Obama Makes Strongest Demand Yet: "Public Option Would Be Really Nice"

[t0dd]

Faced with pressure from both parties in the increasingly rancorous healthcare debate, President Obama took to the airwaves Wednesday night in a rare address to a joint session of Congress and stated his support for the Public Option health insurance plan in the strongest terms yet. In a landmark speech filled with passion, urgency, and all manner of rhetorical fireworks, Obama intoned that passing healthcare reform legislation before the end of the year would be, in his words, "really nice."

In this, Obama walked a very fine line between the Democrats upset over his apparent unwillingness to fully support a publicly-funded health insurance program and Republicans who are equally angry over his kind-of/sort-of support for it. With characteristic grace, Obama quite wisely used the speech as an opportunity to wash away any confusion or ambiguity about his position on the matter.

"Let me be absolutely clear about this," said Obama, pointing his long bony fingers at the camera so the audience would grasp his seriousness. "My support for the Public Option is equivocal. So, here is my ultimatum: Either Congress passes a bill with that provision- or they don't. On this, I am absolutely unmovable. Some things are just too important to compromise on, and this, I believe, is one of them."

Democrats in the chamber rose to their feet in thunderous applause. Not only had the President offered a much-needed morale boost to pro-reform Dems, he did so without saying anything of substance that might come back to haunt them next fall.

In response to increased pressure to get out ahead of healthcare reform with clear, specific proposals, the White House unveiled its own bill in conjunction with Wednesday's speech. Unlike the controversial bill being pilloried in the House, the White House version comes pre-compromised.

Over the last few weeks, the President's top people sat down with representatives from both sides of the issue and hammered out a bill based only on the union set of proposals that everyone could agree upon. The good news is that this one is far easy to read. Unburdened of the contentious ideas that bloated its predecessor, the new White House bill weighs in at just under 20 pages. Gone are all the heavy-handed regulations and anything else that might be misinterpreted by the right-wing press. Instead, the proposed law would oblige health insurance companies to "try harder" to insure those with pre-existing conditions and "really care" about those who struggle to pay their rising premiums.

A provision of the new bill, labelled "The Public Option" in bold 60 point font, will entitle families undergoing medical-related bankruptcies to a firm handshake from a government official and a coupon for a six-pack of Diet Fresca.

The CBO has given its blessing to the new plan as "deficit neutral" under the assumption that the cost of healthcare (and Diet Fresca) remain largely unchanged. Republican critics have been quick to point out that such costs have been rising dramatically. In response, the President has hinted that he might be willing to compronise on the Fresca.

http://www.ridiculopathy.com/news_detail.php?id=2396

[countingbluecars]

1. Not constructive. n/t

[rateyes]

2. I think the satire makes a good point. K & R.

[Abe66]

3. Zzzzzzz...he won, get over it kids.