Emanuel's Public Plan With Triggers Trial Balloon "Blew Up": Dem Lawmaker

A leading progressive in the House of Representatives said on Wednesday that she felt reassured that the White House would not pursue health care reform that tied a public plan to worsening economic triggers.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) said that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel might have been floating a "trial balloon" when he told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that a trigger option could be a compromise approach to health care reform. Judging by his interaction with progressives in the House of Representatives in the subsequent hours, she added, it seems that the administration has taken the proposal off the table.

"The president wasn't talking about a trigger," said Woolsey. And when Emanuel floated the idea, she said, "the balloon blew up. He got to the Democratic caucus and he heard loud and clear that that is not what we wanted. And he definitely heard it from myself and the progressives, very clearly, that we're talking about a robust public option."

The co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, Woolsey said that when Emanuel came to meet House Democrats on Tuesday evening -- hours after his interview with the Journal was published -- he did not receive a warm reception.

"He was on the defensive because he got there and he had to explain that what the president really wants is a robust public plan," said Woolsey.

The California Democrat said that she has whipped the progressive caucus in the House and concluded that more than 60 of its members would vote against a health care reform plan that had a public option tied to economic triggers. It is a line in the sand that she and others expressed to Emanuel when he met with his former House Democrats.

"Fortunately, when [Emanuel] left, we knew that he was not going to be out working for a trigger," said Woolsey. "He didn't make excuses," she added. "We [the progressive caucus] have already compromised. More than 90 percent of the progressive caucus would vote today for a single payer system. And so for us to compromise and get behind a really good strong public plan, I mean that's as far as we're going. And I started with that and he said, 'Lynn I know that.' He knows that we're very serious about this."

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Comments

[LinkSync]

Everyone in the Beltway needs to have their health insurance removed untill we get a Plan and then they can get the same Plan as the least of us gets, nothing more.

SINGLE PAYER and NEGOTIATED PRESCRIPTION PRICES!

[Tulka2]

This is the battle. On this hill it is decided if Barack Obama gets a second term. I think he ought to come in front of the American people and say so. He ought to talk to us about the forces mounted against us. He ought to tell us his administration is a failure without real health care reform.

I am convinced single-payer is what can save the economy and i think as the economy plummets that fact becomes more obvious by the day. I gave it up for "public option", but single-payer becomes more sensible by the day. Man. Obama has got to get out in front of this. He has got to explain this to the people. He is the only one who can pull it out.

[Kirk59]

It's time someone pointed out the huge effect a public health plan will have on unemployment. How many millions of people, too young for Medicare, but wealthy enough to retire, would do it if they knew they had health coverage? I know several people in my own business who would work for no salary, just to keep the health benefits for themself and their spouse. Give those people health care so they can retire and enjoy themselves. They will spend money too, not worry about going bankrupt at the first sign of a serious health problem. Younger employees will be hired to replace them, reducing the ranks of the unemployed.

[Tulka2]

Hmmmm. Health care disconnected from jobs is what small business needs. Say i want to start making my best cookies. Would i ask my sister and best friend to quiet their jobs with health care today? No. As a start-up i couldn't afford to buy them health care. If everyone had health care, regardless of job, you wouldn't believe how many new small business you would see sprout up.

[Mag7]

At what time was Emaniel's finger glued to his face? Can't they do surgery or something?

[justobserve]

If any politician doesn't get it that people want the public option NOW then they shouldn't think of running for a re-election.

[jakiew]

AMEN ! ! DO YOU HEAR THAT, ALL POLITICIAN''S ?

[PaxEterna]

With so many unemployed, we ought to be able to stage a massive DC protest in favor of SINGLE PAYER.

I suggest we choose the anniversary of Dr. King's March on Washington and get organized NOW.

It is the only way to stop the greed, mismanagement, and stupidity of our so-called leaders.

[miriamfl]

Single payer is off the table. We cannot concertrate our efforts on that one because it will turn everyone off and forget the Bluedogs. We need to get a public options just like Medicare and gradually everyone will see the light and opt for the public option. Eventually we will clean up the private for profit so called insurance co and I think the only ones that will survive will be the better ones.

[MyrtleJune]

Well then I just read that story about the director of the progressive caucus being fired. Hmmmm . What say, Rahm do the same.

I mean honestly, we the people voted to END this kind of crap. And what do we have in the White House....... a main proponent of this kind of crap.

Look. Stop with all the politics and get about GOVERNING. Do NOT play trial balloons and triggers politics. Grow UP!!!

Fire Rahm.

[beyondthepale9779]

hey Rahm... Donna said to get your s*** together dude.

[ddw13]

Gov't should stay the hell out of the Health care industry and also the car industry, and the banking industry !!! It's not there place to be in bussiness now or ever !!! This country was made to run on sucess and failure's, and profits and losse's that's how the world goes around !!!

[myrddin]

You really need to take a good look at our current 'Best in the World' health care system. Private health insurance has become unaffordable to many Americans while many others struggle with high co-pays and premiums. Millions go bankrupt each year because of unexpected medical problems even those that have coverage but are denied medical care by insurance companies looking to pad their profits. Single payer is the only way to go.

If the auto industry had gone under we would now be looking at a depression and not just a deep recession. America cannot survive without a strong manufacturing base. The auto industry is one of the few american manufacturing industries left. Don't believe me? Go into Wal-mart and try to find anything with a tag 'Made in America'

[Trittydi]

Agreed. It's bad enough that we can't have single payer - B@s$t@rds - but to tie the infinitely inferior public option to a trigger equals ONE thing and ONE thing only ...

