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Curtland1015 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 01:56 PM
Original message
'Gibbs insists Obama not backing off public option'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090818/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_health_care_overhaul

WASHINGTON – White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insists the Obama administration has not shifted its goals on health care reform or distanced itself from a government-run public insurance option.

He said in a meeting with reporters Tuesday morning that news stories suggesting that the administration was ready to abandon the public option as it battles to push health care reform through were overblown. The rash of reports began after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL'-yuhs) appeared to signal the president was open to health care cooperatives as an alternative.

Gibbs said there was no intention to indicate a change in policy. He said, "If it was a signal, it was a dog whistle we started blowing weeks ago."


So... take that for what it's worth. Is it possible to be dubious and hopeful at the same time? Because that's how I feel.
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 01:59 PM
Response to Original message
1. Sebelious is taking the hit.
Does anybody believe she was NOT doing the White House's bidding?
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NYC_SKP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I don't buy the "well orchestrated floating a trial balloon" conspiracy theory.
Here's why:

A) It's unnecessary, we can gauge public opinion in more effective, stealthy ways.

B) It makes Dems look inept and scatterbrained, it's not worth it.

C) It becomes food and grist for the MSM and not in a helpful way.

Trial balloon?

Nah, I'm not buying it. Sebelius wasn't prepped and chose her words and phrases poorly.

:patriot:
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FarCenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. Maybe it was to see how much energy there was against dropping it?
Gauging opinion is one thing. Gauging the degree of activist committment is another.
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NYC_SKP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #4
11. I guess, but that presumes a few things that I question:
How does he measure the reactions, by reading blogs and replies? I think we flatter ourselves.

How committed is he to that vocal minority? I think he already hears from us and knows what we feel. He also is listening to other groups.

Why not find a better way? He has sent out emails to supporters from the election and primaries, this seems appropriate.

Why not open the dialogue in a town hall setting wedded to a website forum? Well, he is sort of doing that, it could be done better.

~~~~~

But it seems weird to me that he'd say, "OK, Kathleen, go out and say this. Then we'll get a team to read the blogs..."

Doesn't that seem unlikely?

:shrug:
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FarCenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. It depends on how fired up Dem organizations get - are they willing to put staff and money to work?
I agree that blogs are not very meaningful as indicators.
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NYC_SKP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:00 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. Paradoxically, we're holding back due to the relative silence and lack of strong leadership
from Obama, which I think is a strategic silence partly due to timing and partly due to the fact that he's everyone's president and not just the democratic candidate.

I'm hoping for him to drum up the rhetoric toward the end of the month.

We'll follow suit.
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FarCenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:09 PM
Response to Reply #14
17. I think they are collecting information at this point and will move after Congress retruns to DC
It's all drama at this point. But it is useful in determining the degree of support for and against various features in the health reform package. Out of this should come some indication of what is / is not possible.

Once Congress is back in session, the White House can take the initiative to craft legislation that will pass.
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NYC_SKP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:23 PM
Response to Reply #17
18. "It's all drama at this point." Fuckin' A!
And, really, too much effort this early is wasted energy.

:toast:
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 06:30 PM
Response to Reply #2
21. So you believe Obama is not in control of his administration and message?
And you think that's the more positive choice?
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emulatorloo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
19. Me -- I think she went way off message and expressed her own "opinion". EOM
Edited on Tue Aug-18-09 03:41 PM by emulatorloo
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tularetom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:10 PM
Response to Original message
3. Obama is not well served by his cabinet in this debate
Consider Sebelius's ill chosen remarks and Emanuel's anger at the liberal house Dems and defense of blue dogs.

The prez needs to get these people together and kick ass. They are hurting his efforts.
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JaneQPublic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:37 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. True. Howard Dean is doing a better job presenting Obama's position...
...than some of these folks he actually hired.
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Inuca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #8
15. You do not really know that
he presents what you (and I) hope is Obama's position.
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JaneQPublic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 10:09 PM
Response to Reply #15
23. I'm referring to the position he recited in every stump speech...
...throughout the campaign.

Until I hear Obama himself say he's abandoning that position, which he has not, then I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
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CrownPrinceBandar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:15 PM
Response to Original message
5. We need to keep the heat on the administration....
and let them know there will be political consequences if they abandon the public option.
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NYC_SKP Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #5
12. And Congress. n/t
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CrownPrinceBandar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 03:07 PM
Response to Reply #12
16. Oh my, how could I have forgotten Congress?.........
You're right. Thanks.

:hi:
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kelly1mm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:18 PM
Response to Original message
6. It's what Gibbs didn't say. He did not say the President would VETO
and bill that did not have a Public Option. My prediction is that the administration will try to call "co-ops" an acceptable Pubic Option. If it is depends on what is in the bill. We shall see.
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TahitiNut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:18 PM
Response to Original message
7. By saying Obama's position is unchanged, he could be saying it was never a hard line.
With all of the back-and-forth with Gibbs, there is no "line in the sand" being drawn and no interpretation of administration remarks that makes their stance on the public option a firm one. It's always been about the alleged goals ... competition and keeping the insurance companies 'honest' ... and NOT the public option (however that's defined) per se.

There has ALWAYS been some ambiguity in this area. Obama just isn't a "my way or the highway" kind of guy. It's not his style. The media (and lots of us) want to have some crystal ball ... and the media wants a 'gotcha' moment where they can say that he either flipped of failed to hold the line.
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nadinbrzezinski Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:38 PM
Response to Original message
9. It is unchanged but he is considering co-ops
read that for what is it. I HEARD him...
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WeDidIt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 02:39 PM
Response to Original message
10. Obama himself is going to have to make an assertive statement
People aren't accepting the surrogates on this.

Obama himself has to quash any question on his support of a public option.
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Douglas Carpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 04:04 PM
Response to Original message
20. that's good to know
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nmunderground Donating Member (11 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-18-09 06:31 PM
Response to Original message
22. If you believe that, Ive got a bridge Id like to sell you
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