Time for Team Obama to show pragmatist side

 
As the White House begins the final push for something that can be called reform of our health insurance system, Obama’s team is making clear in interviews and talking points that though the president still believes the public option would be the best way to produce choice and competition in the system, that it isn’t the only way to do so. They are also making clear Obama would do just about anything now to get something to his desk that he can sign into law.
 
Will the left be ready to oppose legislation that delivers popular consumer-protection reforms like portability for coverage, caps on fees and the end of denial of coverage to the sick? Today’s papers are filled with threats from the progressive left; legislation without a public insurance plan won’t get their vote — they say now.
 
Let’s start with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who yesterday stated that a public option must be in the House bill and that abandoning the plan would be a “major victory” for the insurance industry.
 
Moving on, the House Progressive Caucus also dug in, sending a letter to the president in which they demanded a meeting with him to inform him that “any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, a public option built on the Medicare provider system and with reimbursement based on Medicare rates — not negotiated rates — is unacceptable.” The letter, signed by Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) and Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), made it clear they cannot vote for “anything less.”
 
OK. Everyone’s on the record now in the leadership of the left. We will check back in with them when the votes are counted for a final bill later this fall.
 

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