Obama Won't Commit To Opposing Health Care Bill Without Public Plan

The Obama White House would not commit on Friday to opposing a health care reform proposal that did not include one of the president's favored components: a public option for insurance coverage.

"I don't think at this point we would draw quite that strong a red line," said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. "But again, I think the president believes both in the campaign and the letter he sent sometime last week... denoted that he thought it was extremely important to have increased choice and better competition. He thinks that could be, no pun attended, a healthy part of the plan."

The remarks from Gibbs come at a time when a growing number of conservative figures have insisted that they would absolutely oppose legislation that included a public or government-run entity for health insurance coverage. Conversely, progressive activists are starting to express concern that the president would be more invested in getting major legislation passed than taking a principled stand on health care reform. Earlier in the briefing, veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas asked Gibbs whether the president would be willing to bend on a public option.

Noting that Obama had vigorously expressed his support for the plan several times during a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin the day before, Gibbs added, "This is not about getting any piece of legislation through. Obviously this has to make a difference, this has to cut costs for families and small business ... This is about just getting something through."

Gibbs largely deflected questions on another, somewhat contentious aspect of the health care debate: what kind of mandate would be added to require people to purchase insurance coverage.

"I'm going to wait and see what Congress does," said Gibbs, when reminded that during the campaign the president had opposed Hillary Clinton's proposal for a mandate on individuals. At the time, Obama argued that it would put a financial burden on lower-income families.

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Comments

[Chaimirija]

use your heads---they want OBAMA TO FAIL---aim your anger at them, not him

i refuse to be required by law to contribute to the profit of the ins companies...most people just take it up theass...not me...i suggest you all follow...anyone who stands in the way needs to be voted out...this is such an affront to everyone, this mandate, conservative, liberal, republican, democrat....it is AN AFFRONT TO OUR LIBERTY TO REQUIRE US TO DO BUSINESS WITH A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT COMPANY OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE IRS...beyond corrupt...how can anyone allows this to even be considered?

[Chaimirija]

and liabilty insurance for you vehicle is not the same--that is to pay out t o others if you cause the accident!

[springsm]

President Obama seems afraid to commit to anything until the strongest wind blows through. And then he goes that route. I am also done with President Obama...I was hoping (ya, the aucacity of it) for change and courage to make those changes. So far he has supported just the opposites of what would be change. I am more than disappointed, more than frustrated and more than "just angry". He has dirtied my support. Sadly I carry no big stick or blow a strong wind....one of those common folks who elected him.

[PhilipTaylor]

Got this in my email today:

Dear MoveOn member,

Less than 48 hours ago, the biggest corporations in the country declared war on President Obama's agenda. The scale of the attack is mind-boggling.

The right-wing lobbyists at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will spend $100 million to defeat Obama's plans for health care and a clean energy economy. They call it their "most important project" in nearly 100 years.

[benne]

Dear MoveOn member,

Don't worry about the big corporations: worry about Obama who is negotiating away all efforts to reign them in. We will have universal insurance by private for-profit companies -- not universal healthcare. More and more money will go into preventing healthcare costs so that the shareholders and CEOs can reap those fat profits.

[leevntheus]

Personally, I'm D O N E with Obama. Can someone reanimate Frances Perkins and get her back in the administration? Obama's team does NOTHING to bring bold new social devices to the people for inspection and congressional debate. NOT ONE THING. It's all about back room wheeling and dealing and satisfying CORPORATE BOARDS and HEDGE FUNDS while APPEARING to be salvaging the people's future and working on OUR behalf....which of course is MORE of the SAME old FRAUD we've been putting up with since REAGAN.

[PhilipTaylor]

SAD but TRUE!

[WeMustSpeakOut]

I'm with you. His eloquent words are empty. He has proven in a very short time that he is a firm component of the same machine. We have been hosed on every front and health care will be no different, though we will be told otherwise.
It pisses me off every time I get an email request for a donation! That's a helluva lotta nerve given the taxpayer feeding frenzy for the banksters, billions more in war funding (while vehemently protecting the Bushies), and so much more. The whole bogus corrupt system can kiss my @ss.

[benne]

Yeah, sister! Remember all the talk about how the money he funded insured he's independent. We didn't consider that he had gotten a lot of his money from corporations including from the finance sector, which has reaped handsomely profits for it.

[JDM73]

I hate to dampen people's enthusiasm, but you know single-payer isn't going to happen, right? Whatever we get is going to be so watered down and worked over that, essentially, it will be no different from what we have now.

