White House: We won’t demand a public option
posted at 10:55 am on October 19, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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The Obama administration continued its pattern of leadership once again this weekend with a passive-aggressive stance on a key part of the signature item on Barack Obama’s domestic agenda. Advisers from the White House flooded the media zone yesterday to signal Congress that they would accept a bill without a so-called “public option,” or government-run insurance plan. This comes in the vacuum of any statement from the President himself to the contrary:
The television airwaves were filled Sunday with rat-a-tat over reforming the nation’s health-care system, as top administration officials hit the talk show circuit and interest groups waged a record advertising blitz.
President Obama’s team, preparing for an intense round of private negotiations on Capitol Hill, used public appearances to set the parameters for the negotiations.
Obama continues to support the concept of a government-sponsored insurance option, but “he is not demanding that it is in” the final legislation, Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “He thinks it’s the best possible choice.”
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, in two television appearances, noted that the public option could provide much-needed competition, but that “it’s not the defining piece of health care.”
Well, Obama had an opportunity to send that message himself six weeks ago in front of a joint session of Congress. In fact, his advisers had laid the groundwork prior to that speech that Obama would send the message that the “public option” was only one of several potential ways to supposedly increase competition among insurers. Obama surprised everyone by fully endorsing the public option, throwing moderates for a loop and extending the debate for another two months over a clause that has become the poster child of the legislation.
Is this leadership? It’s a passive-aggressive approach that leaves both progressives and moderates in Obama’s own party twisting in the wind. Obama wants his advisers to take all of the flak from progressive action groups that will result from a retreat on government-run health insurance, but doesn’t have the stomach to take that hit himself. The end result is confusion among legislators on Capitol Hill, and further entrenchment on either side of the issue.
It’s the executive version of voting “present”. The debate on health-care reform has gone on for over five months now. Can the President be bothered to take a public position himself, or does he need to keep eating his waffle for a few more weeks?
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Liars…
Khun Joe on October 19, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I definitely heard a “wink, wink”, when he said that.
MarkTheGreat on October 19, 2009 at 10:57 AM
What is the defining piece of health care?????
sammypants on October 19, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Personally, I believe that he is trying to lull the Republicans by pretending to abandon the public option. Then when they aren’t looking, he’ll sneak it back in through the concilliation process.
MarkTheGreat on October 19, 2009 at 10:59 AM
…of crap?
Darksean on October 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
I won’t accept anything … I want lawsuit reform first, then let insurance companies compete in all States, then we can see what else is needed.
Why destroy to fix, makes no sense does it.
tarpon on October 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
There’s really no need to post on this, because it’s not “news”… It’s just more of the “I’m really a moderate” game from the first Marxist in the White House.
It doesn’t matter what this guy says, he wants government takeover of everything. That much is clear.
By the way, for anyone still thinking he’s just wrong or naive, rather than evil and a hater of everything American, I have to ask you… Why can’t we find one non-radical associate of this guy, and what does that say about him?
RightWinged on October 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
This is all the fault of Fox news propaganda, I bet.
Daggett on October 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
… Because we don’t want to have our a$$es handed to us (again).
Empiricist on October 19, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Oh, I almost forgot…. Say you want single payer, but then don’t demand a public option – Peace Prize!
RightWinged on October 19, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Isn’t this stuff supposed to be on CSPAN so we can see how the most transparent administration evah works?
WashJeff on October 19, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Liars. They will figure out a way to give themselves what they want.
darwin on October 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM
The most recent Liberal Canadian Prime Minister, a man named Paul Martin, picked up the nickname “Mr. Dithers” for spending a lot of time talking about his long list of priorities but never actually doing too much about them.
The dithering of Dithers was largely responsible for Conservative leader Stephen Harper’s becoming the position of Prime Minister of Canada.
The U.S. seems to have its own “voting-present” Mr. Dithers. Will history repeat on this side of the border?
