Obama Advisers Flexible on Public Option

(AP)  White House officials said Sunday a government health insurance option is negotiable, signaling a potential compromise on an issue that President Obama's liberal supporters consider do-or-die.

As Mr. Obama prepares for a Wednesday night speech to Congress in a risky bid to salvage his top domestic priority, political adviser David Axelrod said a public plan is not the core issue in the health care debate. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs danced around a question about whether Mr. Obama would veto a bill without the public option.

The president "believes the public option is a good tool," said Axelrod, who joined with Gibbs in a one-two punch on the Sunday talk shows. "It shouldn't define the whole health care debate, however."

Their appearances came ahead of Congress' return this week from a summer break that saw eroding public support for an overhaul and contentious town hall meetings in lawmakers' districts.

Gibbs called the government plan a valuable tool. But asked if Mr. Obama would reject legislation that didn't include it, he responded: "We are not going to prejudge where the process will be."

"I doubt we are going to get into heavy veto threats" in the president's speech, Gibbs added.

Their comments on the public plan echoed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' remarks last month that a government alternative to private insurance is "not the essential element" in revamping the system to guarantee coverage for all and try to curb unsustainable costs.

Liberals - many of whom want to do away with the private health insurance industry and replace it with Medicare for all - were furious. At the time, White House officials said Sebelius' remarks were being misinterpreted. Left unclear was Mr. Obama's bottom line.

CBS News.com's complete coverage of the health care debate

Now it seems that Mr. Obama and his top aides are coming around to the view that a public plan is not essential. On a call with prominent liberal House members Friday, Mr. Obama refused to be pinned down on the issue, a participant told The Associated Press.

Independents who helped propel Mr. Obama to the presidency are increasingly skeptical. Unsubstantiated allegations that the legislation would promote euthanasia grabbed headlines. But beneath such controversies, voters appear most concerned about the scope and costs of the bill - around $1 trillion over 10 years.

Gibbs said Mr. Obama will refocus the debate on the benefits of overhauling the system: more security and lower costs for the majority of people who have health insurance, and new ways to help self-employed people and small businesses get coverage.

"People will leave that speech knowing where he stands," said Gibbs. He said Mr. Obama is considering offering his own health care legislation, instead of letting Congress sort out all the details.

Axelrod appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," while Gibbs was on ABC's "This Week."

[jon2012-2009]

by slownewsday_5 September 6, 2009 3:31 PM EDT
Right, StopDcratSocialism -
YOU were the one yesterday who said "The d-crat socialists plan to GUT SOCIAL SECURITY, just as they are planning to do to Medicare."
You call the democrats socialists.
And yet you are worried about the two most socialist programs in the US?
Make up your mind!
-----------
Don't expect these lunatics to be logical or know what they're talking about.

[hungry1968-16]

by lorinkundert September 6, 2009 9:34 PM EDT
It is amazing to see how far that disease called "Socialism" has spread throughout a once great nation, but there is a cure, it is called the 2nd Amendment.







You're going to "eat a bullet"?

[spiritwalk]

There is one simple question; that can easily be answered with a YES or a NO that is guaranteed to bring out more anger, insults and abuse than any other question on the subject. And it makes no sense for that reaction.

Question: If the child of a rich family and the child of a poor family are sick with the same medical condition, do the two children morally deserve the same medical care?

Now, watch the rabid dogs start fighting.

[whatdableep]

This is insane - every other news article says White House firm on public option and then an article that says they are willing to negotiate. BS. Stand firm for the public option and to hell with the republicans - bring the democrats in line Mr. President. Play hard ball with them the way Cheney did with the Republicans if you have to but DO IT!

[rightbehind]

President Obama's advisers might be flexible but we the majority that put democrats back in control are not. The public option better be there.

[vpcharan]

As long as cost of healthcare is not effectively controlled the reform bill will be useless no matter if the bill has public option or co-ops. Co-op has been operating in Washington State for several years now. These co-ops are nonprofit organizations that are run by consumer appointed boards. Sounds good on paper, but Co-ops are not immune from increasing healthcare costs. For example, the Seattle-based co-op closed a hospital in Redmond last year, and to deal with rising health costs, Group Health raised its premium rates by 13 percent this year, after a 9.7 percent rate increase last year. Private insurers in the state also spiked their rates ? Regence raised its rates nearly 17 percent this year, and Premera's increased by about 6 percent. So, what is the difference between nonprofit co-ops and for-profit insurance companies? Not much at all.

We need strict regulatory oversight on the private insurance, doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We need REAL DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN THE COST OF CARE AND A FREEZE ON RATE INCREASE FOR NEXT TEN YEARS. Cost for treatments that do not benefit the patient must not be reimbursed. It is absolutely insane to reward a failed product/treatment. No industry in the world sells a defective product to a customer. Why not follow this principle for healthcare?

[rightbehind]

Cincinnati had another tea party this weekend. They had about 6 thousand people show up. They also had big name republican politicians at the event. There are over 2 million people that live within a 10 mile radius of where this tea party occurred. If you wanted proof just how small the following is for these "tea parties" here it is. Cincinnati "Riverfest" which is the annual fireworks display happens tonight. They expect over 250 thousand to attend. Like I said you have less than 1% of the population that want to control the direction for the other 99%. Bring on the vote for public health care!

[rightbehind]

Public option or nothing. We'll use the vote to clean our ranks and go for single payer in 2011. The yellow dog democrats in the senate are the holdup. It's time they show us their colors so we cam clean our ranks. Bring on the vote!

[alanrobisch]

I don't want to scare you but chances are that any blue dog dem will be replaced by a republican. Americans don't want what obama is selling

[alanrobisch]

they have waffled more times on the health care plan than I can remember. I don't think the anger about the plan has gone away and I don't think the president can talk the people into a plan most oppose. Reform may be needed but massive reform isn't and a basic problem that must be struggled with is bringing down the cost of healthcare. Answers such as tort reform would be a way to do it.

something that seems to be ignored that our population so that even if the per unit cost is brought down the cost will almost certainly go up for people on medicare. Most health costs come in the last two years of people's lives and seeing that most people on medicare are elderly this is a lead pipe cinch. Adding more people to the cost of free govt care gaurantees even further raises in cost and will mandate increase in taxes.

The more money we remove from the discretionary money people have the less that will be spent on money that will help employ more people.

[rightbehind]

The health care system is looting this Great Nation at 10 thousand per day for an ICU per person. In some cases almost 75 thousand for a single prosthetic limb for one person. Even those battery powered carts we see on the sidewalks are leased at almost 4 thousand a year per person. The public option is the only way to bring pricing into check. If the public option is not there it is a waste of time. Bring on the vote!

[alanrobisch]

you did not address a single thing I said and a public option is just the first step toward socialized medicine and a step toward rationing of medical care for all not just that do not or choose not to take health insurance

[robham777]

By downplaying the importance of a public option the President can garner support from more independents and moderate democrats. Why would anyone believe that the goal of the administration has drastically changed? Obama will continue to push his agenda with out putting any more skin in the game than he has to. In order to ensure that he has some capitol left for all the other issues he wants to tackle, he must cool the debate on this front.