Joe Lieberman is accusing President Obama of executing a bait and switch when it comes to the public option:
"It’s classic politics of our time that if you look at the campaign last year, presidential, you can’t find a mention of public option," Lieberman said. "It was added after the election as a part of what we normally consider health insurance reform — insurance market reforms, cover people, cover people who are not covered.
Nice line, Joe, except it's based on a flat-out lie. President Obama backed the public option during the campaign. For example, the Obama-Biden health care plan proposed a new public plan (emphasis added):
NEW AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS. The Obama-Biden plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals purchase new affordable health care options if they are uninsured or want new health insurance. Through the Exchange, any American will have the opportunity to enroll in the new public plan or an approved private plan, and income-based sliding scale tax credits will be provided for people and families who need it. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and meet the same standards for quality and efficiency. ...
The Obama-Biden plan provides new affordable health insurance options by...requiring all large employers to contribute towards health coverage for their employees or towards the cost of the public plan.
In May, 2007, the New York Times reported that President Obama had proposed a public option (emphasis added):
Mr. Obama would create a public plan for individuals who cannot obtain group coverage through their employers or the existing government programs ... He would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange, a regulated marketplace of competing private health plans intended to give individuals other, more affordable options for coverage. The public plan would compete in that Insurance Exchange, advisers said.
And here's a Washington Post candidate profile, President Obama said:
My plan builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and creates a new public health plan for those currently without coverage.
So, Joe, you're wrong. President Obama has supported a public option from the very beginning. He ran for President on it, he won the election, and now he's doing what he promised. That's a hell of a lot more than anybody can say about you, Joe.
Despite your sanctimony, you've done nothing but lie since you squeaked out that victory in 2006: just lie after lie after lie. And you're lying again now.