Drained Brain on October 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM
He isn\’t ever going to finish that waffle.
NeighborhoodCatLady on October 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM
If they pass health care… well, they’ll find a way to read into it what they want. Who knows? Since it is not yet an actual written bill, they may just write it in there anyway.
CC
CapedConservative on October 19, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Fortunately, this kind of “leadership” almost always results in failure. Good news for those of us who don’t want this monstrosity.
AUINSC on October 19, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Wishful thinking
VibrioCocci on October 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Won’t they just try to sneak it in with a cloture vote (51 Senators) later on.
This is a center piece issue for the left and I don’t believe for a second that they won’t try in some form one way or another to sneak this in or a version of it.
After all, lying and manipulating is how democrats do business.
Baxter Greene on October 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM
I totally agree. The vacuum of leadership merely gets filled with spin, vagueness and opacity on the final form this bill will take, as well as who is going to assume ownership of it. By voting present, the president is saying “I want the bill” but doesn’t want the fallout that results. He wants to have his waffle and eat it too. He doesn’t want to stand up and fight for his position and yet, wants to win the battle too.
ted c on October 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Yeah Ogabe is a radical, but he is also looking out for himself above all other things. If he is reading the tea leaves then he knows “his” idea is in trouble and is laying the groundwork to distance himself from failure.
Ogabe will never accept responsibility or ownership of anything that could be damaging to his reputation as a bringerer-togethererer.
Bishop on October 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Remind me again why they are even pursuing this legislation when 54% of the public is against it and it is only a priority of 13% of the public behind jobs, the economy, etc, based on the polls that came out over the weekend?
Oh wait, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INCOME REDISTRIBUTION. Silly me, I forogt what our country priorities are according to the socialist in chief in the White House and his ballerina sidekick.
karenhasfreedom on October 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Oh he’ll get his public option. Make no mistake. It is in Obama’s very fabric-of-being to say one thing for public consumption while winking and nudging at the Democratic “leadership” in congress.
gryphon202 on October 19, 2009 at 11:07 AM
The public option is a red herring. All they need is their 1000 page bill, which, with or without a “public option”, is filled with handouts, gifts, redistribution and insidious crippling policy.
LibTired on October 19, 2009 at 11:07 AM
He won’t come out against it, either.
In other words, he wants it, he’s campaigned for it, and he’s pretending he’s neutral. He’s on record as advocating for it. On video.
He’s now voting present publicly while quietly supporting it.
Don’t buy this “moderation” for a second. The left has no point in doing this to themselves if there is no government
optiontakeover.Good Lt on October 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM
The President changed his mind because his daughters like that little talking lizard guy who does the funny commercials.
perroviejo on October 19, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I was for the public option before I was against it.
perroviejo on October 19, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Hey now! I just read on another thread that his DOJ is relaxing on federal prosecution for so called medical pot usage and it seemed to make a lot of HA readers happy. What’s not to like if one can toke in peace?
a capella on October 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Obama won’t stake his presidency on it, otherwise he would come out in full force of it. He knows the people don’t want it, and it would be political suicide.
Enoxo on October 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
It’s been clear for months that the final bill will not have a public option. The votes simply aren’t there. But Obama doesn’t have the cajones to admit this publically, so we’re left with White House operatives sending mixed signals while Pelosi is out there insisting that the public option will be in the bill.
It’s a clusterfark that could’ve been easily avoided all along if Obama had taken the lead and stated upfront what he wanted in the bill and what he was willing to settle for. Instead he tried to ram it through unread back in July and he’ll likely have to resort to the same tactic now in order to get it passed.
Doughboy on October 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
He pulled the pin on this hand grenade and now the Dems are hot-potatoing it around to each other.
ted c on October 19, 2009 at 11:13 AM
There will be a public option included if any form of ObamaCare passes.
txag92 on October 19, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Er… isn’t this about the third time they’ve said this? Why do they need to repeat it? Oh, right…
Bat Chain Puller on October 19, 2009 at 11:14 AM
After they put all the private insurance companies out of business, people will be demanding a public plan.
