TPM: Rahm says Obama Open to Alternatives to Public Option

[flpoljunkie]

Emanuel: Obama 'Open To Alternatives' To Public Option

By Brian Beutler - June 24, 2009

After being pressed twice yesterday (once by USA Today's David Jackson, then again by ABC's Jake Tapper) at yesterday's press conference, President Obama declined to insist upon a public option. "We are still early in this process," Obama said, "so we have not drawn lines in the sand other than that reform has to control costs and that it has to provide relief to people who don't have health insurance or are underinsured."

There are a whole host of other issues where ultimately I may have a strong opinion, and I will express those to members of Congress as this is shaping up. It's too early to say that. Right now I will say that our position is that a public plan makes sense.

Well, some key senators are saying that Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has already reached out to them--and not to express a "strong opinion" about the public option.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met last night at the U.S. Capitol with Senate Democrats and told them Obama is "open to alternatives" to a new government insurance program in order to get legislation overhauling the health-care system to his desk, said Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota.

"His message was, it's critical that you do this," Conrad said.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana said Emanuel urged the senators to seek Republican support and didn't discourage them from pursuing the use of non-profit cooperatives, an idea Conrad has proposed.

Conrad says that, unlike the public option, his co-op proposal can attract Republican support, but at this point the evidence suggests that it's been a good tool for attracting conservative Democrat support and that Republicans remain broadly opposed to several aspects of the reform proposals on the table.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/emanuel-obama-open-to-alternatives-to-public-option.php?ref=fpb

[Hieronymus]

1. I'm calling all 9 of the dem senators I have on a list who don't support a

public option.
A favorite thing for them to say is they're OPEN to a public option, but when cornered won't say they SUPPORT it.

[beac]

5. Are these the nine you have on your list?:

1. Max Baucus (MT)

2. Maria Cantwell (WA)

3. Tom Carper (DE)

4. Kent Conrad (ND)

5. Kay Hagan (NC)

6. Mary Landrieu (LA)

7. Blanche Lincoln (AR)

8. Bill Nelson (FL)

9. Ron Wyden (OR)

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Hmmm... no Mark Pryor or Ben Nelson? That's shocking!

I'm sure there are more than just 9; or, is this list based on subcommittee members?

There are at least 15 of these lilly-livered cowards masquerading as Democrats in the Senate who are doing everything they can to undermine Obama.

[Hieronymus]

10. Yes, and I've reached 7 of them. Bill Nelson's phone seems to be off

the hook. :eyes:

[villager]

2. I guess the question now is whether Democratic rank-and-file will be "open" to putting relentless

...pressure on our Democratic agents of "change..."

[Dr Fate]

19. You said a mouthful! n/t

n/t

[sisters6]

31. Lots of groups have been trying--and individuals. Few are listening

--sorry to say.

[PVnRT]

3. Thanks, Congressional Democrats!

Pricks.

[RandomThoughts]

4. They can not sell what the American people want just because

lobbyist or insurance want it. I still think it is to test public opinion on 'other options' which is why Rahm says it and not President Obama, to give back peddle room when people demand a public option.

[beac]

6. 1payer.net has as quick and easy app to fax your Rep/Senators plus the WH and

key members:

http://www.1payer.net/

[Kermitt Gribble]

12. Thank you for that link. n/t

[beac]

21. You're welcome. Be sure and pass it on!

:)

[thereismore]

7. I did not think that by overhaul he (Obama) meant to fuck us with a shaft... nt

[chill_wind]

8. Baucus: White House 'Wants a Bipartisan Deal'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8492265#top

(WAPO report)

[chill_wind]

11. kick

[PurityOfEssence]

13. What is he, a debutante waiting for someone to ask him the right way?

He'd sign a repeal of DOMA, too, but he won't stand up, go down the street and ask them to whip up the bill.

It's the same with so many other things. He's for all these things, but they're the province of Congress. Congress is the one to bring warcrime charges against the previous administration, and he mouths blithe sympathy with those who would prosecute, but doesn't want to do it himself. (Let's be clear: I don't think he SHOULD support this; it's a dangerous precedent to smooth transition of government, even if these guys WERE criminals. My problem is that our President wants to constantly be all things to all people and sit benignly and say that he's just waiting for others to ask him nicely enough.)

