UPDATE: Dem Senator Denies Bloomberg Story

UPDATE: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) denied the Bloomberg story, saying Rahm Emanuel never said President Obama was open to giving up the public option. A spokesman said:

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.

* * * * *

According to a report in Bloomberg, President Obama is open to compromising on health care reform by eliminating the public option from his plan.

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.

Obama has been vocal in his support for a public option, but has declined to commit to opposing a bill that doesn't include it. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said that the co-op compromise "doesn't come close to satisfying anyone who wants a public plan." Conrad negotiated with Schumer to bring the compromise closer to a public plan, but later said that it was still not a "pure public option."

On Wednesday, Paul Krugman wrote that Obama "messes up on health care, big time" in his news conference a day earlier by "signaling, right at this crucial moment, that he's willing to give away the public plan."

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Comments

[taurus96]

Most of the comments above, are so depressing­.I am a senior citizen and never have I seen America is such a sad situation.­Congress in the hands of Insurance Companies,­Banks,Corp­orations.F­DA approving drugs that soon after the first billion dollars are made they have to take them offthe market because they kill people.Poi­soned food from China etc.Politi­cians having affairs(with both men & women) and forgiven by all and keeping thier jobs.
I thought I had seen & heard it all but I am sure I have more depressing news ahead for me & country.

[sosi]

Hope we are bottoming, if not bottomed already; BTW, how should young people feel?

[mac03m]

Couldn't agree more. I am a 24 year old, and believe its time we started taking power away from the government and putting back into the hands of the people.

[Peabodies]

You'd love Zimbabwe, maco. No functioning government. It's paradise.

So you're ready to volunteer, in your spare time, for the fire department?

[naschkatze]

And you left out the military/industrial complex, that Baal to which we taxpayers have to sacrifice all of our money even though we are destitute ourselves.

[Peabodies]

katze -- yes, yes, yes.

[Nancy84]

This in not about the President. As much as the conservative bloggers would like you to believe...­... this is about Senators who are bought and paid for by the Healthcare industry. If you really want to do something about the public option, contact the politicians.

Kent Conrad....­.Max Baucass... Ben Nelson...M­ary Landrieu..­.Diane Feinstein.­...Jeff Bingamon..­...Blanch Lincoln...­.... all democrats that are taking money from healthcare lobbiests.

[cariintexas]

What about ALL the republicans who are in the pockets of insurance companies. Charles Grassley, R-IA was on with Norah o'Donnell this morning and drew a line in the sand saying NO public option. Grassley is starting to make Limbaugh look like the patron saint of kindness. Perhaps it's time to tell congress to get their own healthcare, we taxpayers are tired of carrying them on our backs.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

It's mind boggeling that Republican tro//s here are bringing up some democrats
who are opposed to the health care plan......­.
But just abput EVERY Republican is opposed to ANY health care plan!

[naschkatze]

I wouldn't exlude Obama. How much did he receive from the healthcare industry, both as a senator and as a presidential candidate? I don't know, but I am just saying that I would like to know.

[Easyrollins]

Yea that Obama,he brings up health care reform because he's in cahoots with the insurance companies, that is your logic right?

[Peabodies]

Except for Senator Jeff Bingaman (who is "on board"), I have contacted all of the above, and many more.

[RepublicansRejected]

Bloomberg is about as credible as CNBC.

[RepublicansRejected]

Even D!ckDurbin said we need to compromise and bring in Republicans because Kennedy and Byrd can't vote.

[dteg]

Neither one needs to be in the senate. I thank them for their service They have fought the good fight and need to go home. We need senators that can vote.

[unfiltered]

IF YOU'RE ALIVE, YOU CAN VOTE. ANYTHING ELSE IS BS

[dteg]

rules are you have to be on the senate floor to vote. guess they can bring you in on a strecther but seems like you would still have to speak.

[jhink465]

I can't say about Sen. Byrd but Sen. Kennedy is made of tougher stuff and will there to vote even if they have bring him in on a stretcher.

[dteg]

guess we are still in good shape. If they need the two votes. Byrd and Kennedy can quickly resign to get this thing over the finish line. Democrats control West Virgina and Massachusetts,

[TheIndependenceParty]

I think Teddy Kennedy needs to call for single payor. It will be his legacy as Medicare is that of Johnson. What ishe afraid will happen if he takes that stand?