Blake on October 19, 2009 at 11:14 AM
(i) Any form of increased government control.\
(ii) Passing anything so Obama does not get embarrassed.
Joe Caps on October 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
One will have to let the Federal government determine the appropriateness of all prescriptions, including medical marijuana. That is what’s not to like.
gryphon202 on October 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Trojan Horse = Public Option
They WILL get something like it! We are “Toast”!
rebuzz on October 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
I heard “..boy”
Joe Caps on October 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Has he been “clear” on this waffle thing yet? If he has, has he been “consistent” also?
I’m just checking, because I won’t believe anything until he says he’s been both clear and consistent….
ted c on October 19, 2009 at 11:16 AM
People if he even hints now that he wants a public option in the bill he gives the repubs a stunning victory when the final bill is submitted for his signature and it does not contain it. There is no way his uber ego could handle another Chicago Olympic style smack down. He drew a line in the sand with this on the campaign trail and he has to back way off now or he sets himself up for yet another epic failure.
Either way it goes, he is going to pi$$ off a huge bunch of people. Either his lefty base or his Repub enemies.
Johnnyreb on October 19, 2009 at 11:16 AM
President Present
Joe Caps on October 19, 2009 at 11:16 AM
The question is will the public option include federal funding of weed so that potheads can get their fix under the guise of medicinal purposes?
highhopes on October 19, 2009 at 11:18 AM
More vote buying.
RightWinged on October 19, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Public Option = “Now we get to run your life . . . but hey, you get “weed”!
rebuzz on October 19, 2009 at 11:19 AM
That sums it up pretty well. It’s not good to have paranoids with poor leadership skills in positions of power.
forest on October 19, 2009 at 11:19 AM
In reference to my earlier Mr. Dithers post, I’m overlooking the obvious: Waffler-in-Chief. We can even credit the WaPo.
Drained Brain on October 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Does not trust the banana heads to say what they mean and mean what they say….Keep an eye on them at all times…..Freedom and Liberty is at stake.
hawkman on October 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
More like Obamnipresent. Does this guy ever actually do anything?
LibTired on October 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
liar
JJKRN on October 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM
The dithering over troops and strategy in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly two months now and soldiers are being killed while the filthy lying coward stumps the nation for healthcare reform. It was the troops misfortune that they didn’t queue to the top of the priority list.
highhopes on October 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Good point.
Public option or not, any bill coming from the democrats without bi-partisan support is guaranteed to screw us royally.
Just look at the stimulus.
Baxter Greene on October 19, 2009 at 11:25 AM
President Flower Petals.
We want the public option….
we don’t want the public option….
We want the public option….
we don’t want the public option….
We want the public option….
we don’t want the public option….
portlandon on October 19, 2009 at 11:25 AM
We all know 0ero wants the public option in the final bill. I think he’s going to wait for the nuclear option for the dems to put it back in. I just can’t see them going through all this trouble without it. If the bill doesn’t have the public option, some sort of trigger, or co opt for it. Then he’s lost.
Brat4life on October 19, 2009 at 11:27 AM
“I’ll sign a piece of dog crap as long as “health care reform” is written on it!” – Barack Obama
How the mighty have fallen . . .
NoDonkey on October 19, 2009 at 11:27 AM
What principles they have….ahem
PatriotRider on October 19, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Dude get with it. The Nobel people declared that Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.
Joe Caps on October 19, 2009 at 11:28 AM
He’ll stiff his loser fellow Democrats on this or be labeled a vacillating weakling, especially after the address to the joint session of Congress(remember Joe Wilson?). Lack of resolve to carry a project through to a conclusion based on principle is a sign of lack of commitment, courage and principles. Or he lied.
.
