus comes up with

I cant believe he really is determined to have a strong public option.

If he had put his support behind Kennedy's committee, or the House bill I would feel more secure that public option was really his goal.

[NYC_SKP]

8. He was in Baucus's state, playing a little local politics, IMHO. nt

[TheKentuckian]

9. Baucus has the flagship commitee when you're going to spend money

Much of what is going on happened when Baucus was given that chair. Finance is going to have a big impact on this kind of legislation.

[Hekate]

10. KnR and thanks.

Cheers.

Hekate

[NoSheep]

13. It's starting to sound like a TOWN HALL MOB around here...folks with

fingers in their ears...yelling SO LOUD to begin with that the real message cannot be heard.

If anyone is going to be jerking off to the latest MSM buzz, why don't they start by debunking all the lies with what was really said?

All I read here all day was EXACTLY the opposite of what I heard when I finally got home to see what Obama and Sebelius had to say; reminded me of the town halls. I'm thinking...am I really in a world all by myself?

[mmonk]

12. And a steering wheel is only one part of a car.

[NoSheep]

14. Basically, yes.

[laughingliberal]

15. Excellent Point!

Public Option may not be the 'essential' element but it is the one without which all other elements are useless. Mandating people purchase health insurance from the blood sucking, soul stealing, private health insurance companies without a public option to force them to compete on premium pricing would be a disaster. As it is, I'm skeptical that a public option will do make the kind of difference we need but without it, we're screwed.

[NoSheep]

16. Repukes don't understand semantics. They just LIE instead. That's what I'm banking on.

[NoSheep]

17. Like I said...

Reality SHOWS are so much better than reality, aren't they? With all their reality and all...conflict/competition...even if the producer has to make up a good script...keeps it interesting that way.

[NoSheep]

23. Well....the news is looking pretty good this evening.