[Peabodies]

FDR Social Security 1935

Truman Single Payer (failed) 1947 (when the rest of the civilized world enacted it)

LBJ Medicare 1965

BHO Single Payer 2009 (at last)

[steamboat]

Steamboat has the answer: here-ye, here-ye, I will share this answer with my fellow conservatives and also you liberals, whom I do respect.

To my fellow conservatives: Don't worry, there will NOT be a single-payer healthcare plan for all Americans.
...1) The UNION chiefs don't want it. Reason: They want to keep healthcare policies they have negotiated with companies there union members work for. And for THEM personally, too. ....And the Democrats know they can NOT win an election if they double-cross these union officials. Dems are in control about 54-46 right now. Double-cross union help and CONTRIBUTIONS and that'll disapate. So there you go. We will have a multi- plan, not single payer.
...2) Do you think the politicians themselves want to have a second-rate plan and be pooled in 300+ million people. He11 no ! So don't worry.

To you liberals: There will be SOMETHING. Obama's (and many liberal pols) entire political career's hang on it. So something WILL be done for the 47 million uninsured and also I predict cheaper prescription prices, also.

.....if you want to argue with me--fine, but this is what it is.

[SCG]

We've been down band aid road before.

[rshrink]

Well if what he says has relevance, the union people could keep their insurance. One would have a choice of keeping or changing as they see fit. That is a kind of competition, much like the post office and UPS. You choose.

[Coastalthinker2]

In response to #1 - unions are very much FOR single payer health insurance. Please see the following:

http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/union_endorsers

#2) I really don't think this is about Congress being pooled with the rest of the country.

As for getting SOMETHING.­..if the middle class doesn't see a difference, ie. ONLY the uninsured see the change, then this reform is NOT reform. Just receiving cheaper prescription prices won't do it when you watch ever increasing insurance costs.

Your statement "this is what it is" just shows a defeatist attitude. There are many things we can do now and in the future.

[cariintexas]

And to what does the republicans political careers hang on, oh that's right, obstruction and just say no. Nice try but just more babble.

[sosi]

NO ONE can deny the public option, unless single payer. $3 trillion saving with the public option.

Common Wealth report on PO: http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE55N0SJ20090624

[Angelic11]

we, the middleclass have received absolutely nuttin' from this administra­tion...oba­ma has only done a dance...he will not take us home

[RepublicansRejected]

so I guess that tax break from the stimulus wasn't enough for you in the "Middleclass?"

Or are you just a tr0llie stirring s*it up?

[JeffE]

So, why hasn't Huffpo changed the headline? Ginning up a little outrage? None of us can fully understand how hard this process must be - lining up against entrenched special interests with gobs of cash to toss at hungry politicians. Certainly, we should hold Obama's feet to the fire on this. The battle will get bloody, but his leadership is essential to achieving success where others have failed for the past 60 years. The republicans are already set to saboutage the entire movement. But, we have to get in our sentors' and reps' faces and DEMAND they follow Obama's lead and include a meaningful public option. 76% of Americans want it. Use the wind at your back or we will knock you folks right out of office and replace with someone who will represent our interests over the insurance lobby's.

[Angelic11]

this should be a he@dline story...af­ter being lost in Ir@n for a week...con­gress have managed to divert attention from their slim-moves!

democrats are the new republicans!

[biglover]

TROLL ALERT. ANGELIC11 TROLL

[DinSea]

shut up

[Nancy84]

Okay now, Kent Conrad is one of seven Democratic senators named as receiving over one million dollars from the healthcare industry. The rest are:

Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Max Baucass (almost 4mil), Diane Feinstein, Jeff Bingamon and Blanch Lincoln. I received this information from a Huff article regarding Iwantapublicoption.comm"

Earlier today I received a request from Westpac for a donation to Blanch Lincoln. I went to their website and emailed them saying I would not donate one cent to any democrat who was not actively working for the public option. I hope my little demonstration does something.­...... it would if we all did it, I'm sure.

[tb92]

I've let Feinstein know that it would be very easy to replace her with a progressive democrat. We've had doubts about her for a while now, and with the Republicans in such bad condition, we don't have to accept this nonsense any longer.

[Nancy84]

She's my senator also and I've been wondering about her for some time. Maybe we can turn her around. I personally don't care if they take the money, but it's hard to believe they'll do right by us when they do.

[Peabodies]

clap, clap, clap, Nancy. That's how it's done.

