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Pelosi: Though Robust Public Option Is Still The Goal, The Atmosphere Has Changed
Brian Beutler | October 23, 2009, 4:41PM
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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
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After a rough and tumble start to the day, the House's public option predicament remains mostly unchanged. Speaker Nancy Pelosi still wants a robust plan, pegged to Medicare, but she's finding it difficult to round up the necessary votes. Undecided Democrats are being put on the spot and are doing everything they can to slink away from the discussion. In the face of this predicament, Pelosi is acknowledging that the more progressive public option may not happen.
"The atmosphere has changed. When we were dealing with the idea that the Senate had nothing, it was really important, again, to go in with the most muscle for the middle class with a robust public option," Pelosi said at the news conference.
"This is about the endgame now," she said.
Though the push is still on for the robust public option, that seems about as clear a sign as any that leadership is at least preparing for the possibility that their monumental push might not succeed.
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Obama1st
October 23, 2009 4:44 PM
This fucking sucks and I hate the Senate who act like the House of the Lords....
it is time for the French revoltion of .."Off with their heads"
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 23, 2009 4:56 PM in reply to Obama1st
Um, this story is about the House.
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Obama1st
October 23, 2009 4:59 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
The end game is at the feet of the Senate and the House won't move to a robust Public Option w/out knowing the Senate will not burn them!
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 4:47 PM
hey they're trying, but it's hard to pass a measure that reduces the deficit, lowers the cost of the bill, keeps insurers honest, yadda yadda
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 4:52 PM in reply to Indie Pro
what changed in the atmosphere since the other day?
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 23, 2009 4:55 PM in reply to Indie Pro
The fifty or sixty House Democrats who ducked the public whip yesterday. They really, really do think that if they would just vote right, their husbands, er, I mean, the Republicans, wouldn't abuse them.
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 4:57 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Hmm. Maybe. Probably.
Maybe she's got a peek at what Reid is doing too.
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 5:08 PM in reply to Indie Pro
Of course, we should mention that she had a private sit down with the Prez since then as well.
can't be too much longer, and speculating will be over.
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Indie Pro
October 25, 2009 3:13 AM in reply to Indie Pro
Looks like the House and Senate want to have the same thing in both bills so it is not an issue when this goes to conference.
depending on what they settle on, this could be a great move
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tosh
October 23, 2009 6:09 PM in reply to Indie Pro
What changed were the leaks out of the White House, along with what appears to be other White House activities (pushing Reid to walk back to PO). Fence sitting Blue Dogs who were earlier feeling pressured by the CBO Score for the Medicare + 5% version along with the firm/strong polling numbers were suddenly enabled to stay on the fence or say No.
To be blunt: the White House signaled that they don't really want a PO, at least not the modestly stronger version being floated, and would like to see it watered down or castrated. And that's largely what happened today.
Pretty much a 180 to destroy the momentum of the PO. That wasn't going to happen without the White House helping it happen. If they pushed in the other direction, they could have gotten the Medicare + 5% from the House firmed up today, and *probably* used it to get the Opt-Out "level playing field" fired up in the Senate today as well.
Instead they pulled it back dramatically from there, and the weekend and "failure" will likely pull it back even more before people get down to business next week (and look for it to *not* magically happen on Monday but instead be slow going).
I'm sure we'd love to blame this entirely on the Blue Dogs and Blanche and Ben-Ben and Senator Wellpoint and President Snowe and Weak Harry. But one can't get away from the fact that this was the White House doing the enabling, so it's clearly part of their agenda for the bill.
Pretty amazing cap to the weak after Big Insurance laid that game changing egg with their AHIP/PWC report. Only the Dems, and this Administration, can squander opportunities like this.
John
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Tanjaoui
October 23, 2009 6:39 PM in reply to tosh
Multi-dimensional chess indeed, in which the poor and the sick are pawns. Bravo, Mr. President! Well executed.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 23, 2009 7:38 PM in reply to tosh
Except, again, those leaks weren't out of the White House. They were out of Congress. Staffers on the Congressional side--who may or may not actually have been in the room -- sourced the story to Brian (and no one else, I notice). Maybe it's God's gospel truth. Josh has adopted it as truth, anyway. Maybe it's someone pushing an agenda, like trying to force the White House to go public with the whip. Maybe it's a person who doesn't know wtf he or she is talking about but leaking makes him or her feel important.
But regardless, theories based on the proposition that Brian's story is sourced from the White House are, based on what's been revealed, wrong.
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Michael A
October 23, 2009 4:47 PM
Oh, I am beginning to think that these types of posts are being made to generate comments and traffic.
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mans_best_friend
October 23, 2009 4:50 PM in reply to Michael A
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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cdub
October 23, 2009 4:54 PM
Atmosphere changed as soon as Obama hinted he wanted the trigger.
My head hurts.
NO TRIGGER!
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agio
October 23, 2009 5:45 PM in reply to cdub
I have yet to hear Obama hint that. "Anonymous sources close to the White House" have done all the hinting so far.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 23, 2009 7:49 PM in reply to agio
I have yet to see any anonymous sources close to the White House sourced one way or another on this.
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cdub
October 23, 2009 4:56 PM
Jesus - from the same article:
"Ms. Pelosi said there is "no philosophical difference" between the robust public option and other versions. She said it is less important now for the House to include a strong public option, than it was several weeks ago when it looked like a Senate health bill might omit the public option all together."
Ok this makes it seem like she said the atmosphere changed because the senate might pass a bill with a PO and NOT WITH THIS NOISE TODAY.
JEEZ - maybe you're right - it is to get us all huffy and drive traffic
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theone718
October 23, 2009 6:30 PM in reply to cdub
Yea, people don't read too well. People forget, Pelosi only wanted the PO tied to Medicare rates SO THE COMPROMISE SHE WOULD MAKE WITH THE SENATE would be the one with negotiated rates.
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Tanjaoui
October 23, 2009 7:59 PM
She and the progressive caucus should stick to their progressive guns, no matter what the House of Lords is doing.
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sherifffruitfly
October 24, 2009 12:11 PM
Pro tip: Stop calling it "robust" (phew - sounds EXPENSIVE), and start calling it "the most fiscally responsible choice we have".
Turn every last bit of republican rhetoric on its head.
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Andreams
October 25, 2009 10:55 AM
It's pretty obvious to the world that handing over government money to private insurance companies is not the way to save money. If they're going to give subsidies, why not have the money go back to the government in the form of a public option? Answer is simple - industry wins, lobbyists rule, and campaign support and contributions trump the American people. Congratulations, insurance companies. We've been screwed and you've gotten a gift that will make the bank bailout look stingy.
Apparently, the president supports the senate finance committee plan. This plan charges older people 6 1/2 times as much as younger ones. This plan prohibits individuals and very small businesses from using the exchange where they might have a shot at getting affordable rates. Because of this, a lot of older people who still have their jobs, won't in the near future. A "trigger" won't help those of us who already can't afford what we have now. The only thing a trigger does is tell the insurance companies they've got all the bullets and here's the gun.
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