If his party will forgo the public option, why won’t they try some Republican ideas that will improve private health insurance plan coverage, cost, and liability exposure? His party won’t do that because they still hope to institute single payer at the earliest opportunity (since they are opportunists) while they still have majorities.
ExpressoBold on October 19, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The White House knows it has lost the overall debate on health care. I think this is their way of telling Congress, go ahead and keep f**king that chicken, we are out of here. If Congress can agree on something, Obama will sign it, but it sure doesn’t look like it’s a priority anymore.
rockmom on October 19, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The administration’s position is that the Stimulus Bill was an unqualified success. That should tell you all you need to know.
highhopes on October 19, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Whether or not there’s a public option in this particular bill is irrelevant. The overriding aim is to load enough new taxes and regulations upon private insurance that we’ll all be begging for government run healthcare in a few years.
Ponz on October 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
A thought occurred to me over the weekend relative to the health care debate… which I think is a viable philosophical talking point in all of this, and the point is this:
Only a liberal (or a democrat) could whine incessantly about health care being a “right,” and in the same breath propose legislation that would fine or tax you should you choose to not exercise that “right.”
The point has probably been made somewhere and perhaps it seeped into my subconsious, but I think it’s worth noting.
D2Boston on October 19, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Hey, the guy’s busy mopping. Don’t you know that change is hard and big change is even harder?
Doughboy on October 19, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Don’t forget the walkin’ around money for seniors.
BuckeyeSam on October 19, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Obama will sign anything that hits his desk titled “health care reform bill’…he could care less what’s in it as long as he can claim a victory.
This is a battle between Reid and Pelosi. Obama simply serves as a weather vein, telling us that at the moment, Reid’s Senate bill has taken a slight lead over SanFran Nan’s legislation.
popcorn..get yer popcorn!
DrW on October 19, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Public Option=Afganistan! The Chicago Jesus votes present. I wonder if they have run this by Madame Speaker?
Dire Straits on October 19, 2009 at 11:37 AM
This is just Obama doing his John F. Kerry (who served for a time in South Vietnam, then negotiated peace with the North Vietnamese in Paris) where he (Obama) is on both sides of the issue at the same time.
“I don’t want to run GM….but Bush made such a mess of the company that I have to go in there and clean up the mess.”
Skandia Recluse on October 19, 2009 at 11:37 AM
You know, when I read that, I saw:
Kafir on October 19, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Send all your money to the gubmint and we’ll help you die sooner. Isn’t it obvious by now?
ya2daup on October 19, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Obama is not a leader. He is a “wanter”. As in he wants to be the ruler of the world. He wants to be loved. He wants to show his parents that he(Obama) really is worthy and that his father should not have abandoned them and his mother shouldn’t have dumped him on her mother. He wants to show all those who disagree with him how right he is and how wrong they are,while not knowing how to go about it.
But,most of all he wants to prove to himself that he is the man he’d like to be. That false image he tries to project,all the time knowing that he is not and never can be..
oldernwiser on October 19, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Did Obama make this statement in the phony Chicago accent or the fake southern black breathless accent?
marklmail on October 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Yes and now they are telling us the Taliban is not dangerous.
Reality is not a strong point in the Obama administration.
Baxter Greene on October 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
To be fair, as one blogger points out, Obama has acted decisively by declaring and pursing all-out war on one front, Fox News.
Drained Brain on October 19, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Bwahahahaha! Can I interest you in buying some prime
swampland?ya2daup on October 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Conniving Axelrod, Emanuel and Obama HAVE to have a nuke plan to remain in power, because Obama to this point has been a complete disaster. The middle and right have RUN away from this freak. It’ll be interesting to see how what they’re doing will fit into their master plan.
marklmail on October 19, 2009 at 11:55 AM
That’s right,get a Health care bill agreed on,ride the wave of adoration from the press and pundits right into having to “add” a few things here and there that will be spun or defended by the press,hidden from a majority of the public,but implemented just the same.
