Yesterday, the House Democratic Caucus met via conference call, and there was uniform support for the public option. No one spoke up for the co-op. In fact, two members from Wisconsin, which has both a public option and a co-op, said that the co-op hasn't saved the state any money at all, while the public option has cut costs by 2/3.
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich is calling for a March on Washington in support. Lawmakers at home on August break also said that they are hearing from constituents who want them to stand fast on the public option and not give in.
And, at the same time, key Republicans are signaling that they're even more hardened against genuine reform. As Rahm Emanuel puts it (NYT):
“The Republican leadership has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”It looks like, as of yesterday and today, that the momentum is going back toward public option. The White House is sending out signals that it is about to unveil a new strategy, emphasizing the moral imperative to provide health care for everyone and making it clear that it is the Republicans who are pulling out of bipartisanship. Relieved of that impossible burden, maybe they can bring the Blue Dogs on board and really get a decent bill passed.
So maybe saying the public plan was not essential was a trial balloon after all -- and it worked.
Ralph
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