That's not leadership.

He sounded good about the public possibilities in yesterday's press conference, but if he's not going to push for a public option (which is STILL a very poor substitute for REAL health care), then I don't know what to say.

[high density]

14. Why are 'non-profit' co-ops so much better than a public option?

I don't get the fear.

[Sebastian Doyle]

28. They're not

And that's the whole idea.

[ellacott]

15. Kent Conrad is on Ed Schutlz's show. He said Rahm didn't say that

He said he was in that meeting and Rahm made it clear that the President wants a public option.

[grantcart]

16. exactly

Of course nothing is 'non negotiable'.


If they can come up with an alternative better than the public option then we can talk about it.


Of course there is no other option that meets all of the conditions that would be better than the public option.


It puts the Republicans in the light of being 'deal breakers' rather than the Democrats.


Simply intelligent framing.

[babylonsister]

17. Dem Senator (Conrad) Denies Rahm Said Obama Ready To Nix Public Option

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/dem-senator-denies-rahm-said-obama-ready-to-nix-public-option/

Dem Senator Denies Rahm Said Obama Ready To Nix Public Option


A key Democratic Senator who met with Rahm Emanuel last night is denying an explosive report saying Emanuel privately signaled the White House’s willingness to take the public option off the table to get health care reform done.

A spokesperson for Senator Kent Conrad tells me that Emanuel was making a far more general comment and was “in no way” talking about doing away with the public option.

This story has been raging since Bloomberg reported Conrad and fellow Senator Max Baucus’s claim that Emanuel had told Senators that Obama could nix the public option. Bloomberg quoted Conrad saying Emanuel and Obama are “open to alternatives” to a public plan.

Not so, says Conrad spokesperson Chris Thorne, who emails:

Conrad says Emanuel was speaking in reference to the need to overhaul the health care system as a whole — to forge compromise and get a bill to the president’s desk. It was in no way a comment on the president’s willingness to do away with a public option.

It’s also worth noting that the Bloomberg story only paraphrases Conrad’s claim. And it seems unlikely that Rahm would explicitly take the public option off the table during negotiations.

It’s true that Obama himself at the presser yesterday refused to rule out backing reform without a public option. But Emanuel was alleged to have gone considerably farther in his private conversation with Senators. It’ll be a bit of a relief to backers of a public option that Senator Conrad is denying Emanuel ever said it.

[flpoljunkie]

29. Not taking the public option off the table is not the same as being open to alternatives.

That is a national co-op that would work like a public plan, be able to negotiate with doctors, drug companies and other health care providers-to compete with private plans and thus drive down the cost of health care. It is the profit motive that makes our health care so expensive, and the health care industry is going to fight like hell to stop anything that drives down their profits. Senator Claire McCaskill is right. It is going to be an ugly fight.

I don't care what it's called, but it must drive down the cost of health care and insure everyone. The path we are on is unsustainable and immoral because we have so many people who are uninsured, underinsured and struggling to pay for health insurance.

A single payer plan that covers everyone is probably the only way to accomplish this--but it ain't gonna happen.

[AtomicKitten]

18. UPDATE: Dem Denies Obama Said He Was Open To Dropping Public Option

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/dems-obama-open-to-droppi_n_219979.html

[Phx_Dem]

20. That story has already been shot down by the Dems.

I think Huffington Post started the rumor with their post this morning.

[invictus]

22. There is no alternative, Rahm! nt

[vaberella]

25. The article is false. Don't believe everything. n/t

[vaberella]

23. The article is FALSE!!! Conrad said so publicly. n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

24. Rahm and his "let's privatize Medicare" brother are part of the goddamn problem

They are the last people Obama should be listening to right now.

[vaberella]

26. The article is false!!! n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

27. So you keep saying

But are you really going to take Co-op Conrad's word for it?

And in either case, that doesn't mean the President isn't getting bad advice from the Emanuel brothers.

Privatizing Medicare? Sure... let's just hand it over to Goldman Sachs or AIG.

[sisters6]

30. Seems Pres. Obama wants a bill--Any BILL. Not at all

good to hear this.