Trigger = No Health Care.
*

[ReedYoung]

"It's bad enough that we can't have single payer" - this year. We will get much better than we've had, and we'll get the rest soon, unless we quit working for it. You planning on that? :)

[Derelict outlaw]

I wrote to Rahm and the President today demanding that they at least go through the motions of having the CBO cost out single payer.

I haven't given up.......

[rich misty]

GoldenAgeMaster, Republicans need to get out of my health care.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/22/new-polls-indicate-republicans-favor-torture-gulags/

Their concerns for humanity leave them with the stench of sulfur fumes clinging to them. And bathe all you want, it does not wash off.

[GoldenAgeMaster]

And crooked lying Democrats need to stay out of my health care.

[rich misty]

You would not know crooked...

http://images.google.com/images?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS331&q=bush%20abramoff&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Or lying

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS331&q=935+lies&aq=f&oq=

If it was posted right in front of your face.

[heal57]

Dump all incumbents; we want a public healthcare option and we don't give a damn what congress wants, we the people insist of a public option; do or die.

[MyrtleJune]

Ummmm.... what part of OPTIONAL don't you understand? If you don't want the public plan, don't use it. Fine with the us, the majority of Americans. No problem.

[jakiew]

the crooked lying repub.'s got us in this mess. not democrat's. have you been in a coma the last eight years.

[Tom95134]

That's why they call them, "trial balloons". You float them up to see just how quickly they get shot down and what arguments are used to shoot them down.

[FHTB]

Like Palin, can we send Emanuel, Gheitner and Summers off into the ether? All four of them are worthless entities spouting BS we don't want to hear.

[Antifascist-08]

keep sending your comments to the prez.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Thank you, Rep. Woolsey.

thank you Bernie Sanders and the rest of the progressives.

Everyone keep fighting. Don't ever give up.

[GoldenAgeMaster]

If you are truly anti-fascist you should be working against the Obama administration.

[RudyV]

So is Obama a fascist this week, or a socialist?

Can't be both--gotta choose one!

[GoldenAgeMaster]

keep sending your comments to the prez.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

THANKS, I'LL DO JUST THAT!!!

[Trittydi]

Me too -- and CALL them - it helps.
*

[FHTB]

Obama is losing independents who brought him to the White House, according to latest CNN polls...this is an ominous sign for '10 and even '12, for if Obama cannot rally the majority of voters now who are independent and not affiliated with Dems, then he is going to have a tough time of it in reelection.

[GoldenAgeMaster]

You are correct. I'm an indy, but I'm not one of those that voted for Obama, I knew better.

Anyway, all the indies I know now admit that they were taken in by Obama's smooth talkin speeches. I live in the largest county in western nc. We have more indies registered to vote than both Dem or GOP. Indies now hold the power in our area, and numbers are showing a trend around the country.

[IssuesInFocus]

Those who live by the polls will die by the polls. The President fully understands what he's up against... and Independents realize that Congress is the problem. This is an uphill battle, and I am not ready to throw in the towel, at least not yet.

[joeneri]

He may be down in the polls but the Republicans are down in candidates. Pretty soon, they're going to have more scandals than senators.

[GrainOSand]

Team of rivals, stirring the pot, stimulation of conflicting and complimentary forces bringing about fusion and then...tra­nsformatio­n -- is this the president’s strategy?

This is why the jury is still out on the president. Take a step back from any personal travail (difficult though it may be in this climate of pain). Look at the bigger picture which must include mass psychology affected by tradition, culture, levels of interest and understanding. Widen that view to include a political environment of culture, of tradition, and of self-interested aversion to change. Widen it further to view once-in-a lifetime issues of massive proportion and complexity. It becomes clear that the president’s task is enormous if he is to be successful at his stated agenda. He cannot telegraph his moves for his enemy is formidable and seems to fancy -- self mutilation if not annihilation. The enemy is us, the fickle, fear prone, complacent, instantaneous results oriented public. The enemy is political corruption. The enemy is cronyism via the good old boy network. The enemy is a stream of corporate money...making the knees of elected officials weak and causing them to sell out principle for self-enhancement. The enemy is the word “no” from the GOP, absent the offer of any credible alternative to address real problems. The enemy is the obstructionism practiced by the GOP via their racial wedge tactics, and their fear mongering cluster bombs of duplicity. The enemy is hypocrisy all throughout the democracy.

[GrainOSand]

II
“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.
”
President Barack Obama -- January 20, 2009

Those are not meager goals for at the heart of those objectives is the requirement of changing the hearts and minds of masses of people with entrenched interests, conflicting views, and varying attention spans. Trial balloons may be part of effecting change. Ill-advised attempts at bipartisanship may be part of the strategy. Going right to go left on issues of torture, rule of law violations at the highest levels, and various other things may be part of the brilliant plan. Can’t know for sure.

[Titus Pullo]

That's all very nice. Very nice. But, really, this isn't 3-D chess vs Big blue; it's politics, plain and simple. If the guy can't keep a promise for needle funding to help stem the spread of AIDS; if everything re Cheney is redacted black; if, if, if if if if if if if. Everything is if, then, else, on error goto BS. That's not change.

The super-secret decoder ring theory is getting older with each passing month.
And they pass fast, trust me on that one

[GoldenAgeMaster]

Wow, all that to tell us that this administration is as bad or worse than the previous one.