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Marc Ambinder

Marc Ambinder - Marc Ambinder is the White House correspondent for National Journal and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. More

Marc Ambinder is the White House correspondent for National Journal. He previously served as the politics editor, and is now a contributing editor, for The Atlantic, where he curated the influential Politics channel on TheAtlantic.com and contributed to the magazine. He was also a chief political consultant to CBS News. Earlier, at NJ's Hotline, Ambinder was the founding editor of "Hotline On Call," a pathbreaking political news blog. He also worked as a producer and reporter for the ABC News Political Unit and was one of the founders of ABC's "The Note." Born in New York City, raised in Central Florida, Ambinder is a 2001 graduate of Harvard and lives in Washington, D.C.
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Unlocking Obama's Mind On Health Care

By Marc Ambinder

Jun 23 2009, 4:27 PM ET Comment

I want to pose two questions about President Obama, the White House, and health care. I don't know the answers.

First, would Obama veto a non-deficit neutral bill if that bill (a) provided insurance for everyone and (b) included other, longer-term cost-cutting measures?  

Second -- was Obama's tactical flexibility on a public plan because he 

(a) isn't convinced that the votes exists for the type of a public plan that would really reorient the health care marketplace?

(b) knows that a plan without a public option would never get to his desk but doesn't want to tip his hand?


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