Where the public option stands today

A day after the President's speech on Health care reform the democratic leadership signalled their willingness to walk away from the public option . This is , of course a serious disappointment to progressives who after helping to get Mr. Obama elected have seen little of their agenda addressed and watched as the new administration embraced or sought to expand many of the worst policies of the previous administration . Having hoped to see an honest debate on single payer health insurance , which the American Public has overwhelmingly supported in polls for decades ,but was never even on the table , the public option was seen as a compromise . The progressive caucus has promised to kill any bill that lacks a strong public option in the House . Perhaps it is a coincidence that within hours of Nancy Pelosi's walking away from the public option , Steve Elmendorf , chief lobbyist for United Health invited the well connected to a $ 2,400 dollar a plate fund raiser for Nancy at his Washington DC home or perhaps it is what it appears to be , a little quid pro quo for a job well done , I don't know . It does however illustrate the situation of what real reform faces in the trenches in Washington . Rep Raul Grijalva , co chair of the progressive caucus plans a head count early next week .Here is a petitionfor the public option .

The Ancient by Steve Howe
mistakes by freeman