Remember…the expiration date on “transparency” and “accountability” ran out back in February.
Baxter Greene on October 19, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Do you accept FHA Loans?
WashJeff on October 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
I don’t see why he would care if it has the public option in it right now, because the legislation will destroy private insurance anyway.
Then there’s always time to “fix” that, by creating a public option as the solution.
Alana on October 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
The only way to make sure there is no public option is to dump these bills now and the Dems in 2010.
Dusty on October 19, 2009 at 12:07 PM
No, we won’t demand a public option. We have a much better idea. We’ll just destroy the private health insurance business according to our usual leftist scheme of perverse incentives, structural time bombs and the time-tested techniques of covert and untraceable anti-capitalist sabotage. Then we’ll ride in to save the day with a government plan. Why we didn’t think of this from the beginning, one can only wonder. How could we have been so foolish to throw out an actual plan for debate which exposed our hidden agenda for takeover when we could have just rigged the system this way from the beginning! Live and learn.
rrpjr on October 19, 2009 at 12:09 PM
It’s too late! Everything will already be in place, comrade!
rebuzz on October 19, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I don’t believe anything the Messiah says, even when he reads it off the teleprompter.
n0doz on October 19, 2009 at 12:35 PM
I’d believe it if he said “I resign” – well okay, only when he bumps his head on the door frame of Marine One on the way out.
Juno77 on October 19, 2009 at 12:51 PM
They will insert the public option into the bill at a later date. Nothing is as it seems in Washington, expcept for the corruption.
bloggless on October 19, 2009 at 12:51 PM
He reminds me of Gatsby
nyx on October 19, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Go ahead and demand it JA. I hope someone then brings you up on charges to impeach you for violating your oath to protect the Constitution. There is NO Constitutional authority for federal involvement in health care.
DerKrieger on October 19, 2009 at 1:12 PM
“Trust me.”
– Barack Hussein Obama (mmmm mmm mm)
UltimateBob on October 19, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Isn’t that what Cash for Clunkers was all about? Give us your perfectly good car, we’ll destroy it by pouring chemicals into it so it’ll never run again, then go out and buy a new car, and we’ll give you $4500. (which by the way, you’ll have to pay taxes on).
And we all know what a HUGE success that was. So why do you think it won’t work with an industry that represents 1/5 of the nation’s economy?
[big eyeroll]
UltimateBob on October 19, 2009 at 1:20 PM
You can fill in blanks with preferred topic and time of vacillation.
peterargus on October 19, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Even the corruption is usually bigger than it seems.
MarkTheGreat on October 19, 2009 at 1:58 PM
“Leadership” from Barry? Hahahahahahahaa!!!
GarandFan on October 19, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Notice 2 things:
“He thinks it’s the best possible choice.”
“he is not demanding that it is in”
Notice: he has taken a stand on BOTH sides of the issue. this tells you he won’t back ANYTHING unless he knows for certain ahead of time that it will succeed. The equivelant of voting present. It also tells you he plans to lay blame elsewhere by not taking a stand on one way or the other.
It’s not lost that he has backed BOTH sides of the issue
Niteowl45 on October 19, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Sure, why not?
If Bawney Fwank can “roll the dice a little bit more in this situation towards subsidized housing”, why shouldn’t we? It’s our dime after all!
ya2daup on October 19, 2009 at 5:11 PM
It’s only been six weeks since Der Leader appeared before a joint session of Congress?
Feels more like a lifetime.
GrannyDee on October 19, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Waffle…Mao Obama waffle
wepeople on October 19, 2009 at 9:51 PM
Like it or not he has made progress with this position, even getting a RINO down.
He is forcing Congress and the progressives to step up. Remember that ANY press is generally good in politics!
Notice that the public option has never really died? It’s do to this strategy. Progressives will keep screaming and that’ll keep the proposal in play.
Politically intelligent.
ckoeber on October 19, 2009 at 11:48 PM
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