Public Plan Watch: Liberals Warn White House

By Marc Ambinder

The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Barbara Lee, issued this statement today on reports that the White House is backing away from insisting that a government-run option be included in the health care exchange. "Any bill without a public health insurance plan like Medicare is not health reform."

The basic calculus here: the White House thinks that House Democrats won't be able to say "no" to a reform bill in the end, even without a public plan, and is going to try other inducements -- money for favorite programs, promises down the road, maybe even some threats and pressure -- to keep them aboard.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/08/public-plan-watch-liberals-warn-white-house/23389/