Axelrod: Obama Firm on Public Option

(CBS)  Senior White House adviser David Axelrod said President Obama is "not willing to accept" that a so-called public option "is not going to be in the final package" of health-care legislation on "Face the Nation" Sunday.

"He continues to believe it's a good idea," Axelrod told CBS News Chief Washington correspondent and "Face the Nation" anchor Bob Schieffer about a government-funded alternative to private health insurance. "He continues to advocate it, and I'm not willing to accept that it's not going to be in the final package."

Axelrod said the president "believes that it will add an element of competition where there is none in some places in this country where there's a monopolistic situation with insurance companies."

He also argued that the entire health-care debate should not be centered on this one element as it has increasingly become.

Axelrod was rigid that any plan the president signs will not add to the national deficit.

"He is absolutely committed that he will, he will not sign a bill unless he can say to the American people honestly that this bill will not add to our deficit," Axelrod said.

In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" Co-Editor Steve Kroft scheduled to be broadcast Sunday night, Mr. Obama said the anger erupting this summer about health care represents "a coarsening of our political dialogue."

"One of the things that I'm trying to figure out is, you know, how can we make sure that civility is interesting," the president told Kroft.

Obama on Health Care Bill: "I Own It"

On "Face the Nation" Axelrod said, "I don't think we ought to be distracted by" mass demonstrations such as the one Saturday in Washington.

"My message to [the protestors] is, 'They're wrong,'" Axelrod said. "The president made it very, very clear that he wants to build on the system that we have."

He said that the CBS News poll taken after the president's speech last week "suggests that they don't represent a mainstream view of this health care plan."

Schieffer asked whether Axelrod thought Mr. Obama and his administration had bitten off more than they could chew in the president's first year in office.

"No, I don't believe that," Axelrod said.
By Michelle Levi

[mikeoliphant]

?President Obama?s speech last week really moved me. Despite what my colleagues think of me. If what he says is what will EXACTLY happen, how can I not hope and work towards that cause?? Mike Oliphant runs a small Utah health insurance website www.benefitsmanager.net/SelectHealth.html and www.dentalinsuranceutah.net whom deals with hundreds of people on a day to day struggle to be approved for health insurance. ?I get hopeful that I can finally tell people they can qualify for coverage REGARDLESS of their pre-existing medical condition?. Mike?s concern is that Obama?s people won?t deliver what he urges on areas within his speech. ?I really have been moved by this guy and wish we could just talk so he could understand the frustration of a health insurance agent. I have been involved on a political level within the state of Utah and their struggle for health care reform. I have seen and regrettably been part of politics at work. I have learned lessons through baptism of fire with politics. For instance, I struggled against House Speaker Clark and H.B. 188 because that was what I was urged to do from our industry (that was all I knew). But after awhile and countless meetings with state and private carriers in Utah, I began asking myself if I was doing the right thing. I realized over time that House Speaker Clark really means what he says and is hard nose about getting reform done in Utah. I got that there wasn?t any behind the scene conspiracy scheme or personal objective of Mr. Clark. His bill makes allot of positive changes in the ?health insurance reform? world of Utah. He claims that reform just doesn?t stop there, it must continue through ?health care reform?. You see, there is a major difference between the two reforms. Clark ?gets it? but I really worry that Obama?s administration doesn?t because if you have noticed the subtle language change of dropping ?health care reform? and going to ?health insurance reform?. See more about what Utah has accomplished here which utilizes private carrier involvement with true reform. If you can believe it, they reached it with an objective of $500,000. Perhaps the feds should take a look at Utah and House Speakers Clark?s bill 188. www.prweb.com/releases/utah_health_insurance/health_care_reform/prweb2614544.htm. Now I find myself on the ?other side? of the fence furthering Utah?s cause. Let?s hope we don?t all have a mental breakdown nationally and just take a honest look at the proposals.

[bgbgl]

BRAVO, PRESIDENT OBAMA. Thank you, Mr. Axelrod for your words to be committed to the Robust Public Option for EVERYONE!
As for Kathleen Parker, you are giving us a line... I guess you know so much from the inside as long as it is one skewed in favor of private insurance companies. I personally would prefer having that exchange like Congress gets, wouldn't you, wouldn't Mr. Scheiffer and everyone else in this country.
GO OBAMA!

[Thetruthwillsetusfree]

Don't hold back Baghdad Bob. Why don't you tell me what I really think... I mean... I'm too stupid to decide for myself without the loaded interview. I've lost all respect for CBS, and I've never had respect for Axelrod so that hasn't changed.

[mars7578]

Public option is the only way to bring down cost.If the insurance companies had workable intentions, it would offer necessary changes to address the needs of this country.Instead ,the insurance companies are hoping that a doomday prediction of the worst possible consequences including complete governmental takeover is inevitable.The GOP has become the GOOP and cant envision that this prediction is nearly impossible.The object is to get private enterprise to be good corporate citizens.This the same argument of governmental takeover of the banks and auto makers and we see how each entity is on a path self sufficiency.In each case the very self centered republicans ,saw governmental takeover with gloom and doom and refuse to see that AMERICA voted to redefine our industries to meet current and future needs.

[ericdrexil]

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

[mowdiewark]

Hey Axelrod, you do NOT get health care from your employer it is called health insurance.

[InfosolutionWiz]

NONE OF these same republicans opposed the war spending bill, Tax cut to the rich, the medicare bill etc, all of which was NOT PAID for but just add to our national debt! Therefore, their so called concern about govt. spending now is not legit by these measures.

[rep5]

Really, 2 million people, the largest march on Washington bigger than the million man march and it doesn't mean anything!!! Maybe if they burned things down and actually got violent , then , it would mean someting?? WHAT AN IDIOT!!! And this is the man who Obama listens to????

[reveal5]

60 to 70 thousand people is ABC's approximation of the crowd at the Washington DC "Tea Party" protest. 9/12/2009 protest was 60 to 70 thousand people according to ABC News.

[pickaguitar1]

YES WE CAN!

[FarmMaid-n]

To: pubsrtoast
<i>" If you ram it through we will just invoke the 10th Amendement and opt out of it."</a>

What 10th Amendment? They will do away with that too, just watch and see what happens next.

To: RowdyTheBrat ...
<i>"Sorry, Obungler we are not going to accept a government option in your bill, in fact, we are not going to accept your bill period.</i>

Like we really have an option of accepting versus not accepting it!

Wake up SHEEPLE.