Tired of the mixed messages coming from the WH

[fedupinBushcountry]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/white-house-to-reid-dont_n_335250.html">White House to Reid: Don't Come Crying To Us if You're Short Votes

On Monday, an administration official called Reid's decision to go ahead with an opt-out public option "dangerous."
>

Obama privately discouraged Senate Democrats from pursuing the opt-out plan, believing it wouldn't get enough votes to pass a filibuster. His concern was that by abandoning a trigger, the caucus would not only lose the lone Republican -- Olympia Snowe -- but also several conservative Democratic members. Public option supporters, however, don't consider the trigger to be a viable alternative; it could easily be written so that it's never pulled.

>

But despite their private griping, publicly the White House is standing behind the Senate proposal. In a statement, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president is "pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage."

All I want is the truth on where Obama really stands, not gibberish here and there. It's confusing and IMO does not help.

[Captain Hilts]

1. The confusion is maddening. Great if you want it both ways, but not if you want it to look

as though the Democrats can govern.

To think we're now beholden to Peloso, Schumer and Reid for a robust public option. How times change...

[ecstatic]

2. There are no mixed messages

The words of an anonymous official should not cancel out what the President has already said.

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. But...

It is out there, unknown source or not.

[ecstatic]

8. Nothing anyone says on this thread can convince you otherwise

You think Obama is a liar so you will always take the word of an unnamed source over what the President himself said.

It is your right to think that but your premise is still wrong--there aren't any mixed messages.

[fedupinBushcountry]

9. For Christ sake

I am not against Obama, I guess just because I see something different from this type of reporting, I am labeled an Obama hater, sheeeshhh!!! I guess no logical discussion can go on here anymore.

[mkultra]

27. taking unamned sources as words from the WH is not logical

if you want logical discussion, perhaps you should be the change you want to see.

[Sinti]

11. You do realize that they can make stuff up if they want to, right?

I used to do a lot of pre-production work for TV news (CNN and the like). They make stuff up, they change the question the interviewer is asking to fit the answer given in the actual live recording, so that they can make a story through creative editing. I see no reason why this shouldn't/couldn't be done in a written format. This stuff is all entertainment, it's not really news in the way they sell it. Ask anyone who's worked on this type of stuff for a while.

Trust what people say about themselves and watch their actions. Actions speak louder than words.

[Whisp]

12. interviewers edit and change the question?

wow. I knew they were dirtbags but that is eye opening! sheesh.

I sure hope someone from the inside would like an exposé on this stuff, or maybe thre is something out there. I would enjoy seeing CNN people squirm when this is known

[Sinti]

22. I've seen it done on PBS also, and other places. It's quite common place.

Let's just say they have a POV. There's a good reason why people being interviewed often hire a private transcriber to tape and type the interview. They will also kill stories on request, if the request comes from a powerful enough place. People will let you know who they are and what they intend through their own statements and actions, absent any kind of entertainer asking them questions.

[fedupinBushcountry]

15. I know

my brother has been a reporter for almost 40 years, we have had many discussions. Political junkies like us know that, but tell me how many non-junkies don't? I trust Obama but... I don't trust everyone in the WH.

[sharp_stick]

3. Yet another unnamed source

I've grown weary of all this shit. If Obama had to come out and respond every time someone quoted yet another unnamed source he'd have no time to fucking sleep. Of course it's confusing it's what the media wants because it means higher ratings.

Perhaps we would be well advised to wait and see what the bill actually entails before beginning the rending of garments and gnashing of teeth.

[uponit7771]

21. [phone]

[joeycola]

4. I have no doubt that Rahm/WH is privately ticked off....They wanted Snowe!!

.........

[ProSense]

5. It's HuffPo, this makes it sound like the WH no longer cares if health reform passes.

"Don't Come Crying To Us if You're Short Votes"?

[fedupinBushcountry]

7. I know

and Chuck Todd, but it is still sending mixed messages. Obama, IMO needs to take control and silence his staff. We get the unknown sources bull, but many just get the soundbite. *sigh*

[villager]

10. and yet to the apologists who rush in here to "unrec," there is no politics, no expediency

no fair criticism of White House mixed-messaging. There is only unquestioned golden right-ness in all things, pronouncements, withheld statements, and edicts....

[freddie mertz]

13. Seems more than plausible to me that the Pres wanted Snowe

But Reid was pushed in the direction of he "opt-out" by potential no votes on the trigger option from progressive senators.

I too m sick of the mixed and muddled messages coming/not coming from this White House.

They seem to want to be all things to all people, and end up being incomprehensible.

[joeycola]

14. OP link now leads to different headline but similar story....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/white-house-to-reid-dont_n_335250.html
.





NBC: White House Still Skeptical Public Option Has Votes


digg Share this on Facebook Huffpost - NBC: White House Still Skeptical Public Option Has Votes stumble reddit del.ico.us ShareThis RSS

The Huffington Post | Rachel Weiner
First Posted: 10-27-09 09:55 AM | Updated: 10-27-09 12:07 PM


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/white-house-to-reid-dont_n_335250.html


NBC News correspondent Chuck Todd reported Tuesday morning that the Obama White House, despite public expressions of support for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to pursue an opt-out public insurance option, remains skeptical that Reid can come up with the votes.

