I am fascinated by the responses from virtually all quarters to the President's approach to the public option element of the proposed health care insurance reforms. The media and supposedly "in the know" pundits are constantly heralding the imminent death of the public option. It appears that everyone has become so obsessed with reading between the lines, that they simply refuse to actually read the lines. The White House line on this has been very consistent. They have always maintained support for the public option, but have qualified that support by indicating that it's only a means to an end. If someone comes up with another way to achieve the goals of a public option, the White House is all ears.How exactly is this a weak defense of the public option? Why would anyone object to another method of achieving the same results? The purpose of the public option is to force greater efficiency and lower prices on private insurance companies. Ironically, the public option would be a market-friendly approach to this goal. It is not a command and control regulatory approach, which is why Republican opposition to the reforms are so transparently NOT about the dangers of increased government regulation. The sights and sounds of conservative Republicans standing tall against any potential cuts to our present government run, single-payer health insurance program known as Medicare should make the Republicans philosophical bankruptcy as plain as day.
Flexibility on the public option is actually a no-lose position for the White House. Most experts agree that the only other ways to achieve the same results would require more government regulation of the private marketplace. And, at the end of the day, the Democrats have the votes to pass a liberal health care bill. Despite the feverish reporting on the objections of so-called "blue Dog" Democrats, no Democrat in the US Senate can afford to make an enemy out of this president. A couple of conservative Democrats may in the end be allowed to vote against the bill, but unless a couple of liberal Republicans sign on clearly and early, none of these "Blue Dogs" will be allowed to oppose cloture preventing the bill from getting to the Senate floor.
Forget about all the public campaigning and the ups and downs of public opinion on Health care or even on the Obama presidency. The fate of this reform is in the hands of 60-65 US Senators and 60 of them will need this president's blessing to get past this issue. There are no sure things, to be sure, but the smart money is on a health care insurance reform bill that increases competition in the insurance marketplace by expanding consumer choice. Who cares what you call it.