Monday, August 17, 2009

Is the Public Option Dead?



Is the public option for health insurance dead? Well, according to this article, it just might be. It seems that NObama, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs have all dropped hints that maybe, just maybe, there will be NO PUBLIC OPTION in the final version of the bill . The extremist leftards are bullshit over this newest development! This isn't the only part of the bill the right hates, but it is a darned good start. How about some torte reform next??

President Barack Obama and his top aides are signaling that they’re prepared to drop a government insurance option from a final health-reform deal if that’s what’s needed to strike a compromise on Obama’s top legislative priority.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday that the public option was “not the essential element” of the overhaul. A day earlier, Obama downplayed the public option during a Colorado town hall meeting, saying it was “just one sliver” of the debate.
He even chided Democratic supporters and Republican critics for becoming “so fixated on this that they forget everything else” — a dig at some liberals in his own party who have made the public option the main rallying cry of the health reform debate.
At the same time, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), one of six senators involved in bipartisan Finance Committee negotiations, all but declared the public option dead in the Senate.
“Look, the fact of the matter is there are not the votes in the United States Senate for the public option,” said Conrad, who has pushed an alternative proposal to create a network of consumer cooperatives, on Fox News Sunday. “There never have been. So to continue to chase that rabbit, I think, is just a wasted effort.”

Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform, must have missed the meeting as she sent out an e-mail Sunday afternoon saying that the president is NOT backing away from the public plan. Hope you like shade Linda. You may find yourself "under the bus" for that little indiscretion.

"Nothing has changed,” said Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform. “The president 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 it must increase choice and competition in the health insurance market. He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals."

But taken together, the remarks from Obama, Sebelius and Conrad suggest the White House is preparing supporters for a health care compromise that may well exclude the government option — which could help Obama win enough votes for a sweeping overhaul but touch off a nasty battle inside his own party between liberals and more moderate members who have resisted a bigger government role in health care.

25 comments:

Mr Pink Eyes said...

This certainly is great news. Hopefully by trying to bring the right back on board and calm down the protesters he will alienate the left making the fight over this bill bog down even more.

Anonymous said...

a public option would have made it too cheap to buy health insurance and therefore too many people would get insured. healthcare should be a privilege to those who are in the upper rungs, the strong survive. let the sick and the weak ones die off.

Chuck said...

AS with all other stances the WH has made, they are backtracking on this this am. I don't know if this constant change in direction is stupidity or trial balloons.

Anonymous said...

One down, 20 to go........

Anonymous said...

Hi Average American..The Griper asked me to let you know he is having some computer problems and also taking care of some health stuff ..he will be back as soon as he can...
sha

Brooke said...

It's like a bad horror movie, or a chicken with it's head cut off! LOL!

Average American said...

MPE, there is a compromise bill out there just waiting to be found. The trick is for the left to understand that compromise means you might have to give a little to get a little. It does NOT mean you get all you want and the other side caves in to all your demands.

I don't answer to anonymous, next time use a name.

Chuck, it's FINALLY realizing that you are banging your head on a brick wall and the wall is stronger than your head. What took them so long?

Jenn, I don't think we can expect that we will ever get a perfect bill. If we can help shape the final outcome by paring just a few more things, I will be satisfied. My hit list is NO covering illegals, torte reform, and streamlining paperwork. These three items would shave at least 25% off the total cost of healthcare without negatively affecting quality. On the contrary, it would enhance quality in many ways.

Sha, thanks for the message. I kind of thought it might be the computer. Tell him, if you get the chance, that I hope the health issues are minor and I'll keep checking in on him every once in a while.

Brooke, great analogy, the chicken thing. Have you actually ever seen one? So damned funny!!! Roh oh, PETA will get me for saying that! They run and flap their way around all over the place. Of course they can't see shit so will bump into anything in the way. It's actually unbelievable how long they can last.

Grandpa-Old Soldier said...

The tide is turning as it should. I watched him talking to the VFW today on Fox, and he had all the pretty words, well talk is cheap. It's hard to convince an old vet of anything, and he didn't even come close.

shoprat said...

The most I see here is that he is conceding a difficulty. The arrogant cretin is determined and will not back down until he and his buddies are run out of town.

MathewK said...

It's definitely a good start.

"Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform, must have missed the meeting as she sent out an e-mail Sunday afternoon saying that the president is NOT backing away from the public plan."

Gee, what a shock, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Law and Order Teacher said...