The administration basically told Reid, "You're the vote counter. But don't come crying to us when you need that last vote," Todd said on MSNBC.

On Monday, an administration official called Reid's decision to go ahead with an opt-out public option "dangerous."

Reid's plan, which would allow states to opt out of a public health care plan, was proposed to the senator just three weeks ago. It satisfies progressives' desire for a public option while giving cover to more conservative Democrats.

Obama privately discouraged Senate Democrats from pursuing the opt-out plan, believing it wouldn't get enough votes to pass a filibuster. His concern was that by abandoning a trigger, the caucus would not only lose the lone Republican -- Olympia Snowe -- but also several conservative Democratic members. Public option supporters, however, don't consider the trigger to be a viable alternative; it could easily be written so that it's never pulled...............


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/white-house-to-reid-dont_n_335250.html

[fedupinBushcountry]

17. Good

Same story, but old headline still on front page.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. It is almost irrelevant where Obama stands

He will sign whatever is passed.

At this point pursuing other options is off the table whether Obama favors other options or not.

Moot.

Now that Reid has forced the issue the PO cannot be removed (60) so whatever influence Obama has must be used in support of the senate bill because that's the bill.

And Obama wants a bill passed.

[sofa king]

18. President Obama learned a lesson from the previous occupant.

Go back and look at the Bush Administration now, and you'll see it's becoming clearer and clearer that they got every single damned thing they ever wanted.

They got it by never, ever telling the truth about what they wanted.

President Obama isn't exactly doing that sort of thing, but he's obviously taken some lessons.

When you don't clearly state your intentions, there is no way to grade you for meeting or missing your goals. When the opposition doesn't know what you want, they have a harder time keeping that away from you. When you create uncertainty, it can be used as a veil behind which plans can be devised and executed without constant tattling.

The President's opposition is a particularly pathetic lot that cannot tolerate any hypocrisy except its own, sees every situation in terms of black and white, is willing to sacrifice everything, even the health of their constituents, in the name of opposition, is accustomed to getting things done through illegal back channels and prearranged deals between power brokers. They're the ones who get truly frightened when they can't see what's going on and don't trust who's in charge. And when they're scared, they're more prone to run straight back to the thinkers that the American people have dismissed wholesale as the people who ruined us.

So yeah, there are going to be mixed messages, lots of them. The ultimate objective is to use that uncertainty to move the debate over to two or more options, all of which are acceptable to the President, with the opposition desperately trying to decide which one will be more harmful to the people and picking that one to support so that the President will even know which one of the favorable-looking options to drop at the last minute.

[hileeopnyn8d]

26. That's a good point.

I also think there's a damn good reason why any time anyone from the administration states the President is for public option - they always, always include that bit about him believing it's the best way to guarantee choice and competition.

From the very beginning the opposition branded health care reform as socialist, communist, marxist and even fascist. Comparing it to countries that have national health care, when it doesn't remotely resemble anything of the sort. The last thing you're ever going to hear an administration official say is that the President believes public option is a stepping stone to single payer, or anything along those lines. Nothing would stop this process deader than that statement, despite how much we might want to hear it. Despite how reassuring it would be for liberals/progressives.

Fifty-three percent may be a majority, but it still leaves 47% that didn't vote for Obama. While less and less people identify themselves as Republicans, that damn sure doesn't mean they all became liberals. Most of the people I encounter that say that now lean heavily toward libertarian, and others sound like anarchists. Try getting universal health care out of a Libertarian. Not going to happen.

That is the political reality of our country right now. And I'm sorry, but I think given that reality, the President is bringing the country closer to OUR ideological than has occurred in DECADES.

[hileeopnyn8d]

19. Something I've noticed

is there is about an 8 to 12 hour gap between these stories, as parsed by people like Chuck Todd, and when the press briefing Q&A's go up on the White House website.

Something else I've noticed is once I read what was actually asked and answered, it rarely says what Chuck Todd and others say it does.

I have no doubt that Gibbs said that Reid is the vote counter, but I bet the "don't come crying to me" was the reporters language. They insert language into their questions so that no matter how cut and dry the answer is they can make up a story about it.

[uponit7771]

20. No, I'm tire of gullible people listening to our EXTREMELY sloppy M$M

[mkultra]

28. yeah, this story is from Chuck Todd for christ sakes

[BklnDem75]

23. Well hell! If Chuck Todd said it...

Are you kidding me?

[Spazito]

24. The 'mixed messages' aren't coming from the WH...

they are coming from the media via 'unnamed sources' which could be a republican, another media pundit or, indeed, no actual source at all. It continues to amaze me some people don't get it. The media is NOT your friend, they are NOT factual, they ARE speculative, they are, usually, positing their wishful thinking as to how they want it to be and how they want it to be reflects the wants of their corporate bosses which are NOT in tandem with the work being done by the Obama administration, imo.

[grahamhgreen]

25. The devil is in the details, let's see what direction he pushes his new bill....