At today's OFA conference call, one individual stood up and asked (not exact quotes here) "If the public option is the preferred plan, why aren't you pushing it harder, and if there are options that can accomplish the main goals of Health Care reform other than the public option, what are they?"
The President stated that the controversy was somewhat manufactured, and part of that was caused by the President being "too honest to a fault". He then stated how the public option was the preferred plan, but that it is true that it is just one aspect of Health Care reform alongside covering pre-esiting conditions, no caps, etc. He called the other stuff "the belt" and the public plan "the suspenders".
But here is the key: The President then said that, because the public plan is controversial to some, he felt it was clouding out all of the other reform details, AND if it became the main purpose of the discussion, those with ideological differences would pounce on the public plan and turn it into lies and government takeover of healthcare.
So, in other words, he meant to de-emphasize it in order to re-emphasize the other details of the plan...
(my thought here) ...Perhaps so that it would be easier to accept the public option when they pass it with Dem only votes?
Oh yeah, one more thing - NO MENTION OF ANY PLANS OTHER THAN THE PUBLIC OPTION THAT WOULD ACCOMPLISH HIS GOALS OF HEALTH CARE REFORM.
No co-ops. Nothing. Nada.
Reconciliation, here we come??