AA,
I don't fool myself with the hope that enough sheep are convinced that this is a really bad idea. We need to remain vigilent and adamant that this won't fly.

I, too, watched Obama with the VFW. He is an ass and this speech probably didn't do a thing to make vets with any idea of country like him. He is an ass because of his condescending manner. I don't like and we don't deserve to be talked down to. Jerk.

Average American said...

Old soldier, for the most part, when he is talking to veterans, he may as well be pissing in the wind. They may be respective because he is POTUS, but I doubt many were swayed by anything he said.

Shoprat, the word on the streeet today is that the public option may be gone, MAY be, but the co-op will be replacing it and it will accomplish the same thing, government control.

MK, I still hold out high hope that the dems are on the losing end these days, and I think it will stay that way. The sleeping giant has been awakened.

LOT, I agree. There is still a looooong way to go, BUT, at least now it isn't quite such an uphill battle. The playing field is level for a change. He is an ass all right. Condescending, arrogant, elitist, smug, and I'm sure a lot of other disparaging descriptive words.

Tom McLaughlin said...

Hi AA,

Nice blog. I like your layout. Where in NH do you reside? I'm over the line in Maine, but I'm looking at NH mountains through the humid haze.

We've won a battle, but we need to stay on the offensive. On health care we have to bring down costs by harnessing trial lawyers and cracking down on illegal aliens, and allowing medical insurance companies to compete everywhere. Then we can pause and see what effect that has before changing anything else.

Meanwhile, let's take on Cap and Trade, Hate Crime bill, and keep an eye on the horizon for gun control, extended entitlements, and anything else Obama's socialist bureaucrats are preparing to sail our way.

Z-man said...

I honestly think any health care package ain't gonna happen at this point. Any bill is way too complicated to understand anyway, folks got scared off and so let's forget about the whole sorry thing and move on to other issues at least that's my forecast in all this.

Average American said...

Hi Tom, thanks for dropping by. I'm about an hour or so north-west of you in Berlin.

Torte reform, deport illegals, and introduce competition without government takeover, pretty much the same list. Great minds think alike. It's just to bad that there doesn't seem to be any great minds on the other side. I mean, I know there are, but they are hiding out somewhere.

My three biggest issues are health care reform, cap and trade, and immigration reform. Most other issues could be reversed later if they get NObamatized. These three would likely be permanently damaged.

My gut tells me cap and trade should be relatively simple to KILL. It's all about the money. We just plain can NOT afford it, even if it was a good thing, which it is NOT. We have the sleeping giants attention, now all we have to do is don't let it go back to sleep.

Average American said...

Z-Man, I hope you are right. I'm sure the left won't give up easily, but we sure have a better chance than we did a month ago!

WomanHonorThyself said...

we can only hope JOE. but with all the leftards in power..who knows!!

Z-man said...

Joe I am right, the handwriting is on the wall. Obama and his HHS Sec'y Kathleen Sebelius have to appease their liberal base so you have the backtracking here but Obama being the consummate bullshit artist he is it ain't hard to figure. The media keeps it going but it won't go anywhere, have faith!

A Political Nightmare said...

"Is the Public Option Dead?" Sadly in American it is!

Average American said...

Angel, we will prevail! This is one of the three battles we MUST win. The others are cap and trade and immigration reform.

Z-Man, you know I'll be fighting tooth and nail to the bitter end. We need some reforms, but NOT what they want to stuff down our throats.

Nothing sad about it Pasquales. We do not want or need the government running our health care.

Gramma 2 Many said...

Thanks

lib basher said...

Great blog my good man, please don't ever let up

Z-man said...

Well if I may be cynical here it appears that Americans don't want socialized medicine, you have the midterms just around the bend and politicians if nothing else are practical bastards being the whores they are. I mean why pass something that the majority doesn't want and then be swept out of office? If it were otherwise don't you think it would have been passed by now?

Anonymous said...

No, We do not want or need the government running our health care, or our automobile business, or our housing, or our banks and the list goes on

Average American said...

Gramma, you're welcome, glad to help.

Lib Basher, glad you like the blog. I agree wholeheartedly, we do not need the government running anything but itself and our military. Private enterprise needs to STAY private!

Z-Man, I wish I could be as sure about it as you are. I know what you say makes perfect sense, but who ever accused Congress for having any of that? I expect either way that 2010 will be a bloodbath for the dems. Much will depend on what the economy and the job situation looks like by then.