As Barack Obama campaigns for a second term, TIME’s photo editors recap his White House tenure to date.
public option
A Health Care Ruling Q&A
In the light of day, a few things about yesterday’s health care court decision are coming into focus. The White House clearly expected federal Judge Henry Hudson to rule the individual mandate unconstitutional. The judge telegraphed his intentions in earlier comments and the Administration was ready with talking points about how Hudson’s …
In Defense of the Fox News Ban on “Public Option”
Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon is under fire today for instructing his newsroom – during the height of the health care debate – not to use the term “public option.” Here’s the supposed smoking gun: an e-mail obtained by Media Matters:
From: Sammon, Bill
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:23 AM
To: 054
…
For the Record
The Congressional Budget Office said in a recent letter that repealing the parts of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, would increase the deficit by $455 billion. The CBO released the figure this week in a letter responding to a request from Republican Sen. Mike …
Is the Resolution Fund the Public Option of Financial Reform?
A flashpoint in a partisan legislative battle. Check. Check.
A favorite GOP talking point used to reduce a massive piece of legislation into two, scary-sounding words. (“permanent bailout” and “government takeover”) Check. Check.
Relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of reform. Check. Check.
The public option was …
Public Option
Ryan Grim sees an opening. Don’t count on it. At least, not now and not nationally:
UPDATE: David Waldman sees one too.
The Public Option Could Be Back. No, Really…
Nope, you won’t see a public option in the legislation that is expected to come to a vote in the House later this week. But if it passes, we may well see a public option established in some–maybe many–states.
As Kate and I have written before, if this bill becomes law, states will be on the front lines of health reform. What they do …
Bye Bye Public Option Dreamers
At a press conference today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the public option dead. Here’s what she said:
I’m quite sad that a public option isn’t in there. But it isn’t a case of it’s not in there because the Senate is whipping against it. It’s not in there because they don’t have the votes to have it in there…We had
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Why Heather Graham is Dangerous for Health Reform
Public option supporters inside and outside the Senate are still pushing Harry Reid to bring back the idea and pass it via reconciliation, Jay Rockefeller’s hesitance notwithstanding. My guess is Rockefeller’s opposition to this plan is based on concern that the public option could completely blowup the renewed push for Democratic health …
Today’s Health Care Checkup
* The Obama Administration will post its own health care plan online by Monday morning. It will reportedly include at least an outline of what could be passed via reconciliation in the Senate.
* I remain very skeptical that a final Democratic bill, even one passed via reconciliation, will include a public option. For some Democrats in …
Re: Could the Public Option Get a Third Lease on Life?
The plot thickens. Greg Sargent catches that Chuck Schumer just signed on to the push for Senate Democrats to pass a public option via reconciliation. (See my earlier very skeptical post on this topic in which I agreed with Sargent that Schumer’s support for the idea is meaningful.)
And the AP is reporting that the White House will …
Could the Public Option Get a Third Lease on Life?
I’m not a fan of making health reform-related predictions – especially after the Scott Brown election – so I won’t say No. But I am comfortable saying that it’s EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY unlikely.
But hey, you can’t blame public option devotees for trying. Sixteen Democratic senators and 119 House Democrats have now signed freshman …
The Week In Review and What’s Next for Health Reform
Word is that Majority Leader Harry Reid will unveil changes to the Senate’s health reform bill on Saturday morning. The timing is part of Reid’s effort to get a final vote on the legislation by Christmas Eve. Of course, even the most carefully plotted timeline means nothing without the 60 votes Reid needs to break an expected GOP …
