Obama: "I didn't campaign on the public option."

By GottaLaff

No public option? It's all Obama's fault!

Nuh-uh!

Yuh-huh!

He did it!

No, Congress did it!

Obama, you have too compromised too much!

Have not!

Have too!

Have not!

"Nowhere has there been a bigger gap between the perceptions of compromise and the realities of compromise than in the health-care bill," Obama said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Post about his legislative record this year. "Every single criteria for reform I put forward is in this bill."[...]

In the interview, Obama offered a vigorous defense of the legislation and the priorities he set out in shaping it, saying he is "not just grudgingly supporting the bill. I am very enthusiastic about what we have achieved."

He said the Senate legislation accomplishes "95 percent" of what he called for during his 2008 presidential campaign and in his September speech to a joint session of Congress on the need for health-care reform.[...]

Obama said the public option "has become a source of ideological contention between the left and right." But, he added, "I didn't campaign on the public option."

"We don't feel that the core elements to help the American people have been compromised in any significant way," Obama said. "Do these pieces of legislation have exactly everything I want? Of course not. But they have the things that are necessary to reduce costs for businesses, families and the government."

See? He wasn't really ever pushing for the public option after all.

Some of us had figured that out a while ago. Some of us noticed he said a public option would be swell, but, well, if it's not in there, there would be enough other stuff in there that nobody would really mind. No, really they wouldn't. Honest.

As for "why now?"

"Given how difficult fighting the special interest has been on Capitol Hill, it's clear that, if we hadn't decided to make a bold step forward this year, we probably wouldn't have had the political capital to get it done in the future," he said. "Sooner or later we had to take that on, even though we knew it would be politically difficult."

Agreed.

Now about that public option...

President Barack Obama told Congress Wednesday the public option would be part of an insurance exchange for last-resort coverage. Obama said the Congressional Budget Office estimates that less than 5 percent of Americans would sign up. (Sept. 9)

"An additional step we can take...", sez he. Wiggle room.



Non-negotiable? Back in June 2009:

At his White House press conference, the President responds to a question about his health care plan, and explains how a public option will help keep private insurance companies honest, and lower health care costs while ensuring choice. June 23, 2009.

"A public plan makes sense."

He did campaign on the public option, whether or not he left himself an out.

UPDATE (finally found it): Even back in 2008. Here's more.