There have been numerous diaries discussing whether or not Obama really is or really isn't in favor of the public option. There are many on this site who continue to insist he is, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
For instance, here is Senator Tom Harkin's opinion on the matter (according to The Hill).
“I’ve not been very happy with the White House’s lukewarm support of the public option,” [Harkin] said, articulating a gripe liberals have been making for months.
Tom Harkin has been on the forefront of the healthcare debate and knows better than most the President's true feelings about the public option. As John Aravosis notes:
I've seen people continue to defend the President, arguing that he's firmly behind the public option. We now have a US Senator, who knows better than anyone the degree to which the President is truly supporting the public option, saying that the President is not.
I don't fault people for being supportive of a President for whom the supported and voted, but to consistently deny any flaws in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary is simply naive and, in the end, harmful to achieving the goal of meaningful healthcare reform.