Media starting some shit - They are instigating a Rumble!

Tensions over public plan
Howard Dean speaks out after Obama signals that he could back away from a public health-care option.

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer – 12 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, a leading figure in the liberal wing of his party, said Monday he doubts there can be meaningful health care reform without a direct government role.

Dean urged the Obama administration to stand by statements made early on in the debate in which it steadfastly insisted that such a public option was indispensable to genuine change, saying that Medicare and the Veterans Administration are "two very good programs that have been around for a long time."

Dean appeared on morning news shows Monday amid increasing indications the Obama White House is retreating from the public option in the face of vocal opposition from Republicans and some vocal participants at a town-hall-style meetings around the country.

The former Vermont governor was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about President Barack Obama's statement over the weekend that the public option for insurance coverage was "just a sliver" of the overall proposal. Obama's health and human services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, advanced that line, telling CNN Sunday that a direct government role in a system intended to provide virtually universal coverage was "not the essential element."

Dean, a physician, argued that a public option is fair and said there must be such a choice in any genuine shake up of the existing system.

"You can't really do health reform without it," he said. Dean maintained that the health insurance industry has "put enormous pressure on patients and doctors" in recent years.

He called a direct government role "the entirety of health care reform. It isn't the entirety of insurance reform ... We shouldn't spend $60 billion a year subsidizing the insurance industry."

Dean also said he doesn't foresee any Republican support for a public option. "I don't think the Republicans are interested and in order to have a bipartisan bill, you've got to have both sides interested," he said.

<---actual pic at yahoo!

(edited to add links!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_care_overhaul
and
http://www.yahoo.com/


When was the last time that AP cared what Dr. Dean said? ....I can't remember.
Guess he gets to take Krugman's place for a minute, but he has been speaking in support of the Public Option exactly the same way for a long time, and to date, as a strong supporter of the President, and I doubt that has changed...so why is the AP interested now, but they were not earlier?

and smells like big time collusion to me.

Strange how they all came to the same conclusion, that saying "Sliver" means "nope to Public Option"....

Fascinating.

Guess the media is about to go into overdrive and try to get this done, or undone, depending on how one looks at it.

They are not trying to separate Obama and Dean....
they are trying to seperate the progressives from Obama....
and are attempting to use Dr. Dean to get it done.

really says it all. The media sucks.

they are fucking dangerous.

That's the first thing I saw this morning since Yahoo is my homepage. The media does suck, journalism is dead.

and his representatives were all over the place yesterday
implying he is open to dropping the Public Option, other
Progrssives have a right to have their voices heard.

If Dean never opened his mouth and was never seen on
TV, there a progressives upset over dropping the public
option.

At least they are permitting a Progressive voice on TV.
We hear Conservatives 24/7.
Thank God they put a progressive on.

Most people want to support Obama. This is more about
Core Beliefs than Obama.

Obama could stand up today and say this is what I believe.
This is what I INSIST IS IN THE BILL. Up to now he has
said "want". He is the President. What is he going to
insist or demand is in the bill. Want is weak.

There is no reason for division. Dean is speaking his
mind and heart and represents the feelings of many
progressives. This does not mean they are against
Obama. This is our problem. Liberals and Progressives
are free-spirited with minds of their own. The way
Conservatives have won this fight is their willingness
to go on TV 24/7. Let a progressive go on TV and
Progressives shoot themselves in the foot going after
their own. Dean is helping Obama by being on TV
putting out the message. Unless of Course, Obama
has fully decided to throw the PO under the bus.

and I have listened to him each time, and he has been crystal clear,
and I have liked what he has had to say.

Howard Dean has helped Barack Obama a lot.

The point is not either one of these men,
it is what the media is attempting to portray
that I have a problem with.

The media actions are quite transparent to anyone looking....
but for whatever reason, there are many these day more likely
to give the media benefit of the doubt rather than this President.

and he has a way of speaking plainly and in short, understandable sentences. The official spokespeople tend to wander off into the weeds..

What about that don't you understand?!!?!