Legal Commentary

Deciphering Obama's Latest on the Public Option

By Jeralyn

President Obama has promised Americans clarity in his speech tonight on health care. I hope he does better than he did on Good Morning America today. What did he say? No one knows for sure. Even the journalists can't agree on what he said. Check out the different versions in the Washington Post and LA Times. (Clue: It all depends on the meaning of "it.")

According the the Washington Post, Obama will argue strongly for a public option. But if the final health care bill (not the public option per se) adds one one dime to the deficit, he won't sign the bill.

He said there were "principles that, if they're not embodied in the bill, I will not sign it," but he ducked a question on whether those include the public option. Instead, he cited as an example, "if it's adding one dime to the deficit, if it's not fully paid for, then I will not be supportive."

According to the LA Times, he said the public option is a good idea but if it (the public option) passes and adds one dime to the deficit, he won't sign the bill. [More..]

Obama says in a TV interview that he wants legislation passed this year and that it must include basic principles or he will not sign it. A 'public option' must not add to the deficit, he insists.

....Yet the president declined in the interview to draw a line in the sand on a so-called "public option," offering government-run health insurance to those who cannot find coverage privately.

Asked if the must-sign elements include that option, the president said: "I will give you an example -- if it's adding one dime to the deficit, if it's not fully paid for," then he will not sign the legislation.

So, did he say the public option must not add one dime to the deficit or he'll torpedo the whole bill, or did he say the whole health bill must not add one dime to the deficit or he'll torpedo it? According to the New York Times, he meant the whole bill:

And he drew only one line in the sand, saying he would not sign a bill if it increased the federal deficit.

If three mainstream media accounts of a short interview are this discordant, I think the problem with Obama is still his lack of clarity. Either that or he's hedging his bets and purposefully obfuscating. Which seems to be what ABC thinks:

When asked if after his speech the public would know if he would sign a health care reform bill without a public option, Obama avoided answering the question directly.

"Well, I think what the country is going to know is exactly what I think will solve our health care crisis. They will have a lot of clarity about what I think is the best way to move forward," Obama said. "I'm not going to give you a preview of it before tonight. I want everybody to tune in."

Obama's necessary ingredients, according to the LA Times:

Demanding a plan that is fully financed, without adding to the federal deficit, one that improves the insurance coverage that Americans already have and one offering coverage for those lacking it.

According to WaPo:

... a health care plan shouldn't increase the deficit, that it should cover the uninsured, that it should have insurance reforms in there so that people who do have health insurance have better protection."

In the event the bill as a whole adds to the deficit, how will he determine that the public option is the offending ingredient as opposed to another portion?

Maybe it's just me that's confused. You can watch for yourselves here.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 09, 2009 (boomark / email).