[leevntheus]

I completely agree. Like the HOPE of homeowner relief (never happened), the HOPE of ending the wars (never happened), the HOPE of crushing the banking swindle and starting over with something honest (never happened). Obama got elected with all of this HOPE crap and on health care its going to be like Bush's pharmacy swindle. The plan will be trotted out as a as a new day for the health of America and in the end we will find it is an even greater boondoggle on behalf of INSURANCE ( the third leg of the Great American BANKING, INVESTMENT, and INSURANCE Swindle).

[Muley]

ATTENTION: Chicago Single Payer Activists and Supporters-
President Barak Obama will be speaking at the AMA annual meeting sometime on Monday.
Single payer activists and supporters plan to use the occasion to demonstrate in favor of single-payer universal health care.
WHEN: Monday June 15, 11:00 am
WHERE: Tribune Tower, 435 North Michigan Avenue, near the American Gothic sculpture
The location is some distance from the hotel where the AMA meeting is being held to prevent demonstrators from having to deal with security problems.
Hope to see a large crowd!

[Samalabear]

"This is not about getting any piece of legislation through. Obviously this has to make a difference, this has to cut costs for families and small business ... This is about just getting something through."

Thank God for Helen Thomas. She asked a tough question and out popped the above from Gibbs. My feeling: This is not "about just getting something through." I've heard it said by others in many places: If it's not going to be done right don't do anything. Otherwise it sounds like Obama is just doing things put on his Presidential resume that he did something.

[RTIII]

Right on. I was about to make a similar comment... VERY disappointing.
.

[iridium53]

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. - D.D. Eisenhower

Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.
- Peter Drucker

So, this is what Obama meant by The Audacity of Hope... no commitment, no substantive change, just promises and hope.

As that incredible winner, John Wooden wrote, "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

[Jonni Rae]

It seems he was able to get the war funding by using Rahm's cellphone. Maybe he can do the same with votes for the public option. I believe he wants it, I think he is trying to figure out how to get it. But I agree that he should be more forceful on this issue. The people are really ahead of government on this one.

[sarabono]

Obama is finally seeing that all the excessive spending in the first months of his Presidency is going to kill any health care bill that requires more borrowing.

[bobo5]

Emergency triage and rooms are more expensive. If we stay on course we are broke.

[DrPneumann]

"Despite calls upon the insurance industry to get out of the tobacco business by physicians and others, insurers continue to put their profits above people's health," said Wesley Boyd, the new report's lead author and a faculty member of Harvard Medical School. "It's clear their top priority is making money, not safe-guarding people's well-being."

The report found that seven health and life-insurance companies in both the United States and overseas have nearly $4.5 billion invested in companies whose affiliates produce cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco..

"Although investing in tobacco while selling life or health insurance may seem self-defeating, insurance firms have figured out ways to profit from both," Boyd said. "Insurers exclude smokers from coverage or, more commonly, charge them higher premiums. Insurers profit -- and smokers lose -- twice over."

http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/06/post-16.html

[escribacat]

Grrrr.

[leevntheus]

I used to wonder if , like glass companies running around town throwing rocks through windows, the medical world refused to cure cancer and even instigated disease and illness for the business model. In essence, the insurance companies are using funds as investment vehicles to do just that. Invest in markets that continue the degradation of the human body so that people need the insurance, and indeed have to pay higher premiums for their health problems brought on by the companies the insurances invest in. Why can a FIVE YEAR OLD see this is WRONG WRONG WRONG, but in America, its how things get DONE?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Mr. O is more and more dissappointing with each passing day.

The only change we'll see is during the next election.

[WeMustSpeakOut]

indeed

[Novelene]

WTF???

[Coinyer101]

We will not get meaningful health care reform, under this President. He has already taken the best choice off the table. Forget about it people. Let's move on to legalizing pot, or repealing DADT. Oh yeah. The best choices on those issues is 'off the table' , as well. Apparently, we need a new 'table'.....,

[bobo5]

He will get the concept of universality enshrined into law. Once that is achieved it will be near impossible to reverse.

Later when the public confronts the cost of universality there will be a political move to a single payer system to use our tax dollars more effectively.

[Jonni Rae]

That is a good thought, bobo5. If all are covered, if nobody can be turned away for pre-exisiting conditions, if those who cannot afford it will be subsidized, then it really doesn't matter how this is achieved.

[Okieborn]

I see nothing but No Commitment from President Obama !!
Where Is The Change Mr. President ????

[WeMustSpeakOut]

Well aside from the commitment he's exhibited in protecting the Bush war crime machine...and the trillion dollar handout to the banks...and continuing war.