Politico Lies to Pressure Pelosi to drop Robust Public Option

[kpete]

Politico Lies to Pressure Pelosi to drop Robust Public Option
by Engine 08

Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 07:10:49 AM PDT

The story leaked by politico’s Mike Allen, that the "robust" public option has no votes in the House is fake and lies solely to pressure the House from proposing it. Luckily it has been immediately and effectively shut down by both the White House and Nancy Pelosi because:

House leadership sources are telling TPMDC they think news on the "robust" public option is leaking out to pressure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the health care discussions are getting hotter, and closer to the final deal.
more:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/public-option-pressure-as-stories-leak-wh-and-dem-leaders-say-no-decision-has-been-made.php?ref=fpa
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/23/796257/-Politico-Lies-to-Pressure-Pelosi-to-drop-Robust-Public-Option

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Public Option Pressure: As Stories Leak WH And Dem Leaders Say No Decision Has Been Made
Christina Bellantoni | October 23, 2009, 8:42AM

House leadership sources are telling TPMDC they think news on the "robust" public option is leaking out to pressure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the health care discussions are getting hotter, and closer to the final deal.

Politico's story this morning suggests Pelosi doesn't have the votes, but our sources insist the leadership isn't yet at that stage.

Presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett jabbed at the Politico story while appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe today, saying of the reporter who penned the piece, "I don't know whether Mike Allen can actually count votes or not."

But House sources think Democrats may have spoken with Allen to apply pressure on Pelosi at this late stage in the game.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/public-option-pressure-as-stories-leak-wh-and-dem-leaders-say-no-decision-has-been-made.php?ref=fpa
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Pelosi Still Pushing for ‘Robust’ Public Option
By Steven T. Dennis
Roll Call Staff
Oct. 23, 2009, 9:49 a.m.

House Democratic leaders on Friday pushed back against suggestions they have given up on securing the votes for a “robust” public health insurance option.

“Speculation that a final decision has been made about the public option are not accurate,” said Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “We continue to work with all the members of the caucus to build consensus.”

A leadership aide added, “The votes are still being counted.”

Democratic leaders have struggled for months to find 218 votes for the robust public plan and still appear to be at least a few votes shy. Compounding their problem is that some Members have been threatening to vote no because of other parts of the bill, including its total cost, abortion questions and the taxes on the wealthy and businesses used to finance it.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/39823-1.html

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This is not a coincidence. It is a coordinated attack by the opponents of the Public Option. They want to control the story in order to kill the Public Option. I am glad that the quick reaction from the Whitehouse and the House has put that to an end. But they will stop here. Politico's Mike Allen an ineffective Whitehouse reporter for the Washington Post during the Bush administration is back to his old tricks of fake news reporting.
more:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/10/death_by_a_thousand_leaks.php?ref=fpa
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/23/796257/-Politico-Lies-to-Pressure-Pelosi-to-drop-Robust-Public-Option

[closeupready]

1. Yup. Trying to frame the debate in insurance company-friendly terms.

Not going to work. You can only cry wolf so many times, Politico.

[Oceansaway]

2. Politico = Human Waste....n/t

[blondeatlast]

3. Color me anything but shocked that Politico would do this. k/r nt

[berni_mccoy]

4. POSHITICO Should NEVER Be Trusted. "Anonymous" sources, officials "close" to the issue

Total BULL SHIT. Their sources are the same sources for Faux News.

[babylonsister]

5. Rec'd. Don't trust those bastids. nt

[theophilus]

6. I encourage someone with the time and inclination to track stories on Politico and

note which ones turn out to be false. After awhile make that info available on the web to discredit this lousy outfit.

[blogslut]

8. Here's a good start

http://mediamatters.org/search/tag/mike_allen

And that's just Mike Allen.

[blondeatlast]

9. Wow--and I saw Politico cited here just yesterday regarding the WH b-ball game.

That's a dandy little bookmark right there.

[Barack_America]

7. Reporting on the Public Option is going to go down as some of the worst...

...and most confused reporting in journalism history.

I think it really speaks to the state of journalism in our country. These back-and-forth confusing stories are coming out because "reporters" these days are all too happy to get one "source" and run with it, rather than attempting to get multiple sources and come up with a consensus as to what is REALLY going on. It's pathetic that so-called "journalists" are allowing themselves to be used as mouthpieces for special interests. All in the name of "getting the scoop" and being "first". Nobody cares if their reporting is worth a damn, the aim today is to make a splash.

Sad.

[blondeatlast]

10. So true--and the RW has organized operatives, such as the Heritage Foundation's Press Room,

with pre-packaged spin and "reliable" "expert" sourcing.

Check the site out sometime; you can actually predict what the Sunday schnooz/talkers will be discussing; the HF has already determined it--and the pre-packaged talking points.

[Barack_America]

11. I am off to do just that.

This should be interesting.

Thanks!