We have been betrayed so many times by so many that we begin to expect it. Today, Richard Trumka, the new leader of the AFL-CIO, met with Rahm Emmanuel, chief of staff for President Obama. Some of us were worried that this might spell the end of Trumka's strong support for the public option. Early reports show no trigger and that Trumka remains a strong fighter for working Americans!
AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale said that Trumka "reiterated our commitment to creating good paying jobs, passing health care reform with a public option, the importance of passing major labor law reform and re-regulating financial markets."
The Hill: New labor leader pushes public option at White House
More after the folds.
There was a post by Jane Hamsher on Firedoglake this morning in which she said that Trumka [was] Scheduled To Meet With Rahm Today To Cut Deal on Public Option
Jane likely is as glad as I am that there is no deal. Now there will be some who will use this to attack Jane, slink, and Eve, but I believe those who attack FDL are misguided. No one is always right. In my view, the best work done on health care reform in the blogosphere has been done by Jane, Slink, and Eve at FDL. No one has fought any harder, with strategic smarts and willingness to put their asses on the line.
More from the hill:
Richard Trumka, the newly elected president of the AFL-CIO, met with President Obama's chief of staff at the White House Wednesday, making a push for the embattled public health insurance option.
Trumka, who replaced John Sweeney, has pushed Obama and Congress to pass the public option that was twice defeated in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. A spokesman for the AFL-CIO said Trumka continued that push in a meeting with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale said that Trumka "reiterated our commitment to creating good paying jobs, passing health care reform with a public option, the importance of passing major labor law reform and re-regulating financial markets."
The Hill: New labor leader pushes public option at White House
Trumka is setting the standard in progressive politics and labor. He's a fighter.
From a few weeks ago, but still good:
AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka on MSNBC: Public Option Will Break the Stranglehold of the Insurance Companies. visit: http://firedoglake.com
Let's keep fighting for the public option. If the President fights for the public option, Reid and Durbin, Harkin and Baucus will have to include it in the bill that goes to the Senate floor.
Trumka is with us, as is the President. It's time to say no to the insurance companies and their lackeys like Baucus, Conrad, and Lincoln.
Update I: Jane Hamsher at FDL has more:
FDL: AFL Says No Deal Between Trumka and Rahm on Public Option
She asked AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale if Trumka considered "triggers" to be a public option. He responded:
Trumka is sticking to what he said on triggers all along - which is that we haven't seen any plans that would be as effective as the public option, and he told that to Rahm Emanuel today.
I want to thank Jane Hamsher, Eve, Slink, and Richard Trumka. They are healthcare heroes.