[Coastalthinker2]

Where is the discussion on Single Payer Health Insurance? President Obama has stated he is for a "public option" but what does that mean? It is coming across to me as a change in "wording" to change the direction we are thinking about health care reform. Until I hear him say "I am for Single Payer Health Insurance", I will assume he doesn't plan on fighting for "we the people". I really want him to be successful in a meaningful manner for all Americans in regards to health care reform - Single Payer Health Insurance is the way to accomplish that.

[Peabodies]

You're right, Coastal.

[Nancy84]

I don't think he ever was for single payer so he's not backing out on anything there,

[tompoe]

If Bloomberg reports it, it must be pure garbage. Kudos to HuffPost for bringing all Bloomberg news to its readers. We need more "pure garbage". Hey, maybe we can look forward to exclusive coverage of AP, Reuters, NYT, and the rest of corporate media shills.

[patriotparty1]

More reasons you do not want to trust this man and his henchmen with your families health:
From Hot Air

An Inspector General could be “difficult,” and the CNCS thought that a reason for termination. Aren’t they supposed to be? IGs operate outside the chain of command in order to ensure transparency and to expose corruption. In fact, they exist to keep political patronage questions out of corruption and incompetence investigations, and it looks from this account that Walpin did his job too well for the CNCS and the Obama administration.
Walpin has more supporting evidence of his ability to function. His colleagues in southern New York, including Democrats and Obama supporters, wrote an open letter to the White House and Congress vouching for his integrity and his abilities. The letter has 147 signatures in support of Walpin, including former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Bernard Nussbaum, Bill Clinton’s White House counsel.
This looks more and more like a political hack job on Walpin, the equivalent of Clinton’s Travelgate scandal, only in service to keeping corruption hidden in Americorps on behalf of Obama’s political cronies

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

No one believes you here.

You're spouting out with a long post that doesn't mean much.

[patriotparty1]

It means a lot, it is like a puzzle. Put all of the pieces together. Negotiating with terrorists, bowing to the Saudi king, secret letters to Iran before the election, speeches to the Muslims, totally dissing our friends in England, growing up mentored by marxists, a communist mother, a muslim father, family in Kenya that he gives NOTHING to. Over a million dollars spent so far in attorney fees to keep his past under wraps. I could go on and on but you dont like long posts. Use your head, it will come to you.

[Angelic11]

I'm done if he won't give us a public option. worked my butt off electing him. bill maher was right...st­and up and get some backbone; we've not had a win...not ONE since obama has been in office! sad ;-(

[SCG]

Stem Cells, Lilly Ledbetter, increased child coverage, Tax reduction on middle class. Cigarette regulation.

[TJCole]

We can have an insurance based Single Payer System easily, which is then, run not-for-profit and cut Health Care cost by 30-36%...!

It's that Simple...

Why must Insurers make corporate level profits for curing our sick, that's gotten to be immoral..a­nd obscene..

Then all these professionals and employees of Insurance companies keep their jobs but everyone gets full coverage and no one is excluded due to preexisting condition.­..

What is also really hurting us are the 12-20 million illegals like it or not...

We allowed an invasion..­.which will someday turn on us and become an insurgency­...

[rshrink]

Having an insurance company involved adds a layer of expense which is not needed. Even if it is an insurance company operating not for profit. If it is non-profit, how is it regulated to make sure people aren't making excessive salaries, having major fringe benefits. And when the repubs get back in power, it will take them 5 minutes to change it to profit and it will be done behind closed doors and we will just notice premiums going up.

[Manx]

Obama said it himself yesterday on TV. He said he wouldn't veto a bill that did not include a public option. He gave Congress its cue: It's not necessary to come up with a public-option plan, I'll sign anything you send me. Obama's remarks are gratuitous and reflect a strange strategy for someone who claims he is serious about health-care reform.

[jdw1981]

Exactly. Obama thinks he is being clever by parsing terms.

The bottom line is that Obama does NOT care about the American people, and he WILL sell us out.

Let's hear it for The Harry Reid President!!

[rshrink]

The ones with integrity that has been seen are Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean.

[InspiredByTruth]

Obama never said that. One thing he can't do is say he will not sign any bill that does not include the public option, because that would effectively end any compromises being worked on in the senate. If Obama said no public option guarantees a veto, the republicans would be absolutely dead set against any public option or compromise Obama might agree with, just to guarantee the entire healthcare bill dies. You're be better off making sure your senator is backing the public option than drawing inaccurate conclusions.

[Manx]

Wrong. Obama did in fact say that he wouldn't veto a bill that excluded a public-option.
I saw it myself and it was reported on later TV broadcasts. You shouldn't contradict someone unless you know what you're talking about.