Can we all take a deep breath and wait to hear from the President next Wednesday?

[liberalpragmatist]

Right now, there's a deluge of rumors and speculation about health care reform, which has provoked yet another round of hysteria and hyperventilating.

In the past 48 hours, we've been bombarded with rumors and speculation that that the public option is dead. Axelrod says so. Except now he says that the president thinks its essential. Or it's definitely going to include a trigger. Or it just *might* include a trigger. Or he's speaking before the AFL-CIO, which insists on one. Except that maybe he won't address health care at all before them. And now they're abandoning the Republicans and preparing a bill for reconciliation. Which may inadvertently make the bill more progressive, with an even stronger public option. Or they're scaling it back and making it way more modest, possibly not even universal. And they're doing so by negotiating with Olympia Snowe. Except that Snowe might make the bill more liberal by calling for expanding the exchanges.

:crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

At this point, I'm checking out of this debate. When even reputable sources like Ezra Klein and Talking Points Memo are posting contradictory information, I think the only reasonable thing is to take a deep breath. Go outside (the weather's great where I am). Watch a movie. Read a book.

Hyperventilating over thinly-sourced speculation and rumors is injurious to one's health.

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Why would the same losery nuts wait before passing judgment

They've been trying to sink any positive developments for a year and a half. It's a habit for them.

[LooseWilly]

24. Because some of us are hoping that Obama will listen BEFORE he gives the speech.

Once the speech is given and the talking points are out... people like you will defend them as if they make sense... even if they don't.

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Whatever

Your delusions of grandeur are amusing.

[LooseWilly]

29. I have no illusions of my single voice being listened to.

If there is a cacophony of outrage over the floated idea of stepping back from the public option, however, that might be heard.

I'm thinking of the change in tone between the latest DOMA defense brief and that first one that created so much outrage. A cacophony of voices of outrage seems to have been heard. A reaction seems to have ensued.

Or we could all just STFU, then the Whitehouse won't hear any voices of outrage, and political expediency dealing with the "Center" and the Right in the Senate will lead to the WHitehouse stepping back from the public option in order to pass a shitty bill just for the sake of being able to say "see, we passed a bill that the American public must've liked, because we heard no signs of displeasure".

The amusing delusion that, in a reputedly democratic state, the voice of the people carries some weight...

[PopSixSquish]

2. No, It's Much More Fun to Run Around as If One's Hair is On Fire!

hurts like hell though...

[DevonRex]

3. Nah. It's pretend hair and pretend fire.

Heh. They're making up shit just like the RWers are to be all riled up about. I guess some people have this pathological need to be terrified and angry all the time. Go figure. :shrug:

[SpartanDem]

10. Yeah, but it's great exercise

[HopeOverFear]

18. ROFL

[CakeGrrl]

4. I can. No cable news for me either. Keeps my BP down. n/t

[Arkana]

5. No--I'd rather hyperventilate, then poop my drawers with impotent rage

because CNN ONCE AGAIN lied about what the President's spokespeople actually said.

[WeDidIt]

6. No

I intend to call the white house twice daily until he speaks.

[Spazito]

7. Great OP!

Deluge of rumors and speculation indeed!

:thumbsup:

[JohnnyLib2]

8. Is one allowed to do that?

:evilgrin:

[Clio the Leo]

9. Obama better ban Congress' ability to take a vacation!

I know that much ........... we were doing FINE until then! lol

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. K & R

for the sanest post of the day!!!

[polichick]

12. The weather is great here too - nice for walking or anything else outside! nt

[Jennicut]

13. Why do that when we can all be hysterically yelling about Bush's 3rd term?

:rofl:

[IndianaGreen]

14. Why is the White House floating trial balloons about triggers and 2-year delay?

How can we sit still on our collective asses when we see the games being played in the Beltway at our expense?

The Divisions in the White House Over Health-Care Reform

This is health-care reform's endgame, or close to it. Next Wednesday, Barack Obama will give a prime-time address before both houses of Congress. But that's not all he's giving Congress. The administration is going to put a plan down on paper. The question is what it will say.

Conversations with a number of White House officials make it clear that, at this point, even they don't know. The argument was raging as recently as last night, and appears to have hardened into two main camps. Both camps agree that the cost of the bill has to come down. The question is how much, and what can be sacrificed.

The first camp could be called "universal-lite." They're focused on preserving the basic shape of the bill. They think a universal plan is necessary for a number of reasons: For one thing, the insurance market regulations don't work without universality, as you can't really ask insurers to offer standard prices if the healthy and the young don't have to enter the system. For another, it will be easier to change subsidies or improve the benefit package down the road if the initial offerings prove inadequate. New numbers are easier than new features. Creating a robust structure is the most important thing. This camp seems to be largely headed by the policy people.

The second camp is not universal at all. This camp believes the bill needs to be scaled back sharply in order to ensure passage. Covering 20 million people isn't as good as covering 40 million people, but it's a whole lot better than letting the bill fall apart and covering no one at all. It's also a success of some sort, and it gives you something to build on. What that sacrifices in terms of structure it gains in terms of political appeal. This camp is largely headed by members of the political team.

Both camps accept that the administration's proposal will be less generous than what has emerged from either the HELP or House Committees. The question, it seems, is how much less generous.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/09/the_divisions_in_the_white_hou.html

[Amos Moses]

21. It's kinder, gentler corporatism.

:patriot:

[OwnedByFerrets]

15. Wait my ass....we must be on the phones daily to the white house

and our congress critters. DONT WAIT!!!

[liberalpragmatist]

17. That's fine.

I have no disagreement with that. My disagreement is over hyperventilating and kvetching about how we've been "betrayed" based on rampant or thinly-sourced speculation. Especially because when people do that they're usually tuning out completely and saying what they does doesn't matter.

[suzie]

26. +1

[Colobo]

16. I agree- Let President Obama do his thing.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. No, we should all be contacting our Congress people

and any others that we have influence with or compromising photos of. I know that I am. Idle time is not wise as the other side will fill any void with stank. Act up, work it out, make noise, get it said!

[Apollo11]

22. I agree. It's not like the other side is on vacation.

The worst thing to do is stay silent while the other side continues to spread lies and bull.

We should be using every opportunity to make the case for affordable healthcare for all.

Writing letters to your local and State newspapers. Posting on their discussion forums.

Calling in to radio and TV shows. Correcting bias and misinformation.

Don't forget the Glenn BeKKK crowd is getting all riled up for their big day (9/12).

[jeanpalmer]

20. I'm waiting

There should be no doubt after next Wednesday where he stands. On public option and everything else. I assume he will make everything crystal clear. He knows what the issues are, he knows what people want to know, and I expect him to make his position clear. There should be no waffling or doublespeak.

His speech should provide answers to about 80% of the posts on DU. All the ones where A says he not for the public option and B says yes he is. After next Wednesday, there should no doubt. We should all know what he is proposing.

[SeattleGirl]

23. I'm down with that

The spinmeisters are working overtime again.

[Political Tiger]

27. K & R! n/t

[azmouse]

28. kick